The days and weeks have flown by since I began to share here.
In mid-May doors opened up and the timing seemed right to head to Alaska. I already had contacts there with people who were interested in starting something up towards helping those in getting to discover or know God through their passions for travel and adventure. So, I made the bookings (and wonderfully Alaskan Airlines had a super savings seat sale happening!).
Three weeks were spent in Alaska, half of that time in the town of Homer, and encouraging things happened in meeting people who share the same vision for the travelers. Had I delayed this trip by a couple of weeks, I would have missed out in meeting a real loving/caring Dutch family whose vision to help travelers/backpackers come to know who God is was so similar to what I have!
One of the amazing and encouraging events that happened in Homer was the Sunday I attended a local church - it was about 10 miles (15km) out of town and I just went with the flow of things from where I was staying - and got a ride with folk to there. It was also the home church of the main contact I had in Homer. At the beginning of the church service, he introduced the two of us visitors by name to the church members. During the break half way between the service, a lady walks up to me and said she knew who I was!! Her name was S. and I actually met her years ago in my home town in church - and her parents have been long-term supporters of what I have been doing. I had totally forgotten about this contact - and even if I had remembered she was in Alaska, I had no idea where she lived there - so meeting her under the circumstances and my reasons for being in Alaska, leaves me wondering in awe of what God may have for the future there. [Photos: google: homer alaska photos]
I connected with both new and past contacts while in Alaska, in Seward, Anchorage, Talkeetna and Denali National Park area. Hitch-hiking was fairly easy, and some of the rides turned out be in specific answers to prayer - such as asking God to get picked up by people in an RV (recreational vehicle) and I did by a great Texan couple. They even served me lunch! Even after I left Alaska and spent a week in Washington State, visiting friends in a quite a rural area...several friends of theirs had direct connections back to places like Homer and Talkeetna...and I sense that God is beginning to be at work in Alaska. It shall be interesting to see what develops and happens there now over the next 12 months or so.
I returned home for a short break, then headed to work in a wildernness Provincial Park. This has been a summer job of mine for over the past 10 summers - managing the back country for canoeing, hiking, camping and fishing. Last year a good portion of one side of the wilderness valley had a forest fire. It still is an amazing blessing to be able to live and work in this very beautiful and wild location. I will try and share at another time how I was offered this job.
Plans are set to head off for an adventure with God into Europe starting after mid - July. The purpose of this trip is: 1. Sensing God is saying 'go' and to trust him that he will set the agenda, he will be the guide. A couple of locations already seemed to be confirmed, and as the weeks progress I hope to share with you what happens. 2. To continue to develop and network with people in helping backpackers discover and experience God while they travel. 3. To truly let this journey be a 'Faith Travel', to allow God to lead and to guide, and to share how my belief and faith in the God of the Bible as a backpacker really is an incredible adventure, testifying to His reality.
For now, my focus will be to get things in order to head out on this next journey. I've been asking God in prayer to bring the right next set of people to live in my home while I am away by around mid July. There seems to be no end of things to do get ready for yet another set of travels.
My prayer is that for those of you reading this, that you will be able to share this journey with me. I will try and make a weekly posting. Remind me if I do not. My desire is that this journey ahead will be an encouragement and a challenge to all who read it, to take 'risks of faith' in getting to know God and allow him to lead you into the adventure of your life.
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