Confessions of a Ragamuffin: Menomonie, Wisconsin

Hello All!
We have had some whirlwind traveling since I last updated. Currently, I'm in Menomonie, Wisconsin, visiting a dear friend. To catch you up:
We left from Spokane and headed to Missoula, Montana, where we stayed with our cousin Derek for two nights. On Saturday, Derek took us downtown, and we walked around some farmer's markets. In general outdoor markets seem to be more popular and common in the rest of the US than they seem to be in West Virginia. I like them a lot. Missoula is a cool place, and Montana is a gorgeous state. That evening, Derek took us along to participate in one of his favorite past times--contra dancing. Gabrielle and I both gladly admit that we are not graceful or dancers, so this was one of those experiences on this road trip where I found myself looking around and thinking, "How on earth did I get here?" The contra dance also included a potluck, and the whole event was located on a farm in Arlee, Montana. People come from all over the surrounding area once a month just to contra dance, and they'll typically dance late into the night and camp in tents until morning. It was a really fun atmosphere in the middle of nowhere surrounded by tall pines and chilly air. The dance was held in an open-air, stilted building, so it was as if you were dancing in the pine trees. The people were very friendly, and Gabrielle and I learned some basic steps. We were there until a bit after midnight when we headed back to Derek's. The next morning, Gabrielle and I got up early, and Derek so kindly got up as well to make us breakfast. Then we headed to Glacier National Park in the northern part of Montana.

Glacier was pretty cool. We took Going-to-the-Sun Road throughout the park and were able to see some spectacular snow-capped mountains, glaciers, and waterfalls. Overall, the park was so beautiful mainly because you could just feel that it was teeming with life. The road had just fully opened not too long ago as they had to keep plowing snow. The snow on parts of the drive towered above our heads. From Glacier we headed to Yellowstone National Park. We got to West Yellowstone at the west entrance around 11:30 PM and slept in a hotel parking lot in my car. The next morning, we got up, freshened up in a gas station restroom, and headed to the national park. The combination of contra dancing in Montana and the wonders of Yellowstone reminded me of what I had imagined as a child that Narnia from The Chronicles of Narnia would be like. It was absolutely amazing. One of the coolest things was the hot springs because the steam from them mingled with the fresh mountain air creating almost the sensation of a warm hug. Gabrielle and I felt quite blessed to be there.

We left from Yellowstone and headed across Wyoming--another beautiful state--to South Dakota. We finally parked for the night in Keystone, South Dakota, a cute, little, western-themed town located near Mount Rushmore. Sleeping in the car doesn't really bother me too much, but it was so hot that night that I found myself wandering a bit and finally stretching out with my pillow on a picnic table. I think one of the biggest lessons of this trip has been just how difficult it must be for someone who doesn't have a home or even a sense of home provided by the consistency of family. I think this aspect of the journey is very much a God-given experience because it's been my heart's desire for a long time to adopt people and provide a sense of home and family and unconditional love. Anyway, we woke up fairly early, freshened up in another gas station, and headed for Mount Rushmore. Because we could see it from the road, and we were pressed for drive time, we did some quick pictures without going into the park and headed across South Dakota. We took the scenic loop through Badlands National Park which was very hot but pretty interesting. We stopped and saw some prairie dogs and took lots of pictures. Then it was back on the road because our final destination was here in Wisconsin to visit one of my oldest (in terms of how long we've been friends) friends.

We've had a wonderful time here. My friend, Luke, and his roommates have been such good hosts, and their kindness was such a ready oasis after three straight days of 15 hours of driving, covering nearly 1800 miles, sleeping in the car for two nights, and having not showered in two days. When we woke up yesterday, we both felt like we'd been hit by a truck. We're pretty exhausted, but yesterday, we had chill day with Luke playing frisbee golf (I am awful!), getting an oil change, and relaxing. I have loved visiting here. These boys have kept me laughing so much and are all just great guys.

Today we head for Chicago to stay one night until we drive to our last stop, a familiar place--the home of our best friend, Anthony. In just 6 days, Gabrielle will be flying off to Turkey! This trip has been unspeakably amazing. We have seen so much, met so many wonderful people, and experienced great things. There are two lessons from this trip that I'd like to share. One comes from Ruthless Trust, a great Brennan Manning book that I just finished.

This trip has really taught me just how much I struggle with being in the moment and not being in a rush to get to the next one. Let me clarify--it is much easier for me to embrace life right here in this moment when I am not the one responsible for current situations. In Honduras, it is incredibly easy for me to be laid back and live each moment to the fullest usually because I haven't had much control over anything. While this will likely not be the case when I move, before, I could just go with the flow and gladly follow. When I am the one who is responsible for making decisions, maintaining money, or ensuring someone else's comfort or safety, I become a completely different person--unnecessarily stressed out, rushed, and constantly over-analyzing. I can recognize this difference in myself, but it has to be the work of God for me to stop these behaviors. I have found that when I am becoming too uptight, I just need to stop thinking and start laughing. I look at my bank account and laugh. I look at the miles we need to cover and laugh. I look at the time and laugh. Brennan Manning hits the nail on the head with some of his wisdom:
Now/here spells nowhere. To be fully present to whoever or whatever is immediately before us is to pitch a tent in the wilderness of Nowhere. It is an act of radical trust--trust that God can be encountered at no other time and in no other place than the present moment. (150)
One of the fringe benefits of being Nowhere is freedom from concern about our spiritual condition. Being in the now removes us from endless and fruitless self-analysis. (154)
It is through immersion in the ordinary--the apparently empty, trivial, and meaningless experiences of a routine day--that life/Life is encountered and lived. (156)
The other lesson that has completely gripped my heart is what I feel was one of God's pivotal purposes in allowing me to take this trip at all. I have seen some of the most beautiful places the United States has to offer. I have briefly stepped into the lives of people who live in these places. I have been around people of so many different occupations and lifestyles. My point is that God has given me a taste of every childhood dream I had, nearly every life I would've wanted for myself long ago, and has allowed me to experience the wonders, the comforts, and the specialties the US holds. In the process, He has completely captured my heart again. I am so in love with the God who created all of this majesty yet who still loves me intimately and personally. It is because I am so in love with God that in the midst of so much beauty before me, I am gripped in an inexplicable way by the unseen Kingdom, by the unseen purpose, by the story so much greater than my own. I am haunted by the words of Rolland Baker and K.P. Yohannan that cry out for God's people to live with an eternal mindset. I could do anything--I could move to the mountains of Colorado and do freelance writing. I could move to San Diego and be an inner city teacher. I could move to Seattle and work for a nonprofit. But what eternal value would my life hold? I'm not saying that doing those things wouldn't hold any eternal value, especially if they were God's will for me. But, I don't want my life to be centered on what the world has to offer or my own fulfillment and comforts with eternity as a sidenote. That's the whole point of following Jesus--we are called to live differently than the rest of the world. As my good friend, Beth, pointed out when we were in South Carolina, this world is not our home. There is so much more to live for than a job, friends, family, or even the wonder of God's creation. There are so many people who do not know the powerful, all-encompassing, tangible, healing love of Jesus. There are so many people in the world who have never even heard His name! How dare I live for myself? How dare I get spiritually fat on His presence or His love and never move to share that with someone else?

We recently listened to a podcast by K.P. Yohannan where he spoke of a letter he received from a native missionary in India. The missionary met a woman who was sobbing violently on the banks of the Ganges River. When he asked her what was wrong, she told him of her poverty, her husband's struggles, etc., and wailed because she had just offered her only son--a 6-month-old--to the god of the Ganges (by throwing him in) for hope of some relief and the forgiveness of her sins. The missionary told her about Jesus, His love, and the salvation that can be received through Him. The woman accepted Jesus but began to wail again, saying, "Why couldn't you have come to me just a half an hour earlier?! Why couldn't you have told me this earlier to stop me from killing my only beloved son?" This story haunts me and reminds me of my own similar experience last summer that still chills me when I think of it: http://confessionsofaragamuffin.blogspot.com/2010/08/quiero-cambiar.html.
We are His mouthpiece. How else will the world see His love? Are we so callous that we cannot feel the desperation of others who don't know Jesus? I am so convicted and convinced that we will be held accountable for the lives that we lead on this earth. We are free to live for whatever we want, whoever we want. But I don't want to be relevant or important on earth. I want to make a difference in His Kingdom. So even as I'm traveling through redwoods and sunsets, snow-capped mountains and canyons, beaches and deserts, I am captivated by the truth that there is so much more to live for! I don't want to settle for this world before my eyes. There have been so many people who have told Gabrielle and I that they are jealous of our trip or wish they could take a trip like ours or hope to travel across the US someday. It has been amazing; I won't deny it. But I hesitate to tell anyone, "Well, you could do it too" or something similar because I am on this trip because God led me on this trip. He provided the money. He provided the vision. He said go. I would not have been brave enough to go without His leading. Thus, my advice is not that you or anyone else hop in the car and go for fun and adventure. My advice is that in ALL things, seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added. My Papí Alvin often says that Christians really only need two things--a Bible and a passport. He called every single follower of Jesus to be missionaries. The Great Commission is simple. The only question then is where is He leading you to go. Are you willing? I want to be. I don't want to waste my life on the things of this world. I want my heart to break with the things that break my dearest Father's heart, and I want my broken heart to lead me to the darkness to bring light and the fullest life in the emptiest of places.

Lots of love,
Sarah