Boston, Massachusetts

Sunset over Lake Ontario

Niagara Falls at night

Fireworks over Niagara Falls

My brother, Sammy, and I

Niagara Falls

Horseshoe Falls

Bar Harbor, Maine

Hello All,
Well, I'm on the road again--this time it is with my brother instead of my cousin, which makes for a decidedly different dynamic. Today is actually Samuel's birthday, and in typical Samuel fashion, he is enjoying it at the first basketball court he could find where we are currently staying--Boston, Massachusetts.

We left on August 1, and headed first to Niagara Falls, staying at a campground located right on Lake Ontario with a view of the Toronto, Canada skyline. It was beautiful. Our first night we arrived there, and God immediately provided us with the unexpected gift of fireworks over the illuminated falls. Samuel was small child-excited which was so enjoyable for me to watch. This is actually the most time that he and I have spent together in a long time--we both agree that he probably couldn't have handled road tripping for as long as Gabrielle and I did. Just in the 6 days we've been on this trip, I have questioned how Gabrielle and I road tripped for as long as we did. I am so ready for a sense of home and stability. After spending two days at Niagara, we headed for Brattleboro, Vermont, a half-way point between Niagara and Lamoine State Park, Maine. We wandered around the cute, little town and had a picnic of food we bought from a local co-op. Then we headed to a local, downtown movie theater that was old and charming. It reminded me of the Opera House in Shepherdstown where I went to college. We both enjoyed the movie Crazy, Stupid Love and then headed to an abandoned Walmart parking lot where we slept in the car for the night. The next morning, we got up and headed to Lamoine, which were the cheapest and closest accommodations to Bar Harbor that I could find. It rained the entire way but stopped long enough for us to set up our campsite. We headed to Bar Harbor that evening and enjoyed some seafood and walking around the quaint tourist spot. It's really nice. Being as it was dark, and we were tired, we went to bed early. The next day, we headed to Acadia National Park which is truly beautiful, and Samuel finally got to see the ocean instead of a bay, which he'd been adamant about. However, the water was so cold (55 degrees F.) that we didn't swim. Ha ha. Today, we left Lamoine and made our way to Boston, stopping in Bangor to have lunch with a family friend that we had met from our church in Lewisburg. It's always so nice to see people who contributed to who we've grown to be.

We haven't seen too much of Boston yet, but I have to remind myself that this is the first major city (other than Tegucigalpa, oddly enough) that my brother has been to. I am all ready to hit the sights and have a destination, and he's wandering in the wonder of it all. Being with Samuel has refreshed my approach to travel. It's easy after traveling so much this summer to forget the wonder of the little things, to become spoiled and jaded by so many new sites that merely remind me of old places or seem to pale in comparison to past locations. But, I have to remember to take each individual moment as its own, separate from the past or even future experiences. This is easier said than done, especially now when everything relates to Honduras for me.
Nearly every other thought at this point relates to Honduras, and I dream about it almost every night. On the 3rd, I hit one month until I move. In some ways, I'm not ready at all--I still have stuff to go through and people to see. But in others, I have already checked out and am already in Honduras. Most of the music I listen to (by choice...Samuel occasionally claims control of road tunes) is in Spanish, and my brain lights up any time I hear anyone speaking it or see a sign in Spanish. My mind keeps turning over that idea that when I get off the plane this time, it's to stay. It's to make a new home. It's scary, but I love it.

Recently, I read a book called Soaring with the Eagles, by Kenneth Hagin, a book my grandmother got me, knowing how much I like eagles. A particular excerpt fits my current state perfectly:
If you're ever going to soar with the eagles, you have to be willing to trust God and leave the security of the nest. And if you're ever going to receive the things you believe God has spoken to your heart and see them come to pass, you have to be willing to try your spiritual wings. (24).
I also have been reading in Hebrews currently, and it, too, speaks to my heart:
from Hebrews 10:
Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward. For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised. . . . But the just shall live by faith . . .; and if he draws back and shrinks in fear, My soul has no delight or pleasure in him.
I want God to take pleasure in me, and this verse clearly states that for God to delight in me, I have to be willing to live by faith, to venture into the unknown.

Until next time,
Sarah