The past few days have been a little more relaxing. After spending a day at Smith Rock, I rode about 30 miles into Bend, Oregon and had a fabulous two nights at the Moore’s. Jason and Rosa are friends from home who have relocated here to raise a family and serve God. Jason and I had a couple great talks while in the jacuzzi as I revived my weary muscles. They fed me great meals and showed me around the area. Bend seems like a true outdoorsman’s town.
On Sunday morning, we went to church and sitting two pews in front of me was Patsy, a lady I had met at Smith Rock two says before! When I was talking to the camp host, he said, “outside the front entrance of the park there is a little shop with the best huckleberry ice cream; you have to try it.” So I did. When I got up to the window, there were two ladies ordering in front of me. We all got our ice cream cones and sat on the bench on the front porch. We chatted as we licked away. And here she and I were at church miles away.
She recognized me as well and after church we visited a little while. Her testimony is amazing, as she was born in Indonesia, immigrated to Northern Europe, and finally to the United States.
The service was patriotic, reminding me that our great nation birthday is coming up- may she return to the values that shaped her greatness, formed by a group of men with much wisdom and a sense of dependency on their Creator for guidance.
Sunday afternoon, I got to do some planting with Jason- vegetables and raspberries. I also got in some batting practice with their 3-yr-old, Malachi, and an intense pillow fight!
One of my former students, Ethan Cannady, 13, met me along with his nana and aunt to prep his bike and gear. He is riding with me this week from Bend to Gold Hill.
This morning, we got on the road about 9am. Jason led us through town on his road bike and ride with us out to the High Desert Museum south of town. Rosa, Malachi, and Josias (their one year old cutie pie) met us there and picked Jason up. Then Ethan And I were on our own. We climbed up to Newberry Volcanic National Monument, went to the visitor’s center, had lunch and hit the road again.
We got into La Pine about 2pm and called it a day. This is Ethan’s first self-contained touring experience, so we went through how to set up camp, set up the tent, all the equipment, etc. we are headed a couple miles into town to hunt down some food, then cycle back to camp and turn in. Tomorrow looks like it is uphill- all day long- back into the heart of the Cascades on our way to Crater Lake.