A Tadmor, please

Greetings from Oregon!

I have been up here at my beloved Camp Tadmor for a few days now and it has been awesome, but let me back up a tad...

Last week I spent some time with my parents, which was so good. They had recently returned from Iowa because my mom's father was taken up into the heavens while I was in Ireland. He has just turned 89. I was unable to be at the funeral and unable to be near to my mom through the whole process, so it was really good to see her and spend some due time with her. I arrived at their place in Walnut Creek Sunday evening and Monday afternoon we were on our way to their cabin in Graeagle (about an hour north of Truckee). I love it up their. It's a vast valley completely surrounded by towering mountains. Tuesday was a day of rest for us and I took the opportunity to pack my backpack. That was a challenge. Took me almost the entire day and it's a doozy. We went for a hike on Wednesday; 5 lakes in less than five miles! The water was so clear because none of them were fed by rivers, it was all snow melt! so gorgeous! It was so good to be out in the wilderness with my parents. They are so supportive and excited for what I am venturing out to do. Aren't they amazing?! Love you so much!

Being up here at Tadmor feels so good. I love this place. It served as much needed sanctuary in the middle of my college career and I wouldn't want to kick off my adventure anywhere else. All the staff has been here for like 10 weeks already, so coming into the last week feels pretty weird, but the friends from the past are helping me to fit with new ones. Yesterday was a day off and it was time to have some fun, so we floated down a river! For five and a half hours! On random personal floaty devices! It went a little long, but we had so much fun. I jumped off the bridge at the end in celebration :)

Throughout this whole trip I plan on going to different churches and experiencing the body of Christ that calls America it's home. Today, my friends took me to a church called Doxology. It's a fairly new church in Corvallis, numbered about 70 I'd guess and meets outside in the summer. I had never been to a church like this. People brought their own chairs like moms at a soccer match, but this, this was the family of Christ. I had met the pastor three years ago when he spoke here at Tadmor and I remember him telling me about a church he was starting up. He has a tattoo on his right bicep that I have not forgotten because I thought it was so profound. It is four quarter circles equally separated apart to create a cross in the negative space. He said the four quarter circles represent the body of Christ making Christ visible to the world! Get it?! Isn't that rad?! I think so. Anyway, that's where we went today and the word was so good. If you love Christ, you must love the church. No matter how messy, offensive, disintegrated, juxtaposed we may get towards each other, we are all saved and united by the body and blood of the Messiah and we must love his bride; his church.

I will be here for the rest of the week helping out where I can and simply being in this beautiful place. Desirae picks me up on Friday and then it's a week of exploring Portland! So stoked!