Welcome to KalumTuggle.com
Thank you for visiting the site. If you're here you're probably wondering why I have a web page. Let me tell you...My buddies Dave and Greg hooked me up with this site so I could communicate with my family and friends about my life and work. I tend to travel around quite frequently having worked in Texas, Tennessee, Colorado, and Utah in the last two years.As you can image sometimes I am hard to find or get ahold of. So, this site allows you to read quick updates about my travels as well as look at my pictures along the way. Thanks Dave and Greg for the site and I hope everyone else enjoys.
June 9, 2006
So its been a while, but I remind you this is not a blog. To be honest I will probably not be using this site as much anymore but I will try to keep pictures updated.
So much has happened since I logged on last. The biggest news is that I am now the youth minister at Cross Timbers Church of Christ in Stephenville, Texas. It is a church that has been around for about 19 years and I will be their first youth minister. It is a great opportunity for both the congregation and myself to grow as I step into my first full time position.
I will finish up at LSE in a week and a half then head to Colorado to see my girl and go on Trek with her. Then I will start full time at the beginning of July. As you can image I am very excited about this opportunity and I can't wait to be there full time.
Please come and see me in Stephenville. I hope to have a house or duplex shortly after the first of July and I can always use some youth group volunteers.
Thanks for checking in.
April 13, 2006
There are now pictures of Brett in my photo gallery. I am sure I will add more but those will have to do for now. Being the first grandchild there will never be a lack photos of him, so I am sure I will have plenty to add in the future. Tomorrow we are celebrating the Tuggle family Easter so Amanda and Mike can spend Sunday with his family. It will be our first time to have the new addition to the family in the house and as you can expect, everyone is really excited and looking forward to the time together. Have a great Easter weekend and keep checking back for more photos and updates.
April 5, 2006
Brett has arrived! For those of you who don't know, Brett is my nephew. He was born today at 3:26 p.m. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 1 oz. and is 20 inches long. He is beautiful of course, something I am sure he gets from his Uncle Kalum. I promise I will write more but for now I have to go back to work. I was lucky to sneak away in the first place. I will add pictures too. Thanks for checking in.
March 1, 2006
So there I was... sitting in the medical clinic waiting room as one student and another staff member were in the examination room for the students physical. I was waiting with two other students who had already had their physicals. One of the students seemed very nervous and jitterery (if that's a word) but he had been that way since he arrived two days earlier. He began to pace in the waiting room but I thought nothing about it. All of a sudden, he paced himself right out of the door and started to run away. It took me half a second to realize that he was running away and then I was off. Like a leopard chasing his prey I pounced and began the chase. We ran through a backyard and then jumped over a small fence. We then ran down the main street (luckily it is a town of only 1400) and around the block. It was then that the student must have sensed that I was about to catch up with him so he decided to submit and give up. I was able to talk him into returning to the clinic and then back to our property. There are a lot of details that went into his decision to attempt a run that I will not go into but it was the first time I had ever had to chase a student. I was surprised how quickly I reacted but then again maybe not that surprised...after all I am a finely tuned physical specimen with keen senses. The story ends on a positve note because as I leave the field this week that student is doing well and has started to work his way through the program.
On a much lighter note...I got to take off in the middle of my shift and go to a concert in Dallas. However it wasn't just any concert, it was Coldplay. They may be four Englishmen but they know how to put on a good show. I guess those quartets from England all went to the same school of rock n' roll or something; they know what they are doing. Ashley and I had great seats and I will go ahead and speak for Ashley because I am sure she would say that it was the best Christmas present she has ever received.
If you know my good friends Robin and Aubrey (Trek buddies), you probably also know that they just had their baby. Wyatt Cam Wood was born 8 1/2 weeks early but is doing great. They actually predict he will get to go home in a week. He is already 5 pounds, no telling how big he would have been if he had being carried to term. So congrats to Robin and Aubrey.
Whew...that was a long entry. Until next time...
February 16, 2006
I just got out of the woods again and for all of you that don't get rain maybe I can box up the pounding we continue to get down here and send it your way. This week they had to evacuate us from the National Forest because it was raining so hard. They took us to one of the cabins we have on our property. Just imagine standing pools of water everywhere you look. It did not help that it was going to get below freezing that night (wet + cold = hypothermia). But to be honest it was nothing we couldn't handle, I just needed something to write about.
Everyone out there needs to check out the revamped Wilderness Trek website. Dave, the guy who designed this site, redesigned it and it is awesome. If anyone out there needs a site designed he is the man to contact. Just give me a call and I'll set you up with him. Thanks Dave.
Thanks for checking in. God bless.
--Now for another six days off--
January 21, 2006
Sorry about the lacks of updates but remember this is not a blog, it’s a website. I don't do blogs; I am really not all that interesting enough to write something every day.
I am still working with the juvenile delinquents in the woods of east Texas. The work at LSE is good and I am continuing to learn new things every week. For instance, this last week I learned that boys will let girls walk all over them even if there is a small chance of getting some action. Two boys were combined with two girls for a short time and it didn't take long for the girls to have those boys in the palm of their hands. Little did the boys know they would probably never see those girls again in their lives. Dang you women for having that power over us!
This weekend I am with Ashley at Mom and Dad's house. Dad and I took Ashley to the gun range and she quickly realized she liked shooting my Dad's Glock 40 pistol. She would finish shooting just fast enough for us to have another magazine loaded with rounds for her to fire off. A note to all of her ex-boyfriends or any enemies she might have out there: DO NOT WORRY, she only hits her target about 35% of the time; and that's when the target is not moving! I added some pictures of our time out at the range so be sure to check out the photo gallery. And don't worry, even though in some pictures it may look like we were not being safe, we took all the usual gun safety precautions and in the funny pictures the guns were not loaded.
Thanks for checking in with the website and I hope everything is going well wherever you find yourself.
--Back to the woods of east Texas--
December 12, 2005
Finally I got to spend an official week in the field at LSE as an employee. It was good and different and interesting plus a whole lot of other adjectives. The kids are the same; spoiled, rich, and out of control. But the program is different than what I experienced in Utah. It is set up as more of a diagnostic program instead of a treatment program. The kids are there for a shorter stay but are pushed to go to facilities that can better meet their needs. It will take some time for me to adjust but it looks like it will be a good place for now.
My "sweetheart," as the old folks would say, is graduating from Texas A&M this weekend. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend because I will be back out in the field. But honestly, who really wants to sit through a graduation of over 1000 students just to see one walk across the stage. Or if you are like my mother, go to the bathroom when the only one you know walks across the stage (my cousin's graduation at A&M).
Everything else is good. Hopefully I'll get some X-mas pictures up after the holidays so keep checking back if you want. Thanks for reading.
--Off to the backwoods of east Texas--
November 18, 2005
I am now in Nashville wrapping up my time helping my good buddy Bert remodel his new home. Unfortunately in the three weeks I've been here there hasn't been must remodeling, only demolition. That's right, three weeks of solid demolition. We did get a few of the new windows in but that is only because when you tear apart a window it is necessary to put one back unless you want a hole in the side of your house. Bert has called in reinforcements for a week so he should be able to get a lot more accomplished.
Finally it looks like I have a start date for Lone Star Expeditions. I got a call from them today and I will be starting on Wednesday November 30th. This works out well for me because I will get to spend Thanksgiving with my family and will be out of the woods by the time my birthday rolls around on December 8th. Speaking of my birthday...for any of you wondering what you can get me just try looking through the Patagonia sportswear catalog and ordering anything. You can also try Mountain Hardwear or Marmot outdoor products. I'll take anything.
In other news we just found out that Amanda is having a boy. Mom and Dad got to go to see the baby on the latest sonagram (I guess that's how you spell it) and Amanda said Mom cried...no surprise there. I thought it was kind of silly they needed to take an afternoon off from work just to see the baby on a screen that you can't really tell what's happening but that's the treatment the first grandchild gets. I have a stinking suspicion that isn't going to happen with the rest of the grandchildren.
Well, that's all for now. I am looking forward to stuffing my face next week. Last year I was in the wilderness for Thanksgiving so it will be nice to get to spend it with my family. Have a great Thanksgiving and eat a big slice of pumkin pie for me.
--Back to Texas--
October 10, 2005
I really think I could leave this entry out because if you were to ask me what have I done since my last entry I would simply have to say nothing. And that's the truth. I was originally slated to start working at a wilderness therapy program in Texas on September 2nd. Well apparently the date I was told was wrong and I was not to report until September 22nd. So I had three weeks to kill in which I spent some time with my family and then moved down to Bryan, where I was going to live. There are many benefits to living in Bryan the main one being my lady friend, Ashley, lives there along with the fact that it is fairly close to the wilderness therapy program. So I spent two and a half weeks in Bryan and then Hurricane Rita forced the program to evacuate thus further delaying my start. For now I am trying to work out a date to start while still here in Bryan. Yeah its kind of frustrating waiting to start work again but there’s not much I can do about a hurricane.
As for better and more important news, my parents are celebrating their 37th wedding anniversary tomorrow. Its funny that the news is often filled with tales of rich Hollywood couples divorcing after 5 months, or 5 years if they’re lucky, but my parents have made it for 37 with a little more than a pop-up camper for vacations and three kids that fought over the dividing line on the van bench seats. I am happy now that their vacations include trips to Cancun, coastal Maine, and most frequently San Diego. And they are probably happy that it’s not in a pop-up camper and a mini-van with three kids and a ninety-pound lab. They deserve it! Congratulations Mom and Dad. I love you both.
--Off the wilderness-- (hopefully real soon)
August 23, 2005
I have just returned from my vacation with my very good friend (some might call her my girlfriend but you didn't hear that from me) Ashley. We took a BBQ tour of Texas. First of all, if you want some good, no let me say great, pork ribs you need to visit Black's BBQ in Lockhart, TX. So far they are the best I have ever had. We also got to stop in at Angelo's in Ft. Worth and Cooper's in Llano. Overall it was a very successful vacation and after eating all of that meat I only gained 6 pounds over this last week.
As promised I have finally added some pictures to my gallery. There are some new pictures in the Utah album plus a new album that shows you some typical events in a week at RCA. Yeah I haven't been in Utah in over three months but at least I finally got the pictures on the site. Notice in the RCA pictures that the students always look miserable, that's just for show. They don't want anyone to think that they actually do have a good time occasionally. I also have a new album from the BBQ tour of Texas. I do have some pictures from this summer in Colorado but there are probably too many to add to the gallery. I might get them on there one day but for now you'll just have to guess at what it looked like!!
Thanks for checking back in with the site. I hope to continue to post updates no matter how uneventful my life might be. I hope you enjoy the pictures.
--Off to...nowhere really--
August 15, 2005
I am back from Trek and currently in Denton. The summer finished up in a flash and everything went really well. God did some amazing things this summer in the lives of the teens but also in my life. It is awesome to dwell daily in his wilderness and see all that he has given us. As for the next step in my life it looks like I will be in east Texas as expected. On September 2nd I go to a training seminar at Lone Star Expeditions Outdoor Therapy Program. As far as I can tell the work is very similar to RCA in Utah so I should fit right in. Of course I will know more after the 2nd.
But more importantly, I am heading out tomorrow for a BBQ tour of Texas. This will serve as my vacation, even though my dad thinks I've been on vacation for two years. I am headed down to Cooper's in Llano, home of the best pork chop in Texas, then I will be headed to Black's in Lockhart, home of the best pork rib in Texas. There might be a few other stops in between but I plan on gaining back my weight that I lose every summer from hiking and enjoying my home state.
Apparently my managing system for my site got hacked into so I lost all of my pictures on my gallery. Hopefully I will get to upload all of them again very soon. Thanks for checking and I will see you all very soon. God bless Texas!!
--off to the BBQ joints--
June 24, 2005
Sorry for the lack of recent updates. I am currently in Colorado working at Wilderness Trek Christian Camp. I have just completed my third week with campers, I climbed Mt. Ouray (13,971 ft.). The weeks are going by really quickly but every one of them has been a blessing. Before you know it the summer will be over and I will be headed off on another adventure. As of now it looks like I will be checking out a wilderness therapy program in Texas at the beginning of September and seeing how it fits. However, you never know, I could come up with some crazy scheme between now and then and end up somewhere else.
It is good being back on my old stomping grounds of Trek and Salida, CO. We have a lot of new staff since I was here last in the summer of '03 but it is still awesome and the Lord is continuing to do amazing things. I hope to add a few pictures soon to the gallery but I have been saying that for a couple of months now so don't get your hopes up.
For all of you in Texas and Tennessee or wherever else you might be reading this from, eat some good BBQ for me while I am gone and I will see you all very soon. God bless.
--Off to the mountains--
May 7, 2005
So long to Utah. I worked my last shift last week and packed up and moved yesterday. Currently I am in Salida, CO home of Wilderness Trek to drop off a few things before heading to Texas for several days. My time in Utah was great and I met a lot of great people but as I have proven over the last couple of years, I can't stay in any place too long. In fact it seems that I move about every six months. When you're young, single, and good lookin' (let me put the emphasis on good lookin') you have those kind of options.
As usual I am really excited about returning to Wilderness Trek. Even more so, I am excited about getting back into organized ministry. Don't get me wrong, the work I did at RCA was definitely ministry but it is nice getting back into an environment in which I can openly proclaim the name and glory of Christ Jesus.
I will continue to add entries as I work at Trek because as most of you know, I am less able to contact people personally at Trek than I was at RCA. Besides, there are always some great stories from the mountain that I love for others to hear about. Thanks for stopping by the website and take care.
April 21, 2005
As usual I have just come out of the field having experienced another fun-filled week at RCA. I was assigned to work with the Eagles or as we often call them the Ea-gals because there are 8 females and just one lonely male. Much like my week at Thanksgiving, I experienced more estrogen including crying and all the mood swings that come with it (sorry for the stereotype but in this case it is true) in 8 short days than I have in the last six months. The week was filled with all sorts of challenges, some of which are too gross to mention, but we still managed to have a very productive week. I haven't asked this in the past but I would really appreciate if all of you would offer a prayer or two or twenty for the students I work with. Just to give you an idea of what many of them have gone through let me share that three of the girls I worked with this past week have been victims of rape and that's just the ones that we know about. Another student received a letter on Saturday telling her that her best friend died of a drug overdose on April 5th. I could go on describing many other tragic events but it is very easy to see why these students would turn to drugs or other destructive patterns in hopes of escaping the reality they know as life.
I have just one more week out in the field before I leave for the summer. It is kind of weird because I feel that I have just recently started to fit in. Ironically, my boss forgot I was leaving and offered me a promotion that would probably take affect in the next couple of weeks. At least I know that I am leaving on good terms and if I choose to I can come back after the summer and Wilderness Trek. I am still very excited about the summer and getting back into organized ministry. God continues to strengthen my heart for his children and I hope that he continues to put me in places where I can do his work for his glory.
For now I think I might be going up north for the next couple of days and see Salt Lake City before I leave the state. It is definitely nice having a job in which I can travel so frequently. As I have said before, I highly recommend getting a job that allows it, there’s nothing better. Thanks for checking back in on the website and until next time…
-Blue Elk
April 9, 2005
I finally returned back to work after spending several weeks in Texas. I finally had the opportunity to work a student graduation. It was really neat to see the students as they work through the program and really change their lives. There were seven teen graduates plus three from our adult program. It starts off on Sunday when the graduates are taken from their regular group and then taken to a location in the field at which they are put out on a night of solo (they camp alone with no other students, under our supervision). Then Monday morning we hike them to an area of the field owned by RCA called Outpost. They are offered their first shower and a chance to prepare for the day. Meanwhile the parents have arrived at base in Enterprise, UT and are going through a parent meeting with our Clinical Director. Finally the parents are transported out to Outpost. It is there that the students then run about a 1/4 mile into the waiting arms of there parents. They spend the rest of the day talking with their parents and participating in several graduation ceremonies. That evening the parents sleep out in the field with their children. Tuesday morning the students cook breakfast for their parents and then are taken out of the field to return home (or boarding school, another program, etc). It really is a great experience to see the progress these "brats" have made and witness the culmination of a really tough and trying experience for them.
After graduation I returned to the field on Wednesday to work with a regular group. It was a tough week in which I had one student on suicide watch, one student who refused to do anything and was very disrespectful, as well as the other seven students who were their usual difficult selves. Needless to say, I was very excited to leave them there this past Wednesday and return to civilization.
One of the most amazing things this week, and for that matter since I've been at RCA, happened to me on Wednesday as I was getting ready to leave the field. We have a ceremony that dates back to Native American tribal tradition in which a student or staff member receives an earth name. This name represents the change the person has exhibited over their time at RCA. It also represents the respect and trust others have in you. It is said that when you were born you were given a name and that is "who" you are. But when you receive an earth name you are accepting "what" you are. This past Wednesday I was presented with an earth name. It is impossible to fully explain the significance of this name and the ceremony in which it was given to me but I can simply say it is a great honor. I was named by one of the people who I respect most at RCA, another staff member by the name of Storm Runner, or Adam Lawrence as he is known on the outs. He chose to name me (and I accepted) "Blue Elk Forging the Rapids." I understand to some of you that this doesn't seem like a big deal or that it might even be silly but for me it was an amazing event in my life and something I will take with me forever. I will probably go by the simple name Blue Elk but that is now what everyone at RCA will call me, students and staff alike.
Everything else is going well. I only have two more shifts here at RCA until I leave to go to Colorado for the summer and return to Wilderness Trek. If you didn't know that is where I will be until August and then I hope to get hired on at a wilderness therapy program in Texas. I need to be a little closer to momma (or at least that's what I tell her).
Thanks for checking on me and I will keep posting more so keep checking back.
March 21, 2005
I know I haven't entered a journal log in several weeks but nothing much has been going on. I have been working as usual in Utah and everything is running fairly smoothly. I am liking it more and more each day and I can see myself doing this kind of work for a while, maybe a little closer to Texas though. In fact I am going to try to get on at a wilderness therapy program in Texas starting sometime in the fall. Recently my good buddy Greg came to visit and we hit up all the national parks around here. Check out his website (gingles.net) for some pictures until I get mine on my gallery.
As I write this entry I am in Texas where I have been for the past two weeks for my sister's wedding. It was an amazing event. We had family coming from all over the country and some from outside the country (that's what my cousins from El Paso call it anyway). For those that didn't know, I got to perform the ceremony. As Amanda came down the isle I didn't know if I was going to be able to speak. Luckily, after a few seconds (it seemed like a lifetime) of choking back some heavy emotions, I was able to speak and the ceremony went on as planned. I think everything came out okay... at least that's what everyone has told me. Amanda was absolutely beautiful but anyone that has met her knew that already.
I have some pictures on the gallery that were taken by one of my cousins (thanks Janet) and a few taken by my mom. If it seems like we aren't looking at Janet's camera it is because we weren't, we were looking at the hired photographer. But none-the-less her pictures are awesome. When the professional photos become availible to view online I will let you know.
All I can say about this wedding experience is that I am definitely glad I have only one sister. I don't think I can handle that much emotion in one day again. However it was very cool to get everyone together for such a great weekend.
For now I am off to Utah tomorrow and back to work on Thursday. After eating all this great Texas food since I've been back it is going to be real hard to go back to rice and lentils. But don't worry, I took pictures of the BBQ to show my students and rub it in their faces. And I think I am getting to take back one of the briskets Dad and I smoked to show the Utes what is real BBQ. Thanks for checking in on the website.
-Off to the wilderness-
January 25, 2005
Let me tell all of you who don't get six days off every week, I highly recommend finding a job that allows it. Not very often do I get to go to Zion National Park (see photo gallery) and get in a day of skiing all in one weekend but it happened. The weather has been absolutely perfect. After all that snow two weeks ago it was nothing but sun this past week in the field and that carried over through my off-shift. By the end of this past week in the field I was wearing shorts and flip-flops; a stark contrast to the foot of snow.
Let me just say that Zion was amazing. For all of you who don't have it on your life's to-do list, it needs to get there very soon. The pictures I added to the photo gallery do not do the place justice. The whole time we (Adam, my roommate, and I) were thinking that we should be in some land found in the Lord of the Rings or that what we were seeing was simply a big picture. I plan on going back several times in the next few months and really get into some of its backcountry.
We also got in a little skiing. The local resort has $10 Tuesdays in which the lift tickets are only, you guessed it, $10. That makes a very expensive hobby relatively cheap. Again, the weather was great and we skied until they kicked us off.
If you are interested, I can get a weekend like this anytime and could always use a hiking/skiing partner if any of you would like to come visit. Trust me, I'm availible. I hope everything is going well back in Texas and Tennessee or wherever else you happen to be reading this from. Please continue to pray for me and the work I am doing with the students at RCA. Thanks again for checking out the site. Big props to Dave!! See you all later.
--Off to the wilderness--
January 8, 2005
I rang in the New Year inside my very warm sleeping bag as I slept through the last of 2004 and entered 2005. This week it snowed. There was about 7 or 8 inches on the ground when I entered the field and by the time I left last Wednesday there was over a foot. Surprising though, it was not as cold as you might think. Don't get me wrong, low temperatures in the 10s and 20s are plenty cold but it could have been a lot worse. None-the-less, we still hiked and still camped without much of a problem.
The big news of the week is that I finally found a place to live. Adam (one of the guys I trained with and have since become good friends) and I found a newly renovated house in Cedar City that the owner was renting out rooms. It is very nice and spacious. We are sharing a room (a good way to save money) and a bathroom but the house is large enough that we aren't on top of each other all the time. We have two other roommates but both are very quiet and keep to themselves. One only lives in the house part-time (he has a place in St. George as well). The house still has two additional rooms that are empty for the moment so we could have new roommates at anytime.
I am enjoying my time off and finally my six days out of the field actually feels like six days. I am not traveling or bumming housing off of other people so it is a lot more relaxing. We hope to head up to Brian Head Ski Resort on Monday and get a few hours of skiing in; hopefully the weather will be good (two days ago Brian Head had a high of 17 degrees, a little cold for my taste).
Again, thanks for all the emails of encouragement and no I am not getting a new hat anytime soon. I know several of you have seen the X-mas pictures in the gallery and Mom has asked you to request I get a new hat but it ain't happening anytime soon. By the way, I hope everyone enjoyed the Texas Tech Red Raider victory over the then ranked No. 4 California Bears. I wish I could have seen the game but I was in the field. It was, however, the best news I have received since getting out. Too bad good ol' texas a&m couldn't take advantage of their seemingly home field in the Cotton Bowl. Enough of that talk...take care all of you and I hope to hear from you soon.
December 27, 2004
Christmas break has been so very amazing but it has also flown by. I am in Texas as of now but I head back to Utah tomorrow. I have got to spend several days with my family and it was definitely a blessing to be around them again (I haven't seen them since August).
I am flying in and out of Las Vegas which is a first time experience for me (Las Vegas, not flying). That town is definitely an interesting place. I did have to have the $6.99 prime rib dinner last Wednesday when I flew out. On the trip back I might finally get the guts to gamble some. I think I am going to find the cheapest blackjack table and see what I can do. I had my sister's future husband, Mike, give me a few tips about when to take a hit and when to stand. You'll know if I win big!!
Utah is still going well. I checked the weather report and it is suppose to snow my first week back from Christmas so I am getting ready. My last shift was unusually warm so we all got a little spoiled. It looks like we are going to make up for it now. I am continuing to learn more and more each day. I hope to take everything I am learning and apply it to my ministry soon. Please continue to pray for me as well as the students that I am working with. I hope everyone has a great New Year and I will see in 2005!!
-Off to the wilderness-
December 9, 2004
Again, I have just got out of the field and from the long list of email messages it looks like several new friends and family have found this site, thanks mom!! Hopefully my updates are helpful. It is such a great feeling to know so many friends are thinking and praying about me as I continue my work with these teens.
After spending the Thanksgiving shift with all female students I got assigned to an all male group this past week. Unfortunately, they argued and bickered just as much as the girls. The weather has definitely turned cold. There is snow occasionally and that which is on the ground probably won't melt now until spring. Even still, we continue to hike and camp using all aspects of the wilderness as a tool for transforming the life's of these teens. This past week I had three students from Great Britain in my group and so I am getting to learn all sorts of new phrases. I never thought it would be so hard to understand someone who speaks the same language as myself.
I am getting to spend my six days off this week with my good friends Grant and Paige in my old stomping grounds of Salida, CO. It is always good to be around familiar faces. Next week I get to fly home after my shift in the field. I am definitely excited about spending Christmas in Texas. It has been four months since I have seen that blessed state and I am definitely missing it. I should get some holiday pictures up in my gallery so keep an eye out if you're interested. Again, thanks for the emails and prayers, they all help. Until another update...
November 29, 2004
Well, I have just come out of the field after my first real week working for RedCliff Ascent. I got to spend the Thanksgiving week and holiday with 8 troubled GIRLS! That's right, all girls. They ranged from a spoiled brat from Long Island, New York to a runaway from Northern California. To all the males out there that at one time wondered what girls were talking about...it's not that interesting, in fact it's flat out boring. Despite the high level of estrogen in the air, I did survive the week and learned a lot.
My time here has been very interesting and I am excited about going out into the field each week. I have been blessed with a new friend, Adam, who has kept me company during the down times. I really miss everyone back in Texas and Tennessee but I know my time here is going to be very valuable in the long run. Again, thanks for all the prayers that have been offered in my name over the past few weeks; I can really feel the difference. God is good. I'll right more later. See ya!
November 11, 2004
I'm in Utah now. Some of you are wondering how I got here or why. Sorry, I must not have talked to you in the last month or so. I am working for a wilderness treatment program called Redcliff Ascent. We treat troubled students, ages 13-17, in a wilderness environment. So far the work is great. I just started so I don't have much news but it is definitely an interesting experience. Thank you to everyone who has known about this and prayed for me over the last couple of months. I'll let you know more when I can. See ya!