Never Hike Alone - Text

Hello again everyone.

I just returned earlier today from a relaxing, enjoyable, and spiritually renewing staff retreat last week. While away, I enjoyed being in the midst of several incredible missionaries serving in various places around Arizona and New Mexico. Seeing them and their faiths inspires me to be like them. When I am older, I hope I am able to share stories like they did with me, where they met God in special ways while in service to Him.

My favorite pictures from our retreat will be in a later post. For this one, I wanted to focus on an event where I learned something extremely important, both physically and spiritually. Wednesday morning, I got up, earlier than usual, at 5:19 a.m., Mountain Time (Arizona does not operate on Daylight Savings Time, so we are technically three hours behind Eastern Standard Time for this summer). Still, the time of day looked like it was 9:00 a.m. in the morning. I am still getting used to that reality!

Arizona hiking is nothing I have ever experienced before. I have experience and have loved hiking trails in Glacier National Park in Montana, but they will never compare to the boulders I literally crawled up for 2.1 miles. In the post entitled: "Never Hike Alone - Pictures," the first picture show one of the multiple examples of what I climbed up on Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Sorry, but when you have to make your own path up, nothing can compare!

Half-way up this trail, I had to stop. My head started to ache. I had fallen and skinned my knees. I felt out of breathe, and I almost felt like vomiting. But, for those of you who know me, I have a hard time quitting anything. I have developed so much of a perseverance that I never want to stop until I have reached my destination.

But I was running on empty. Listening to music was not comforting. I could not imagine pulling out my camera. Nothing was helping. All I was doing was going up, with no motivation.

Then, God showed up, in the form of Megan Amberman, a MK serving in New Mexico. Seeing her encouraged me to keep going. Having someone I knew helped me reach the tip top of Camelback. The two pictures below are proof that I made it! Again from the "Never Hike Alone - Pictures,"I took the second picture, Megan took the third picture, and she is in the fourth picture.

As was mentioned several times over Retreat, we were told that we can not afford to live out our faiths as "lone rangers." This story serves as a testimony to that statement. If Megan had not joined me, I am sure that I would have turned around. But I am so glad I reached the top, and even more, I am so glad that I could share this accomplishment with someone else.

So with whatever you are experiencing today, good or bad, know that God has called you to share what is on your mind and heart with someone else. Just as God knew Adam needed Eve at the beginning of time for humanity, God has given bestowed upon you your "Eve"(s), whether that person includes your spouse, child, sibling, parent, friend, co-worker, and/or someone else. Regardless as to who it is, I encourage you to share what is going on in your life with that special someone.

In accordance to what I have learned, I want to share with you how you can partner with me in your thoughts and prayers (because I consider all of you to be "special people"):

1. The first camp begins Sunday! Just like coming out here a week ago, I am both excited and nervous. But I am ready to help these little ones, so please keep me and all of the staff here in your thoughts.

2. God moved in powerful ways within all of us who attended Retreat. Please keep us in your thoughts as we start living and serving in new ways for Him.

3. Please pray for continued protection, both physically and spiritually, for all of the kids we come into contact with this summer.

Thanks for reading. May you encounter God in a special way today!!

Joey :)