Rafting training trip #1 done

I just returned yesterday from a 4 day training trip on the McKenzie River down by Eugene, Oregon. Boy oh boy am I tired. Every day was about the same. We got up at 6:00am in the morning, had breakfast at 6:30am, devotions with the Lord at 7:00am and then got ready for the river.

The river was cold and it was rainy most of the time, it even hailed at one point while we were on the river, and so "not cotton"/synthetic layers and wet suits were a must. It sure felt good to come home and take a shower let me tell you.

The best part about the whole trip was actually getting a chance, on the lower McKenzie, to learn and the guide. I learned all about how to ferry a raft( ferrying is paddling against the current). Basically you angle your boat to 45 degrees off the current and it ferries you to one side of the river or the other depending on where the nose of you boat is pointing. For example if my nose is pointed towards river right(if facing the direction the current is flowing it's the right side of the river) at a 45 degree angle to the current and have everyone paddle backwards my boat will go to river left. I learned a lot of other things which i won't bore you with. However I will say that by day 3 I got to guide a raft through a class 3 rapid twice which was very exciting.

I am so thankful to God that He has enabled me to be in this ministry and has gifted me to be able to learn how to river guide. I can't wait until next weekend when we go to rock climbing assistant training.

Please pray for us as a team the God continues to unite us together it has been such a joy to meet everyone that I am working with for the summer. Also i could use your prayers in these next couple of weeks that i don't lose my head as i wrap up working at a pre-school and finish my spanish class, all the while am training and studying up on my competence testing for rafting and rock climbing. There is a lot on my mind and i need some supernatural focus and peace to make it through these next 2 weeks.