Ellerslie, Estes, and Denver: Part V

Estes: Day 4

   Our final day in Estes Park was (for me) emphasized by conversation. The whole week was full of intentional, rich, Christ-focused conversations, and I found it completely refreshing and challenging. It convicted me of my need to be more focused and intentional in how I use my words. 

   We woke up to snow! Not much, mind you, but snow. :) The weather reports had been promising lots of it, so we all kinda had our hearts set on several feet. That way we would be snowed in and have to stay! :) I think we liked it there. The snow made for a chilly day, but stunning when the sun came out. 

 

 

   

Our group was split into several smaller teams to complete lots of different little jobs throughout Estes Park. I worked at this one house shovelling sand, debris, mud, etc. away from the foundation so that an excavator could come remove the rest. The house was located in a low spot near a creek, so when the flooding happened, the entire 'valley' flooded, depositing roughly two feet of sand and debris on top of the original soil. 

   This type of 'mindless' work lent itself to conversation between us as a team. The homeowners were busy inside and came and went, so we didn't speak much with them. However, we had some really great, challenging conversations amongst ourselves. 

   We stopped work early, so we could say goodbye to the Rocky Mountain Church people and pack up our cabin. Saying goodbye to Nelson, Gene, and Jesse was hard. None of us wanted to leave! And they didn't want us to leave! 

   We made our way back to the cabin, and started packing, cleaning, etc. We had cheesecake and chai left over, so we ended up eating an afternoon snack and gathering in the living room in an unplanned review of the week. We each shared the best moments of the week and highlights from the experience, both funny and serious. When we finally got around to leaving, it was much later than we had planned. Making our way to Denver, we stopped at a Chinese place for supper. My cousin picked me up there, so I said goodbye to the team before they headed on to Ellerslie. 

   Those four days were life changing. I can describe it no other way. God had me exactly where He wanted me, doing just what He wanted me doing. The deep peace and joy that pervaded the whole experience is marvelous, and the victory He wrought in our lives and the lives around us... amazing. He also showed me that what I experienced on my first "mission trip" is not exclusive to missions. It can, and should, be experienced in every day of my life. All day, every day. Jesus ever, Jesus always. I think this is the most important lesson I learned. Trust me though, the application is not easy, but always good. 

  Thank you, for taking the time to look into what God is doing in Colorado and in my life. I will be posting soon about how you can help with the relief and response work in Estes Park specifically, and I pray that you will seriously consider helping in any way God leads. 

   Blessings!

~Victoria 

 

Ellerslie, Estes, & Denver: Part IV

  

Estes: Day 3

  The last two days in Estes Park were full of adventure and deep spiritual conversation (one of my favourite parts of the trip!). 
   On Thursday morning we arrived at the Rocky Mountain church, ready and expectant for what God had in store for the day. We were all assigned to jobs in Glenhaven, a small town near Estes Park. 
   Glenhaven as a whole has been devastated by the flooding; the roads almost completely gone, no power, many homes destroyed, the centre of the town full of debris and washed out pavement. 
Eight members of our team were chosen to go in two groups of four to take photos, with GPS locators, of the North Fork Rd and Fox Creek Rd just outside of Glenhaven. Two main power lines run along these roads, and our job was to take photos of each main power pole and the road, or lack thereof. This served the purpose of providing an assessment of damage for the Light and Power group in Estes, and photos of the damage for road contractors to see.  

  I was in the North Fork group, (we were told it was the hardest and longest of the two hikes), with three other Ellerslie team members and a line man from the Town of Estes, Light & Power division, to help us identify the damage to the power poles. Our hike was beautiful and devastating. Devastating, because the power of water was fully realized as we found creative ways to hike up a road-turned-to-river, and seeing the homes now inaccessible by vehicle. Beautiful, because of the scenery (gorgeous Colorado autumn!), and the hope we were able to impart to the people we met. 

   My team met this couple, named Gene and Bonnie, who's house is located right on the river and was flooded. They commute back and forth between their home (staying at a place in town while working on their damaged house) and Fort Collins (a good 3 hour drive). We talked briefly with Gene and even got to pray with him. As we were hiking out, we met up with the other half our team at Gene and Bonnie's!
   They had been assigned to go with Nelson (Reach Global leader) to find a house that a tree had fallen upon. They finished that task and hiked down North Fork to find other people to help. Turns out they found Gene and Bonnie's  home, and were able to help them cut up fallen trees and clear a blocked culvert. We stopped to help them and talk with Gene and Bonnie. They were incredibly grateful for the help, the encouragement, and the hope we represented (Jesus Christ and help coming to the people of Glenhaven, though the former was perhaps not recognized as such). They even recognized us as Christians, as did many people. I was amazed at how easily people saw Jesus in us, even when we aren't aware of it. When HE takes over a life it is obvious to the world, because it is set apart and different. 

   The photo taking teams had to meet back at the Estes Town hall after our hike to review pictures and notes with Reuben, the Utilites Director. While some of the guys figured out how to transfer all of the photos from our phones to Reuben's computer, a few of the guys and I walked up to Cafe Collage; the Hartman's coffee shop in Estes. It is a very fun, Christian coffee shop with great drinks! We ordered a very large number of chai's. :) It was marvelous. The shop and the Hartman's home were relatively unaffected by the flooding. 
   We returned to the town hall with drinks in hand (for the team and us), finished the review process, and then Reuben payed for the eight us to eat dinner at Sweet Basilica's, a nice Italian restaurant. The sweet and rich conversations we had during dinner were encouraging. I got to know some of the girls on the team better, and hear some of their stories. When God lovers fellowship together, the experience truly is sweet and unforgettable.
   The rest of our team had dinner back at the cabin with Nelson, Gene, and Jesse (Reach Global team), and were having a time of fellowship when we returned. It was so beautiful to enter the cabin and hear the guitar and singing. Joining our "family" in the living room, we had a wonderful time speaking of our King and worshipping Him. Four of our team members had to return to Ellerslie that night, so it was a good way to end their time in Estes. 
   It was an exhausting day, but a very, very good one. 

 The three in the centre: Reach Global members, Jesse, Gene & Nelson (L-R)

 As indicated by the culvert, a road used to be here

 One of the many creative ways we crossed the North Fork

 A gigantic "glacier" of debris backed up to beams and these culverts.

See Matt up on top?

 The road going through Glenhaven

 
   

Ellerslie, Estes, and Denver: Part III

Estes Park: Days 1 & 2

   Time to head out on a mission to Estes Park! Our team of fifteen people packed up the van and other vehicles, leaving Ellerslie very early. Since the flooding washed out all but one road into Estes Park, we had to drive south to Denver, then up into the mountains, looping back towards Windsor to Estes Park, taking a total of 3ish hours. Our adventure got started right away as the van (affectionately known as the Earl Gray) broke down right outside of Denver. We pulled off onto the side of the freeway exit, so the guys could diagnose the problem. 

   After quite some time under the hood, they decided the alternator wasn't working, so our battery was dead. Using Ryan's truck, we charged the battery enough to get off the freeway and into the parking lot of a breakfast diner. I know that our prayers played a HUGE part in the efforts of our team, the peaceful calm that prevaded the entire experience, and in to simple fix to the car trouble. Thank you, Jesus! :) 

   We stayed at The Red Rooster (the diner) to eat breakfast, which was delicious. Our waitress, Cindy, was a doll! She was very experienced waitress and used terms of endearment quite liberally in her speech. It was fun to watch her serve us! It felt like we were at grandma's house in a way. 

   It was a beautiful drive from there to Estes Park, since it was now light enough to see. The breathtaking mountains, trees, and rocks were such a reflection of God's majesty! 

   When we arrived in Estes we were immediately split into groups and put to work, after meeting the staff and ministry leaders at the Rocky Mountain church (where we based our work out of). Nelson, Gene, and Jesse were part of the Reach Global/Crisis Response ministry, and were simply a joy to work with. They were some of the most authentic Christian people I have ever met. It was an absolute blessing to have solid Christ-loving leaders through this experience. 

   I, along with five others of our team, were sent to a home belonging to an older couple, Larry and Jeannie. We were put to work clearing out their basement. The basement had flooded only about two inches, but the water climbed the drywall several feet and caused lots of mold in the corners, so everything had to come out. The difficulty was that this couple saved everything! So the rooms were full to the ceiling with stuff! 

   Getting rid of everything was difficult for Larry, I could tell, because of sentimental attachment, but I was so proud of him when Nelson sat him down and told him to simply direct us and let us do the work. It was such an a blessing to see Larry change through the day. When we arrived he was very downcast, negative, and overwhelmed with the amount of work to be done. By the end of the day, he was almost happy, joking, and very thankful. Seeing the work of the joy of Christ was amazing! Simply serving this man and his wife with joy and gladness made a huge difference in their attitude! The life of Christ is so completely life changing! 

    At the end of the day we met the rest of our team at the church for a debrief, and then went to find our cabin. When we were first told about the trip, we expected to 'rough it'. Meaning, tents, perhaps sleeping under the stars, or whatever kind of accommodations God provided. Well, turns out he provided this huge cabin for us! It was wonderful! It had a full kitchen, living room, three bathrooms, three bedrooms, pull out couches, a loft of twin sized beds, and a huge rock fireplace. The fireplace was beautiful and very fun to have. Everything in the cabin was perfect for a group our size, and an obvious blessing from God. 

   We had quite a good time making it our home for four days! And very quickly it felt like our home, and the people in the group our family. It was incredible to see how God brought each of us together and gave us that familial joy and fellowship.  
   Day two was spent at the same location as Day one. Only this time we added two more people to our team at Larry and Jeannie's. When we arrived at their house, Larry was already outside, with gloves on, throwing things away! He greeted us cheerfully, and looked far happier than the day before. It was as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. 
   The gigantic dumpster we had filled the day before was still there, so we had to wait for the truck to come take it away and bring an empty one. While we waited, we asked Larry if there was anything we could do for him. His answer was, "Pray!" And so we did! We prayed, spoke words of Scripture and just encouraged him with the Good News. It was so amazing and he was open to all we were saying. 
   Once the new dumpster arrived, we set to work filling it with carpet, foam, cardboard, etc. that had been pulled out of the basement previous to our work the day before, that was sitting on the front lawn. We also started emptying out the covered porch that was filled to the ceiling with junk. Out of that porch came 125 trash bags of aluminium pop cans, cat food cans, and foil. 125 bags! By the end of our time there we had filled three gigantic dumpsters with trash, junk, and stuff from their home. 
   This whole process gave us an excellent opportunity to tell them about the parallel work of God in our lives, when God comes in and cleans the junk out of our hearts to make room for Himself. Right before we left their house, Larry just started tossing things into the dumpster! I think he got our point... :) 

   Jeannie was one of sweetest people, and just moved to tears by our service to them. She even told us that she had prayed her basement would be cleaned out. Now it is! Perhaps not quite in the manner she expected, but nonetheless, it is indeed clean. Meeting Larry and Jeannie and seeing the effect the joy and life of Christ in us had on them was one of my favourite parts of the whole trip. It was absolutely precious. 
   We even introduced Larry to the leap for joy! :) Also, one of the guys found a box of hats, and when we did a photo shoot of the guys on our team on the dumpster, they each wore one as a joke. Afterwards, they decided we should all get a hat and surprise the rest of our team at the end of the day with our cool hats. When we got back to the Rocky Mountain church, they were instantly noticed! This resulted in a quick photo shoot. :) 

  

 

   I learned so much in those two days. God opened my eyes to several parallels between situations around me, and the condition of my soul. He also taught me lessons in patience, diligence, keeping my eyes fixed upon Him, serving with joy, and living in expectation of God's goodness. The truth that each new day of our lives has the potential to be the best new day of our lives, simply because we have Jesus, causes such an expectancy in the life of a Christian! It truly makes life sweeter! 

 The clean basement, and water still running down the road.

125 bags of aluminium...

 The Larry & Jeannie Gang, with hats. 

Days 3 & 4 still to come!

 

Ellerslie, Estes, and Denver: Part II

The Ellerslie Alumni Reunion

   Ah, the rich, sweet fellowship of believers and hard core foundation of Truth! What a combination! I'd say this describes the Ellerslie atmosphere fairly accurately. Especially when alumni gather together to reunite, form new friendships, and encourage each other on this pilgrim's passageway. The goal of this weekend was to glorify Jesus Christ and the gospel-powered life. It was indeed rich to spend a weekend solely focused upon His glorious face and soaking in the truth of His Word. 

   The basic, foundational truths that were preached those three days (from the stage and from the lives around me) was exactly what I needed. And God knew that. To hear those truths, and realize that I wasn't living them, gave me the nudge (push, shove?) I needed to truly grasp the reality of who I am IN CHRIST, and to declare it to my soul, daily. It was amazing! Jesus is amazing!

   I didn't get any pictures of people (I'm just awful about taking my camera with me to places...), but I did capture a glimpse of the beauty on campus. God gave us beautiful weather, and we enjoyed every minute! 

    

   Ok, so I did take a picture of people. Just one. This was during the Ellerslie Auction, which raised money for the Ellerslie Rescue Fund. It is one of the most hilarious experiences in life. :) 

   It was on the very first day of the Reunion that the opportunity to go to Estes Park was presented to us. God had prepared my heart to help with the flood cleanup in Colorado before I even went there, so when they asked who wanted to go to Estes Park I immediately knew God wanted me there. Having Truth poured into me the whole weekend was the PERFECT prep for such a trip. The two days before we left, I was challenged to truly trust my God in every little detail of the preparation for the trip, and just in living. There was so much to do and organize, and I was kind of stressing out. 

God used a quote and Bible verse to help me remember who He is and how He wants me to live. They are too good not to share! 

"If you debate for a second when God has spoken, it is all up. Never begin to say - 'Well, I wonder if He did speak?' Be reckless immediately, fling it all out on Him. You do not know when His voice will come, but whenever the realization of God comes in the faintest way imaginable, recklessly abandon. It is only by abandon that you recognize Him. You will only realize His voice more clearly by recklessness."

~Oswald Chambers

"I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging bread." 

~Psalm 37:25

   God wants us to trust Him. And we can trust Him, because He is the Trustworthy One! Are you trusting God for everything?  

 

Ellerslie, Estes, and Denver: Part I

   I know many of you have been patiently waiting to hear the details of my recent trip to Colorado. For you who are wanting to hear about the trip to Estes Park specifically, be patient. It will come. :) I will be writing about the trip in several parts, simply for the sake of time and space. Short, concise (we'll see how 'short' and 'concise' works for me..) blog posts are much easier to read. 
   It is my goal with these entries to give a glimpse into an incredible and life-changing week of my life, and to highlight the work God has done, and is still doing, in the lives of our team and in Estes. May He be glorified, and give me the words, for mine are inadequate. 

   The first week I was in Colorado, I spent in Denver with my cousins. I hadn't seen some of them in several years, and one of them just had a baby 5 months ago, so I got to meet her! The weather was gorgeous so I spent a lot of time going on very long walks. My cousins live right next to several walking paths, so I did lots and lots of exploring the neighbourhood. The Colorado air is so light, bright, and crisp; I love it! The very day I arrived, we went to the Denver Zoo. As far as zoos go, it is a very nice one. 

"Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh, My!"

 

   

   Later in the week I braved the traffic one day to drive into downtown to visit the Denver Botanic Gardens! Driving in downtown Denver traffic was quite the adventure for me! Not to mention the freeway traffic, on and off ramps, etc. But God sustained me and I now feel quite accomplished. Ish. :) The Botanic Gardens were absolutely lovely and I took so many photos. It felt like walking through a speedy tour of many different countries. It is amazing how they can grow so many types of gardens, flowers, and plants in the one climate! 

   The highlight of that day, however, was the unexpected meeting of a dear, sweet friend. I was ambling through the tropical rainforest greenhouse, enjoying child-like delight in the foreign plants and atmosphere (trust me, I had a silly, little-kid-grin on my face, and I'm pretty sure I felt like an explorer!), and turning the corner I stood face to face with Maddie Wong! She was one of my roommates from my semester at Ellerslie! It was a joyous few minutes after we each took double takes and looks of disbelief. :) I just love how God builds unexpected and pleasant surprises into each and every day! 

~Beauty of Creation~

   I wish I could say that I spent most of these quiet and fairly empty days in study of the Word and deep conversation with God, but I didn't. I got a lot of reading done, but it wasn't mostly the Bible. One thing I would change, is being intentional about spending more and more time in the Word and in prayer. But I still believe God did something special in that week to prepare me for what was ahead. He is so completely faithful to give us all that we need. Not what we want, what we need. (notice the emphasis) However, if we are abandoned to His will, I believe that we will begin to want the things of God. That is how I want to live every day of my life.
 

 Imagine walking right into that! (below) Tell me that doesn't make you feel like a giddy explorer!

More coming soon!