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