GLACIER

A quick blog entry to catch up on the night before we leave for France. It's likely we won't have much internet connection for the week long stay at Taizé, France (July 15-22) so I'm doing my best to catch-up.

We've been putting lots of miles on the van the last few days. On Sunday (July 8) at the conclusion of our week of reunion with seminary friends we caravanned with the hosts of the event (Pr. Liv and her son Arlo) from the Oregon coast back to their home in Spokane, Washington where we spent the night. After getting up at 3:30am to drive some other friends to the airport in Portland and with weather in the 100's for much of the eight hour drive, we were all ready for a good night's sleep.

The next day we had a little shorter driving day (about six hours) to Glacier National Park where we spent the night near Lake McDonald and explored the park - especially the "Going to the Sun Road." We were a little disappointed that the hike to Hidden Lake at Logan's Pass was still covered with snow, but we still made it a bit of the way up the hill. We just wish we would've brought our sleds to get down.

After a day of enjoying Glacier National Park we crossed the border late in the afternoon and made it to Lethbridge, Alberta in time for supper with one of Elisabeth's cousins and his family. We hit the road again the next day and had another seven hour day in the van, but we finally made it to Regina, Saskatchewan where we've been staying the last few days with Elisabeth's parents.

After doing some unpacking and much repacking as well as getting Elijah settled for his three week stay with his grandparents, I think that Elisabeth, Leif and I are as ready as we're going to be for the next leg of our adventure - three weeks in Europe. Our flight leaves Regina tomorrow morning at 6:50am and we have about a four hour flight to Montreal, followed by a four and a half hour layover, followed by a seven hour flight to Paris, followed by six hours to get to the train station in downtown Paris, followed by a two hour train ride, followed by a forty-five minute bus ride before we can finally sleep in a bed again at the worshipping community of Taizé. With that said, I think I'm going to bed so I can at least get five or so good hours of sleep before tomorrow.