Snow Trip!!

hey everyone!!
i have to appologize in advance that there wont be pictures in this blog because i havent been able to find my cord which connects my camera to my computer since we got back from mount washington. but as soon as i find that you can bet that i will be putting up some of the pictures from the trip!
to let you in on how it went though, i can say one thing for sure, it was interesting! :P apart from the fact that two of the girls broke each their right arm while snowboarding, my roomy fish got a concussion from a nasty wipeout, and another guy ended up the week with 11 stitches in his little finger...it was an amazing week!
to be honest there was a lot of growth spiritually and within the kaleo community. on a couple of the night we talked together in chapel sessions about the names that we gave to each other way back on the Grace during our SALTS trip, some of us ended up with new names. long story short, i was given the new name of 'reaching'. i believe that it is a fitting name for me in that it is going to be a challenge for me to always keep reaching. not only reaching out to people in love and reaching them for Christ, as well as to keep reaching within myself to allow more growth and to stretch and become more of the person who i am being molded into; but also to always trust in God and to reach to him in everything that i do in order to better become that person he has called me to be.
i feel like this new name is going to play a big part in my ministry and in my work of mission throughout life in that it will always be challenging me to do better and to be better.

i was not able to get to church this week because i was working in the kitchen for a retreat here at the camp. so there is no news yet on how church has been since we got back really.

we continue to prepare for our ministry trips, and your continued prayer for financial support to be provided for the trip would be incredible. as well as prayer that those with broken limbs would heal well enough to be prepared in time for the trips as well, and for the work God is already doing in the hearts and minds of the people we will all interact with, no matter which trip we will be going on. and for the work he is doing in our own hearts here before we leave home to do his work.
another note on that: today in class i was convicted by something that our teacher said, he was talking about missions trips and how we have turned them into some kind of "christian tourism" they have become a way for us to gain 'experiences' where we take a few great pictures slap them up on facebook and then thats it. where in reality, no so many years ago people our age would be preparing to go out into the world for God knowing that they may not get back, knowing that the spreading of the Gospel could cost their very lives. it just made me think about what my reasons are for going and gave me a new dedication to do all that i have been called to do when we are on our trekking trip. not to be reckless and foolish, but also not to be afraid or to allow myself to cower away in the face of oppression, because oppression is the very way of life to which we are called as followers of Christ.
prayer for safety and protection and bravery in an area that is not open to evangelism would be another thing that is greatly appreciated!
anyways, i think thats about all the ranting i can do for now! i love you guys and will update again soon (and will be looking for that silly camera cord so i can show you all some of what happened at mount washington!!)
much love in Him
Miranda