The other day we took our class picture. This is my class of 29! Most of them will be with me in Missouri this Fall at Language Institute. It has been an amazing year and I can't believe it's already coming to a close. Please PRAY for me these last two weeks of classes (Christian Life and Discipleship - these will be great classes). Pray that I will be focused and intentional in my thoughts and actions as I seek to apply all that God has taught me during my time at Missions Institute. Thank you so much to all of you who have been so supportive of me (praying for me) all through my missionary training these last three years! All for now. (Oh, I'm the 2nd from the left on the top row, if you're wondering.)  

Jet-Boating in Hell's Canyon

Two weeks ago (April 2nd) I went to Hell's Canyon with some friends. This is the deepest canyon in all of North America and took BILLIONS of years for the Snake River to carve out....haha, just kidding. Actually, God CREATED this amazing sight not too long ago, probably right around the time of Noah.

We had a picnic and then went to see the dam, where the canyon really gets rocky and deep! When we got down there, these two guys took us for an unexpected trip in their Jetboat!! What a blast. It was like whitewater rafting with a big motor! And we got to go UP the rapids too! My friend Sarah got soaked when a big rapid crashed against her side of the boat. We even were airborn at one point (I got "butterflies"...it was great!). We got to see bighorn sheep and an eagle, and a cinnamon black bear (only 20 yards away), all in the wild. I love Idaho...and Oregon too!

My Current Class: "Tech Tips"

Right now we are doing a two-week class called "Tech-Tips." We're learning all sorts of stuff about the kind of electrical systems we will be using overseas. We have a "lab" every afternoon where we have been constructing tools that will be very useful to us in a tribe. The wiring and power-supply for my house (in a tribe) will be very different from what we use here. I will have good solar panels that will charge a group of "gel-batteries." That will power my "appliances" (computer, refridgerator, lights, etc), which use a LOT LESS energy than our appliances here in the States, because they will use DC volts (Direct Current) instead of AC volts...yeah, I know, "enough of this terminology." Well, this week, we are learning how to use all this stuff! This is a picture of our lab from yesterday where we made "nightlights" that barely use any electricity to run all night, so they will be great in our house in the tribe. Cool huh! These two weeks are "practical skills" weeks and we're learning stuff that will help us to "survive" in the jungle. It's a lot of work, but exciting stuff! By God's grace, one day I'll be fastening that nightlight to a wall in my house on the other side of the world.