In
July, I had the unique opportunity to spend 9 days in Arizona, 7 of which were
floating down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. I’m in the
middle of blogging through the amazing week from my hand-written personal journal. Bite-sized chunks ... I hope you enjoy
them.
Saturday, July 14, 8:00 P.M. - camp @ Football Field, mile 137.5
I felt today that I was
running out of adjectives to describe what we are seeing and experiencing! Around every bend of the river is another
beautiful vista. Up every side Canyon is
another mind-blowing sculpture. Words (or
pictures) really don’t do it justice. 
As the rain stopped, we
pulled in at Deer Creek (mile 136.5), one of the favorite hiking points in the
Grand Canyon. It was a bit difficult
getting from the boat to the trailhead, where I changed into my running
shoes. Deer Creek runs from about 1500
ft up the Canyon, beginning as a freshwater spring that flows out of the layer
of limestone. We hiked all the way
up! It was a bit dicey, with lots of (to
me) difficult climbing sections and narrow ledges to traverse. Apparently, this was the first time that all
24 members (and 4 leaders) on a Christian Leaders’ Trip have gone on the Deer
Creek hike! 
The hike switchbacks
along a carved canyon in the Tapeats Sandstone – at the bottom (nearly river
level), there is a 100-ft waterfall, which remained just outside the scope of
my camera. At the top of the hike, however, were some amazing picture opportunities
of the pools that flow into the waterfall.
Again, just amazing – I’ve not got the adjectives to do it justice.
The hike back down was
just as dicey as the hike up, but I’m sure glad we took it. I am again overwhelmed with gratitude to have
been invited and funded for this trip.
We set up camp at
Football Field, one mile downstream from Deer Creek – a nice big campsite that
gets shaded early because of the high canyon wall below. I’ll tent again tonight – I don’t sleep great
in the heat, but it’s better than outside!
I had to switch back to
the digital camera this morning. For
some reason my iPhone won’t take normal pictures anymore. It will do selfies, but not the other
way. I must have gotten some sand or
water in there. Unfortunate – but then I
expected to need to use the camera all the way along, so I’m happy for the
iPhone use I got.
Had a lot more good
conversations today – with Patrick Schreiner (Tom Schreiner’s son), Lloyd
Pulley, Tom Storm, and Jason Wilson (pastor in Florida). Jason, like me, is missing his family. His wife and daughter are supposed to be
returning from a mission trip to Haiti.
The country has had significant civil disorder recently, and there was some
concern about the team’s ability to get home safely. The not knowing is most difficult. That helped put things in perspective for me –
yes, I miss my family terribly, but at least I can have relative confidence
that I know where they are and that they are safe. 
I am wondering how
everyone is doing at home! It is so
different and difficult not knowing, not being able to talk to anyone at home
for so long. As awesome as this trip is,
I hope to never go a week+ like this again.
How was Mom’s birthday? How has
work been for Mataeo? Is Alethea
enjoying time with friends? How many
episodes of Blue Bloods has Keilani motored through? Is anyone missing me like I’m missing them?
Then I think forward, and
realize how little time I will have with my kids before Vanessa and I leave for
London. I won’t even see Mataeo at
all! And just one night and morning with
Alethea and Keilani – and I’ll need to do my laundry and repack in that time
frame! What on earth have I gotten
myself into?
I pray that my family
does not pay a long-term price for the outings and adventures in the Grand
Canyon and London. Lord, my kids are so
much more valuable to me than these opportunities – but my time this summer
does not reflect that. Help me, moving
forward into fall, to re-orient my time and energy, and to be more intentional
about finding family time and outings
and adventures. Let this lesson not only
convict, but transform me. Lord, you
have blessed me with a wonderful family – every time I’ve been able to share
about my family I am reminded anew how blessed and fortunate I am! I’m able to share about a wife who still
loves me and wants to talk every day – who understands me and encourages me in
all my endeavors and opportunities. I
pray again for Vanessa’s comfort while I’m gone, for a great end to her
birthday celebration. 
I tell my new friends
about an almost-18-year-old son who is smart, forward-thinking, making positive
long-term plans; a young man who not only wants to live at home for college, but
who we’re happy to have at home!
My middle child who seems
to me (and to ancestry.com) to be the spitting image of me – beautiful (well,
not like me in that sense), bright, cheery, sociable, smart, opinionated,
talented. A girl who can do anything she
sets her mind to – the world at her fingertips.
My baby, my itty-bitty,
who’s not so itty-bitty anymore. Her
laugh and smile that light up a room – her heart always worn on her
sleeve. A girl who is so much smarter
and more talented than she realizes.
Telling the guys about my
family fills me with pure joy and love.
Sadness to be away, but joy for the love we share. Hard to believe there’s only one full day
left on the river – but a long one, almost 50 miles! Only 20 today, then 50 tomorrow?!? It’ll be a crazy day. Continue to keep us all safe, Lord. And be with my family. Thank You for who You are, what You have
made, and all that You have done for Your children, including my family.
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