Saturday, December 24, 2011

El Calafate, Argentina to Puerto Natales, Chile...

11/10/11
Puerto Natales is so great!  Walked everywhere and stayed at Erratic Rock 2 hostel on Miraflores for $70 USD ($35,000 CH) per night.  Attended an orientation at Erratic Rock that gave information about the Torres del Paine trek.  Very helpful.




I didn't write much today, I didn't make the time.  I was way too "busy" to worry with writing; for most of the day my face was pressed up against the bus window, mouth gaping at the views.  I was excited and giddy, like a child stuffing a hand into his Christmas stocking, as we watched the Andes dramatically reveal themselves.  We arrived in Puerto Natales after a five hour bus ride.  The border crossing was time consuming.  It turns out that Chile is a little bit more strict than it's neighboring country to the east.  Even our pre-packed, sealed, dehydrated meals we brought from home were subject to inspection.  We lucked out though, and the "just-add-water" meals of turkey with mashed potatoes and BBQ chicken with rice weren't confiscated.

When the bus finally pulled into the not-so-touristy town of Puerto Natales, Chile, it was windy and cold.  And we were tired.  It had been several days now of traveling, and we were ready to find Erratic Rock 2, the hostel where I had made reservations (in advance this time!).  As far as hostels go, this was the Ritz.  It was perfect!  There are two Erratic Rock hostels (1 and 2).  Both had english-speaking staff - a welcome surprise for those of us who hadn't perfectly mastered multiple languages.   Courtney and I both noticed how drawn we were to the simple comfort and familiarity of our native tongue.

View of the Andes from our porch at Erratic Rock 2
Erratic Rock 1 was a traditional, shared-space hostel, and Erratic Rock 2 was their attempt at a "couples" hostel.  It featured private rooms and bathrooms, storage units to stash any unwanted stuff while on the trail, hot breakfasts in the morning, and bus rides into the park every morning at 7:30 am.  I believe Erratic Rock 1 had breakfast and bus rides too.  For anyone reading this who will be traveling as a couple, I highly recommend either of these hostels, but especially E.R. 2.  Both have wi-fi (though Erratic Rock 1 was slightly better in that category) and both were very helpful.  The owners even run an orientation every day at 3:00 pm for anyone going into the park.  The orientation isn't completely necessary, but it was definitely helpful to hear the weather updates, current John Gardner Pass conditions (more about the the pass coming soon on "day 4..."), and route descriptions.

After attending the orientation, we headed out on the town to gather food, fuel, and a knife (we carried-on the whole way so we had to leave our knives at home).  There is an abundance of fuel in Puerto Natales, even the iso-butane canisters that fit most modern stoves.  We have an MSR Pocket Rocket, and had no trouble finding the screw on fuel.  No need for liquid/white gas unless that's your thing.

We shopped for food, and had a great time doing it.  We couldn't find the "one-stop-shop" grocery store that we kept hearing about, so we had to go old-school, stopping at various specialty shops until we obtained everything we needed: salami from the meat shop, cheese from the cheese shop; coffee, cereal bars, tortillas and jelly from the coffee-cereal bars-tortillas-jelly shop; and dried fruit, soup, and a few other odds and ends at stores along the main strip on Blanco Encalada St.  

Walking Miraflores Ave. back to the hostel
We headed back to our room and carefully laid out our backpacks, emptying them for the first time since we left home.  You see, the packing/un-packing ritual before a back-packing trip is very important (I can see my dad and brother knowingly nodding their heads in agreement).  You have to know exactly where everything is in your pack.  Put the heavy stuff towards the middle or bottom of the pack, and as close to your back as possible.  Make sure that rain gear is easily accessible, and food for that day is right up at the top so you don't have to completely dig out your entire pack at each meal.  And finally, wrap your sleeping bag  in a waterproof sack (we went with the highly technical black trash bags) and then stuff it into the bottom compartment of the pack.  That night we packed and un-packed, stuffed and tweaked, arranged and rearranged, all in search of the ideal layering and order of our packed items.  The smallest details become important when you are wearing that pack for a week or more.  Even seemingly irrelevant straps and buckles are key components to your overall happiness and comfort.  We took our time getting everything perfect.

We got great sleep that night.  I nodded off, anticipating the unknown of the Chilean Andes.  As I lay there, I went through everything I could think of that could possibly go wrong.  As far as I could tell, we had it all covered.  From our "Rock & Ice" magazine that doubled as a potential splint, to ace wraps and blister gel, we had it all.  I was confident, with just the right amount of nerves.  I couldn't wait!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Denver, CO to El Calafate, Argentina...

11/8/11 and 11/9/11
Flying standby, last two people to board the flight from Denver to Atlanta!  Through security with fully loaded packs; no problems.  Last two, again, to get on the flight from Atlanta to Buenos Aires!  Arrived in Buenos Aires, EZE airport, on the morning of the 9th, paid our $140 USD entrance fee, and hopped a transfer bus (via Manuel Tiendo Leon) to AEP airport for $65 ARS per ticket (around $18 USD per ticket at a 3.6 exchange rate).  Free Wi-Fi on the bus.  Flew on Aerolineas Aregentinas from AEP to El Calafate.  Split a cab with two other travelers to El Calafate, 15 minute ride.  We spent the night of the 9th @ La Overja hostel in El Calafate, Argentina.  Our non-private room cost $80 ARS (about $22 USD).  They helped us book our bus ticket for the following morning to Puerto Natales, Chile.  Cost $100 ARS each ($27 USD).  We ate awesome empanadas in El Calafate at Cambalache, a local spot.  




The above journal entry sums up most of the first couple of days.  We sat on flights, napped in airports, didn't really sleep on planes, watched some good movies (some not-so-good), and finally arrived in South America.  It's a strange feeling, and those of you who have traveled across continents and countries will relate, when you arrive at your destination after an overnight flight.  All of the sudden, you are out of your element.  All of the sudden, you are living in the moment, and the distractions back home melt away.  We couldn't converse very well with anyone on any substantial level, though Courtney did far better than I.  If I wasn't saying, "Hola, como esta?", I wasn't speaking.  We were far from home.

The Buenos Aires airports (yes, there are several) are relatively easy to navigate, despite the language barrier.  There is even a bus company called Manuel Tiendo Leon that shuttles people to and from the different airports.  And, since we had to get from Ezeiza to Jorge Newberry AeroPark, this was a great service to find.  Buenos Aires is enormous, home to about 11 million people, and it was nearly an hour bus ride.  We rode past very ancient-looking buildings, apartment flats and skyscrapers, run-down shacks and the Argentina national soccer team's stadium.  Here, the name Messi is to the locals as Jordan is to us U.S.A. dwellers.

Flying out of B.A. to El Calafate
We arrived at Jorge Newberry AeroPark Airport (wow...let's go with AEP) from Ezeiza (EZE) with plenty of time to catch our connection.  Actually, our flight out of AEP was running late, so we had way too much time to kill.  But Aerolineas Argentinas got us to El Calafate (the small Argentine town named after the Calafate berry that, as I learned later, goes quite well with spit-roasted rack of lamb and a bottle of Malbec) by 9:00 pm or so.  Travel Suggestion:  if you plan on flying Aerolineas Argentinas, purchase a "Club Economy" ticket.  This offers a full refund incase of travel interruptions, a great in-flight meal, and first class seating.  All for about 10 bucks more!



Looking for a spot to stay...after 2 days of traveling.
We split a cab from the El Calafate airport with some fellow English speakers.  The driver dropped them off at a hotel where they had made reservations.  We, however, hadn't made arrangements and had no where to go.  So after exchanging looks that said "hmm, wish we had thought of that," we began wandering the streets enjoying the feeling of lostness and endless possibility.  We eventually found a hostel called El Ovejero and bought a couple of beds and warm showers.  After finding this place, we went back out to get some food and, per the Lonely Planet guide book's suggestion, ended up at Cambalache for empanadas.  Of all the empanadas we ate on this trip (and we ate a lot) these were my favorite!

El Ovejero hostel/campground
When we got back to El Ovejero with our recently acquired pesos from the ATM, we paid for the room and were even able to pay right then for our bus trip out of El Calafate early in the morning to our destination in Chile - Puerto Natales.  The girl working the front desk at the hostel was very helpful and friendly, and we trusted that she was indeed taking down our names and passport numbers to book our bus trip, not for other purposes.  Looking back on it, we really had to put our trust in a lot of people throughout the course of the journey.  Of course, we used discretion as best we could, but in the end we got an incredible, and positive, picture of humanity and community that over-ruled culture and language.

We slept good that night on our dorm room style bunk beds, and other than a couple of late-night visitors to our room at about 2:00 am, the night was uneventful.  Our house-mates at the hostel turned out to be very friendly Europeans who were also out traveling, so we enjoyed some great conversation with them.  We looked forward to the morning, and the days to come!
Super luxury...

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

cold...

This past Monday was the coldest 24 hours we have felt so far this winter.  It dipped close to 0 degrees, and went well below that with the wind chill.  This is what happens when the clouds that serve as a blanket suddenly clear out, leaving the earth exposed with no way to retain any degree of heat.  Even during the day, in the sun, the chilled air threatened to freeze any exposed skin.  The moisture from my breath froze into ice-sickles that clung to my beard.  I tried to dream of beaches or the scorching heat of summers back in Texas.  It didn't really help.

No one really stands around chatting when it is that cold.   The chill will creep through the soles of your shoes, up into your feet, until you finally feel it penetrate your core.  Street corners that are usually bustling with vendors and pedestrians sit silent, icy, and lonely.

This may all seem a bit dramatic.  Perhaps it is.  But imagine if you had no escape from the frozen concrete.  Whatever dramatization I or anyone else could possibly come up with, would still pale in comparison to the actual experience of living stranded and houseless in the winter.


I reminded myself that I had only been out there for a couple of hours...


That night, as we do every Monday night, we invited a few friends of ours who are sleeping outside, to spend an evening with us at the Dry Bones apartment/office/hideout.  We sat on comfortable couches, ate delicious, hot, home-cooked food, and enjoyed conversation and a lot of laughter.  We sat for hours, all of us avoiding the inevitable moment when we would have to leave the warmth.  I passed around hand warmers and you would have thought I was doling out gold coins - or possibly stacks of Subway gift cards.  "Put those in your pockets, in your sleeping bags, in your shoes, down your shirt," I suggested.  I have strategically used those magical sources of heat on nights spent in the wilderness, why not practice those same strategies on the streets?  We all swapped stories of our coldest nights.  I think they won.

Eventually, and in no hurry, my friends bundled up and walked out the door.  Unfortunately, their situations didn't change that night.  They trudged to their squats on the outskirts of downtown.  The moment felt much more bitter than sweet.  I think that God feels the sorrow and tastes the bitterness of the circumstances just as we do.  He knows the pain, and no-doubt hates it.  But I also believe that He is good, that He is active and working in the pain and hurt of this world, and that His love can and will change everything.

I pray they left encouraged.  I pray they left with a sense of worth and value.  I pray their stomachs didn't growl for the rest of the night.  I pray they left with motivation to experience life in new ways.  I pray that Monday night was the last straw and that it served as a catalyst for change.  I pray they continue to know their own value.  

Thursday, December 1, 2011

sabbatical, glaciers, and a whole lot of travel...

Yes, it has been over a month since my last post.  Yes, I am sorry.  No, it wasn't because nothing was happening!  So, bear with me while I quickly get you up to speed...this will only take a minute.

I found out after I came on staff with Dry Bones (over three years ago!) that every three years each staff member gets to take a month-long sabbatical.  Our board of directors goes above and beyond to take care of us staffers and this is one of the ways they insure we are "well-fed and happy".  Courtney and I began plans for my month off pretty much immediately after getting married.  We had grand schemes of big travels to far-away places.  We saved every dollar we could and thought of adventures on nearly every continent.  We have friends who have been all over the world - from the Himalayas, to the Alps, to Africa, to Australia, to Japan and everywhere else it seems.  Needless to say, we had plenty of good conversations and stories about beautiful places around the globe to consider.

After much talk and weeks of brainstorming, we decided to forget everything we had been told and go to a place of which we knew very little.

I had heard of Patagonia for years.  Besides being "that awesome clothing brand" that all of us wanna-be mountaineers dream about while we sit at our desks, I didn't know much about the place itself.  I have to admit that if I was asked to point to Patagonia on a map, I may have had trouble knowing where to guide my finger.  It was simply some mystical, magical place that inspired cool clothes and extreme adventures.  I wanted both.

Courtney and I did some research.  It turns out that Patagonia is located in southern South America and encompasses large portions of Argentina and Chile.  It is also beautiful, and is packed with possibilities for the kind of trip that we were craving: gorgeous scenery, glaciers at every turn, zero predators, and the exact right amount of difficulty that deters many, but welcomes anyone who wishes to pound out the miles on rough terrain in order to see some incredible stuff.  We set our gaze on Parque Nacional Torres del Paine in the Southern Chilean Andes and started planning.

Multiple travel blogs and Lonely Planet trekking books later, November finally came.

Our packs - ready for 3 weeks away
from home
Everything was set.  Plane tickets: check.  Necessary gear: check.  Reservations at a small hostel in Puerto Natales, Chile, where we could get a good nights sleep and store a few items while we were on the trail: check.  I e-mailed the hostel weeks in advance in hopes of finding someone who might reply in English, and I got a response within an hour giving me the current conditions and confirmation that the daunting John Gardner Pass was indeed open for the season.  With that confirmation ringing in our ears like beautiful music, we flew out of Denver on November 8th.

Check the blog every few days for the continuation of the story.  I'll divide up the writing because one long post isn't as fun as multiple short ones!  So, stay tuned for lots of posts over the upcoming weeks.  My plan is to set them up like a travel blog with lots of details.  One thing we found during our preparation was that detailed and recent travel blogs were tough to come by, so I am going to provide as much info as I can for anyone thinking of doing this particular "best of South America" trek!

More to come...  

A note to those of you who are supporting me and Dry Bones.  I want to thank you for the sabbatical I just received.  Even though you may not have even known that I was off of the streets for a month, thank you.  I know what a gift time is, and there is no gift I value more.  Time to travel.  Time to think.  Time with God.  Time with Courtney.  Time by myself.  Time with friends.  Time...


Thank you for the way you love me, the street kids in Denver, and the rest of the staff here at Dry Bones.  My time off was amazing in the greatest sense of the word.  I gained new perspectives on the world, God, my dreams and goals, and life with Court'.  I hope you enjoy these simple musings from our trip to Patagonia.  Thank you friends!!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

it's getting cold...

Hi friends!  I don't have long to write, but I wanted to ask for your prayers for my friends on the streets this week.  Tonight, winter begins.  Temperatures in the low-teens will be accompanied by 6-13 inches of snow.  Often, this first cold snap catches people off guard (it was 80 degrees yesterday!), and desperation becomes the defining sense among my friends who live homeless in Denver.  Thank you for the way you care for and love the homeless youth and young adults up here.

More writings to come.

much love
-Zach

Monday, October 10, 2011

Illuminate...

Hey y'all,
Just wanted to drop a quick plug-in for the Dry Bones event coming up THIS SATURDAY, October 15th!!  Learn about the event and purchase tickets ($20 online, $25 at the door) HERE.  It's called Illuminate, and here is a short description:

Join us on October 15th, and see your city like you've never seen it before.  This evening will Illuminate the streets of Denver, highlighting the homeless youth that Dry Bones serves.  Get ready to experience sights, sounds, light, darkness, stories, and songs, all intended to shed light on the beauty found around us.

- Hear true and powerful stories
- See compelling artwork and photography
- Experience poetry and performance
- Listen to street-inspired music
- Be encouraged and challenged to Illuminate the darkest corners of Denver and your neighborhood

If you live out of town, or simply can't make it, never fear!  There are ways that you can participate virtually RIGHT HERE.

Also, a friend of mine has been hanging tire swings all over downtown Denver.  Random?  Yes.  Awesome?  Absolutely!!!  Most of them have been torn down, but one remains.  Some of my friends on the streets found it...














And, because pictures are cool, here are some recent shots of beautiful Colorado!  Enjoy

Maroon Bells...my first time to see this iconic view! 
Me and my girl on the sweet ride up to the Bells from Aspen, CO!

Monday, September 12, 2011

scared of the dark...

I quickly learned that the "event" in the courtroom from earlier that day, was simply the thin cover for her frantic phone call.  She had bigger problems.  We told her to meet us for a hot drink.  Coffee shops on cold days (yes, it is already getting colder here!) have that affect; they bring out conversation, honesty, and in this case tears.  Tears from the last person I expected to ever see tears.

On first impression alone, my friend Amy could easily be seen as intimidating.  She has earned great respect on the streets and has experienced things that I can't even imagine.  She amazes all of us.  She has, on more than one occasion, stepped in between me and a potential threat.  And I have no problem with that.  So, when she began to cry, I was surprised.

She cried and told me and my co-workers, Matt and Reb, that she is terrified of being alone, yet she is finding herself in that position more and more.  She told us, "Guys, I'm so scared of the dark.".  She doesn't know how to escape this life on the streets.  Though she has made great strides in recent years including successfully completing probation, finding jobs, obtaining a small apartment, depending less and less on alcohol, and so much more, she feels trapped.  "Kids know where I live, and no matter how hard I try to tell them to stay away, they keep coming around.  I can't get away from it."

My heart broke.  Here was a girl who wanted out of "the game".  A girl who wasn't supposed to be scared of anything.  Nothing scares Amy.  She fights, and brawls, and drinks, and protects.  She can't be scared of the dark.  Oh, how many times do I have to re-learn not to judge a book by its cover, as the worn out phrase goes?   How many times do I have to learn that my friends on the streets, my friends in all walks of life, have beautiful and often-times broken hearts that are hidden by layers and layers of pain and lies?

I feel so honored to have seen this side of my friend.  I listened to her cry, listened to her honesty about loneliness, listened to her descriptions and expectations and assumptions about men form her experience of mistreatment.  She was so transparent.

Why can't I be more like her; honest and open and real?

I suddenly realized that I may as well have been speaking with a frightened 10 year-old girl who felt all alone in a dark alley.  I saw Jesus in her that day.  I saw Jesus' gentle nature and His own humanness.  I had the chance to speak value into her and tell her that she deserves so much better than the treatment she received in the past that has caused her so much pain and fear.  I got to tell her how much she is worth.  I told her that we were always available to her when she was lonely.  I even invited her to our Bible study, and saw apprehension, relief, confusion, hope, and nervousness cross her face in an instant, all at the same time.

God is so good.  He is subtle in His pursuit of hearts, and getting to glimpse the beautiful chase makes me wonder all the more at the Jesus we serve and follow.

Do you know anyone who is scared of the dark?

Thursday, August 11, 2011

something to watch...

Check out this inspiring, challenging, and sobering video about the tragic drought and famine happening in the horn of Africa.

VIDEO

The video features Bono, lead singer of U2, and K'naan, a Somalian rapper and poet.  A quick plug for K'naan: his lyrics are incredible - painting very real and honest pictures of life in Somalia, and the beauty, pain, sorrow, and joy that is present in all of our lives.  You can find his music on iTunes and Amazon.


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

summer...

Hello hello!  It has been so long since I have written.  I still haven't figured out a way to take my laptop with me into the backwoods of Colorado to do a better job of keeping in touch...so I had to wait until now to give updates.  But before I regale you with a few stories of beautiful mountain ascents, struggles, fire-side chats, asthma attacks, and lessons learned, let me say that I am so grateful for everyone who continues to support me, Dry Bones, the kids on the streets, and the students who participate in Elevations.  Everything we do here in Denver is because of you and your love.  Thank you!  As always, to those of you reading this blog who have no clue what this "Dry Bones" is that I keep referring to, check out the links on the right-hand side of the page!

Me, Cole (my mountain intern...not sure what he's doing here!), Reb (staff),
Kate (intern), and Suz (intern) on top of Bard Peak - my summer office

Ok, story time!

I decided that a fun way to do this would be to give you my "Top 10 Things I Learned While Guiding This Summer" list:

1)  I learned that I definitely DON'T like being away from my wife for four days out of every week.  I missed my best friend a lot.
2)  I learned that even though someone might say "I can't do this" more times than I can count, they in-fact CAN do it.  My most-used line this summer was something like, "Well, you have been telling me from day one that you can't go any farther and yet here you are on day three, just one mile from summit.  Therefore, you have no credibility with me anymore, and I don't believe you when you say you can't.  So let's go!"  Haha, I got some really good practice for any potential coaching or motivational speaking that might come my way.
3)  I learned that if it snows enough all winter, the sticks and logs on the ground stay wet all summer, making fire-building extremely difficult!
4)  I learned that asthma attacks at 13,000 feet are scary, both for the person experiencing the constricted airway and for the guide.  One girl, who was my favorite and the most impressive student of the summer, made summit despite a relatively violent asthma attack a few hundred feet from the top.  She mouthed "I can't breathe" as she collapsed to the ground.  I ran back to her and dug through her pockets for the small device that would essentially shock her lungs into action.  I held it to her mouth and she gasped for air.  Had she experienced just one more episode like that, I would not have continued on with her.  But, she was tough and finished with the rest of the group an hour later.
5)  I learned that I never get tired of the incredible beauty found in the mountains, even on my 30th trip to the same area.
6)  I learned that there is value in repetition.  I get to lead chats around the camp-fire all summer long, and the stories we read together spoke into my life in some really cool ways.  I'll post the mountain "talks" soon incase you want to share a piece of the Elevations experience.
7)  I learned that spending a few days with my awesome new family at Folly Beach, near Charleston, SC, is the perfect way to relax and unwind at the summer half-way mark.  Thanks Gregg, Kelly and Isaiah for a great time!
8)  I learned that God is bigger, more complex, more perplexing, more beautiful, more exciting, and more inspiring than I ever imagined.
9)  I learned patience.
10)  I learned all over again the power of relationship, and the value of walking alongside the people around us, no matter what those lives might look like.  I am often guilty of assuming that the youth group kids who come on Elevations have their lives completely together and have every good thing going for them just because they aren't "street kids".  This is not always the case.  They struggle, just like I do, like you do, like the kids on the streets do.  And we got to share life together in a setting far from home.  There is just something cool about adventure.

Thanks for reading, friends.

Much love from Denver,
-Zach

Friday, June 10, 2011

camping...

Here are some pics of a recent camping trip to O'Haver Lake, just outside of Salida.  We took a few friends of ours that we know from the streets, packed up the coolers, and headed for the hills.  

The view was perfect

Not our boat...but that's us in the water!


Not sure if this was pre or post flip...but it was getting intense!


Six of us had the chance to do a little whitewater rafting on our second day in the wilderness.  It was, to say the least, intense.  I am by no means a whitewater rafting expert; I've been twice now.  So, I figured that the odds of my raft flipping in the middle of the Arkansas River's massive, spring run-off, rapids was pretty slim.  I forgot to knock on wood.

I, and one of our interns, sat at the front of the boat.  I was quite excited about this; the cool spray of the water on my face would bring welcome relief from the hot sun.  A quarter of the way through the trip, our guide began yelling commands that were no longer for practice. We paddled till our muscles ached.   Suddenly, I realized that I was paddling air.  The raft went nose up and I found myself falling past everyone else into the torrent of ice-cold water.  This was not as pleasant or refreshing as the spray on my face was just minutes earlier.  By the time I surfaced, we were flying downstream, all of us desperately trying to find something of substance to hold onto.  Panic crept in.  Unfortunately, our boat capsized mid-way through this section of rapids, so we rode the rest of the flume submerged in the water, hoping it would stop soon.  We held on to the boat and eachother.  We were in it together.  There were no distinctions of street kid and staff member, intern or river guide.  No "us" and "them".  It was only us...all of us.  The guide screamed for us to let go of the boat so they could flip it back over.  We all let go.  When I released my grip on the emergency rope that is attached the boat's sides, I was swept away from the boat by a current that found only me.  I watched as the others were pulled one-by-one back into the raft.  Fortunately, as I floated farther and farther from the group, I saw an opportunity to swim for a small sand-bar.  I went for it!  My hands touched ground.  A friendly group of rafters that had been behind us watching the whole thing, paddled up to me and pulled me in.  They brought me back to my group.  No one was hurt. 
It's amazing how adversity seems to bring people together.  There is beauty to be found in the midst of struggle.  One of my favorite musicians, Brandi Carlile, sings about this in her song "Caroline".  She sings to her young niece, Caroline, about the things she will see someday.  "Towers in the sky" and "city lights and city sounds", to name a few.  But, through it all, she wants Caroline to see that "there's beauty in the struggle".  I found this to be very, very true.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

simple...

Hello everyone!  How are you?  Here in Denver, the trees are budding, the grass is greening (is that a word?), and the mountains are still enjoying frequent snow-dustings.  I am so excited and ready for summer to officially arrive because it always brings so many good things: evening-time grilling on the back porch, running at the park, biking, climbing and the joy of not being cold!

I love the summer change-of-pace.  My role at Dry Bones shifts from the streets to spending my days buried in the mountains, guiding groups of high-school kids.  Some of them have never stepped foot out of their home towns in Texas or Tennessee or Arkansas, and they come to Denver to step into an adventure where they are challenged to see beyond their current perspectives.  Life in the summer is busy, but simple.

And it is this simplicity that is just one of the many reasons that I think being in the outdoors is awesome.    You only take what you need.  When you are hungry, you eat.  When you are tired, you sleep.  When you are cold, you put on a jacket and if that doesn't work, oh well.  When you need to go somewhere, you walk.  If you don't know the way, you look at a map.  If it's raining, you try to stay dry.  If you are bored, excellent - soak that up!  Any worries that you may have are raw, organic, and survival-oriented.

It makes me think about the time Jesus was encouraging a large group of people, and tells them not to be anxious; not to worry.  The next verse He says, "look at birds of the air...are you not worth much more than they?" and then a few more verses down He tells us to "observe how the lilies of the field grow".

Until recently, I have always taken Jesus' words to be examples of things in creation that aren't anxious.  Birds and flowers do not worry about anything, this is true.  And He may indeed have meant it that way.  But what if He was also giving us suggestions, instead of mere examples.  What if He was telling us to take a moment to go look at a bird when we become anxious about our current situation or our problem(s) of the day.  We just might get a glimpse of peace and serenity that calms our spirits.  Are you feeling overwhelmed?  Jesus might suggest that you try sitting and staring at a flower.  You will get to see a very simple, yet extremely intricate piece of His creation.  The simplicity just might remind you of your own intricate simplicity.  It just might remind you of how much you are loved.  And isn't that, after all, a wonderful thing to be reminded of?

-Zach

Monday, April 18, 2011

finding...

Finding beauty - God is good at this.  God is the master of looking beyond our failures and short-comings to discover something beautiful.  One night while I was hanging out with a few friends, someone brought up a passage in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 4:5.  Here it is.  "Therefore, do not go on passing judgement before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God."  (here's the whole chapter if you want to check it out 1 Cor. 4). 

I was nervous, maybe even panicked, as I listened to this verse read out loud for the first time.  Oh no, God will bring to light everything in my life?  The things hidden in darkness and the motives of my heart?  Then what?  When He is done exposing and scrutinizing every aspect of who I am, what then?  And then I heard it, each person's praise will come from God.  Praise?  God will be pleased?  If this isn't good news, I don't know what is.   Somehow He finds something in me that is of value, something worthy of praise, even after seeing all of my hidden motives and secret thoughts?

Let this marinate for a moment: our praise will come from God.  He wades through anything we may have tried to hide.  He uncovers our true motives.  And then He praises us.  He is pleased with us.  He sees it all; the messiness and shame and brokenness and pain.  But He isn't afraid of that stuff.  He sees these things and still chooses to praise us, as any good father would.

Now, look outward...

Imagine it, what if each one of us decided to follow after God in this way?  We would engage the messiness and shame and brokenness and pain that is present in people's lives all around us; but those things won't scare us.  We would see the mess, and it will break our hearts; but that won't stop us from seeing and exposing the true beauty in people and lavishing praise and love.  Maybe Jesus had this in mind when He told us that we are lights in this world (Matt 5:14...and many other places!).  Maybe, He was hinting to us that He wants us to frequent the places that simply need a little light.  After all, just a little bit of light in a very dark place illuminates everything - beautiful things once cloaked in darkness; beautiful things that should be praised.

Much love,
-Zach

Friday, April 15, 2011

rambling...

This one is pretty raw.  I didn't do much editing; I guess it's more of a journal entry.

This morning, I studied for Elevations.  I studied stories and wrote out thoughts to discuss around a camp fire in Colorado's Front Range.  At lunch, I drove to a local park where I meet up with street kids twice a week for a running group I am starting.  No one showed.  It was pretty cold though, so I didn't mind.  Also this afternoon, I shopped for office supplies.  If there were office-related, non-marriage, equivalents to "honey-do's", that is how I spent a portion of my afternoon.  Later on I took my friend "Bob" to the bowling alley that we and our friends go to every week.  Last week he and another guy nearly got into a fight in the parking lot.  They didn't listen to my warnings and the owner of the bowling alley came out.  "I don't need this man!" he said.  The brawl continued to grow.  I told him I didn't need it either.  Finally, we got everyone relatively calmed down and back on the bus.  Over the next 5 minutes, while I talked with owner, 5 police cars rolled by one after another.  The owner banned Bob and the other kid from the bowling alley.  The next day I ran into Bob downtown and he pulled me aside and apologized for disrespecting me, Dry Bones, and the bowling spot.  I told him that I really appreciated it and that all was forgiven.  I had to tell him that the owner said he wasn't allowed to come back, but I also told him that an apology might go a long way.  We made a plan to go out there.  That happened this afternoon after the office-shopping.  He approached the owner and told him that he was sorry.  It was powerful, y'all.  Things on the streets are more often than not handled with violence.  Rarely with talking.  Bob set an example today.  He made something right and didn't use his fists.  The owner invited him to come back.  I was so proud of my friend.  The bus rolled up to the bowling alley shortly after that and we all bowled for the next couple of hours.  Spirits were high and there was no drama.  Later, after bowling, the wind outside at the meal was freezing, and I regretted shaving my winter beard.  But we all huddled around together and enjoyed being together.

Much love
-Zach

Monday, April 11, 2011

a weekend of biking

I love the sound of the whir of fully pressurized tires swiftly spinning on recently laid asphalt.  I love the feeling that accompanies the sound; it almost seems as if I am suspended, floating just millimeters from the ground that passes directly underneath me.  In those moments, I think of nothing but "pedal, shift, smile, pedal more...".

Outside Cafe 13
Courtney and I rode the foothills this weekend. We soaked up the sun, and enjoyed the incredible feeling of burning leg muscles after the winter off-season.  The views were incredible.  We made our way up through Red Rocks, winding around boulders the size of condos, and finally peaked at the top of Dinosaur ridge.  We looked east and gazed off into the plains that disappear away from the front range, as if the mountains are melting like glaciers and flowing off into nothingness.  From there, we descended the short, steep road that is closed to traffic, and continued West.  We finally stopped at a small cafe, "Cafe 13".  If you are ever in Denver, or Golden to be more specific, call us and we'll take you there.

Much love,
-Zach

Monday, April 4, 2011

the first post since 2008

Hello friends!  I realized, as I began the brainstorming process for this blog, that I had an old, rarely used blog from a few years ago.  Honestly, I had forgotten that I had it.  After reading the old posts and enjoying the nostalgia that came along with that, I decided to simply revive this one and make it new, relevant, and fresh.  I had a lot of updating to do.  So I got to work.  I cut and cropped, edited and tweaked, dusted off a few of the old posts I thought you might enjoy and deleted the others, wrote page descriptions, and updated "about me" information.  I put up a couple of pictures - because everyone loves pictures! -  including the awesome panorama at the top of the page that my wife took in Moab, UT.  Our new camera has this great feature that allows us to take shots like that!

Anyways, I finally got everything looking how I want it and I'm excited to finally share it!  When you have some time to browse around, be sure to check out the "why this blog?" article under the pages heading (located on the right hand column), the several blogs I am following, and the other links and tabs scattered around.  Please feel free to share this blog with anyone who might enjoy it...and maybe even with people who wouldn't naturally gravitate towards something like this!  I have installed options at the end of each post that will enable you to share any posts you like with your friends via e-mail, facebook, twitter, etc.  Also, you can subscribe to this blog so that every time I write something new you will be notified on your e-mail.  Look for the tab called "follow this blog by e-mail" on the right-hand column.  Just type your e-mail there and you will automatically be added to the list!  It's that easy.

I'm practicing adding links and such, so I'm going to try it here.  Instead of writing a story, I am adding a link of one of my speaking engagements from a little over a year ago.  In December of 2009, Garnett church in Tulsa, OK invited me out for a Back to Life weekend (Back to Life is a program that I head up at Dry Bones desigend to follow up with the youth groups that visit us in the summer time...more on all of this later).  We spent the weekend remembering the Elevations experience we shared over the summer, exploring the "bleeding places" of Tulsa, and serving together.  Garnett graciously allowed me to share a few words at their Sunday service, both in the high-school class and in the main assembly.  To hear the podcast, titled "What we are Learning from Dry Bones", that includes thoughts from Lance Newsom and one of the teen Elevations participants from the summer of '09, click HERE.  Thanks for checking it out!

Much love
-Zach