Mt. Baldy

Last weekend a friend of mine and I met to hike Mt. Baldy. It has the official name of San Antonio. The hike begins at 6000 feet elevation and finishes at 10,064.  I began my journey leaving my house in Joshua Tree at 4:30 am. I met my friend where we dropped a car off and began the drive up to the start of the hike. When we arrived just before 7am, the parking area was overflowing with fellow hikers. There are 4 different ways of arriving at the peak. We chose the longest, but most gradual for gaining 4000 feet elevation gain. We hiked up the road for about 3 miles arriving at the ski lodge. Since the lift was running, we were able to take advantage of indoor plumbing.

Upon starting the next phase, we noticed two ways to proceed. a fellow hiker stated that the one we were on was shorter and steeper but they both lead to the same place. As we arrived at the top of the very steep one, we saw a sign indicating we had just climbed up a ski run. No wonder it was so steep. We proceeded up the trail to "Devil's Backbone" where the trail is on the top of a narrow ridge. We continued hiking taking advantage of the small shade spots provided by intermittently space trees. The last half mile or so is the steepest part of the hike and the trail becomes loose rocks. After carefully ascending with some fellow hikers evenly spaced, we were welcomed by a crowd of people scatter around the top. All 4 of the trails must have had many people on it as there were plenty of hikers we had not seen on our trail.

Instead of making a loop as originally planned and descending a even steeper but shorter trail, we decided to retrace our steps and descend the same way. This meant the hike ended up being 13.2 miles instead of 11.2.The weather was perfect the entire day: sunny with occasional breeze. It was a wonderful hike with a good friend.

Freedom

For years I have questioned why I was born here in the time that I was. I would often push down feelings of guilt. Through a process over several years, I have come to trust God's sovereignty that this was the best for me and Him. It has been freeing to believe this. The devotion from Jesus Calling for May 17th speaks to this. "As you sit here in My presence, remember that I am a God of abundance. I will never run out of resources; My capacity to bless you is unlimited. You live in a world of supply and demand, where necessary things are often scare. Even if you personally have enough, you see poverty in the world around you. It is impossible for you to comprehend the lavishness of My provisions:the fullness of My glorious riches.(Phil 4:19)...Rejoice in My abundance-living by faith, not by sight ( 2 Corinthians 5:7).

Although there are many people who live by faith trusting God for the daily bread literally, I have always been amazed by missionaries.  They step out in faith to serve trusting that God will provide what they need each month and when they are on furlough. I remember hearing story after story of God's faithful provisions for their needs. My family supported missionaries for years while I was growing up.  Sometimes we would support them with prayer only; sometimes with prayer and financial support. I was always aware that missionaries could not serve without our help. My mom made the wise analogy of comparing it to the military. The "front line" cannot fight or do their job without support from the home front making the supplies, shipping supplies, and providing moral.  Likewise, the missionaries serving here or abroad cannot do their job without prayer and financial support. One position is not more important than the other. It is truly a team effort. 

On another component of living in God's freedom is allowing yourself to enjoy the blessings and grace He gives you. Sometimes they are financial, sometimes a necessity of life, sometimes a vacation or a thing you truly enjoy. Sometimes it is seeing a hummingbird, sunset, sunrise, a good conversation with a friend, a skirt, an unexpected free yogurt on a hot day, a wonderful day on a hike or with friends, a car, a place to live, confetti cupcakes on your birthday, etc. He is an extravagant God. We can look at the specifications He ordered for His temple. Cloth, gold, choice wood, to name some of the resources. He wants to bless us. He wants to provide our needs. I have seen Him do this over and over in my life in the past two years.

I have been living more freely than I ever imagined I would or could. I have needed a job, an answer for the immediate future, a place to live, a community multiple times. He has always provided.Proverbs 30: 8-10 expresses this well. "Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty or riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, "who is the Lord?" Or I may become poor and steal and so dishonor  the name of my God.  

I will tell you, it has not always been easy to trust. God often seems to wait until the last minute according to my timing. I think one of reasons God's "perfect timing" is  timed this way is so there is no mistake that God did it. It is not a coincidence. Also, we are called to a walk of faith. If faith was not required, He could provide our needs sooner than "the last minute." Lydia Prince, a woman who adopted 9 girls and raised them in Israel, would often say in dire situations, "It sure will be interesting to see how you work this one out, Lord." While it has gotten easier to trust, there is and always will be an element of faith involved in living in freedom.

Outings

The past few weeks I have taken advantage of some of the free opportunities in the area. I went to the Palm Springs Art Museum free second Sundays.  I attended a free tour with a docent. The tour began with about 8 people but ended with just 2. It was practically a private tour of the museum. The museum has an eclectic collection of art at the moment. The original collection was western art. Some of the galleries still display this type of art. I enjoyed hand woven Native American baskets the most. Several had lizards and rattlesnakes images woven into them to "scare" them away from what was in the baskets. I don't think it was effective, but it was interesting to see.  Another piece that was interesting were golden raindrops that were hung from the ceiling. The piece was commissioned for a Scandinavian lighthouse festival. Inside each of the blown glass raindrop the artists put a small piece of art (letter, painting). These are "hidden" and cannot be seen. 

I then went to a nearby park to read in the shade with my toes in grass. Yes,  shade and grass are not common here in the high desert. I enjoyed relaxing and reading a book thinking it was not too hot. When I got back into my car that was parked in the shade to head back up the hill the thermometer read 107 degrees Fahrenheit.  Since it is a dry heat unlike the southern United States or the Republic of Congo, it is not too hot. Thankfully, it has not been that hot for many days yet.

Also, last Sunday at church, I sat down beside a woman I had only seen from a distance. We began small talk. She asked where I was from and how long I had been here. I told her I was a travel physical therapist and I had been in Africa prior to moving back here. She said, "I like you, you are different." After church we continued chatting back and forth. Before I knew it, I agreed to be a greeter/guest book attendant at her wedding the following Saturday.  At the reception this past Saturday, I sat at the table with the groom's family who are from Puerto Rico originally.  By the end of the night, I was invited to their house for dinner in the near future where I can practice my Spanish. 

Thursday, I decided to go down to VillageFest in Palm Springs. It is a weekly street fair with food, art, soap, lotion, etc and music. I had tentatively planned on going with coworkers. The plans fell threw, but I decided I would go anyway to get out of the house and see something new. I parked my car and began walking towards the market. I greeted an African American woman as she passed by. I caught up to her while walking. We ended up talking and wandering through the street fair together. She was likely in her late forties and a Christian. It was such a blessing to have a friend to share the night with and to talk openly with someone who shares the same worldview. I even got to roast a marshmellow at one of the vendors. 

This Saturday morning I went to the local Swap Meet. It was similar to a flea market where you can find all sorts of odds and ends. Some junk, and some true deals. It was great people watching and interesting to see all the items ranging from clothes, to old rustic tools, to dirt bikes, to costume jewelry, to junk. 

To my surprise, I have been told by several different people that I am one of the happiest people they know. Some ask how I so often have a smile on my face. I do feel the most free and confident in God that I can remember. As many of you know, I have been growing in many different areas over the last few years. I would not say I was the most joyful person.  I am still growing daily. I am very aware of struggles and areas of improvement. It is often said we are our own worst critic. I am glad to hear that Jesus is shining through despite my flaws. This season in my life truly is an adventure for me. I never know what will happen.  Stay tuned for the next episode:)

Summer

Seasons: changes in weather, plants, animals, light, sports, activities, and even people. One of the aspects I enjoyed while living in North Carolina was the seasonal changes. North Carolina has all four season. Spring and Fall are long and winter is mild, but does have snow once or twice usually. I did not even mind the summers hot and humid. One of the questions often asked young children along with what is your favorite food, color, etc is "what is your favorite season?" I always had difficulty answering because there are characteristics and activities I enjoyed in each one. I also enjoyed the change. There is so many different directions a blog about seasons could go, but I am going to focus on a phenomenon I saw this week. 

This week the arrival of summer seems to be official. Although the steadily rising temperatures have announced the change in season a few weeks ago, peoples attitudes are just now changing. There is something special about summer that makes people more laid back, friendly, joyful. I have wonderful memories of summer evenings as a child. Pops in the Park concerts, running around catching fireflies in the backyard, sitting on the candlelight screen porch, running around in a field with friends after church, even lying in bed listening to the neighbor children still playing in the street, making homemade ice cream in a hand cranked churn, swimming in the pool, playing in water hose, riding bike for hours to name a few.

The change in the environment makes sense for children and families with children still in the home. Often there is a break extra circular activities or at least a change. Also, most schools, even year round schools, have a break for summer. Somehow, though, it carries over to adults too. Adults even without children or with grown children not on a school schedule. This has been particularly evident this week in my interactions with people. Here are a few examples.

While here, I have been attending a Wednesday night Bible study. Most of the nights everyone leaves quickly after the study is over. This past Wednesday, however, people continued to stay seated and chatted for a bit. We then moved outside where the temperatures were very pleasant and proceeded to talk for a while longer. (A true southern goodbye is present in the desert in the summer). 

Most Thursdays, I have been participating in a beginner's line dancing class. The line dances alternate with square dances. As I do not know how to square dance, I watch the dances. This Thursday in particular, the square dancers were full of smiles, laughs, and overall having a wonderful time just being together and doing something they enjoyed. Simply watching their joy brought joy to me. 

At the grocery store even the workers and customers were more friendly and in less of a rush. So, even though many of the necessary daily and weekly routines in life remain during this summer season  let us enjoy the more laid back atmosphere, seasonal activities, and continue to smile about the small things in life.

 Bold and Courageous

Courage means the ability to do something that frightens you. Tasks that require courage are different for everybody. Over the past few years, many people have made the comment " You are so courageous moving and traveling to new places where you do not know anyone." What I am about to share may surprise you. While it is a challenge to go to new places to live, work, make new friends, learn new policies, that is getting easier and easier. Like anything, the more you do it , the better or easier it becomes.

What takes more courage for me it to walk into a new situation where there is guaranteed human interaction.  I am an introvert at heart. I am completely content hiking for hours or days with only a few small talk conversations here and there if any human interaction at all. Don't get me wrong, I do like to have friends and community. There in lies the problem. In order to have community, one needs to interact with strangers. Although I do try to maintain relationships from the past, it is different from day to day interaction with people. It is the frequent conversations or simply being together living life that creates friendships. 

These past few weeks, I have been attempting to earn my courageous badge :) Last weekend, I went to a local bar/saloon which has free line dancing on Sunday evenings. I attended line dancing lessons while I was here in the winter. A classmate, who is much more advanced than me, told me about the Sunday night dancing. I thought she was going to attend last Sunday. I hummed and hawed and finally gained enough courage to go down there. I opened the door to a restaurant full of strangers many of whom were already line dancing. I quickly scanned the restaurant for my classmate. She was nowhere to be found. After waiting a few minutes, I returned to the car and was going to drive back home.

 As I was sitting in my car, I received a phone call from someone from church inviting me to a Memorial Day potluck the next day. While I had seen people from church, I did not know them more than their name from the meet and greet time. I accepted the invitation. This gave me enough courage to reenter the line dancing. The dances were not called which means you have to know them already. I attempted to follow a few but quickly became frustrated and sat down to people watch.

There were people of all ages. The children were fun to watch as they had no inhibitions and simply enjoyed to music and danced their own dances. There was a table of friends and family who were communicating through sign language. This actually proved helpful as the music was loud making it difficult to hear someone talk. What was fascinating to me was the difference between the adults signing and the children. The children had clear distinct signs while the adults had quicker, sloppy signs. Also the adults had well developed peripherial vision and spacial awareness knowing when the waitress was coming. The children, on the other hand, did not and had to be told or surprised by the waitress. I did enjoy dancing a few more dances prior to leaving. All in all, I am glad I went and stayed. 

The Palm Desert Art Museum is free on Friday. I figured I would take the courage and time to drive down there and see it and the meet a friend at the farmer's market afterwards in another city. Limited human interaction, but getting out of the house...or so I thought. Upon entering the museum, the docent was very talkative. After enjoying the museum, I drove down a street with many galleries. I stopped at one and went inside. It was one that featured Richard MacDonald, a bronze sculptor. His work was amazingly detailed. He sculpts ballet dancers and gymnasts in circus de solei while performing lifts, jumps, rings, and the like. The consultant was very friendly and we ended up chatting for about 30 minutes about the pieces and Mercy Ships. 

I then drove to the farmer's market where I was going to meet my friend. I arrived a little early and was sitting on a bench at the end of the farmer's market...I had met my courage quota of the day so I was going to wait for her before walking through the market. Not long after that thought, two young Mexican girls approached me and began speaking to me in English. The younger of the two, who was 4, spoke in broken English. I answered her in Spanish without thinking. The older girl, 7, responded in English with surprise "You speak Spanish!" We then continued talking in Spanish about little girl things of riding a bike, playing in the park, playing with the dog, going to school, etc. My friend arrived and off we went to enjoy the market. About an hour or so later, I walked by the bench where the girls were on my way to the car. They came running up and wanted to continue interacting.

At a friend's prompting, I organized a hike in Joshua Tree National Park Saturday morning with coworkers from both clinics. It was a great day followed by a relaxing lunch. The days of courage paid off, a museum, garden, sculptor, Mercy Ships, Spanish with little girls, farmer's Market, hiking in the park, eating at a new restaurant, talking about things other than physical therapy.  I take comfort in the scripture Joshua 1:6-9 especially verse 9 "Have I not commanded you? Be bold and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you whereever you go."  Even when I feel alone in new and challenging situations, I can trust I am not truly alone. God is there right beside me. 

Off the Beaten Path.

Yesterday, I was THAT girl. The one you wonder why is she walking on the side of the road? Well, I was at least in Joshua Tree National Park, in broad daylight, facing against traffic. Let me back up and tell you why this was the scenario. 

I had been hesitant to go on a hike by myself in the park since I have been back. The reason was I am afraid of snakes. While, I know they are not all poisonous, this is rattlesnake season. They come out as the temperatures rise to sun themselves. Although I personally have not seen one yet, I have two friends who have seen them on their property in the past few weeks. One of my coworkers who has lived in the desert for years gave me some wisdom. Rattlesnakes often can sense you coming. They are usually more afraid of you than you of them. (I am not sure about that one). He said that usually if you just keep walking, they will not bother you. He also said that the most common place to be bit is on your bottom. This occurs as people will sit on a rock to rest without looking before they sit. A rattler may be in the crevice or just behind the rock. This was confirmed with a ranger.

I thought when I woke up around 6:45am: "I enjoy hiking. I have a day off with beautiful weather (60- low 70). I am not going to let the snakes win. I will be careful and go early in the day before it gets too hot."  I was at the trailhead by 7:45am. The hike was supposed to be 12 miles round trip (not much elevation gain until the last 1.5 mile or so) ending on the highest peak in the park. I started out on the hike playing the new game of looking for flowers in the desert (it like an egg hunt). I was rewarded with finding several different ones along the trail. It was interesting to see baby Joshua Trees as well. Many of the trees in this area had been burned by a forest fire years ago. The burned Joshua trees send out roots to start another right beside it.

According to the trail description in my book, about 4.5 miles into the hike there was a trail that went north from the end of the dirt road was on leading to Quail Mountain. I found what looked like a trail. Here in the desert it can be questionable sometimes as the sand moves with the wind. If the trail is not used heavily, it can become less clear. I followed the trail making sure I remember the peaks behind me for landmarks. I trekked across the "field" staying on the "trail" best I could. It ended at the base of the mountain. I started to ascend the mountain up a rocky wash. The "trail" became less and less clear and the description in my book was not helpful. I decided it would be best for me to abandon the effort and turn around so I would not get lost.

I retraced my steps down the mountain to the trail that I had followed, or so I thought.  I  never returned to the dirt road. I was in a big open space and could not see it. I knew which peaks were ahead of me. I thought that if I ascended them I could see where the trail was to head back to my car. I could not see it anywhere. I was grateful I had a simple map, extra water and food with me and that it was only noon. I knew the general direction to go so I continued bushwhacking of sorts through the scrub bushes. My fear of snakes was usurped by getting back to the trail. I picked another peak for the landmark and off I went. After hiking a ways, I saw some building off in the distance. I knew it was in the opposite direction of the car, but figured I could get to a parking lot that I knew. If I could, I would walk the road back to my car.

Off I went walking in the wash which had some foot prints, a welcomed sight. I continued walking in the wash for awhile until it seemed to go a different direction than the buildings. I then decided to head straight for the buildings. I carried my hiking sticks behind me making noise by hitting them together to alert any animals of my presence before I arrived. I saw one snake, not a rattler, two jack rabbits, one coyote in broad daylight, and many lizards. When I arrived to the buildings I was sad to see there was no clear trail to it. I did see a dirt road  that seemed to lead towards the parking lot I was going towards (not where my car was located), so I walked towards it. I did see cars driving in the distance. This was another welcomed sight. I knew that I was going to be able to get back to my car and out of the wilderness. I continued walking towards the parking lot. I arrived. taking the opportunity to sit in the shade and empty the sand out of my shoes before walking the several miles on the road back to my car.

Once walking on the road, I felt much safer as I knew exactly how to get back to my car. I finally did at 2:30pm (6.5 hours after heading out). The trail book stated it would take about 6-8 hours for hike. I usually am significantly under the suggested time. I took one more big sip of water when I got to the car. It was the last of the water in the pack. God is so good!  Also young woman looking for a different hike asked my for directions. I was able to give her clear directions as I had been there before myself. I am glad I knew the park fairly well. I clocked the distance I had walked on the road in my car on the way home. It was 3 miles. I think I must have hiked at least 14 miles, may be more. I was only worse for wear with a big blister on one foot. Not too bad.   

Today, I went on a 3 mile hike with elevation with a coworker. At the top of the mountain I could see exactly where I was yesterday and where I had gone. I did a very large circle for sure. I am so thankful I follow the guidelines every time I hike...Tell someone I am going and what time I should be back home, carry extra water, carry food, headlamp, sunscreen, hat, pocketknife, handkerchief, long sleeve shirt, whistle, and ID and a map of some sort. I knew that I would be ok.

 Don't worry; I learned my lesson stick to well marked trails only and hike with someone when ever possible. When I was driving out of the park, I passed two other people who were outfitted for hiking walking on the side of the road no where near a trailhead. I debated about posting this, but figured it was an adventure afterall. I know I should have GPS,etc believe me I have heard it all before. This is the first time and hopefully the last I will get off the beaten path literally. 

Two Worlds Collide

I had a wonderful time with friends spending the afternoon and evening in Palm Springs. It is about 30 mile drive from Joshua Tree. Many of you have probably heard of this city. Many of the movie stars and musicians would come hang out in Palm Springs to get away from the business of Los Angeles.  Some apparently still do. With that being said, it is a nice area with several golf courses, stores with high end items as well as the closest Target and Trader Joe's. There is a strip in the middle of downtown full of nice restaurants, bars, shops, and hotels. Even though it is still in the desert, there is much more green than up the hill in the hi desert. The tall palm trees are everywhere with the backdrop of 8-10,000 feet mountains.

My friends and I stopped at a consignment store, Starbucks, Target, Tiki bar with pool, live music and vendors, nice restaurant, and Trader Joes. Several people have asked me how I am transitioning to life in the United States. God has been gracious as eased the transition by stay with friends, spending days hiking alone in beautiful parks and spending a weekend in Joshua Tree getting settled. Today was the first day I was truly aware of the distinct differences in way of life between developed countries and cities and developing countries and rural settings since I have been back. I seem to have more reverse culture shock. I have more difficulty coming back here (United States) than going there (where ever there is).  Simply expressed, two different worlds. 

As I was thinking about two worlds colliding, I realized this happens anytime two or more cultures interact. Different cultures, one of the very things that makes this world so fun and interesting to explore. I have realized through my travels near and far that a different culture may be encountered by sharing a meal with a neighbor at their home, hanging out with coworkers, or traveling aboard. Each family has their own culture. Their culture is influenced by tradition, world views, learning new things, blending the past with the present, laws of the land, and more.  While the culture may be starkly different than mine, it is not inherently wrong. In fact, I usually learn something. Perhaps I will learn a new food I enjoy, a new way to prepare food, clean, decorate that makes life better, easier, simpler. The culture of course tends to vary the wider you go: different area of town, different town, different part of the state, state, area of country, country.While there are a few things that are morally wrong and sinful, like murder, many of the differences should be appreciated.  

My life here in the United States is not wrong. In fact, it is because I live here in a comfortable apartment with a car, nice clothes, food in the refrigerator, lights to turn on/off, water to run, and air conditioning that I can serve others far and near. Serving others can be people down the street with a smile and a wave or giving a listening ear to the older lady I met at the grocery store today who lives by herself and needed to share with me about her dogs, cats, and birds at home for 15 minutes. It can be volunteering in another country or on a college campus or reservation or teaching in a school. It can be done in such a variety of ways! I hope you enjoy your little corner of the world while continuing to learn about others.