Letterboxing in Colorado

  

While in Colorado several weeks back with my parents, I tried a local Letter box site near the town of Georgetown.  We had taken the train ride, had a nice picnic lunch and then, before heading back thru the Eisenhower tunnel, I clicked on my hand held device and followed the directions through the old Georgetown Cemetery.

The clues were very clear and descriptive. We walked over old grave sites dating back to the 1800's.  Uniquely situated off of I 70, the cemetery was overgrown and in disrepair.

Glenn signed the letter box log book and we placed the hidden box back under the rocks.  


Letter boxing is a fun activity and a creative way to learn history.  It is like a scavenger hunt.

Click here to read more about it.
letterboxing

  Or check out my blog from 2010 when we went letter boxing with John and Carley
click here


Letterboxing is an intriguing pastime combining artistic ability with "treasure-hunts" in parks, forests, and cities around the world. Participants seek out hidden letterboxes by cracking codes and following clues. The prize: an image from a miniature piece of art known as a rubber stamp—usually a unique, hand-carved creation.
Letterboxers stamp their discoveries in a personal journal, then use their own rubber stamp, called a signature stamp, by stamping it into the logbook found with the letterbox, perhaps writing a note about the weather or their adventures in finding the letterbox.

 

Convocation {Part 5 Doug Livingston...Final Entry}

Doug Livingston, a Central America Mission, aka CAM International and now Camino Global, Missionary Kid (TCK), is now the NEW president of Camino Global!

We have known the Livingston family for many years.  Growing up in Honduras, then becoming a pastor of a local church there, and most recently spending 10+ years as a missionary in Albania, Doug is well prepared, gifted and qualified for his new job of leading the Camino missionary family.

Thank you Doug and Gloria for your service.  Our prayers are with you.
~J
Note:  Although I'm still blogging about your time in the US, we are back in
 Central America already.

Convocation {Part 4 Moody Alumni}

I held a Moody Bible Institute Alumni gathering while attending the Camino Global Convocation.

 There were 43 (plus 4 missing from the photo) that either attended Moody, graduated or were adjunct professors at MBI.  Camino Global has a rich history of  folks getting their mission and theological education at MBI and then serving with Camino Global.  God bless the School that DL Moody founded.

Earlier in the day, I ran into Karen Schmidt who attended 2 years at Moody with me.  She was here at the YMCA Camp for a different event.

Convocation {Part 3 Web Site}

During this week-long Convocation, we had special events.  On Wednesday, Camino Global launched their new web site.  

Check it out.

Camino Global.org

Also I learned how to Tweet.  Or lets say, I'm trying to learn how to tweet.

Convocation {Part 2 Bike Ride}

 What do you get when you drive 3 bicycles up to over 12,000 feet above sea level on a gravel road (Fall River Road) and ride back down on the other side toward Estes Park on a paved, Trail Ridge Road?  

Answer:  great time, in spite of my rear tire having a blow out 

We took a leisurely drive UP the gravel Fall River Road stopping several times to take in the breath taking scenery around us.  There were sheer cliffs of the Rocky Mountains on our right with the clear, babbling brook on the left.  Spectacular!

The Altitude on "Betsy" said

12,114.  We were above the tree line.  Glenn told me that when I went down the mountain, I would need to be mindful that I should brake with my right and then with my left, being careful not to overheat the rims and tires.  Well, I did that.  There were very few times I didn't break at all. But I was afraid that I would get going too fast and might lose my balance and go speeding off over the edge.  I didn't want to do that.  But I didn't want to blow a tire either.

Guess what?  I had a blowout.  Fortunately I wasn't going very fast.  We had an extra bike, so Glenn just switched  them out.

It was a pretty cool ride.  I rode about 10 miles, until I switched out and Gary the Board member, plus Glenn finished the ride on the two remaining bikes.

Convocation 2012 {Part 1}

All last week Glenn and I participated in a "once every 10 year event" of Camino Global (formerly CAM International). This event is called Convocation.  It was held at the YMCA in beautiful Estes Park with the Rocky Mountain National Park to the West.

The weather was fantastic each day.  We had bright blue skies, cool nights and warm days.  Each morning was filled with teaching from the Word by Dr. Lawrence and music by Dick and Mel.  We had "break out sessions" on different topics later in the mornings.  There was plenty of time for relaxation and refreshment in the afternoons and evenings.

Several times Glenn and I took our bikes through the winding roads and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.  One afternoon, I just took a much needed, long, afternoon nap.  

Monday night, we played my favorite game called BEYOND BALDERDASH with board member Gary, veteran missionaries and dear friends, the Selfs, and rookie missionaries the Herringtons.
I won. 

Georgetown Train

While visiting in Frisco, we went to Georgetown and took a train ride with G'mommy and G'daddy and Aunt B.

We even had a picnic after the train ride.  Fun day.

Bubba Gump

We had dinner at Bubba Gump Restaurant.

 Rick, Bev, Brian plus G'mommy and G'daddy

Forrest Gump is one of the Stewart Family favorite movies.

We knew most of the answers to the Trivia Questions.

Frisco, Colorado

Frisco, Colorado

elevation

9,075

Sunsets are spectacular!

Sure glad I don't travel like this.

 It's always fun to reconnect with old friends.  Y'all are truly a blessing!

Wooden Bears are everywhere.

The Miracle of a Bicycle

Miracle #1 - Great price for a Bicycle Trailer

At a garage sale in Dallas, Glenn purchased a Bicycle Trailer (the ones that haul kids around).  It was a steal at $25.00.  Glenn knows when he can get something in that good of condition and at that good price, he usually springs for it.

Knowing that Uncle Rick was driving up in his pick-up truck to Frisco this week, Glenn asked him to throw in the bicycle trailer in the back.  They figured out how to collapse it and all.  The only thing, we didn't have a kid or grand kid to haul around.

However, Glenn carried David's little puppets in the back.  Glenn said, "I need to test drive this trailer, before I put precious cargo in it!"  So down the hill, Mr. Froggie and Mr. Duckie traveled behind Glenn.

Miracle #2 My Bicycle

On this USA Trip, Glenn and I have been very diligent about walking every morning, and it was no exception on Saturday in Denver.  Garage Sale Day.  We happened to stumbled onto a $30.00 Trek Bicycle, which was hardly ever used and in very good condition.  Glenn also found 2 boxes of racks to mount bikes on top of vehicles at another garage sale.  One we kept and the other we gave to David.  Then Glenn found another bicycle rack for the back of the van.

All within 4 week period, the Lord provided us with a bicycle trailer to have for the grand kids, a bike for me, several bike racks and accessories.  And we were not even asking Him for these things, He just dropped them in our laps. Besides, we love to go garage sales and get great deals.  

Anybody want to go bike riding with us?

Vail Summitt

Glenn and I rode down from the top of Vail Pass Summit 10,662 feet to the city of Vail 8,150 feet.  It was mostly down hill.  The views were spectacular. Towards the village of Vail, the road leveled out, and we bicycled between and around some beautiful golf courses.  We rode through multimillion dollar neighborhoods on the back side of the golf course.

We rode through an Aspen tree forest.

Beautiful!

I stopped along the way frequently to take photos and just to enjoy the beauty of the mountains, wild life, flowers, clear blue sky and fresh mountain air.

We had a picnic lunch along a stream.  This is the 4th day in a row we had ham and cheese sandwiches.  But I'm not complaining, we enjoyed our sack lunches.

Then after c-o-a-s-t-i-n-g downhill to the west, Glenn dropped me off at the Summit again, and I rode my bicycle down in the other direction from 10,662 feet to Frisco at 9,075 feet.  Then Glenn parked and rode his bicycle up towards Copper Mountain and met me and we rode together on home.

I really love this trail.  Easy.  And beautiful.

Tomorrow's blog will be the story about how we got these bicycles.

WOTH Retreat

Last week I was honored and privileged to attend the Women of the Harvest Retreat in Denver, Colorado.

Imagine 85 women who live and serve overseas, gathered in one 5 star resort hotel to be pampered, loved on and the chance to worship and fellowship together.  My roommate was from France.  I met folks from "closed countries", some who have served many years in jungle areas, while others live and work in metropolitan cities such as Mexico City.  The one common factor was that we were all living and serving Christ overseas.

We were lavished with gifts, books, CD's and we could even go to a clothes closet to pick out new outfits to wear.  We had our toenails polished.  Some had new hair-cuts.  I took advantage of the free counseling service.

What a great organization.  Women of the Harvest. 

 Check out their web site. 

WOTH has 3 main areas they concentrate on:  

1) Publication - I receive their electronic magazine and devour it each month.  It contains helpful hints for missionary women

2) Retreats - just like the one I attended in Denver, Colorado

Read about the retreat on the WOTH blog

3) Micro-Loans "Hope for the Harvest"