Ok, 9,628 feet elevation may not be very impressive to some of you, but it sure was a treat for me today. I drove up to Sonora to see my grandparents, and we found an excuse to go up to the top of Sonora pass. The view was absolutely stunning. It's too bad that all I had was my camera phone, but even these low quality photos capture some of the beauty.
We had some unusual weather today. It was quite warm and much more humid than normal in our semi-arid environment, which created the perfect conditions for an explosion of pre-dusk color. Well, it was God that created those conditions, and He did a superb job. Spectacular sunsets are not uncommon here, but they are usually produced by pollution and dust. Today's sure made up for the uncomfortable warmth a couple hours earlier.
I received an email today regarding Center for Intercultural Training (CIT) in September. I have the opportunity to register now, but I don't yet have enough monthly pledges to get an official go-ahead from World Team. If I do not register now, I will have to wait until they offer the course again in January. Pray that I would act wisely and seek God's guidance about taking this next step.
We also had a great visit from an Israeli family that my parents know from their trips to Israel. They were very gracious guests and I had a wonderful time getting to know them a little. One of the most memorable experiences with them was when they sat all 3 boys down on the couch and proceeded with a Hebrew dialog, which I can only imagine must have been a Bible lesson. They got to visit Yosemite, San Francisco, and they even took the jet-skis out on the lake for a few hours.
A couple weeks ago, we had a visit from my sister, who lives in Maryland, her husband, and their little 4 month old son. We took a trip up to Almanor to enjoy the mountains and the lake. It was great to get away for a little while, but even better to spend some time catching up with my sister. It was quite a treat to get to know her husband a little better. And, of course, little man C added a whole new dimension to the family. I am really enjoying being an auntie, but I sure wish they lived closer.
This valiant hunter returned home with a neatly bundled package of reptile. I could, of course, recognize it as a lizard, but I wondered what kind it was. However, when I asked I was told that it's a big lizard. Hmmm... I'm not sure I've heard of that species. Oh well, it made a good meal for several people.
I went to Cameroon with a bunch of gifts to leave with my friends there. My parents sent 2 pair of reading glasses for an "elderly" couple that we have a relationship with. Lendo and Sanda are probably in their early 50s, but they look much older and are among the oldest Baka people that I know of. Mom and Dad though they could use a pair of reading glasses. When I gave the glasses to them, they both immediately tried them
on and tried their hardest to look scholarly and distinguished. Then Sanda looked up and exclaimed, "I can see way over there!" I'm not sure how far he could really see with reading glasses, but he was certainly impressed. In the mean time, Lendo gazed at pictures of herself and her children with her new glasses.
