Ok, here are some nuggets to catch you all up on what's going on here in Durango...
Oscar just started the first grade/Piper started kindergarten
Jennifer is teaching English at the high school this year--she has a great classroom and is on campus so cheerleading is easier and she still has most of her students from last year.
I am about to start working as a substitute at the high school and junior highs--not nearly as glamorous as river guiding, but it'll pay better and I get to be around people!
Steve is doing well in Boston, although I'm sure a big part of his soul is still feeling stretched being so far away. He and Amy seem to be finding a lot of great opportunities to serve in Boston.
Fall is on it's way--the river is low and the trees are about to change colors.
The church is doing some interesting experiments in biblical community: this summer we had an exercise in generosity where we gave almost $2000 away to two local (and unsuspecting) pastors. We are now trying to develop a culture of bringing needs before God and giving sacrificially to help meet them--more on that later.
I almost got to go to Ethiopia and Kenya to train some pastors on small group-based church, but at the last minute another guy decided he wanted to go and I got the boot--don't ask, I'm still a little bitter!
I am personally enjoying a growing relationship with one of the guys in our church. Stephen has been a new friend who is more than up to the challenge of listening to all my philosophizing and can even dish it out (usually sitting by the river with pipes smoldering, of course). So far we have dreamed up some pretty cool stuff including possibly learning to sew and make clothes and building a bicycle-powered generator to run the TV.
I feel like we have officially made the transition to fall and I am looking forward to what this year has in store for CTK Durango and our family.
