The chai is steaming in the cup beside my chair, my wool socks are pulled up over my leggings, and as I look outside my window, snow is darting around in the pine trees.  A quick glance at my calendar reassures me that it actually is May 27th.
I've been in the mountains for just about 3 days now, after re-packing my suitcase and backpack and flying to Jackson Hole Wyoming to spend the summer in Grand Teton National Park to work housekeeping and volunteer with A Christian Ministry in the National Parks (creative title, right?)
Adventures already?  Absolutely.  I watched a baby black bear scramble his way across the road....from the safety of the car, met an Ashland-er who graduated from my high school and who also works in the Tetons, took a snowy hike on a day off, welcomed a roommate from Moscow (she's skyping in Russian right now...music to my English-weary ears), and passed last night talking with the Jamaicans in the dorms.
The snow is really not my cup of tea.  But I've just today covered my wall with pictures from Tanzania, Prague, and home, to remind me of how places have changed me:
The picture of my dear Wheaton roommates and friends, who have shown me love and joy
The picture of a cafe in Switzerland where I learned that conversation can be just as adventurous as a hike in the mountains
The picture of Karlene in Tanzania who showed me how to be a servant
The picture of the Zanzibar Red Bishop who taught me how to absolutely delight in creation
The picture of my dear backpacking friends in Prague who remind me of the grace of Jesus and the joys of friendship
The picture of my last days in Africa with Megs who reminds me to talk in Sid-the-Sloth voices and never hide my humor
The picture of my family who remind me of the nearness of Jesus
and the picture of the village girls who remind me that an hour can be spent in laughter.


Last night, I met Oliver from Jamaica.  Over a game of dominoes, Oliver looked up with a smile and said "salvation is the best."  Part of me couldn't help but laugh at this childish-sounding superlative, but in truth, Oliver's statement sums up all that I have come to learn over these past few years in these past few adventures.  Sure, traveling is incredible, coming home to my family is incredible, the dreams I'm forming are exciting, but in the end, knowing Jesus Christ is the best.  Knowing Jesus means that I also know who messed up I am.  Don't go looking at me or any other human being to get an accurate representation of Christianity, because part of understanding the Gospel is understanding that I am not good and not capable of saving myself.  But also understand that the Gospel is not a message of guilt.  I had a conversation with a guy on MegaBus last week who didn't like the fact that Christianity was all about guilt, as he said.  But if you look at the mission of Jesus, we see clearly that He did not come to give us a life steeped in guilt.  He came to free us from sin and to free us from guilt.  He came so that we would have life and life to the fullest.  And if you ask me, a life lived in guilt is no live at all, certainly not life to the fullest.  Yes, knowing Jesus means that I acknowledge my sinfulness.  But above all, I know that when the Lord looks at me, He doesn't see guilt, shame, sinfulness, mistakes, rebellion.  He see Jesus who knew that I would never be able to free myself from guilt and sin, who knew that I could never be "good enough", and who loved me so much that He could not let me continue that way.  And He did the same for the rest of humanity.
I write this as much for myself as for anyone else, for it's truth that I always need to remind myself of.  I feel like I should have a picture on my wall of Oliver to remind me that "salvation is the best".

These mountains are my new home, these people - Russian, Jamaican, American - are my new community, and this all is a place where I have been brought to learn much.  But what I have learned, what has shaped me, what I know to be Truth - it's all taped in a grid on my wall, for me to survey daily, remember often, be thankful for always, and to practice in all circumstances.