Last week, Dad and I (Sara) returned from a 2-week ministry trip to the southwest. We traveled over 5,000 miles through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado (and all those states in between). It was a blessed time of meeting new people, taking in God’s amazing creation, recording for the radio program, and enjoying some father/daughter time.
Enjoying an afternoon at Old Town in Albuquerque
As far as the eye can see…
You know you’re away from home without the whole family when you find notes buried in your suitcase
Our first stop was San Antonio, TX. Yes, we actually made a trip back after our eventful stay there last September (read about our crazy adventure here)! The new host of the Storyteller, Soapy Dollar, has been recording from his studio in TX while Dad coaches him over the phone from home in MN. While its been working out well, there were some technical issues that prompted our return to San Antonio.
We’re pretty sure that this gas station has to be the biggest in the world… everything’s bigger in Texas
Soapy and Dad testing microphones
Next we drove to Albuquerque, NM. There, Dad recorded a number of testimonies in the area while I took in a conference at Garfield Gospel Chapel. The speaker was teaching on the Old Testament feasts and how they were a picture of what Christ would do when He came to earth. Part of the conference included a Messianic Passover Seder which was a very interesting experience. We were greatly encouraged by the fellowship at the chapel there.
The Sedar meal at the conference
A group picture at Garfield Gospel Chapel
Phoenix, AZ, was our next stop. The night we arrived, there was a number of Native believers gathered together for a teaching/training session where we had opportunity to share about The Storyteller ministry. The next day, Dad did some more recording and we also learned more about the Native American conference/camp that we will be singing at in Santa Fe this summer. We also got to visit a dear Native friend in the hospital down there, and enjoyed dinner with some MN friends in their snowbird estate in Apache Junction.
Just one of Arizona’s many landscapes
After leaving Phoenix, we traveled out to Lake Havasu City to visit a radio station out there. Since we were so close to California (and neither of us have been to that state before), we drove across the river and got out just to say we had! 🙂 That same day we also headed up to the Grand Canyon and got to see the results of a worldwide flood, before heading to Tuba City on the Navajo reservation.
So close to California… the palm tree is a nice touch!
At the Grand Canyon
The pictures simply don’t do it justice – learn more about the Grand Canyon from a Biblical perspective here
In Tuba City, we got to participate in a prayer meeting with a small gathering of Native believers who love the Lord. It was so encouraging to hear their hearts for their families, church, and the unsaved. We stayed with missionaries there that night and enjoyed fellowship with them in the morning.
The Tuba City Discipleship center on the Navajo reservation
Our Subaru Forester was thrilled to drive on this
We had planned to leave and drive through the Rockies, but a huge snowstorm over the mountains redirected us to Vanderwagon, NM. Along the way, we stopped in Window Rock/Sabenito at the radio station at Western Indian Ministries. We ended up visiting for several hours before continuing on to Vanderwagon where we stayed at a Bible camp and got to hear about the ministry going on with some of the Zuni youth.
A Navajo hogan
At Window Rock
The Storyteller has aired on this station for many years
The next day we headed up to Greeley, CO, where we stayed with a sweet couple. We enjoyed fellowship with them over the weekend and gave an update at the chapel there.
We could see the snow storm hanging over the Rockies off to the west as we traveled through eastern Colorado
On Monday we headed north again, stopping to take in the Black Hills and Wall Drug before landing in Mansfield, SD, to spend the night on the farm with Mom’s parents. The next morning, Grandma fed us a yummy breakfast and Grandpa took us on a tour of his latest farming operations. Then we were off for home where the family was eagerly waiting for our return.
Over 5,000 miles of safety!
We actually enjoyed stopping for this roadblock!
We saw just about every kind of “crossing” sign there is to see
We have so much to be grateful for: safety as we traveled thousands of miles, seeing the Lord work out the details of the trip, and sweet fellowship along the way. Thank you for praying for us! Lord willing, we are looking forward to traveling back down to New Mexico this summer with the whole family as we sing at the Native conference in Santa Fe.
Beautiful country
