Things were a little backwards for us this time around. Normally, when we're partnering with a local church, we like to pull the bus up on the first Sunday we're in town. It's a great way to introduce ourselves to the community, let people know who we are, and share a little about why we're there. However, due to some unusual circumstances within the community here in Bend, we didn't get the opportunity to bring the bus to the church until our very last Sunday in town.
Although it was a little backwards from our usual routine, it actually created a pretty cool atmosphere for the youth! Over the last couple of weeks, we've been able to spend a decent amount of time getting to know them. After church on Sunday, the entire youth group came out to hang on the bus for about an hour. We spent some time sharing stories, playing the didgeridoo, and answering all sorts of questions. It's always fun getting to open up the bus and give people a little glimpse into this crazy adventure we're on.
We still had a couple of projects to wrap up before hitting the road on Wednesday, so Monday morning we headed back over to Healing Reins to help with some more painting.
By this point, it had been about two weeks since the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School, and Healing Reins had started seeing an influx of students coming through their doors looking for help processing and working through the trauma. As we were wrapping up the painting, the director was talking with Cassie and shared how grateful she was for the work we had been able to accomplish. Having those projects finished meant they were in a much better position to accommodate and care for all the new students coming through their doors.
Later that evening, we had the opportunity to share a delicious meal with a wonderful couple from the church. Cassie and I absolutely love getting to share meals with people. There's just something about sitting around a table, breaking bread, and sharing stories that builds a deeper connection. It's one of those simple things in life that never gets old.
Tuesday was our last full day in Bend, and we spent it helping Johnny knock out a few projects around his property. If you remember a couple of weeks back, Johnny was the guy we had been working alongside on some projects at the school. When we showed up, he had breakfast burritos and coffee waiting for us. Now that's how you get a work crew motivated!
After breakfast, Johnny gave me a tour of his extensive electric guitar collection. Let me just say, I was in heaven! There were some pretty sweet guitars in that collection, and I could have easily spent the rest of the morning geeking out over them. It was probably a solid hour and a half before we actually got around to doing any work, but somehow we still managed to knock out everything he had planned for us. Priorities, right?!
Wednesday morning we fired up the bus, pulled out of the driveway, and pointed that big ol' rig SOUTH!
It was getting a little chilly in Bend, and I wasn't handling it particularly well. LOL. For those of you who don't know me, I'm not exactly a fan of cold weather. I'm much more of an endless-summer kind of guy. Give me sunshine, warm weather, and a little ocean breeze, and I'm a happy camper. Sunny and 75!
Before making our way into Sacramento, we decided to take a little detour and spend a few days exploring the Redwoods. And man, what a place! We got to hike through some of the most impressive trees in the world and soak up the peacefulness of the park during the off-season. There's something pretty incredible about standing next to trees that have been around for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years. It's a good reminder of just how small we are in the grand scheme of things.
After a few days of exploring, slowing down, and getting some much-needed rest, we finally rolled into Sacramento.
And let me tell ya... it has already been INCREDIBLE!
But I'm gonna leave you hanging there for now. You'll have to come back next week to hear all about it.
Until then,
PEACE!
