Day 27: Spreading Roots

Hello!

I've now been at Lake Powell for a week. It's strange to think that I left Oregon four weeks ago; it doesn't feel like I've been away this long already.

This week has been a lot of learning, training, and transition as I've been learning the tasks of my new position, wrapping up my school semester, and beginning to explore the Lake Powell Resort. It's been nice that the weather has been cool enough that I've been able to do a lot of walking around, whether along the shoreline, towards the town of Page, or around the resort complex...and of course, each of these walks have been spent reading homework; I'm enjoying the exercise, the learning, and the tan.

It is very exciting to be here, considering that this is the first summer A Christian Ministries in the National Park (ACMNP) is located here. During my free time, I've been getting to meet people and get to know about the area. On Sunday, I visited a local church in Page, where one of the congregants shared that the town's churches are generally diminishing and struggling. Only two months ago a different church only two blocks down the street closed down and sold its building. Listening to this church member share his love of the church and yet his concern helped me gain a better sense of the situation here as our team arrives and begins to prepare to minister.

In comparison, another day I walked to the boat rental marina at the resort (a complete marina filled with only rental boats!). Lake Powell is rightly labeled as one of "America's Playgrounds", as we cater to vacationers ready to spend large sums of money during their visit. Rental prices for a houseboat here start at $2,500 per day, and it's common for renters to spend a full week on these, while additional powerboats, wave runners, and jet skis are available for daily use starting around $300 for an 8-hour period. Unlike other national parks I have worked at where people come for serenity, this place is for recreation. Water recreation in particular. I know that I'll have the opportunity to spend a lot of time on the water this summer to cool down or take a boat tour of the lake, but right now I am experiencing a lot of culture shock seeing the extent of affluence and luxury this resort affords.

Right now, Lake Powell's waterline is fairly low. Summer predictions aren't very promising as last year's drought near Denver affected the Colorado River flowing west, and there isn't much snowpack in the Rocky Mountain range of Colorado from the winter either. In a climate of receding water and churches, I get to serve visitors who have come to play and re-create. This strange juxtaposition brings me to pray for God's direction for the summer, as this will be a summer unlike any previous one. Just as the region is praying for rain to return, refill, and renew, so I am praying that this will happen in more ways than just physically. Yet this desperation brings great hope and expectation, praying that God reveals Himself in unexpected ways.

Photos from Zion and around Lake Powell are available in Photos of the Week. Photos from the last leg of my trip in Death Valley will be posted next week. In the upcoming weeks, I'll focus upon different sections of the resort, sharing about the people, the resort, and the experience of being here.

Blessings to you! Enjoy your week!