Psss! This is Reina. We’re not allowed to have contact with the outside world, so I’ve got to make this snappy quick. Simply put, I am very much looking forward to being in the solitude of my home. It’s not safe here. Every time I leave my tent I must carve a path through the fog of mosquitoes with my machete. If I fail to cover absolutely every inch of my body when I leave the indoors, I can expect to be attacked by the flying beasts and discover multiple bug-battling wounds the next morning. We do not have regular meals here (wherever “here” is…) They force us to eat while we are riding, and we only get to rest from biking every 45.5 miles. When we sag, they punish us by taking away our meal-on-the-go for the next 2 days. When we aren’t biking, we’re serving in some way, of course, but there is a twist… We are not permitted to use our hands. Instead, we must do the deed with our feet, or whatever is most useful at the time. By doing this, they say, we are giving them some sort of entertainment while we are out in the middle of nowhere. Oh my goodness, they’re coming! I gotta go. Hopefully I’ll get in touch with you again soon. Over and out.
p.s. The previous message was completely false and inaccurate. Please someone pass along the message to Scott Ryan Forslund that Beilby is safe…but my mission to take pictures of his U.P. adventures has failed. (I forgot to charge my camera’s battery before I left and it totally died on the second day. I was seriously bummed.) Thanks and goodbye.
Reina
So…this is Emily Smeed. This is my second year going on this trip and God has taught me new and exciting things from last time! Last year I learned to enjoy God’s creation and that some times I put too much in my life and that sometime I just needed to “stop and smell the roses” in this case stop and look at the starts. Which in the U.P are completely and utterly remarkable. However this year even though the stars are still gorgeous and the rest of the wilderness is still brilliant God is teaching me something new. He’s teaching me that sometimes what I want for my life is not necessarily what He has in store for me. And what he has in store for me is so much bigger than I could ever have planned for myself. Emily Stadt has an amazing story about this that all of you should ask her to tell you. God is doing big and wonderful things through us each and every day. I’m so excited I got to go on both the D.C and the U.P mission trips this summer. And now I’m even more excited to go off to college and see what else God has planned for the rest of my life.
Blessed by God
Emily A. Smeed
At least you still have your sense of humor! I figured those squitos would be a challenge for you. Too bad about your camera battery. Sometimes you just have to hold on to your memories - thankfully - they don't need electricity to be re-charged. Hasta manana!
ReplyDeleteHEY REINA!!!! WATCH IT MAKING FUN OF DA MOTHER LAND DERE EH KID!!!! DA UP IS GOD'S COUNTRY EH!!!
ReplyDeleteDid ya teach everyone how to properly say SAUNA eh!?
When you call GOD from da UP you don't have to use an area code eh! I told you how to repel da skeeters up dere eh! You need a low gauge shotgun with magnum fine shot. Keep blasting a path ahead of you. Whatever you do DON'T USE DEET. Da skeeters have developed a liking for dat stuff up dere eh. Gotta use AVON SKIN SO SOFT. It helps if you keep a small bottle of skeeter theramones hidden and spray your friends on the back of the calves and neck when dey ain't lookin' eh. Den da skeeters will leave you alone for a while.
I don't tink dere is a toll at da mighty Mac when you leave da UP eh. People only have to pay to get into da UP. You can leave for free anytime.
Bring me back a mess of smelt will ya?