Asking for Mountains

When Emil and I first began our job search we knew we wanted to teach in a community that had a variety of outdoor activities. As much as we loved living in the rolling corn and soybean fields of the Midwest for 5 years, we were ready to live in a more diverse atmosphere. So naturally, when we stumbled upon Joshua Springs Christian School located on the border of Joshua Tree National Park, we were thrilled with the promise of mountains and cliffs!

Day 1 - Easy going in Kansas

With the acceptance of jobs, we immediately knew we would have to haul ourselves and our belongings to the West Coast. Moving after our wedding from the East to the Midwest was quite easy. A little 4x8 U-Haul trailer was able to accommodate what little belongings we had at the time with room to spare. And once free of the Pennsylvania hills, our drive was smooth and completely manageable.

This move; however, had a different feel. We lurched out of Sioux Center with feelings of anticipation and excitement as well as some heaviness, not only in our larger and more dense trailer, but as we left a community that we had grown so closely into as students, church members, employees and teachers. Driving westward through Nebraska and Kansas was very comfortable. The level interstate and county routes were surrounded by the same familiar corn and soybean fields. But as the sun set, we neared Colorado and the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with a little more strain (especially as our exhaust blew a hole). This began our 3-day struggle through many mountains and large hills.

 

Day 1 - Soybeans and corn more miles

Part of me regretted our choice of picking a school so, so far away from our home in the Midwest and our homes on the East Coast. The farther we drove, the more nervous I became and the reality of just how far away California really is sank in. As the surroundings became more and more unfamiliar, I became increasingly anxious. I began asking myself why I would ever want to move someplace so dissimilar to where I had ever lived before? Why would I ever want to be so far from our families? Why did we choose to relocate ourselves to the desert?!

Day 3 - Chugging up a hill with Albuquerque in the rearview

I eventually broke down. The fears and uncertainties took all that was left of my confidence and I crumbled. That night I read in Experiencing God Day by Day, a devotional I’m working through by Henry and Richard Blackaby, of how Caleb chose to inhabit the mountains rather than the lush valleys as the Israelites divided land. Caleb knew that it would be harder to fully rely on God if he chose to live in the promises of the valley and instead chose to strengthen and test his faith in God by choosing to overcome his enemies in the mountains.

Day 4 - Winding through Arizona

After living a summer of relaxation and comfort on Prince Edward Island, with the endless hospitality of my in-laws, I realized what a peaceful valley I had settled into and how little I called upon God both in praise and for strength.  Like Caleb, accepting and embracing the mountains of the West and of our new lives here in California has redirected my outlook on life and strengthened my walk with God as well as my relationship with Emil. Can I overcome mountains on my own? Certainly not. God has placed these mountains throughout our trails so that we may fully rely on Him while also leaning on one another as husband and wife. It was this final sentence that opened my eyes to God’s will for our lives as we begin this next chapter together: “Seek out the mountains and you will witness God doing things through your life that can be explained only by His mighty presence.” 

Cross-Continental-Car

Obligatory first car pictures

Most people that I know or that know me understand that I enjoy vehicles, I enjoy driving vehicles and I like working on vehicles, even if it has to be my own. Growing up on a dairy farm has taught me quite a bit about working on machinery. My parents also taught me a lot about purchasing anything. Unfortunately for me though I completely forgot all of their advice when I purchased my first car. The car that I own right now is my first and only car, and surprisingly, he is serving me well.

 Despite my father’s many years of wisdom in purchasing vehicles, I purchased a rusty “Mr. Soobs” with 180 000 Km’s and now he is still going strong at 251 000 Km’s (albeit with many different repairs). He has taken me to the Midwest and back 3 times now including one time to Dordt with a trailer and most recently he has taken Karisa and I, and a 4x5x8 trailer, across an entire continent from Prince Edward Island to California in a week.

A little map of the journey

Driving to California on its own is a feat in and of itself, with the added difficulty of pulling a large trailer thrown into the mix, it then became a life goal. When I was younger I had wanted to drive to California, my vehicle of choice at the time was an old VW hippie bus, but now it’s any vehicle with AC.

Sometimes I find driving wears me out, whether it’s from the constant search for police in the crossovers, or the search for a comfortable place to move my right leg while still being in contact with the gas pedal. This time however, I was very comfortable driving from Sioux Center, Iowa to Yucca Valley, California with a trailer. I didn’t have to worry about passing anyone (my average speed was probably about 50 Miles an hour) and when I did it was usually a farmer on crop tour (I passed 9 cars total from Sioux Center to Yucca Valley with the trailer in tow). I usually stuck to the right lane so everyone could get around fine but sometimes a jam would occur behind me, I would just keep on going and it would sort itself out. 

Mr. Soobs with trailer in Colorado Springs, Colorado and yes that is Anne of Green Gables but more on that later.

Mr. Soobs has treated me well over this past week, and I am impressed with his ability to simply keep chugging along, whether it’s up a 6% grade with an overweight trailer, or through the Mojave Desert in 109 degree Fahrenheit 42 degrees Celsius. There were times though that Karisa and I both had to simply forget everything we were doing and pray Mr. Soobs up another hill, through insatiable heat, or just simply to the place we were going to stay at that night. He has served me well and I hope he can continue to serve us even if it means getting a few more things fixed. 

Emil out-