A long due update

Hello all!! So it's taken a while to compile the adventures we have been a part of here at Peak 7, but now that we are both back from our first ascent trip, it is a little easier to share all that has been going on!

It has been so long since we have written.. I feel like I need to do a general overview of what has been going on out here. This summer has been an internship for the both of us, so any free time we have is spent on homework and papers which means the blog has been put on the back burner. But here we go:

Staff training finished up the middle of June and Derrick headed off to Sahale for a week in the mountains for staff training while I went over to Wenatchee/Leavenworth to begin the rafting extravaganza. Multiple raft trips went out every day along with a few 3 day trips here and there. While D was mountaineering in freezing temperatures, I was setting up our "home" in a field. We lived there for 3 weeks, Derrick joined me after a week in the snow. His words to me when he returned were, "wow, you're tough. I can't believe you did that last year." I wouldn't go too far as to say I'm tough, but I sure am glad he now knows I wasn't exaggerating when I said I was scared out of my mind half the time! He ended up raft guiding, which was a pleasant surprise. If you know Derrick at all, you know he loves the whitewater- no matter how he is in it!

We came back to Spokane at the end of June and found out that one of our ascent trips had been cancelled. We were both disappointed, but it gave us a week to recuperate and spend time with one another before we would split Mon-Fri every week. We went to visit some friends in Portland during this time of relaxation, and Derrick got to do some kayaking. This was an awesome time for us to be able to just chill out before the madness hit. After the R&R, we had a scouting trip to the location where we will be taking most of our clients called Okanogan. It is a mosquito filled area, but the beauty makes it worth it. It was good to see where we are going to be taking kids and it was good for the Spokane guides to get some bonding time together. We came home to the news of the death of one of Derrick's close kayaking friends, so our time off before our trip was spent grieving the loss. We knew we would miss a lot back at home by coming out here for the summer, but the memorial service for a friend wasn't something we anticipated. We do have peace in knowing she was a believer.

After this little adventure, we geared up for our first ascent trips. Both Derrick and I were heading out of Seattle for these trips, so we ended up in the Olympic National Park. BEAUTIFUL. Some of the most beautiful parts of the country I have ever seen. And there were MOUNTAIN GOATS! We had never seen mountain goats before! But besides all of the cool things we saw, we got our first 5 day kids. It was an open trip, so basically anybody could sign up. I had two at-risk girls, and all of Derrick's boys were at-risk. Most didn't want to have anything to do with Jesus, so it was awesome being able to talk to them about creation and challenge them to think about where it all came from. One of my girls came into the trip wanting nothing to do with Jesus, and left with hope that there might be a God out there who loves her. It was a huge step. A couple of the other girls got a reality check and realized that not all people are going to give their life to Christ by quoting scripture at them every time they cursed. It was a mix of girls, but they bonded really well and there were lots of tears when they parted from each other the last day of the trip. 

This upcoming trip heads out tomorrow. Derrick and I are both lead guides for the boys trip and girls trip, so we get to kind of work together, yet we won't actually be together- just in the same area. We head out at 8 in the morning, and some kids are still not sure if they want to come or not. If you read this within the next 12 hours of posting, please please pray for the kids to make up their mind that yes, they want to come! Also pray for a new open trip that we just added. Derrick and I have some youth in our neighborhood, and we would love to build some kind of relationship with them and invite them on the next open trip. 

Until next time with love,
Derrick and Bekah

In full swing!

We left Monday morning to begin our 3.5 day drive to Washington! All went great and rainy! Thankfully once we got to the really beautiful parts of North Dakota and Montana, the skies cleared and we were able to see the mountains and vast skies. 

Leaving Virginia! 

Derrick saying goodbye to his pups at home!

Thursday afternoon as we arrived in Spokane, we settled into our "house", which is a glorified garage that has been converted into a house. It's really perfect for us! Tiny, but we love it and have made it our home. 

Friday came with lots of new faces, introductions, games, lectures, and fun. All 3 Peak 7 locations are here for the next few weeks of training, so it's a packed place around here, but it's going great. As we get to know everyone, it's pretty obvious that God's going to do great things through each staff member. 

Definitely a fan of this NP! We would highly recommend it!

I(Bekah) have a 3 day trip coming up in a week and a half at the Wenatchee State Park. Prayers would be appreciated as we prepare for a group of about 25 high-schoolers. During this trip, Derrick will be on ascent guide training! He is going to have a really awesome time and pick up on all the new skills he will learn super fast. All the new staff will!

Here are a few things on our hearts that we would love prayer for:

- for our Spokane team to bond as a really strong community

- for the adjustment time to go by a little faster- it's taking a little while to get in the groove of things

- for our hearts to desire Jesus more than anything

We are loving it here. The northwest is truly an incredible place with some amazing people, and we can't wait to meet all the awesome youth that are here in these cities!!

The Peak 7 crew all together! Spokane, Seattle, & Oregon... Here's to a great summer!

WE'RE MARRIED! And being married is more fun than we ever thought possible!! People keep asking us what we are going to do for a career, because apparently when you get married, you automatically have to have a boring and lame job as long as you make a lot of money, right? Not for us! Here is the answer for all who are wondering: we're going to travel and have fun while we are young and SO in love and aren't tied down to a single thing! No kids, no house, no
pets. Just us. We don't feel like we need a lot of money, enough to provide our needs and extra to give to others in need, so why settle down now?! We're finishing a semester of school at the local community college, Virginia Western. Derrick is a part time route setter and climbing instructor at a climbing gym downtown and a part time employee of Outdoor Trails, an outfitter by the Appalachian Trail. I(Bekah) am a nanny for 3 boys, ages 2, 4, and 6. We like our jobs, but they are temporary as we are on the go. 

First camping trip together! Douthat State Park- loving our Nemo tent!

We're heading back out to Washington for the summer again!! Peak7, here we come! We'll leave May 27 and stay until we have to come back to finish our senior year of college. We are SO excited to be a part of this ministry again. We have a 4 day drive to get there, it's one of our dreams to drive across the country! We'll be serving at-risk youth from the downtown Spokane and Seattle areas. If it's anything like last summer, I will learn more from the kids than they will learn from me- at least that's what it felt like! 
After our summer, we'll hopefully be able to evaluate where the Lord wants us after college. But, down to good old Greenville, SC for SENIOR YEAR!! We have missed all of our friends down there so much!

last summer at Mt. Baker in Washington

This blog is going to focus a lot on our journey this summer. We're raising support to have our needs met, and our main need is prayer. Please pray for us through the whole process. We both believe that prayer is very powerful and can change lives in dramatic ways. If any of you kept up with my blog from last summer, you will know how much I grew in so many ways. Now that we're married, we want this blog to reflect the growth of the both of us and to be a way to keep donors and prayer supporters updated. 
Here are a few prayer requests:
-Please pray for the hearts of the teens we will work with this summer. We haven't met them yet, but our ultimate goal is for them to know who Christ is through creation and through the guides. 

True ASCENT

-Please pray for the full time staff out in Spokane and Seattle already and are preparing for the summer. 
- Please pray for the other seasonal guides who have not worked with Peak7 before and pray that they will have peace(it was a very intimidating start for me last summer!)
- Please pray for our drive out there- 2,483 miles!

We will be praying for these different things very diligently. If you are praying for us, please let us know! It would be such an encouragement to know that we, along with Peak7, are being lifted up in prayer. 

And to conclude, check out this awesome documentary, True ASCENT, about Peak7  Adventures that was just released!! Derrick and I are in a few shots! This is a GREAT reflection of the organization!