 Let me emphasize the word “wild”,
for that is what I found it to be this past week as we experienced some of the
fun things to do in St. George,
UT. I have moved around quite a
bit in my life, but I’ve never lived out West. From the first morning we were
there, I got a taste of what it truly means to have fun. Saturday morning,
Pastor Wright and Pastor Hargis took some adults, teens, and our team to a canyon
to play paintball. Granted, Reba and I were somewhat timid about this whole
experience—I had only been once, and there had been referees and boundaries.
Here, there was just you, your gun, and the other team. However, it was a
blast! We played several different rounds of paintball—some single elimination
rounds, capture-the-flag, and a pastors vs. others game. I didn’t get too many
of the dreaded bruises, thanks to somewhat of a heavy trigger finger that would
leave me without any paintballs in the middle of the game. As I ran from
boulder to boulder, every scene from every spy or war book I’d read seemed to
influence me, as I envisioned myself dodging paintballs like some sort of
Rambo-character. I’m sure the others felt the same during my attacks—until I
ran out of ammo, of course.
Later in the week, Pastor Wright
and his family had us over for some four-wheeling. I had never been before, and
it had always been one of my dreams. Well, I got what I asked for. Behind the
neighborhood was a whole playground of sand dunes, rocks, and canyons. As I
learned how to shift gears and drive a four-wheeler through sand, I found
myself, in moments of panic, forgetting completely about the brake and plunging
full-speed ahead into barriers that would send my four-wheeler flying through
the air. Thankfully, I always landed on all four-wheels, even if it meant I
flew over the handlebars. We enjoyed the four-wheelers for several days—and the
soreness that came with it. Between the airborne action and the rough terrain, I
was sorer than I have ever been in my whole entire life. Reba and I could not
lift or sit comfortably for at least three days after our first rides, but I
think it was well worth it.
Along with these extreme sports, we
got to do a little hiking in the beautiful Zion National Park.
Pastor Jeremy Hargis took the Galkin family, Reba, and myself out for a fun
morning of hiking to the beautiful Emerald Pools. The highlight was definitely
seeing the beautiful water falls at the lower and upper pools. God’s creation
is amazing, and leaves no doubt in my mind that ALL He does is good! The kids
held up amazingly well during the two hour hike, including little David, who
only had to be carried in a few rocky parts. We enjoyed a picnic lunch in the
sunshine, before heading up to the very edge of the canyon. I did not know such
beauty existed before this hike, and I’m grateful for the chance to view it!
We did other fun and exciting
things during our week and a half in Utah,
and we’re grateful for the “free” days that we could get out and play with our
friends at this church. I managed to document many of the events with my
camera, so take a look at the photo album for pictures! Thanks to the sweet
people at Westside
Baptist Church,
especially the Wrights and Hargis’ for entertaining us, and giving us a taste
of the truly Wild West.
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