Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Zip: A More Unorthodox (and Awesome) Method of Travel

Day 6: Puerto Plata. As the sound of waves crashing in the distance seeps through the window beside me, I sit here writing today's blog before dinner has even been served. This update comes a bit earlier than usual, quite frankly because I actually have time to post before nightfall! It has been an exciting day thus far, and we are enjoying a relaxing afternoon of rest and fellowship here at the mission house. This morning's adventure took us on a ride to a heavily forested area just outside of Puerto Plata. This morning's adventure? Zip-lining. After gearing up with harnesses and gloves, we traveled to the starting point of the course. Some were a bit nervous, but by the time we got gliding down the first inclined cable, everyone was enjoying the thrill. How often do you get to zip across a vast jungle suspended above a canopy of enormous trees, surrounded by mountains? After completing all seven zip-lines, some of which were up to 300 meters in length, we returned to the mission house with great photos and memories.
As I mentioned, this afternoon has primarily been one of rest. Many of us are pretty exhausted from the activities of the week, and we've spent time napping, relaxing by the beach, and of course, eating. (Did I mention the food prepared by our cooks, Oscar and Nora, is oustanding?) As I type this, Mr. Oliver Haines is settling in here at the compound. He has arrived safely from his flight and will be spending these last days with us due to a standby flight situation with Lisa and Caroline. We will likely be spending the remainder of the evening here at the mission house, and we will have our nightly time of devotion and sharing following dinner. We send our love and thoughts back home, and we are grateful for your support and prayers. Nick is feeling better; he didn't participate in the zip-lining to avoid further injuring his knee, but he is making progress. We won't know details until we arrive back in the US, but please continue to keep him in your prayers. He sends many thanks to everyone for their love and concern. As a deviation from the norm, I wish you all a good evening, and we look forward to hearing from you in the coming days.
P.S. - We are having trouble with transfering some of the photos with this computer, so only certain cameras work. Unfortunately, we can't get the pictures up from yesterday, but I encourage you to attend the missions chapel on Friday to see (and hear) all about the trip. Thanks!

Posted by: Steven Gallo