more pictures than words.

we stood there both rather in wonder...
what did she just say?
no itinerary???
how can i have no itinerary???

on that thursday as we were to fly out, my brother stood with maleaha behind us. Kathy hung to my arm both shocked and upset. and i just stood there thinking... what now?

through a vigerous (mainly mentally exhausting due to all the waiting and holding) i finally am able to tell the ticket agent that there should be a flight for me now. after affirmation, she prints the tickets and hand me them quickly saying gate 1 and wishing us well.

but as i stood there, kathy still hanging on to me, me still on hold, and the ticket agent still saying there is no itinerary in the computer... i'm strangely calm telling kathy that God will come through with this.

He did.

and i have never been more thankful to be on an airplane or hurrying through an airport with kathy. :)

we landed later in london and since we booked separately i was to fly to munich 8 hours after her. all the flights were already full so i took a train into london and she flew on to meet up with family and head home. i tried sleeping in a park and wandered around for some hours being completely tired but knowing how blessed i am. i got back to the airport, on my flight and landed in munich just before midnight. i was able to spend the night at an acquaintances house before hopping on a train to memmingen just before noon. there i sat across from an indian living in london and we chatted about travel, looked at pictures of turkey and i helped him find his bus to the airport in memmingen before walking home.

since then we've spend this last week getting back into normal habits. my hardest is sleeping. jet lag has never been so cruel. but it has been a blessing being back home here.

our last weeks in rapid city were filled with schwäbisch speaking new friends, golf ball size hail, helping at a large christian concert in the park, lots of bike riding, meeting up with old friends and time spend with family!
renting a car we drove down to where my dad lives for half a day to visit him and others. for our anniversary we drove around the hills where we spent our time just after the wedding 2 years ago. a half a week later we got to work in a saloon for a day out in the middle of no where.

we have been and are now really seeking God on what the next thing is with us. with ywam hurlach only 40 mins away from us we will be visiting the base after making contact with those we know there. work will hopefully be starting for me soon and as we wait for that i pray that the time spent will be glorifying and well spent.

you can pray with us about the future and that we come into the positions that God has for us with missions work. we're excited and yet somewhat clueless of how it's to begin. so, may His will be done!!!

and now... pictures!

towards the beginning of the journey. my way towards the black hills after visiting my father and others in nebraska.

maleaha as we rode to pierre for independence day together. we are buddies now!

the cabin where we spent our honeymoon two years ago. gold mining country.

the jolly llamas. art alley.

the wonderus black hills up close. route: blood sausage.

bro and maleaha

scenes of london from a walk in the park.

london to munich

partially redneck way of having fun.

yes!

boyce boyce.

this is what science will do to you.

this is what little nieces will do to you.

falling rock

matt (bro) crux 1

crack fun 101

followed

crux 2

our last day climbing. as i got to the top of the route i decided it'd be best to take the gear with just in case it rains (the clouds looking threatening). immediately after tying back in, the hail and rain began. quickly soaked and slightly stressed retrieving the gear coming down, we celebrated early and scrambled some off width cracks until we had to leave.

the last scramble back down to civilization.

the landscape/playing ground

keeping the spirits high and still soaked.

much love, israel

In 3 weeks a lot can happen

Weeks go so fast nowadays. It's almost cool but sad at the same time.
Hey, I've been here now 6 weeks already and am not entirely ready to say goodbye to everyone yet.
Yeah we've got another 3 weeks or just less, then the travels continue... But seeing everyone here seems to really hit hard first after I am back home in mm. So this may just be my heart trying to remind the rest of me what is to come with emotions and culture. So I shall try my best to be here with all of me before I am already somewhere else.

Kathy is here. Has been now for a week. And though we only have another three weeks here together before boarding our next flight, a lot of amazing things can and do happen in that short of time.
My first three weeks entailed a great variety of feats, joys and adventures. So may the next weeks begin.

Kathy is still with kammy and Maleaha while my brother and I drove back from Pierre yesterday. Seemed to work out the best that I be here with the dogs while my brother is at work, my sleeping pad is kaputt and the ladies can spend some quality time together while my brother and I could yesterday on the way back. They'll arrive later today and we'll see about getting back to rapid for some more good times with those there that we know and love.

May these next 20 days be full of God. May we see Him at work, work with Him and be worked on through His love and discipleship.
I hope I get to see much more people being here... And the surprise encounters up to now have been a hoot!
Thank you all for your love, support and thank God for His being with us, loving us, teaching and correcting us and blessing us.

Much love,
Israel

handfuls

just a couple more days... then kathy will be here.
:)

been able to meet up with a handful of people so far and hope to meet up with many more yet.

it is sometimes just completely weird being here. maybe it is totally normal. i suppose it will hit me the last week here, just before flying out again. haha.. but though this place has been home for me for years upon years, i have noticed a change in my norm and am enjoying the feeling i have had again and again after and while visiting once upon a time homes.

the first 4 weeks have gone by so fast and i suspect the next ones will go even faster. good???
just trying to enjoy everyday.

after hanging at starbucks today, seeing some old friends, one joined me to check out a bike for sell and we split the cost for an older peugot 10 speed. it's mine for the next month then i am handing it off. :)

last sunday was spent ascending spire 5 (in the cathedral spires) and a multitude of other climbs before climbing one ridge by moonlight. a really great day. (pictures below)

to those i have visited already, it has been a blessing and i hope it is not the last time this trip.
to those whom i haven't yet... either pick up your phone or shoot me an email. ;)

much love and blessings to all and thank you for the prayers and interest!

israel

end of a week to the beginning

sorry straight up for no pics. no camera, no images. sorry!

tomorrow is the birthday of my niece! i am stoked to spend the day with her and the rest though she was rather frightened or maybe just in awe of my hairy face. hehehe.

friday i enjoyed going with a friend ryan down to colorado then to wyoming for the weekend to climb.
we spent the most of time at vedauwoo, wy climbing difficult cracks in sharp granit. since the place is around 8500 ft, my skin also suffered. sore yet, but doing well.

half of the reason for coming back, as most of you know, was to just be in the wilderness again. to be able to connect with some friends and just get out of civilization.
and though things don't always go as one plans, God has truly been blessing me with the ability of doing this over the last couple weeks.
the other reason is to connect with people again, family, friends, everyone.
so, for all i still haven't seen, please don't worry... as far as i know i am here til the end of july. and kathy should get here at the end of june.

a prayer request:
kathy is waiting on her passport still after changing her last name (ca. 3 weeks) and flies in 2 weeks. she still needs to get clearance to fly though the flight is already purchased.

other than that, praise God with us that He uses us all and may His love and presence grow ever stronger in us and shine through us.

gotta hit the hay! sleepy time before the big celebration tomorrow!

much love and hopefully soon!
israel

a perfect introduction back into the black hills

i don't ever remember having such a blast of a day hitchin as i did on sunday heading up to custer from scottsbluff Neb.
i got a late start due to church but the whole time i knew that it was right. it was really good to see lots of loved ones at MBC.

around 2:30 i got dropped off just north of scottsbluff outside of civilization... something i was very much looking foward to.
the first guy was a rancher named Chris. very neat guy and encouraging.
took me to the north of his land.

the next couple was from the area. we chatted. they love nebraska, the wide open space, being able to see as far as the eye can see.

the next couple, vance and kristie were a blast. we chatted about germany, the world, nebraska and so on.. they just might check out europe afterall....

then aaron came. cool chap who turned around to get me. thought, what the heck, why not. we talked about hiking and the granite by laramie.

then came rick. he flies life flight (the helicopter to save peoples lives). he actually already saw me earlier (two rides earlier) but didn't pick up. then as i opened the door he said, "you made it this far, so what the heck."
he took me all the way to the front door of my friends place in custer. we enjoyed really good conversation and it was a blessing of a time.

in all, 5 rides in a matter of a few hours. but i think life changing conversation for all of us.

yesterday was a perfect introduction back into the black hills.
i climbed with a guy named cragmaster.
first was a hairy spire that looks that it might fall apart. twas indeed sturdy. following was a long arete with longer run outs. it was my first lead (besides the spire) in the black hills and i quickly remembered how unique and mind boggling the climbing is here.
last was another arete that was made for climbing. 4 bolts and two pieces of protection later, we sat at the top (as we did on the others too) and really could feel the presence of the great King as we played in His backyard. what an amazing feeling.

thank You Lord so much for being our Papa and protecting us as well as using us for such glorious things.
i so look forward to seeing what God has for this time and the meetings of people that will yet happen.
thanks for the ability of being outside of rushed life and any city and being again in Your courtyard called the black hills in Your glorious Kingdom. may Your light shine through me and Kathy and all the people here. You are glorious!

wow, i really can't get that word glorious out of my head.

:)

much love,
israel

the valley is filled with grace from peak to peak

the peaks still have snow on them. it was glorious being up there... but the sunburns come easily.

with this sentence, i don't do due to what has happened over the last week of being in the states.

first impression, a bit of culture shock. it actually started in heidelberg where there are a lot of americans. it might be because i am not used to hearing so much english... or american english for that... but it was somehow just weird and just kept getting weirder as i entered the airport in frankfurt and landed hours later in the states.
needless to say, it is rad being here.
the main reasons for that being seeing the loved ones i have so far.

it started in spokane. tim and sal have been closer than family for me for years though we haven't seen each other over the past almost 3 years. we immediately picked up where we started off. i attempted connection with some older friends in the area and failed on more than one occasion but left it up to God that i saw who i should for this time.

i spent time with them til wednesday and drove with sal and her mom down to boise where the next part of the journey began. there sam and beth picked me up and i have been with them almost a week. on the weekend i joined them on a trek up a mountain to pray for the city and valley here. it was good! (understatement) pictures follow...

as they do staff training here, i continue to recover from a cold that attacked me and am getting as much sleep as possible to be fit for the remainder time in the states.

flights will hopefully be purchased soon for kathy and my return.
we found good ones, but are waiting for the transferred funds to come to my account here.

possibly friday i will be headed further east where the adventure will continue with some climbing, caving, camping and visiting family and friends. i greatly look forward to it but am enjoying each day as it comes. right now, i am thankful for being in a ywam community and the time with my best friend sam and his beth.

thank you for prayers and we shall see how it goes further with things here stateside.
enjoy the pictures... and praise God for His love and grace in this time!
much love, israel

and yet it remains today that i live in.

still a good two weeks away. 

still trying to remember how it feels to see streets made only from concrete and asphalt instead of stones and bricks.

still wondering how it will all play out.

still thinking that two weeks is a lot of time but goes by very fast.

still looking forward to being in the air again.

still enjoying kathys laugh and smiles when she notices that she did something worthy of it.

still imagining how maleaha will react when meeting her auntie and uncle for the first time.

still trying to prepare in some way or another.

still enjoying the taste of peanutbutter and honey on toast in my mouth.

still feeling the pain of holding granit crystals and i dance up the rock face.

still wanting the north face of harney.

still preparing an unpreparable lecture.

still wearing salmon colored pants.

still remembering the good memories and talks at 427 w. kiernan.

still haven't called.

still should.

still have a couple bikes.

still getting used to the new family and the idea of being here.

still like good coffee.

still have a scar.

still stoked.

still thanking Him.

still in my twenties.

still need to sweep.

still with much love,

israel