Final thoughts from WY

Our week in Meeteetse has come to an end. We are heading to Yellowstone to camp for two nights before reporting to work at a camp on Flathead Lake in Glacier on Saturday.

The culture shock between working in downtown Denver to a rural ranch in Wyoming has finally worn off and I have become accustomed to the relaxed pace of western life. I have enjoyed the many different experiences this week. It’s not too often a person can say they’ve painted stick horses or polished horseshoes.

One of my favorite experiences from this week (which we all experienced) was watching a cowboy on the ranch train an unbroken horse. As he was training it, he compared breaking a horse to being broken as a person before becoming a Christian. At first the horse wasn’t responding to Eben because he didn’t want to be trained. Finally, after a great deal of coaxing and loving from Eben, the horse became submissive and welcomed Eben’s touch. Eben explained that he had finally gained the horses trust, just as it takes time for us to submit to the Lord and place our trust in Him. Soon, whenever Eben turned around, the horse would follow him faithfully, occasionally becoming distracted from following his master yet always turning back to him for guidance in the end. Eben is so patient as he waits for his horses to submit and become willing to follow him. It was an awesome reminder of how patient a God we have waiting and leading each of us.

I am going to miss the wide open expanses of land, the runs that seem to take you nowhere, and the smiles from beneath the cowboy hats around the ranch. This morning at breakfast we distracted the staff from morning chores and just sat around chiding each other and laughing for an hour. Hank informed us that this is okay because “sarcasm is the love language of cowboys.” I’m going to miss this peaceful place. I think we might be missed around here as well… Big John asked how much time he had to slash the van tires before we left! We told him we’d just take their horses instead…

It is a bittersweet goodbye...the staff here prayed around us and laid hands on us before we left. It is hard to leave this place but we are excited to see what God has in store next.
Kelly