update, the Bible, and another hiking trip

Well, things have been going well here, except for two of our fish (Tin and Marcos) and our neighbor's rooster. They all died. I was sad about our fish but there was much rejoicing about the fate of the rooster. Don't worry, I'm not wanted by the Ecuadorian police for the murder of a rooster. The owners decided to kill him because he was old and I guess they wanted to eat him as well. I wish I could've joined in on that feast. This is the rooster that I put a post on about a few weeks ago. Things have been more peaceful around here since the absence of the 'Gallo Loco' or crazy rooster. I'm not sure what happened with the fish. At least Spot is still there and seems to be doing well. We'll see how he holds up and hopefully add some friends for him. We had a baptism for Edwin and Jenny yesterday and that was really special. Will have to put some pictures of that and tell more about that in the next post. prayer request-Please pray specifically that Edwin would find a job. He has one opportunity and is waiting to hear back on that one. Also, please pray that they would grow in their relationship and service to God. Guess this is all for now. We also hope to send out a prayer newsletter in a while, so you might be looking for that in your email inboxes.

Now for a quote about the Bible from a favorite singer (Rich Mullins)...gives us something to think about.
"The Bible is not a book for the faint of heart--it is a book full of all the greed and glory and violence and tenderness and sex and betrayal that befits mankind. It is not the collection of pretty little anecdotes mouthed by pious little church mice--it does not so much nibble at our shoe leather as it cuts to the heart and splits the marrow from the bone. It does not give us answers fitted to our small-minded questions, but truth that goes beyond what we even know to ask."
It is just a reminder that the Bible is not exactly the boring book that many might think it is. It's a story of God's love and working throughout history.

Here are some pictures from another recent hiking trip with my neighbor Jim. It was at Mt. Pasochoa, another extinct volcano. This one is 13,776 feet in elevation. We had a great time and they have a great setup there. It is in a park and everything is pretty wild and natural. We walked through forest, paramo-which is like mountain grasslands and did a bit of rock climbing. We were able to see hummingbirds, condors, other types of birds and a rabbit. It was all beautiful but pretty exhausting and a bit painful. It was a really long hike but we had to hurry practically the whole time because my friend had to be back for a meeting. Also, in some areas the trail was pretty rugged. I hadn't been in that much pain in a while. We reached one of the peaks but didn't reach the highest one for lack of time. This first picture is of the mountain from a bit lower.
Here is a ways up the top. In the background, you can see the back of the volcano crater. Pasochoa is another extinct volcano.
Psalm 8-"O Lord, O Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swims the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"