There were problems. There are always problems. The simplest detail when presented at the moment of departure, can become a delay which stretches from 10 minutes to 45 minutes, to 60. And in our case, 2.5 hours! But God is good, and complications were resolved, the vans were packed, seats were found, seatbelts were buckled and the journey began.

Our first day was a 7 hour drive to Barstow, California. The miles slipped by with beautiful weather, cheerful chatter, car games and uplifting music. We were finally on our way! We stopped for a quick lunch at Taco Bell and everyone found out just how far their $5 lunch budget could stretch. Then it was time to get back on the road.

California has be inundated with so much rain this season, that the Central Valley (typically a brown and dusty place) was green with long, thick grass and early blooming trees. It was lovely! Before we knew it, we had arrived in Barstow. We checked into our hotel and picked up our 9 foot Subway Sandwich, ate and tucked ourselves into bed.

Day two began clear and cold. We packed up the vans and enjoyed a breakfast of waffles, toast and fruit. There was excitement as we piled into our seats again. This was the day we would arrive in Holbrook! As we crossed the border into Arizona, we were all struck with the stunning rock formations and long stretches of straight road disappearing over the horizon. It was beautiful.

It was shortly after dark when we finally pulled into Holbrook Indian School. The cafeteria staff had very kindly held a delicious and generous dinner a few minutes late for us and we all filled our plates and our stomachs. After dinner, we joined the students for worship in their dorms. As soon as worship was over, some of the students helped us find mattresses and settle in our rooms. We felt welcomed and so happy to finally be here! Just what the coming days will bring, we don’t know, but we know God has a plan and we cannot wait to find out what He has arranged for us!