Well- I think we are very near the end... only a few smolders here and there that I know of... BLM is still patrolling. The backburn went well... the view from our house is quite changed... I remember after the last fire (2 years ago)- driving around thinking how dead everything looked (one might think that anyway on an average day in the desert, but this was a different kind of desolation...black and charred.) I felt like a part of the landscape was forever scarred. However it wasn't until you guys were here, Huffmans(that next spring), that I remember driving to the fire tower feeling like something was strangely different... like I'd never been there before (though I had quite a bit). Then it hit me... the green flowing grass everywhere... beautiful!!! And even Judd- you spotted your favorite flowers... quite rare for this place. (rare in a good way also that a tough soccer/4 wheeler guy would have a favorite flower :) But as we walked to the sports center yesterday- seeing the acres and acres of black right up to the very edge of main camp- I felt saddened again but remembered that life comes from death. Because of the clearing of the old... in the spring there will be abundant new life. See an analogy coming? :).... the old is gone, the new has come... If anyone is in Christ.. he is a new creation. He went from death to life so we could as well. We can't clean up our act (our hillsides) to make em fresh and new for Him...we can't earn our way to Him... We just need to come to Him and believe He's done it for us. And He'll show us Spring! He'll give us life! Thanks so much for praying with us during the last week. If He's not done with this place yet then surely He'll keep using it for His glory. If you will, would you mind continuing to pray with us for this place... mainly the middle and highschoolers who'll get to hear about this new life. That they'll hear the message here... a seed might be planted.... their YL leaders back home would help water the seed... they'd start to see how all the underbrush is keeping them from life in Christ... and they'd take Him up on His gift to clear it away for them on the Cross and take Him up on the gift of new life, forever, with their Maker!
But as for me... I think I'm getting a little burnt out on all these fire blog posts (hehe). So I'll give you a few more things to check out if you want and I'll probably soon go back to the grandparent pleaser posts for you Mimi! ( baby's first steps instead of baby's first wildfire!)
and a neighbor's video of the back burn:http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=2330977483979&set=vb.1536004776&type=1&theater
I think my camera's still out in the stroller... I'll add one more pic of the black hills a little later... love you all!! All things worked together for good!
Sara Brown found this map of our part of the Hancock Fire. The tiny green arrow sandwiched between the two fire fronts is us.
