We picked up Malachi on Saturday evening at
DISCOVERY MINISTRIES. He and five others had been in the care of Joel Bates and Leah Fuller for the past eight days. The trip started with canoeing the upper
CURRENT RIVER for a day, then taking out and hiking to their destination from Two Rivers (the place where the
JACKS FORK meets the Current). They spent a great deal of time in the area around Eminence (
BLAIR’S CREEK,
ROCKY CREEK,
BLUE SPRINGS, etc).
The trip was somewhat ‘minimalist’. They were constantly on the go. Sometimes they were on trails (the Ozark Trail), sometimes they were going cross-country). They made camp late and were up early each day. All food, clothing, rock climbing / rappelling gear, was packed in with them (no re-supply). There were no tents (see pic above). Many of the meals looked like a single hors d’oeuvre. On top of all that, it rained on them a great deal last week.
Mix in the fact that they had no idea of their destination (they were all learning how to use a topographical map and compass), and it made for a strenuous and difficult week. But it’s those difficult things that toughen you and make you stronger. Through it all, Malachi’s body, mind, and spirit were all strengthened. He definitely came back a different person than the one who left a week earlier. BTW, everything in these pictures is within 30 to 40 miles from our house (as a crow flies). Click on the small images to enlarge them.
