Weekend in The City of Roses (minus the Roses)

I had a great time visiting my friend Stephanie in Portland this past weekend! The sun came out on Saturday and we walked around the market, along the river and throughout the city. The Rose Festival had just started but because of the unusual coldness in the area, there were not many roses blooming. 

I thought the city had a certain charm and I liked its size and many green spaces. We visited Powell's books while we were there and I loaded up on some good reads for the summer. The bookstore takes up an entire city block and is one of the largest in the world. It reminds me just how many classics I have yet to read! We also found a great frozen yogurt place down by Pioneer Square which let us load our dishes with just about every kind of topping you can imagine. Yummy!    

On Sunday, Steph and I went with her family and some family friends to Silver Creek Falls State Park. We hiked around and saw six or seven different waterfalls. It may have been cloudy but the  cool temperature provided great hiking weather. It was also fun to meet the Swinsons and grill out at their home. 

I took the train back to Seattle this morning and have been gearing up for another week in the office. I am actually finalizing my travel itinerary to Alaska in mid-June so that provides some excitement. 

Thank you for all your prayers - I am establishing a kind of routine around here but 9 hours a day behind a computer still seems pretty long. My conversations with my host family and co-workers have continued to provide opportunities to talk about my faith and how it drives the work that I am doing with the EPA. I look forward to seeing what God may do through those relationships.

Happy Memorial Day and Happy (almost) June! 

Receiving in the midst of the Pursuit

Tonight at Community Group we talked about Luke 18:15-17 which is about Jesus calling all the little children to himself. It is a beautiful depiction of Jesus reaching out and loving on the smallest image bearers of God and instructing others to be like them. What struck me was Jesus' words to receive the kingdom like a little child. So often I think of pursuing the kingdom of God, to run the race seeking God's redemption in all things. And, this is something that I believe God very much calls us to do as agents of reconciliation. But, as we see in this passage, action should also be accompanied by an attitude of humility as we learn to listen and receive from others and the world around us what the kingdom of God is really like. Like a little child who has his eyes wide open to all that  he can glean from others, I was reminded of the importance of receiving from all sorts of people in ways that I might not expect. When we learn to listen, we can see the diversity in God's kingdom more clearly and learn more about God himself. This can also help us make sure our pursuits are consistently marked by a love for God and a love for others.

Interestingly I have been noticing a similar theme of listening and receiving through my work with tribal governments. Caleb Pungowiyi, a Siberian Yup'ik elder, said in reference to learning and teaching about the interactions between people and their environment: "Try to see the whole world, let them see the whole world, and not just things that are scientifically measurable." Pungowiyi has a wealth of traditional ecological knowledge which transcends the scientific data about climate change collected by government and university specialists. For generations his people have subsisted in the far reaches of the Alaskan tundra and they know the land so well that they can detect even subtle changes in the weather patterns. I love the idea of seeing the whole world as interconnected and full of relationships between people and creation the way God intended it to be when he instructed man to "keep and serve" the earth. Often we isolate issues as either completely scientific or completely cultural and we forget that people and their livelihoods are so very connected to the land. I think the native people have been good at listening to way the world works around them and that we could do a better job at listening to their observations and perspectives. 

As mentioned before, I had the chance to explore the greater Seattle area with some family friends this weekend. It is amazing how much more you can see when you can have access to a car!

On Saturday, the Verwys' and I had lunch at the top of the Space Needle which was very cool and the restaurant was on a turntable so that you got a full 360 degree view of downtown every 45 minutes. The food was also very tasty.

We also had a chance to visit a Japanese Garden in the Washington Park Arboretum and I wish pictures could depict how beautiful and vibrant the flowers were against the dew-kissed leaves. But, at the same time, it is just better in person no matter how great the picture is.   

  On Sunday, we traveled west to Olympic National Park! As many of you know, I will never pass up the opportunity to visit any part of the National Park System and I was not disappointed by the intricate and unique ecology of Olympic. I only wish I could have stayed longer. It is known for its' temperate rainforest and that was one of the things that we were not able to make it to (mostly because it would have taken an extra 5 hours to get there and back).

The flowers here were again all in bloom and came in all sorts of hues and shades. We made two hikes to waterfalls which were also a treat because we "had to" go through some of the oldest old growth forests in the nation to see them. 

 

As you can see from the picture on the right, I was pretty tiny in comparison to the Sol Duc falls. The whole forest seemed to be alive with spring well on its' way. It was rather cloudy and so we were not able to get many good shots of the mountain peaks but, the cool weather did make for good hiking weather. It was so great to be able to go and I had a splendid time.

This holiday weekend I am going to Portland, OR to visit my roommate Stephanie which I am very excited about! I plan to take the train - so that should be another adventure :)

Uggianagtug

My project at work is to understand the impacts of climate change on tribal communities in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest and find tangible and practical ways to help these communities adapt to the changes. The word "uggianagtug" is a North Baffin Inukitit word which means "unexpected behavior" or "unfamiliar way." The traditional ecological knowledge and way of life that has been passed down for generations in many of these tribes tells a story which is becoming more difficult to carry out. The environmental changes described by many of the tribal elders, are putting enormous strain on the ecology and culture of these communities. This week has been primarily one of research on what exactly is affecting these communities and the realities are sobering. I have always tended to be someone who sees the complexity of big picture problems but has a harder time focusing in on their practical tangible solutions. This project is going to help me do just that! One way or another I am going to hunt down case studies of work already being done globally and see what might work in the tundra. Climate change is no joke.

During my lunch hour I have been exploring the city and have had my own share of uggianagtug. However, the connotation here is much more positive. I am always surprised by the mountains when I catch a glimpse of them along the horizon and it often makes me smile. Today was an unusually sunny and warm day (for Seattle that is) and so I walked down to the waterfront.

So, my camera is not so great (I am actually in the process of upgrading) but this is a picture of the Cascades across the sound. Although the image is not real sharp, the distinctness of the mountains on the horizon was apparently a rarity since it is often very cloudy. They really are beautiful.

 The city also afforded a nice shot - this one looks back up towards the market place. It is actually a rather hilly city so you can get quite a workout climbing back up to the main streets.

The building in the center of this picture is where I work on the 8th floor. I like this shot because even though Seattle is a urban center, there is a lot of green around - both literally and figuratively. This picture is actually in what they call "Freeway Park" which is a pretty little park right in the middle of downtown above one of the main highways. It provides a good escape place for  eating lunch and there are even waterfalls throughout the area.  

 

Of course, one of the mandatory places to visit in Seattle is the Pike Place Market. It is a hoppin' place with lots to see and do there. I think I will be a frequent visitor.

It has been a good first week at work, at the house, and  through the church. I did end up finding a community group to get plugged into through Mars Hills and so every Tuesday night I am meeting up with 7 other college age girls for prayer and devotions. They seem like a fun group of people and great accountability partners!

I thought I would also throw in a picture of my two new little friends Erin & Billy. They definitely cause quite a few laughs. 

Looking forward to the weekend - some family friends are coming to town and so I get to go see more of the city with them! More pictures are sure to be on the way.