Settling In

           It’s been a little over a month since I arrived in Montana and my head is still spinning.  I cannot seem to wrap my mind around what I am actually doing here! There are mountains everywhere, bighorn sheep traffic jams, glacier scaling grizzlies, huckleberry flavored everything, and hundreds of miles of backcountry trails that I have yet to sojourn! In my short time here, I have talked with people from all over the world who have come to Glacier National Park to experience everything it has to offer. 

Labeled “The Crown of the Continent,” or “the Swiss Alps of North America,” there is so much this park has to offer. There is such a great mystery and excitement that lies in the depths of the wilderness here.  On one hand, the stillness of the forest and whispering creeks invite the curious hiker into an experience that may seem other worldly.  On the other, the overwhelming presence of great mountains and deep, jagged gorges filled with roaring white water offers the onlooker a humbling gulp of the tenacity that the wilderness contains.  The craziest thing of all is that these dichotomous sensory experiences are all reached within a few hours of hiking (that was my best crack at a travel brochure summary)!

So why am I really here? I keep asking myself this question as I sit in amazement at the opportunity I have been given this summer.  Having thought about this question before arriving in Montana, and thinking on this question now, I have arrived at the same conclusion: I am here to serve God and love people.  While this is a simply stated objective, it seems to be the hardest thing on which to follow through.  Jesus said it so plainly in Mark 12, but it’s just hard. I don’t realize at every moment of the day that the creator of the universe- the same creator that made the mountains I drool over and hung the stars at which I marvel- also wants an intensely personal relationship with me! Thank you God for grace this summer as I learn about this great commandment!

While I try to live out the thoughts from the paragraph above, there are a few big things with which these thoughts will collide.  Keep reading for some details about the ministry I am involved with while I am here and the people I am partnering along side this summer.

More Than an Acronym

ACMNP stands for A Christian Ministry in the National Parks. BASICALLY, this organization is a Christian ministry in the national parks…pretty self explanatory, I know. More specifically, it is a vehicle through which 180 participants in 26 different national parks around the country lead interdenominational worship services on Sundays throughout the summer.  Each team is supposed to have a seminarian student that acts as the team leader.  The seminarian writes a talk each week based on a passage from the Bible to share with service attendees.  Unfortunately, our team seminarian dropped out last minute, which leaves a bunch of untrained, inexperienced, and nervous kids in charge.  With this being said, insert verse of the summer:

“Such is the confidence that we have through Christ towards God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the spirit.”

                                                            II Corinthians 3:4-6a

Praise God that our team is not reliant on our own ability this summer, but the immeasurable ability of our Creator!  As we led the worship service last week, I was blown away by how God used untrained, inexperienced, and nervous kids to bring glory to His name.

“Who makes up this team I keep reading about?” one may be asking themselves right about now.  Let me take a moment to introduce you to my new brother and sister that I will be getting very close to this summer!

Mr. Robbins enjoying a marshmellow

          Allow me to introduce Chris Davis Robbins. He is a 24 year old Ohio State alum from Columbus, Ohio. We try not to hold the whole Buckeye thing against him; it’s tragic, I know. Chris loves Jesus, coffee, lacrosse, and the great outdoors. His energy is contagious and I find myself always laughing when he is around.  He brings to the table a plethora of life experiences and good stories which will be interesting to unfold in the following weeks and months.

Ralph swimming in the
glacier melt waters of Avalanche Lake

Some of you may know the most recent addition to our ministry team, Mr. Ralph Baker. Ralph is a dear friend of mine whom I met freshman year at Furman University; and we have been walking through life together ever since.  As one may imagine, I am ecstatic that he is here.  Ralph is among the wittiest people I have ever met.  He cares so well for the people around him and has a refreshing perspective on the Gospel.  I can’t wait to see how God uses him this summer.

Hallie at 6,000 feet overlooking
Waterton, Alberta on our trip to Canada

Ms. Hallie Szott is the brave soul that has taken the sole female spot on the team.  But do not worry, her experience growing up with three younger brothers makes her more than equipped to handle the shenanigans that Chris, Ralph, and I will get her into this summer.  Hallie is a woman of many interesting talents and experiences. She may be one of the better bowlers I know, her PR is 257!  She is also a cello extraordinaire and world traveler!  Hallie is the cement that holds this team together.  Nothing would happen in the realm of “administrative ministry,” as the ACMNP director phrases it, without Hallie’s patience, persistence, and sharp listening skills.

Well, those are a few details about life way up here in Montana. There is so much to say (badebaby)!  It has taken a few weeks to get into a groove with our formal ministry services and I am so excited to see how God will use the four of us in His great plan.  I will post again next week with some details about my job and living situation, as well as some exciting news about what I am doing in September when my time in Montana is up.  This summer is going by way too fast! In the mean time, I leave you with a few pictures and my postal address for all of you bakers and generous snail mail supporters; I would love to hear from you! 

P.J. Moore

P.O. Box 524

West Glacier, MT 59936

Ps. If you send a letter, postcard, or package I promise to send back a Glacier Park postcard!



A male black bear on the U.S.A./Canadian border

America

A young moose we spotted on our drive to Many Glacier, MT

The moon hanging at dusk in Waterton, Alberta