The wonders of God’s creation became evident to us as we traveled to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon May 27-30. We were awestruck by the beauty and immensity of the Canyon and thrilled by the variety of landscape and scenery we viewed during our four day trip.
It all started while Ellen was teaching Ingrid Chala some computer skills. Ellen asked her if they were going to be able to see the Grand Canyon before their return to Germany in July. Carlos, an Ecuadorian and an aircraft mechanic, along with his German wife Ingrid were NTMA trainees this past year. We have become friends with them during their time here and were concerned that the only part of the US they and their daughters had seen was our little corner of southeastern Arizona. When Ingrid said that a trip was not possible due to finances, the wheels in Ellen’s brain started turning, and she talked to Phil about her ideas. A friend of ours owns a cabin in Flagstaff, and he has offered it for our use in the past. An email informed us that the cabin was available, and the only expenses would be gas, groceries and park entrance fees. We were surprised when we were given a gift to help with the cost of fuel.
During our four day trip we passed by the beautiful Red Rocks of Sedona, stayed in the cabin in the pine forest of Flagstaff, visited the lava beds of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, walked through the Indian ruins at Wupatki National Monument, stood beside massive Meteor Crater, hiked along the rim of the Grand Canyon, and swam at the Slide Rock State Park in beautiful Oak Creek Canyon. It was absolutely amazing to us that within a few miles the scenery changed so drastically.
The trip was a wonderful time to get to know Chalas better. We enjoyed cooking our supper on the grill and playing games in the evenings.
Carlos, Ingrid, Deborah and Esther return to Germany in July where they will spend six months preparing for service with NTM Aviation in Bolivia. We are thankful for this godly couple who desires to be used of the Lord to assist the team in reaching tribal people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray for them as they spend time in Germany sharing their vision with friends and churches there. The girls speak Spanish, German and English. They have attended school in English for the past two years and will start school in German in the fall. Pray for their many adjustments.
We thank the Lord that we can be part of the team training future pilots and mechanics to serve with NTM Aviation.
To see photos of our trip, check out the photo section of our website.
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