My husband’s AT trail update

 

For those of you not on facebook or not linked to my account:

A congratulations to my husband Joel who is not done with the Appalachian Trail, but just scaled Mt Washington in New Hampshire on his 120th day on the trail! He is on the hardest part of the trail past the 1,850 mile marker with less than 350 miles left to go and many mountains in between.

He’s got some awesome photos coming in you can check out on his Instagram account whether you Instagram or not by clicking on his photo links to the right. Don’t forget to scroll to the right or left because he puts up multiple photos at once. Happy viewing! So proud of you honey!

 

What! Your Walking 2,000 Miles?

“Over 2,000 miles,” Joel would add. 

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SUBSCRIBE TO VLOG

That’s right, Joel and I are making the preparations as we speak to embark on the trek of a lifetime.  And we’d love for you to come along and join us!  Joel will be vlogging our trek from his new YouTube channel you can subscribe to here: Joel Wanders.  If you want a preview of what vlogging the AT looks like you can check out RedBeard, Jacob Downing, or the married couple Hitched Hike as they make their way through the entire trail.

SUBSCRIBE TO BLOG

I also recently became a part a blogging community whose platform was recently called “Appalachian Trials” but has since just launched its new website called The Trek.  I am a part of the class of 2017 writers for next year’s hike.  Yes, people are already blogging about their upcoming hike next year, including me.  You can check out my first post HERE and my second one HERE.  If you want to subscribe to my blogging posts you can do that HERE.

We hope to keep this website updated with the progress of both.

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Appalachian Trail

For fact nerds like me here’s a little break down of the AT straight from Wiki:

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the A.T., is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine.[1] The trail is about 2,200 miles (3,500 km)[a] long, though the precise length changes over time as parts are modified or rerouted. The trail passes through 14 states: Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

The Appalachian Trail was completed in 1937 after more than a decade of work, although improvements and changes continue. It is maintained by 31 trail clubs and multiple partnerships,[2] and managed by the National Park Service, United States Forest Service, and the nonprofit Appalachian Trail Conservancy.[3][4] The majority of the trail is in forest or wild lands, although some portions traverse towns, roads and farms. The trail conservancy claims that the Appalachian Trail is the longest hiking-only trail in the world.[5]

At least 2 million people are said to do at least one day-hike on the trail each year.[6] Thru-hikers attempt to hike it in its entirety in a single season — more than 2,700 people thru-hiked the trail in 2014 — and some hike from one end to the other, then turn around and thru-hike the trail the other way, known as a “yo-yo”. Many books, memoirs, web sites, and fan organizations are dedicated to these pursuits.

The Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, and the Pacific Crest Trail form what is known as the Triple Crown of long–distance hiking in the United States.[7][8]

A Word of Warning

One thing you should expect to hear a lot about if you are brave enough to come with us on this adventure is gear.  If there is one thing this AT hiker subculture loves, its their hiking gear.  Countless hundreds of hours exist on YouTube and words on blogs of people reviewing, sharing and going over their gear.  By the way, keep your eye out for Joel and I’s gear review shortly!

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A Life Worth Living

imageIt has been almost six months since we decided to move to the Middle East. Many have asked of how we ended up living and being involved in one of the most “difficult” and “hardest” regions on the planet. The simple answer is that it was all His idea. Both my wife and I have felt that our lives haven’t been our own for a long time. When you have this deep conviction it is easier saying yes. Our no has been Crucified with Him. We get people praising us for living what seems like selfless lives. The honest reality is that we are doing what makes us come alive. He has orchestrated our steps and has led us down the road of Love.

We have had the privilege of working with His persecuted Body. Our days and nights consist of hearing people’s journey of Faith. They have had loved ones killed and everything they have worked for destroyed all because of their unbreakable conviction of not bending their knees to fear. I honestly can say that  I complain a lot less since I have been here. In the face of so much loss and pain what can I complain about??? Our brothers and sisters have lost everything but the ability to love. The way they have welcomed us to their homes and families is truly humbling.

If your asking yourself what can you do to help or how can I make a difference  I say to you is that you CAN love. You can love fearlessly and fully. Start with those around you. Do not let yourself be filled or swayed with fear by the Media and ask your God what He thinks about the Refugees. Ask Him how He sees them and go from there.    -Joel