The Dadgum Bob Marshall Wilderness

 What a wild(west) couple of weeks! I got out of the enormous Bob Marshall wilderness a few days ago and proceeded to spend two or three days at a gorgeous cabin on Placid Lake in Western Montana. Although I've only been gone for a few weeks now, it feels like it's been ages since I've been home! The guys and I have begun to form a sort of a ragtag family with each other. We're now calling ourselves the "Dadgum Six". Dadgum is a word that Austin (our resident country boy, the 6'4" offensive linemen) says often and we have adopted and say all the time. It's been really sweet to get know these guys and grow spiritually together. 

In just a few short weeks, God has already taught me a TON! The first few days in Montana were pretty tough. We started with a torturously long and cramped 18 hour car ride from the northern Wisco to the west, then we landed at basecamp in the Bob. The first night, we just set up tents at basecamp and got our bearings and an overview of what the next ten days would look like. At this point, I was not in the best of places and wondering what I had gotten myself into. 

One of the biggest points of emphasis here is timeliness. Those of you who know me know that this is NOT be strong suit. I'm a very laid back, go with the flow, not having every detail planned out kind of guy, so you can imagine this has been a bit of a shock to the system for me! The first few nights in Montana, I really did let satan get a hold of my mind. On trail, however, we studied the book of Nehemiah and the biggest thing that stuck out for me was that the first thing Nehemiah did when God called him to do something or he faced an obstacle was pray. And pray hard. So that's what I did! I started being in constant prayer and conversation with God. Whether it was while I was hiking, making dinner or getting ready for bed, I was talking with God. I'm still in awe of how He replied. After my time of prayer started, the trip did a complete 180. God turned things around and the last stretch of the wilderness and the cabin was incredible. It's been amazing to watch Him work. 

(This was taken from the cabin on Placid Lake after the Bob)

The next leg of the journey takes me to tiny Ashland, Montana, just outside of an Indian reservation to work alongside a small church on construction around the town. I'm excited to meet the pastor (who is apparently very laid back and not great at communicating - sounds like my kind of guy!) and get to know people in the town. 

Speaking of tiny towns, I'm again writing this post from within a van, cruising across the state of Montana. The thing about tiny towns and the state of Montana is that there is very little cell coverage or internet connection. As I'm finishing this up (and in the middle of text conversations with some of you) I'm realizing that here is no service and hasn't been for some time now... I'm hoping that when we get to the town I'll be able to find a sliver of connection to get this sucker posted!

Well shoot. There was no service in Ashland so this update is well over a week late. I've just left Ashland and am headed to Moab, Utah for a few days of mountain biking! Be on the lookout for another post in the next few days here (maybe later today if I don't sleep in the van) depending on what service looks like in Moab. Sorry for the long long been in posts! 

You guys, as you read, God has taught me about the awesome power of prayer, so I want to give a HUGE thank you to those of you praying for me as God leads me through this crazy journey. Love you guys!

Ben Hershberger