Memorial day weekend a memorable one! (Titles added for my Dad!)

The (Todd)Paris family had a fun and mostly relaxing 4-day weekend. Friday we loaded up the van and headed for Lamoka lake. We arrived in the rain so we set up the tents in the garage, the concrete was hard and cold, but dry. Saturday we had a hearty lake breakfast and the kids went swimming. Dad Paris and I helped put the ladder on the dock, screwed the bench on the dock, minor repairs on the float and put it in. After lunch we went to visit Todd(Todd was my room-mate on my recent mission trip to Haiti) and Wendy Jenner's homestead near Bath. The kids had a great time, playing with the three dogs, playing in the clay, fishing in the pond, playing in the fire, hotdogs and smores. Overall a good time of fun and fellowship.
Sunday morning we all made it to Bradford for church on time and saw some people that I haven't seen in many years. At lunch we had my brother Mark and his fam and Bro Thad and his fam join the crew. Played some wiffle ball.
My brother Mark had to leave but it was good to see them even for a short time. Monday my brother Mike and his family showed up and joined in the seaweed wars, marshmallow gun war and snake chasing festivities. 31+/- people for lunch. Packed up the van and headed home. Overall a fun and eventful weekend. But let us not loose the purpose for the holiday in all the business. A huge Thank-you to those in my family who have served in our military. Donald Paris(Army), Fred Mott(Army), Donald Paris(Navy), Thad Paris(Marines), Mark Paris(Navy -active). Thank you for your sacrifices for our freedom!

My idiot light(aka check engine light) on the dashboard of my life came on last night. The family had gone far to many miles without routine service.
We drove out to Rochester and met Grandma Paris at the airport for an hour before she flew back to Florida for the week. Then we had a good meeting at a church in Greece NY to present the Climbing for Christ ministry in Haiti. (It was good to have Tim Trezise from Eduventure Mexico there to give a brief update about my trip there as well. ) Then I was supposed to meet Scott Roloson in Syracuse on Saturday morning to head to Canada eh? for a canoe trip but, I discovered that the world traveller(me) had left his passport at home. So after attempting all sorts of contortions to figure out how to make it happen, I finally responded to the Holy Spirit's 2x4 blows to my head (and heart) and decided to stay at home and minister to my family.

I'm back from mexico. The flight in the small plane was uneventful. It was a little too easy to make it into the US but I'm not complaining.

We got a lot accomplished this week for Eduventure Mexico. I was there representing Climbing for Christ helping To get their climbing program started. I was able to take a bunch of gear down to them an donate it toward their program.

Cindy Tolle, an accomplished climber, exum guide in the tetons, and director of a similar educational program just over the mountains www.tutuaca.org was there this week as well. It was a priviledge for me to climb and learn from her.

As we did a site survey of current and potential climbing areas we discovered two new areas. One close to campus in the arroyo and one up high called chico loco.

We setup a tyrolean travers accross the arroyo. After that we went to work at the new area up in the arroyo. It turned out to be a good area for beginners to intermediate climbs. And with in walking distance from campus. We bolted routes on lead from the ground up in a traditional style. We established five routes and there is potential for 7-9 more in the future.

Then we went up on the mountain and worked on the top-rope area that we started last year. We cleaned a lot of loose rock of of the three routes that we established last year and set top anchors for another route to the right of the others as well as a good rappel location.

When I was packing up to leave I discovered a scorpion hiding in my clothes. I grabbed my cmera to take a picture but, he was gone! So I carefully shook out each piece of clothing before packing it. The sccorpion fell out of a t-shirt, I stomped him THEN I took the picture.

Thanks to all of you who gave money and/or prayed for me and my family while I was on this trip.

I leave for Mexico early in the morning for the week. I will be doing some projects for one of our climbing for Christ members who runs a cross-cultural college program there called Eduventure (http://www.eduventure.net/). I will be flying to Phoenix and then on a small missionary plane into the ranch. Pray that we aren't misstaken for drug dealers. I will be setting up a cable tyrolean traverse across a arroyo (canyon) and setting up some sport rock climbing routes on the cliffs(in the background in the photo) there. I'm sure that I might find time for a cliff jump/swim in the canyon and maybe a horseback ride too.

Reflections from my trip to Haiti--

"Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." Luke 12:15

"But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into this world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content." "Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all good things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed." 1 Timothy 6:6-8;17-19

More pictures have been added to the C4C website, you can check them out here: http://www.climbingforchrist.org/Default.aspx?tabid=2036