First, WE ARE FULLY SUPPORTED! Thank you all that have been supporting us and we appreciate you're continued support! This has been a huge weight off and God has continued to bless us through revealing his love and faithfulness to us, time and again. That has been some of the most exciting news for us and we are excited to share it. :)
In October, we decided we would take Wilderness Medical Associates' Wilderness First Responder Course (WFR). Robert had been a WFR before, but had to take the full course again, rather than recertify, based on bad timing. So we signed up, and January 4, we packed ourselves into Sarah Lee (our car) along with Logan (another intern) and headed for Carbondale, IL for a 10-day class. Discovery Ministries requires their staff to become WFRs at a certain point as we don't send groups out unless there is a WFR with them.You might be thinking, what is a WFR? haha, let me sum it up. AWESOME and a first responder in the wilderness context only we can do some things they can't. :)
"The definitive wilderness course in medical training, leadership, and critical thinking for outdoor, low-resource, and remote professionals and leaders.The Wilderness First Responder program is the ideal medical training for leaders in remote areas including outdoor educators, guides, military, professional search and rescue teams, researchers, and those involved in disaster relief. The curriculum is comprehensive and practical. It includes the essential principles and skills required to assess and manage medical problems in isolated and extreme environments for days and weeks if necessary" (wildmed.com).
And so after intensive days of studying (8-6), drills, tests, and major simulations, we passed and are now certified WFRs! Super stressful, but most awesome class ever! Checkout the website for more information: http://www.wildmed.com/wilderness-medical-courses/first-response/wilderness-first-responder/.
Third, Robert and I want to float the Current River. We don't have to be on our own, but we do have to both be present to count mileage (105 miles). We love love LOVE canoeing! We started this weekend ad floated Baptist Camp to Akers Ferry, about 13-15 miles. It was cold, but beautiful! We camped at Baptist Camp, ate some chicken stir fry for dinner and then tried to sleep. I was cold but more alert and anxious for some reason so I barely slept at all. Poor Robert was anxious too. We ate some oatmeal for breakfast and hit the river around 9am, later than we had planned, but totally ok with just enjoying the day. We got to see lots of wildlife; a groundhog, 6 bald eagles, 4 deer and of course, lots of birds. 
Mr. groundhog apparently can climb trees! One of the bald eagles. They were beautiful!
Along the Current River is Welch Spring Health Resort...ruins. It is actually really awesome!
"Back in 1913, an Illinois doctor named C.H. Diehl bought Welch Spring for eight hundred dollars. Dr Diehl believed that the spring water had healing properties and that cool, pollen free air coming from the adjacent cave would be beneficial for people with asthma, emphysema, and tuberculosis, which together were called "consumption" at the time. He said that it worked for him, helping him with a chronic case of hayfever. To tap this clean air resource, Dr Diehl built a hospital over the mouth of the cave. Welch Spring, which flowed from the cave, was dammed up so that water would close off the entrance. This was to force more air out through the cave opening into the hospital. In today's terms, it might be better called a "health spa" since there wasn't much in the way of formal medical treatment, just an invitation to breathe the fresh air of the cave.
Dr Diehl was not blind to the scenic values of the region either. He hoped to run a thriving campground resort to supplement his medical fees with tourist dollars. In time his healing resort expanded to a few small cabins, a campground, a show cave and he even had an electric generator running off the spring. Visitors came from the local area and from as far off as Oklahoma and Illinois, but times were hard and travel to such remote places still difficult. Unfortunately, the hospital and resort were not a big success. Roads in the Ozarks were rough and unpaved, making it difficult to get into the Current River Country. Few tourists were willing to make the trip. The good doctor died in 1940, and his family did not have much interest in keeping up the resort afterwards, which soon fell into ruin" (nps.gov).
With this picture, the cave mentioned in the article, is located at the very back. It is now the home to endangered gray bats. :)
Tiniest nest EVER!
We thoroughly enjoyed the day and look forward to our next adventure!
Fourth, I have decided once weather gets warmer, I want to organize playing Ultimate Frisbee once a week with friends. I love the game and enjoy the exercise that comes with it. :) I played throughout high school with my brother and friends and was on a team in college for a year. So I am anticipating getting to start it!
What about you? What are some things you are planning to do this year?
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