Hey Readers,

It’s the Smuckers once again, and oh how lovely to be in 2016! A new year full of new things. The last time we posted we were in spectacular Santorini, and since then we have been on the move to Athens, then to Bangkok/Chiang Rai/Chiang Mai, back home for goodbyes and farewells in PA and Christmas in Minnesota and then….drum roll please….we moved to Colorado!

Yep, we have signed up for the mountain life and are loving it so far. The lovely mountain air, the radiant Colorado sunshine and the plentiful powdery snow have been oh. so. nice! Plus the views, did I mention the views? I can’t get over watching the mountains from my living room window, from the car, as I walk down the street, as I get groceries, on my way to this lovely cozy coffee shop. They are everywhere. It’s awesome.

The best part of our sleepy, cozy mountain town are the people. We were ready and willing to fight for community here but it hasn’t been a fight. Instead its been a breeze, these people are friendly, relationship oriented and ready to enfold you into their community. I can’t tell you how many people have said “welcome, we are so glad you are here!”, it’s a dream.

Many people have asked us why we decided on this place when there isn’t family or jobs pulling us here and all we can say is, “God, mountains, and adventure”. The longer we are here (two and a half weeks) the more we are realizing this move isn’t random. There is so much richness here to be found and we are excited to be a part of what God is doing and share in the bounty of his blessing upon this place.

On a light note let me describe our newfound surroundings to give you a glimpse into what it’s like here. It is small town america, unpretentious and friendly. A place where people leave their doors unlocked, keys sticking in the ignition, wallet on the seat. No fear of what may come. They trust in their neighbor’s kindness. I haven’t let go of my city securities yet but I look forward to the day I can leave it all unlocked accessible to all who pass by without fear of what may come.

The community center is a place where the community actually gathers, the seniors have their dining room, the gym is open for whatever activities strike your fancy, free exercise classes to all who enter, veterans office for those who have served our country, line dancing this morning, etc. In two nights my love and I will be going to free square dancing classes because, well, why not we only live once. The churches have invested in the community and have joined together to open a prayer room to invest more in the town, also there is no lack of small groups and bible studies. The ski slope is 30 mins outside of town, and gets all the snow you could desire. The hot springs run through town and are waiting for your cold, sore snowboarding body to soothe away the aches and pains. Endless cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing trails. That’s only a glimpse, there is so much more to this place that I have yet to discover. Are you jealous yet?

All that to say we are here, safe, joyful and are excited to see what the Lord has in store for us. Keep checking in on our adventures in Colorful Colorado by clicking on the “Home on the Range” tab. Hope to see you here again!

Happy Trails,

The Smuckers