Portland

I had always heard that Portland was a cool city. I had heard correctly.

Here are some interesting facts:

All gas stations in Oregon are full service. This means that an attendant comes out to your car and pumps your gas for you. They even will clean your windshield and check the tire pressure. We weren't quite sure what to tip so we asked each time. The people serving us were very friendly and just said "It depends, so what ever you want." I hope we weren't cheap! We did have some interesting conversations with them and felt humbled to be served to graciously.

There are a lot of hitch hikers in Oregon. I'm kind of thankful that we didn't have room for them to sit because I'm sure we would have picked some up. We really wanted to. I'm sure that would have lent itself to further adventures and tales from the trip... would any of you pick up a hitch hiker?

All of the hotels in Portland were booked. We almost slept in our car, but were craving showers, so we finally found a hotel that would take us in.

We visited Imago Dei for a Sunday Service. We felt right at home. We were glad to take part in their community and to worship with them. The sermon called attention to worship and to God's beauty. It was a much needed reminder as a week into our trip Matt and I were getting a bit tired and cranky. So often we need to be reminded that the presence of God is with us right where we are. We took communion with Imago Dei's community and it was beautiful to experience the closeness of those in their church. It was evident from the circles of people hugging each other and praying for each other that they cared and loved one another. I pick up a lot of brochures and such and will welcome further conversations about this as well.