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June 2004
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August 2004
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- Aug 7, 2004 -
So we made it back safe and sound. Thanks to all of you who kept checking here and motivated us to update the site. Both a Bend and Yosemite sections are up. The last two weeks were incredible, so check them out!!! Personally I have learned sooooo much, and am so thankful for having had the chance to go on this trip. More to be up here soon - as thoughts come and the dust settles down.
- July 19, 2004 -
Hey EVERYONE!!!! No time for much detail right now, so I'll give you a super quick summary. Both Andy and I are doing great, meeting INCREDIBLE people and seeing amazing places. For myself, I'm getting really stretched, and lovin' it. If you wanna see what we've been doing day by day, check out Andy's report from boulder (he was on his own for a couple of days while I flew back to Chicago for an important inteview - which went well), and our report from Salt Lake City

To what you'll read there, I have to add how amazing it is to be running into so many peple to whom we are complete strangers, and who are so willing to help us in any and every way they can. I thank the Lord for them.

I am also amazed at how well the witnessing is going. Seriously, all we do is show up either wearing a Solid Rock shirt, or carrying a christian book, and covnersations almost spark up on their own.

The climbing we are doing all around is incredible. Andy I climbing like a madman, getting on hard 5.12's, and impressing the non-christians we talk to. Just yesterday I redpointed a 5.10d for the first time in my life (Andy helped me a bit by pulling the rope as I was getting ready to toprope - and saying with a grin that it's too late, now I have to lead it) - man it felt good. I love being out here, and I greatly appreciate all you out there praying for us. I do not exaggerate when I say we can literally sense we are being prayed for by many. Please ask the Lord that He would keep us safe, humble, open to what He has to say to us, and that He would work throught us, and in the hearts of those we have and will meet. THANK YOU!!!!

Oh yeah - thanks Dad for all the food you bought us, and the candy. It will probably keep us alive for the next couple of days!!!!

Now we are off to check out Salt Lake City, and afterwards we will be on our way to City of Rocks - Idaho.
- July 12, 2004 -
We woke up when it was still dark, and we were at the base of the Petite ready to start climbing by 6am. The climb went smoothly. Andy did an awesome job leading all the pitches. Personally, I involuntarily found myself uttering a new prayer: “Lord, please give me a hold and please don’t let my foot slip” – it was very sincere, and it got answered.
On pitch three two climbers caught up to us (Byron and Jonah), and they joined me on a ledge as I was belaying Andy. We got to talk, and when they found out we were with Solid Rock Jonah exclaimed “I know Solid Rock! Last year I was climbing in Yosemite and you guys gave me a bagel!”
The rest of the climb went great, even though we did have a small snag during one of the repels – but we ended up being able to handle it. We celebrated by eating at Ed’s Cantina – a really cool climber hangout in Estes Park (thanks for treating us Dallas!!). We go to know Chris a bit better – a great guy, and the first person I’ve met who can climb 5.14
This concluded the RMNP part of our trip. Andy put together a great pics/words summary of it
- July 11, 2004 -
Today Andy and I got commissioned as on-the-road missionaries at a worships service held in the Glacier Basin campground. Later in the afternoon, together with Dallas and his friend Chris we all went to Bear Lake, from where we hiked for close to three hours to get to a small remote valley, with a small lake in the middle of it called Skylake. I remember looking up and being unable to believe we were really shooting to get to the top of the Petit Grepon – we forgot the camera so there are (as of now) no pictures of us climbing it – but take my word for it: it was impressive. The night before the climb was incredible: I’d never seen that many stars. We slept above the tree line, just yards away from patches of snow, and yet it was not only clear and quiet, but even warm.
- July 10, 2004 -
Today we had another great time of worships, sang songs, prayed for one another, and the entire group went to do some trail setting. It was a great time. We met this great ranger, and we invited him to tonight’s meeting and are hoping he’ll show up. Working on clearing a trail was great fun, but we got chased off the mountain by a storm coming in, so we hiked back down in a light drizzle at about 3pm.
This place is incredible: the peaks are mighty, and when you look far out into the distance you can almost hear them calling out to you. The hills, covered with forests, and the valleys full of lush vegetation – and the storm rolling across the land. You can see storms passing by miles away, and rain and hail falling in the distance – I love being here.
- July 9, 2004 -
The day started with worship – over 20 of us singing out hearts out, and Calvin gave a great message about witnessing – both Andy and I were taking furious notes. Then we climbed a 3-pitch 5.7 route called White Whale in an area called Lumpy Ridge, at a crag called Left Book. It has an amazing view. Andy climbed flawlessly – as usual. I took a fall and got to try out my new helmet – nothing serious.
In the evening a couple of the guys (thanks Tim and co.) made us a delicious barbeque dinner – delicious burgers, potato salad and sweet corn. Afterwards we all went to an amazing slideshow/presentation given by Christian Alpinist Eric Alexander. We listened to what he said about trusting God, relying on God for strength, praying his way through trials and tribulations, and we listened to what he had been through (taking a 150ft fall tumbling down a slab while climbing a peak in Nepal, landing on a tiny ledge which stopped him from going the remaining 450ft to the bottom, breaking an arm, getting bronchitis, being sick for 6 months and finally getting well just in time to be part of the first team to have a blind climber on it to reach the top of Mt. Everest – and being able to go through all that because of willingness to step out in faith – WOW). But most amazing of all, we saw the gentleness and meekness of his nature, his quiet calm, his silent smile and inner peace – amazing.
- July 8, 2004 -
On this day we got to our campground for the Solid Rock national gathering – the first part of our trip. It’s in the middle of a small meadow, surrounded from every side by wooded hills and snow capped mountains. There is an American flag in the middle of a large clearing. Today we met a bunch of Solid Rockers: there’s Dallas – a 65 years old man we could barely keep up with on the trail, and Aaron – a great guy who’s running his own rock climbing business to support missions work. Then there’s the Deans family: my first encounter with them, was being tackled by four year old Jake whom I didn’t know at the time. John, the head of the family, is a cabinet maker who’s also working on building their house out in the middle of Minnesota, 60 miles south of the Canadian border where they ride their own dogsleds. Then there’s Jeremy – illustrator for Rock and Ice, and Rusty and countless others. And of course there is Calvin, pastor and president of Solid Rock, who has also brought his whole family. This is the first time I get to see so many Christian climbers in one place.
- June 30, 2004 -
This past week both Andy and I have spent preparing for this trip: working, climbing, praying, getting guidebooks, getting gear, talking to lots of people who want to know more about what we'll be doing. I gotta say - I've got some serious butterflies in my stomach. Many thanks to all you guys who have written to me, or called me with words of encouragement and advice. If I haven't gotten back to all of you yet - I promise I will in the next day or two. It's so great to know I've got all of you rooting and praying for us.
"Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love."
I Corin. 16:13,14
- June 24, 2004 -

HI EVERYONE!! I've e-mailed the link to this website to both my family and all my best friends (christians and non-christians), and have already gotten some gentle hints that it might be time to get serious about Journaling.

First of all, hats off to Andy for putting this website together: as his roomate, I know he spent several consecutive days and nights not eating, not sleeping, passionately typing and clicking away. If you don't want to have to scroll through all the entries, just click on the day you want to see on the small calendar to the left (and don't even ask me how he did that).

To all those reading this, whether you know me or not, if you have anything you want to tell me, if you are a hardrocker who is in an area where we'll be at and would like to meet up (campground suggestions? climbs to recommend?), if you want to encourage us (or discourage us), or have any feedback or simply wanna say "Hi" don't hesitate to e-mail me (niewrzol@uiuc.edu) or call me (217) 898 4170 - I'D LOVE to hear from you.

Today probably isn't the most exciting entry ever: I'm sitting in lab all day running spec analyses of a bunch of quinones, listening to 91.7 WBGL