The 2010 YMV Scouting season began today. Alan Andersen, from Mars Hill Church (West Seattle) and I headed over to Selah, WA (north of Yakima) to meet with a Pastor and check out the town. A great connection! As I return home and begin the countdown to Tuesday being Wednesday, I thought I’d better jump onto the ol’ Macbook Pro and get going with my Top 5!
Today’s criteria… the locations I am most looking forward to scouting this spring (from this point forward, otherwise Alan may get upset for not being in my top 5)! Every year as we prepare for the Youthmark Mission Ventures the Youth Pastors/Leaders of the sending teams let me know the area they would like to go to (general terms such as “Western Montana). So, here are my top five areas for this year (note: I look forward to every area, but some of these places are new so they move up the ladder).
Without further ado, the list:
Five: Alaska. Seems like this could easily be a #1. However, scouting the places is one thing… getting to them is another! Not only is it pretty-darn-costly to get there, it’s pretty-darn-costly to get around as well. The first time I did a scout to AK it was with my good friend JR. JR owned his own plane, he flew me around in his Cessna 172 (I even got to fly it). This time, JR will not be around and we’ll have to take the Alaska Marine Hwy. Which could mean 8-10 hour ferry rides. Lot’s of work gets done on 8-10 boat rides, so there is a blessing in that!
Four: Colorado. The mountains are simply gorgeous. Enough said. Oh, and I have lots of friends in CO!
Three: Coastal Oregon. I think we’ll have two or three teams heading to Oregon this year. I have led teams to Oregon a few times and one of my all-time favorite places was Rockaway Beach. I believe we’ll have a team there this summer and I look forward to catching up with some old friends in Mike and Molly.
Two: Montana. Though I have scouted Montana twice before, this year I am taking Kirk Petersen with me. This will be his first official scout as a Youthmark-guy! We’re looking for four or five different locations, and one highlight for me is that I’ll go further east on I-90 than I’ve ever gone as I approach the future home of my sister-in-law (she’s getting married to a true Montana Man… picture, the Marlboro Man, minus the cigs, the mustache and the leather-face). Should be a fun trip… Kirk, are you ready?
One: Arizona. Though I did live in Phoenix, I didn’t do mission trips to Arizona (we went to Spokane, California and Colorado). This trip is one that I am really looking forward to because it is more than just checking out the mission locations for four different teams, in addition I will be able to see some old friends, see some great scenery in the AZ Mountains (around Flagstaff) and take in an M’s Spring Training game! Oh, and I will be traveling with a good friend, Buzz Huget! Oh… and I can get In-N-Out!
So, if you have restaurant, hotel or any other cool places I just need to go to in those areas, please let me know.
Grace,
Brian
BRIANAABY.COM 
Those sound like awesome trips! I wish I was going back to Alaska, easily one of the best trips of my life. Thanks for providing that sweet opportunity
but you didn’t mention your worship band for Colorado! *cough*
Alex, these are Scout trips, not the Spring Retreats *cough-cough*
You had better come see this friend when you come through Colorado!
If your doing a trip in Rockaway Beach, I know my friends at Twin Rocks would be glad to help you out in any way they can. Its a sweet camp.
If you want any info on villages, frieght, or anything else let me know. I do logistics in Alaska, and more often then not in the rivers and west coast. fun fun fun 🙂
Where are you scouting?