After the initial shock of the check in process yesterday (and my continued discomfort with being at this oppressive-to-dogs hotel) we drove and walked around this town. A far cry from the hills and wilderness of PA - it offers a much different landscape. It features flat, wide, easy to walk streets laid out on a grid, with plenty of parking. The town is surrounded by farmland and lakes and ponds. The main streets are lined with light poles that shine on billowing flags with portraits and names of their now graduated high school Seniors. I mean we are talking a 18" by 36" banner for each Senior! How cool is that? Not just a yard sign or a name. To me this speaks of a community that is proud of and cares about the next generations.
There's a beautiful walking trail through marshland and green areas that we enjoyed yesterday and today. This is our 2nd stop that has offered free breakfast which just means calories and carbs. But it's delicious and nice to have nothing to do but show up.
We found a church in the area and saw online what service time they offered. We showed up 6 minutes before it was slated to start but there were only 3 cars in the parking lot. Their homemade sign in the front confirmed to passersby that the start time online was in fact correct. What were we getting ourselves into?
Walking in, we were greeted by 2 people in the sanctuary. One eagerly told us about some of the changes their church has been experiencing, perhaps apologetic at their lack of congregation. They invited us back to meet the others, who ended up being the only other two people in the building. They immediately welcomed us to Rugby and proceeded to converse with us about our trip and life in North Dakota with no care for the time. Eventually, another member joined us and we made our way back into the sanctuary probably 10-15 minutes after their "start" time. There were a total of 7 people at church that day. As we sang our songs, led by only a flutist because the organist recently moved, I couldn't help but tear up at the simplicity of it all. Isn't this what God meant by "where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there I shall be"?
We went home and gathered our dog and drove an hour east towards Devil's Lake. We made our way to the State Park, which is located on an island in this massive lake. We spent the afternoon enjoying the water and cool breeze. We packed our lunch and sat out of the trunk of the car eating and enjoying the waves. We even found a dog park where we let Piper run free and meet other dogs.
After church this morning, we spoke to these locals and I asked them if they knew of any place I could volunteer. My online research had been futile as their food bank was only open once a month and I couldn't find any local non-profits. My only lead was through the information channel at the hotel (where our dog was currently unattended - GASP). Before reaching out to the number on the screen, I figured I would try these nice folks. The woman didn't waste a second before sharing "Don could use help". Sure, I can help Don. "He is in charge of the county fair". Um, ok. Not exactly what I had in mind but I'm happy to help however I can. When I texted Don later that day, he eventually sent me a gif of a toddler shouting "I'm so excited". What was I getting myself into?
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