Jog to Rabat

One of my favorite ways to explore the island is to go running. One morning Marianne and I decided to run to Rabat, which is about 5km away, but up a very large hill.
We ran through cities...
and countryside...
And finally made it... and though we were tired we even ran back! 

scenery

This update will highlight some of the flowers, trees, and other scenery on Malta.
This much green is quite a rare sight on Malta.
An interesting mix of palm, pine, and other trees in Rabat.
 

friends...

This post is to show you some of my friends I have here at the residence. This was a brunch that flat 124 (my neighbors) made Sunday afternoon. From left to right: Paul, Tyler, James, Mark, Geraldine, Theressa, Marianne, Carla.
Angela, me, Steve, and Jon wet but happy after jumping in a pool that was quite too cold for swimming but refreshing after an afternoon of ultimate frisbee.
me, James, Jon, Aaron, Anne, Dana, Caroline, Jaime, Emma, Ceran, Marianne, and Nadyia at a bus stop after Geocaching.
A group from the residence waiting on a bus. 

Another Thursday Adventure

Thursdays Tyler, Geraldine and I have little or no class, so we have started a tradition of exploring part of the island during our free time. This is a cave in Marfa ridge. The coast along this area is quite rough and if there is a footpath it still requires a lot of climbing. It was by far the hardest hike yet, but loads of fun.
I am finding that the more I learn to explore God--His character and His love for me, the more I learn to explore nature. Everything I see now I want to climb or explore, and I my heart is alive as I do it. And as I glory in His creating it is amazing to think that the book of Job says His creation is the fringes of His glory! God, that you would set eternity on our hearts and that we would glory in your creation as well as be filled with the understanding that in a moment we will be in eternity, and that the only thing that matters is how we have loved you and loved others.
As I am still concentrating on getting down, Geraldine is saying, "I just went through that and now you want to take my picture!?!"
It was very surreal to see this "paradise" at the end of our journey because it was a complete change of landscape and quite easy to walk along this path! 

I live on a postcard

Today I am going to show you some of the pretties things on Malta. This is the northern part of the island, Marfa ridge.
Sunset at Dingli.
Another shot at Dingli.
Inside the Cathedral in Mdina. 

It's Malta!

One of our favorite phrases over here is, "It's Malta!" We usually use it whenever something doesn't go our way. We have to remember Malta isn't Africa or mainland Europe, and it's certainly not America... it's Malta! This kind of cactus is everywhere. The little red ball is called a prickly pear and you can actually eat it (but not the thorns on the outside!) It's kind of like a pomegranite.
Face off! What a classic picture to show the difference between one culture and another. There is a huge class gap between the farmers and everyone else on Malta.
I wish I had more of a close-up picture, but this tree looks amazingly similar to Jesus on the cross. I don't know whether someone carved it or not, but it's still pretty cool.
This is also a very common sight in Malta. There are tiny churches everywhere. Some of them are abandoned and some of them are still in use. At orientation they told us there are 365 churches in Malta--one for every day of the year. I don't know how accurate that figure is, but I believe it. 

Geocaching!

Geocaching is an international sport where people place "caches" (some kind of container with trinkets and a log book in it) in a certain spot, usually a place with a beautiful view or some other spot of interest. The GPS coordinants are then posted online for anyone to look up and find. We have now found all seven of the active Geocaches on the island of Malta, but there are three on Gozo and two on Comino. In this picture Aaron, Jon, and James (L to R) are looking at the log book where those who find the Geocache record their visit.
One of my favorite things about Geocaching is that during the hike to find the Geocache, we get to hike through parts of the countryside that we wouldn't ordinarily see. Bird hunters hide out in huts like these. Bird hunting is quite popular in Malta, although with threats of the bird flu, it might soon be made illegal.
Part of the group journeys up a country road.
The group stops for a lunch break at Dingli. 

The Citadel

The Citadel is a fortified tower in Victoria, Gozo. As we walked around the top we could see almost the entire island.
Nice view of the church adjacent to the Citadel.

 

Gozo

Today was probably the most beautiful day of my entire stay here. And it was such a blessing because I got to spend it in Gozo, one of the four Maltese islands. Though it is much like Malta, it is much less crowded and much more "relaxed." It's hard to describe but many people who have been to Gozo also describe in this way.
God says in the book of Job that creation is but the fringes of His glory. Today made me desire to explore God even more because of the breath-taking beauty seen in nature... and to think there is so much more to explore. Heaven is going to be amazing because we will have eternity to explore the depth and beauty of the Uncreated One!
We rented bikes and rode from the island's capital, Victoria, down to the Azure window. To rent a bike for a day is only two lira!
The Azure window. Simply amazing. 

Mosta Dome

While the villages of Malta each have numerous churches, most have one big church that is can be easily distinguished among the houses and countryside. Mosta's church is especially notable for its grandeur. The outside is surrounded by prominent figures of the faith. Saint Simon holding a saw. According to tradition, he was sawed in two. O death, where is your sting!
During WWII a bomb dropped from a plane pierced the dome. Astonishingly, it was a dud. O God we praise you that you are our Protector!