Good morning…
Whenever I think of July 2025, two words will always come to mind. Grief and Galapagos.
In June, the daughter of my dear friend, Audrey DeShetler, went to heaven the day before her twentieth birthday. Then, within the same week, our family put to sleep our beloved dog, Tate. Both Audrey and Tate battled cancer. Both are now healed and whole. Both are deeply missed. So, waves of grief carried me into the month of July.
Yet, with July also came a bucket-list trip, traveling to the Galapagos Islands with my husband Steve and our fun group of sixteen. We began our time in Ecuador with three days of exploring Siempre Verde, the Lovett School’s property in the mountainous cloud forest. I blogged about our magical time there. Then we visited the equator and flew out of Quito to San Cristobal, where we boarded our private boat for the next six days of our adventure.
For me, the best parts of the trip were the people, meeting new folks and getting to know old friends much better. The gorgeous green blue water. The fresh homemade food. Free time to nap, read, share a drink. We snorkeled each day, experiencing the incredible world under the surface of the water. Playful sea lions. Mammoth sea turtles. Starfish and corals and massive schools of colorful fish. As we hiked on the coastline, we saw interesting iguanas, lizards, and crabs. Tons of cool birds stole our attention – penguins, flamingos, hawks, albatross, frigatebirds, mockingbirds, and blue-footed and red-footed boobies.
Though I was sorting out my grief with God as we traveled, I would not change a thing about our magnificent trip to the Galapagos. Joys and sorrows mix and mingle. They mix and mingle, all the time. When we are deeply touched by the abundance of life and the pain of death, we are forever changed.
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out (Romans 12:1-2a, MSG).
…Sue…
P.S. We are planning another Siempre Verde/Galapagos trip for the summer of 2027, but before then Steve, in his new role as adult trip leader, has a whole line-up of awesome adventures planned for 2026. Egypt (April 25-May 6). Camino De Santiago, Spain (June 16-25). Machu Picchu (August). Greece/Turkey (October 28-November 7). Spread the word and invite your loved ones.
Just this week, we got this good news: The State department lowered the threat level for travel to Egypt on July 15th. It’s the lowest it’s been in years. In case you’re wondering what a Level 2 travel warning means. To give you a comparison, other countries listed at level 2 are France, Germany, Italy and Sweden, 😀
Egypt, April 25 – May 6, 2026
Join us as we cruise the Nile, stand in awe of the pyramids, visit the newly opened Grand Museum of Egypt and end with a sunrise hike (optional) up Mt. Sinai. Along the way, we will tell the story of the Israelites’ journey from slavery to freedom. Click Link for more info.
If your interest is piqued, we would love for you to join us on a trip. To learn more about any of these life-giving experiences, please check out Lovett Expeditions. Reach out to me with any questions.
