A week in Ashland

Since we were homeless once we got to Montana, we had to live in Ashland for a week, where 7 of our new JV friends are serving this year. It was a fun week- which included my birthday!- getting accustomed to Montana and getting to know the staff at St. Labre.

Ashland is a town of about 400 (mostly made up of St. Labre Mission & School, I'm pretty sure) in southeastern Montana. There's a small strip of stores, including two restaurants (both of which we visited), a gift store, a small market, a video rental store, and, of all things, a milkshake stand! (You can guess where I picked to celebrate my birthday!)

Part of the St. Labre campus



The chapel was designed to represent the union of the Native and Christian traditions with the cross becoming part of the teepee



Scenery around St. Labre



Even though I changed my birthday this year to be able to enjoy it at home/in Maine with the whole family, word got out that it was my birthday and so we all went out for milkshakes to celebrate. It was all I could have wanted in the middle of [nowhere] Montana!



My chocolate birthday milkshake : )



A fountain in the middle of St. Labre's campus



The chapel lit by a smoky sunset

{There had been crazy wildfires a ways west of Ashland, which made the sky look wildly firey and brilliant... we were driving back in awe of the thick smoke and the sun burning through it but I didn't stop for pictures. This was a bit after the brighter sun, but still neat.}




The view from the Ashland JV's front porch. Their house is set back on a hillside overlooking the town. An awesome view!