大自然的美帶給我震撼，我更慶幸自己遇識了一群充滿傳奇色彩的人。
凱利太棒了，在我看來，他才是大自然真正的 主人。無論是美國東部的阿巴拉契亞山脈，西部太平洋海岸的山脈，或者是新西蘭的野外徒步，所到之處幾乎遍布了他的足跡。他曾獨自在科羅拉多河上漂流，劃著 獨木舟與激流搏鬥，在美國最險惡的野外化險為夷。沿路上，他還不忘記享受喝啤酒的快樂。
對於這類的傳奇故事，在此之前，我也隻是在 灣區，從第三手資料中道聽途說過。然而，此時此刻，我正與這樣一個活生生的人住在一起。從他的智慧和知識中，我對美國的江河有了更深刻和廣泛地了解。通過 與他交談，我感到美國更加博大和雄偉。同時，他激發起我對美國的熱愛和對大自然的探求欲。
到達凱利家的第二天，我遇見了他的兩個同性戀朋友。我們在一起玩一種叫“Apples to Apples”的紙牌遊戲。我沒想到凱利竟然是一個同性戀，這可是一個意外之喜，它比我原先沒想到的。
他們三人中，約翰比較健談，他給我講了許 多他自己的經曆。此後，凱利與我有了一次比較激烈的交談，涉及到的話題從政治開始，隨後涉及到了宗教。凱利和約翰對基督教徹底失望，因為在他們看來，基督 教裏全是些盲從和虛偽的跟隨者。約翰對基督教的漠視沒有任何根據，凱利辯論的依據也不過是他汽車後麵貼的一塊標語牌而已（原作者並沒有寫明標語的內容）。
讓我跟這樣的人來談基督教的失敗，這讓我 感覺很不好。如果真的讓我來談這個話題的話，我更願意告訴他們，耶穌基督的恩典如何赦免了世人的罪。四個星期的相處，凱利越來越接納我這個人，而不僅僅因 為我是個喜歡翻聖經的男孩。在忙農活的過程中，我們更喜歡聊一些輕鬆愉快的話題。在我即將離開的時候，我可以感覺到，凱利會想念我的。
（未完待續。。。）
Not only was the nature incredible, but I met some wonderful people.
Kelly was awesome, a man of the great outdoors. Under his belt along with a large belly were the Appalachian Mountains, the Pacific Route, and New Zealand backpack trails. The Colorado River also dwelt under there, along with the literally tons of beer he had to carry as he singlehandedly maneuvered his boat through one of the harshest and unforgiving waters of the Americas.
He was the kind man that I have only heard about in third hand stories of remotely adventurous Caucasians in the Bay Area, and I was living with one. It was an honor drawing from his wisdom and knowledge of the American outback and its fantastic rivers. Talking to him only made America larger and grander to me. He simultaneously quenched and reinvigorated my thirst for America.
The second week I met his two gay friends and we played Apples to Apples. That is when I learned that Kelly was gay and this trip to Colorado became was more than I had bargained for.
I talked to the more talkative gay man, John, about his history and then later that week Kelly and I got in a heated conversation about politics and eventually Jesus. What they both said was that they were both disillusioned because Christianity had such poor and hypocritical followers. John did not have any logical reasons for disregarding Christianity, and the best arguments Kelly could come up with were the ones on atheist bumper stickers.
It was almost shameful for me to have to apologize to these people about Christianity’s failures, but in doing so, I was able to talk about Jesus’ grace over our mistakes. Over the course of the four weeks, Kelly really came to like me as not just that Bible thumping boy, but as a human being. We casually shot the wind daily as we drop back and forth from his homestead to Cortez for building supplies and by the end of the four weeks I could see he was going to miss me.
（ To Be Continued...)
