Thursday, July 26, 2012

Great Friends, Special People

We've traveled over 4000 miles since we left Mexico City several weeks ago, and have gone through the following states...TX, MN, CO, NE, SD, MN, WI, IL, IN and now MI.  We'll complete our circular route through the heartland of the U.S. tomorrow, passing through OH to PA, then through DE and NJ on Saturday. Our return trip to Mexico will pass through MD, WV, VA, TN, GA, MS, AL, LO and TX. That's quite a few states in six weeks!  Almost half of the continental 48.

Our trip so far has been such a blessing! I'll take some time eventually to write about our time in Colorado, which was phenomenal. I wanted to mention some of the fine people we've spent time with since then. We stayed with Greg and Deb Mellema in Fremont, along with their sons Matt and Ryan. Matt visited us in Mexico last summer with a group from Fremont Alliance Church, with leaders Jeremy Stine (who preached this past Sunday when we were there) and Tim Howard, who unfortunately had another commitment...we missed him!

Then, on to Sioux Falls, SD! We had a wonderful time with Jacklyn Punt, 2010 intern and repeat visitor this summer (helping Daniel with Math among other things). We stayed the night with her parents and brother, who treated us royally!

On Monday, we wanted to go the whole way to Minneapolis, but this would have added a good 4 hours to our trip, so Matt and Alyssa Miller agreed to meet us along I-90, and we had a wonderful time touching base with our friends and their new baby girl, Moriah Faith.  

That evening we arrived in Lake Villa, to the Steele residence.  Fun was non-stop, with their 6 kids and our 3...plus Marvel, the dog!  On Tuesday, the girls went shopping (and who knows what else!), and the guys when to Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, stopped at Moody Bible Institute and ate Culver's ice cream.

Our trip through IN prompted a very nice lunch visit with Pete and Beth Gross, in Bristol, IN, then up to Waterford, MI, where dear friend Lois Dohner met us at our hotel and briefed us as to the events of today.  We met with a group of about 45 people this afternoon at 1 for a lunch at the church, and renewed friendship with many.  The last time we visited Woodside was 2004...people change in 8 years!  We do too!  Then this evening at 7, Mayra and I had a meeting with Woodside (Troy)'s exec council, talking about how to more effectively partner in church planting.  Good, productive meeting.

So...tomorrow, we're on the road again, the last leg that will take us, finally, to PA.  We are so very thankful for the many wonderful people that God has put on our long path through the U.S.!

Yes, good question...when will David be able to take a picture with a normal face???  No idea.






No comments: