Where has the time gone?  We have been flying low and fast across the Los Angeles District, meeting incredible people, having great services, and even scheduling in a little bit of exercise!  We have been so very blessed!

Can’t even begin to thank the churches and families for the outpouring of hospitality, kindness, prayers, partnership, and of course…food!

We had no idea that someone would be at the LAX airport to meet us, but God has brought such incredible friends and family into our lives over the years!  The Millers, long time partners in ministry (they are family now), showed up at the curb as Connie was waiting for me to pick up the rental car!  Great time of reunion and dinner together, then we were off and running. Thanks guys for making the arrival special!

We arrived for our first meeting in Ridgecrest  and then were back down the east side of the Sierras and over to the coast to meet with the Oxnard Church of the Nazarene and retired Navy Captain Edna Peters, a career Naval nurse, who shared her home with us.   Quite to our surprise, Ann Baldwin from Kansas City was in the area visiting her mother for Mother’s Day and arrived at the service with a great goody bag of supplies for the trip!  Ann…we munched on that survival pack for the entire trip, as many times we missed meals racing back and forth across the district – Thank You!

Then from Oxnard it was back up to Bishop where we had a great evening dinner and service with the church family and made a new soul mate in retired police officer and pilot Ray Miklaucic, who shared his home with us – thanks Ray!

And then, what a fantastic surprise the Bishop church gave us!  A night at the Cardinal Village Resort in Bishop with the Cluff Family.  This was truly a godsend as we were able to recoup for about 20 hours.  Jet lag was starting to take its toll!  Thanks Bishop!

From Bishop it was down to Valley View Church at Lancaster where we had about standing room only in the fellowship hall for the dinner and meeting!  That night we stayed with Bong and Lhileth Balaton and Christian, Ethan, and Noah…what a great time of fun and playing with the boys!  Thanks Balatons for sharing your home.

Back to the Coast to Camarillo we went where again, the fellowship hall was packed out and we had a fantastic evening service, dinner, and morning breakfast.  We left encouraged with full tummys!

We then took a day at the University of Southern California where our niece was commissioned into the air force as a nurse and 2nd Lieutenant!  Way to go Elise.  What a great time with family that drove down from Idaho for this special day.

 

 

Back up the old 395 / 14 highways we went along the Eastern Sierras to Lone Pine for a great Saturday morning breakfast with the church.

We then loaded up and headed down the 395 / 14 corridor again and out to the coast to Santa Monica to share dinner with Emery and Elaine Pankratz and then a great Sunday morning Service for our second visit with the Santa Monica Church Family.

 

Then with the finish line in site, it was 4 hours up the coast to Atascadero where we had a prime rib and baked potato dinner that was second to none, followed by an exciting final L.A. District mission service.  District NMI President Debra Hamrick drove up for the service and we all had a great time.

As a final farewell, we put on our hiking boots, packed up our granola bars, and hiked Bishop Mountain with several of our new friends from Dove Creek / Atascadero.  Thanks Pastor Wes and team for making this outdoor adventure a possibility.  Just what the doctor ordered.

Oh…and what about the t-shirts?  Well they have been literally flying out of our suitcases and then at Dove Creek, Debra and Wes offered to help us out by taking around 100 to the L.A. District Assembly to help promote missions on the Asia-Pacific Region!  Thanks so much guys!

We are praising God for the great services and 2,203 miles safely traveled across the L.A. District!  Thanks to everyone who made this such a great tour!

And today…we are writing from the quiet town of Nocona, Texas.  Our flight from L.A. to Dallas / Fort Worth went very smoothly, we were picked up at the airport by Ron and Jackie Miner, they graciously loaned us a car, and now we are off and running again for the next couple of weeks here in West Texas.  Better buy some boots!

 

Wow…where has the time gone?  The countdown timer on my computer screen says 1 day, 7 hours, 21 minutes, left before we need to have final details completed, banners printed, prayer cards finished, suitcases packed, and be stepping on the plane for our stateside speaking schedule and niece’s and daughter’s weddings!

Sometimes my head spins with the sense of urgency…but I often reflect…do I have the same sense of urgency for the things of God?  We have been talking a lot about this lately as a team.  Keep the “main thing” the “main thing.”  That of touching lives, seeing the people around us, and being the tangible love of Christ to those we meet.  Whether that be at the gas station, in the office, on the street, in the jeepney (public transport) or wherever.  We need to always be looking for opportunities to be Missional!

Connie and I are working hard, even in the midst of the hustle and bustle, to take time to remember:

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Back to packing the bags…we are headed your way and looking forward to sharing the great things that God is doing here in Asia!