The days of April evaporated as only the first four and last four days of the month found us in Bedford. The middle 22 days started in California and ended in California, with Kona sandwiched in between. It’s been a month full of great opportunities and “proper fusses.”
We returned from Kauai in late March and ran our “Engagement Matters” weekend during the first two days of April. Young love and early spring were happy companions that weekend, which was attended by 10 eager and enamored couples. Once again hosted by Matt and Beth Ide and supported by Carl and Cathy Blatchley and Richard Hendricks, great conversations, solid teaching, and soul-feeding fellowship was present throughout the weekend. We were pleased to host Aly Barr and her fiancé Jeremiah, who flew in from California for the conference. Having known Aly since her young childhood as a family camper, it’s so deeply encouraging to us to see her heart for the Lord reflected in her choice of mate. We loved hanging out with them for three days and making a "proper fuss” hosting them.
Aly Barr and Jeremiah Scheil attended Engagement Matters and hung out with us for the weekend.
Minus one couple who had to leave early, this is the wonderful group who gathered for Engagement Matters.
So blessed to be surrounded by this crew who are so committed to serving the Engagement Matters attendees.
After less than a week home, we flew back to California (with a brief overnight in Indianapolis for a marriage intensive) and landed at Lisa’s home in Riverside for a few hours before driving to Oakland for Easter with the Garcias. On the drive up, we passed landscapes unusual for southern CA in April: snow-topped mountains and fields of the much-talked-about “super bloom.” It was spectacularly beautiful.
Avocado toast on homemade sour dough bread . . . feeling so very Californian. Enjoying breakfast at Lisa’s home before driving to Oakland.
Driving north on Hwy 5, through the Grapevine, the hills were covered with the super bloom.
At the midway point of the six hour drive, we stopped for lunch with Randy and Rachael Clark (our nephew and niece-in-law, also known as the parents of Isla, our little great-niece who has been recovering from HUS the past 18 months), and Wayne and Sandy Clark (Paul’s oldest sister and her husband). We were so happy to make a “proper fuss” over Wayne’s 80th birthday (which was the following day). How thankful we are for his faithful life of living for Jesus.
Lisa (with Arie), Randy, Ryder, Paul, Rachael (with Rosie), me, Sandy, and Wayne. Two of the Clark’s daughters, Isla and Rhea, are missing from the photo.
On to Oakland we traveled for a happy reunion with the Garcias. Besides preparing for New City Church Oakland’s Easter service on Sunday, we had time for lots of games and geocaching. It’s always good to be together.
Celebrating a geocache discovery together.
We were so happy to join NCC Oakland for their second annual Easter service. Somewhere between 300 to 400 people came to hear Gabe preach a powerful message on the cross (you can listen here) and to be led in worship by their gifted team. Lunch of hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken was served, followed by a football field full of games, egg hunts, bounce houses, etc. Dozens of willing volunteers pulled the day off without a hitch and though exhausted and sunburned when the last piece of equipment was stored and trash picked up, we all left with full hearts of gratitude and joy to have proclaimed and celebrated the Risen Savior. All praise is His!!
Auntie Lisa and Gigi flank the now-taller-than-us 12-year-old Brandon. Yikes!
Kari and Gabe’s hearts for Jesus and for Oakland were evident throughout the service.
Paul and I were delighted to serve on the lunch line after the service.
Farewell to Auntie Lisa as she headed to the airport to return home.
Early Monday morning, April 10, Paul and I flew to Kona to fulfill our partnership with Living Stones Church (LSC). We were so thankful to arrive before Bill and Pine Barley (lead pastor) left with a group from LSC on a tour of Israel and we took advantage of the one-day overlap to do a vigorous hike with them to the top of Pu’uwa’awa’a. The 7-mile roundtrip on a beautiful day with dear friends was such a gift of reconnection with people we’ve grown to love deeply. It was a great start to our 10 days in Kona.
Before photo . . .
After photo, at the top! You can’t see the sweat, you can’t hear the pounding heart, and you can’t feel the jello-ish legs . . . But you can see the “We made it” smiles!
Over the next nine days, we spent four 9 am—8 pm days counseling (with a lunch break); we spoke to the high school youth group on a Thursday evening and to the singles group on Saturday night; we taught at all three morning services on Sunday and were live-streamed to their second campus; we met with a group of young single women to discuss Letters to my Daughters (which they had all read); and we met up with a number of dear family and friends for meals and fellowship. We managed to get our 5-mile-walk in starting at 6 am daily and got another good hike in from Kua Bay to north of Kona Village on our day off.
The days were rich and full and we felt met by God in each of these opportunities.
This group of young women, led by youth leader Jodi Coetzee, impressed us with their insights gleaned from “Letters to My Daughters”.
We led the singles group in a stimulating discussion on "How do you know God’s will?"
Jodi and Christian Coetzee work together with the youth and the singles at LSC and are such an encouragement to us.
The high school youth group met on Thursday night and we tackled some messy topics related to relationships.
We taught at church on Sunday on parenting to a full house . . .
. . . and a full lawn.
We were delighted to meet up with our friend Mike as we hiked past the nearly completed Kona Village rebuild, which has been closed for almost a decade since it was wiped out by the tsunami in 2011.
As we hiked from Kua Bay up past Kona Village, we saw this monk seal swimming along the coast, and on our return trip, we watched it beach itself for a much needed break. We never tire of seeing nature in action!
Our last sunset before leaving Kona . . . blessed!
Our return to the mainland was earlier than planned, but when Lisa invited us to her delayed defense of her dissertation, there was no hesitation.
After four long years of pounding out all the reading, writing, and class work required, she successfully defended her dissertation on Friday, April 21, was hooded on the 23rd, and graduated with her PhD in Leadership Studies from California Baptist University. Unmitigated joy to celebrate this major milestone with now Dr. Lisa Marie Friesen . . . a proper fuss was indeed in order!
Lisa was joined by our dear “chosen family” sister/auntie, Helen Challener, who has been part of our family since she served on camp staff in 1978 and 1980. Specific to this celebration, Helen served as Lisa’s editor for all of her papers written over the past four years and was indispensable in the process. She was also joined by her sister Kari, who flew in from Oakland…a much more doable trip than Julie could make from VA. A handful of friends and extended family were invited to attend her hooding and a very sweet time of affirmation for Lisa was had following the dinner and ceremony.
Lisa and Helen prepare the room for her defense.
Lisa stands with her dissertation chair, Dr. Monica O’Rourke, in front of the slide which names her project.
Lisa’s dissertation committee: Dr. Nicole MacDonald, Dr. Jeff Biddle, and Dr. Monica O’Rourke.
Dr. John Shoup is the program director of Lisa’s PhD program and Lisa has utmost respect for him.
4/5 of the original Friesen crew were able to be present for this great event. Julie was with us in heart.
Graduation complete! Lisa stands with two of her colleagues-turned-friends after her graduation and before she “hoods” her master’s graduates. Dr. Jodi Dickert and Dr. Erik Salley have been huge supports to her through this whole process.
April 24 was a big day all around. The centerpiece was, of course, graduation, but we also celebrated Gabe’s birthday (from a distance) and our 47th anniversary with a lovely dinner at Bandera after walking the beach at Crystal Cove. How thankful we are for the gifts life, love, and marriage.
Our anniversary dinner at Bandera with Helen and Lisa. A delicious ending to a great day.
The party continues! A celebratory walk on the beach at Crystal Cove, a hike through the super bloom in Hemet, tea at “Martha Green’s Eating Room and Tea Room” in Redlands, and a sunset hike up Mt. Rubidoux were highlights of the itinerary, which also included a few great meals out and a couple of relaxing-by-the-pool hours. We indeed made a “proper fuss."
“I’m DONE!!"
The hike in Hemet through the super bloom was beautiful!
This tea house was fabulous, and amazingly we had the place to ourselves.
The sunset hike up Mt. Rubidoux was breathtakingly beautiful.
We “summited.” Don’t be too impressed: we weren’t sweaty, our hearts weren’t pounding, and our legs didn’t feel like jello.
Our final day in Riverside, we met up with Paul’s siblings for a “Friesen Family mini-reunion” following an almost 4-year absence of being all together in person. Well, we were almost all together. Just days before the reunion, sister Beth contracted covid so she ended up not coming, much to everyone’s disappointment. It was great to catch up with one another and there’s talk of getting together in a year with hopefully all present.
Paul’s sisters: Sandy (Wayne), Joyce (Ron), and Carol (Wayne). The photo was taken after the aunts and uncles toured Lisa’s home.
We flew home that night on a red-eye and were painfully reminded of why we seldom take red-eye flights anymore. Though we thought we’d “gain” a day, we weren’t good for much on Thursday (April 27th).
Our time in Bedford was short-lived, as we’re on a plane today back to California, but that story will be for my next post.
We have nothing but gratitude in our hearts for the many great opportunities of this past month, along with the joy of celebrating many good things and making a “proper fuss.” All praise is His!!
