Uganda Update #3

Greetings at the end of this Lord's Day!

As the sun set over Mbale tonight, we were again filled an overwhelming sense of the love of God as seen in nature and as was experienced during worship this morning at Pearl Haven.  It's been a day filled with His goodness and grace.

We spent the morning with the brothers and sisters in Christ at Pearl Haven Christian Center, where Paul was invited to deliver the message.  He taught on "Finishing Well:  Three Life Lessons from the Life of Solomon" and I guess I'm allowed to say that he did a great job. It was practical and very applicable to life here.  Many seemed to appreciate the message.  Besides his teaching, the time of worship through song was lively, and any gaps that might have existed between our cultural backgrounds were closed as we sang "Days of Elijah" and other well-loved choruses.  The unity of the body of Christ is palpable in times like these.  It was refreshing and invigorating to share the morning with this congregation.

We met up with our California friends, Jan and HA Northington for lunch, and our plans to relax by the Mt. Elgon Hotel pool were dashed by a huge rainstorm that moved in right around 1 pm.  No worries.  We just lingered over lunch with our dear friends and then headed home for a nap.  Yes, you read it here.  Can't remember the last time we actually experienced rest on the Sabbath, but our whole household napped and it was lovely.

Derek and Julie stand with Jan and HA Northington, as Jan models her new Ugandan costume.

Paul and I took a nice walk after the rain had stopped and the naps had ended, and the Lord rewarded us with a gorgeous sunset.  A perfect ending to a renewing day.

First thing in the morning, we head to Jinja for the pastors’ conference.  We have a full house—22 couples—and we're hearing there is a high level of excitement about it.  We will likely not have internet access for the three days we're there, so there may be a lapse in our posting.  If there is a way, I'll continue to post—but if not, we should be back online on Wednesday.

Thanks for your continued prayers on our behalf.  We need you to continue.  As excited as we are about this retreat, we also find it somewhat daunting.  We covet your prayer covering.

Sending much love and appreciation from Uganda—

Paul and Virginia

Uganda Update #2

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Dear Friends and Family,

As thunder and lightening break the quiet reverie of this Saturday night, we reflect on the "showers of blessings" we've experienced this day.  Thank you for praying for our all-day marriage conference at Pearl Haven Christian Center.  God was with us.

Though the day started out slow for us, we're beginning to adjust to "Ugandan Time" and lower our expectations regarding schedules.  The conference was to start at 9, and actually started just after 10.  We could have started at 9, but we would have been speaking to an empty sanctuary.  :)  So we waited for a critical mass.  By 10, perhaps 30-40 had assembled; by noon we were up to 70-80.  This is Uganda.

The congregation was very receptive to the teaching and very interactive with questions.

At the request of Pastor Wilberforce, we spent the morning speaking on the design of marriage, beginning in Genesis, followed by the fall and the curse, and ending with the "antidote" to the implications of the curse found in Ephesians 5.  The concepts presented in these passages have not been well understood in this area, according to Wilberforce, and without these foundational truths, it's pretty impossible to live out a God-honoring marriage.  Each time we've taught on this subject here and have witnessed the receptivity of those listening, we know the Holy Spirit is doing a work.  It is very exciting.

A homemade lunch of rice, beef stew, chapatis, and bananas was served to all. Ugandan hospitality is impressive!

After a 1:30 lunch, we spoke on communication and then on marital sexuality.  The subject of communication, though difficult, is acceptable, but teaching on sexuality is not really done here.  We tried to be very respectful of that fact, knowing that this would be uncomfortable and uncommon for the couples in attendance to hear teaching on. Pastor Wilberforce felt it was very important to include in the day . . . and felt we would be better candidates to speak on it than he.  :)  We were so thankful that the Holy Spirit seemed to massage the message in a way that was not offensive, but rather welcomed.  There was a receptivity, almost a longing to hear a Biblical position on sexuality.  The distortions are as great here as they are in the States and truth is always freeing.  We felt very met by God.

The youngest among us: a 2 week old baby in the center. Impressive that parents of such young babies would join us for the day!

Throughout the day, numerous great questions were voiced, reminding us of the complexities of living in this culture.  One woman described her situation as having been divorced by her husband (with the support of his clan) after becoming a Christian.   He then took several more wives, but "all of them went sour" so he asked her to come back to him, without Jesus.  She asked if it was wrong to not go back with him; if she was dishonoring God by refusing his demands.  

There was a very sweet spirit in the place.  We stressed again that we were not bringing them a word from western culture, but from God's Word, which is bound by no culture.  We challenged them to be in His Word to learn how to become more Christ-like in their marriages. They expressed deep gratitude for the day, which ended at 4:30.

At the end of the day, Pastor Wilberforce and Sarah and Derek and Julie joined us in thanking the Lord for meeting us.

Imagine this: our long time friends, Jan and HA Northington, came to the marriage conference! They have been in Uganda for almost 3 weeks serving in different places, and to our delight, they were able to join us for the day.

So thank you for standing with us.  Thank you for praying for us.  Thank you for believing in what we're doing and helping to make it happen.

Tomorrow Paul will preach at Pearl Haven and then early Monday morning we'll be off on our Pastors Couples Marriage Retreat.  Julie and I made the goodie bags tonight and are having so much delight in trying to make this extra special for them.  Please continue praying for each of the couples as they have this "first ever" type of experience.

Thankfully Lisa returned to USA safely this morning and is spending sweet time with Uncle David and Aunt Laura before returning to her home in Harrisonburg tomorrow.  

It's time to hit the hay.  We are so thankful for health and stamina these days, especially in the very warm weather.  We're having wonderful fellowship with Derek and Julie and are so grateful to be able to partner with them in such practical ways.

Feeling very, very blessed-

Virginia (and Paul)

After all was said and done, we went for a walk with Derek and Julie which was the perfect ending of the day.  Breathing fresh air, moving our legs, and enjoying the beauty of Wanale (mountain in the background) was refreshing and renewing.

Uganda Update #1

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Greetings to all from Entebbe!

We left Boston's Logan Airport Monday, March 4, at 2 pm, not quite 24 hours after wrapping up our wonderful marriage conference in Newport, Rhode Island.  Fueled by prayers and many words of encouragement, we had great travel from Boston to Newark to Brussels, to Entebbe—and 30 hours after we left our home in Bedford, we landed in Entebbe, Uganda at 11 pm local time.  What a delight to be welcomed by Derek, Julie, and Lisa.

After doing some errands Wednesday morning, we drove north about 2 hours to Luwera, where New Hope Ministries is located. This incredible ministry was founded in 1986 by Jay and Vicky Dangers, who had a vision for providing a family experience to orphans.  For over 25 years now, they have faithfully served as their vision has evolved and expanded, all the while raising their own six children.  We have known the Dangers our whole adult life and had long heard of their ministry, so it was thrilling to get to see it first hand.  

The Dangers:  son Jeremiah, daughter Julia, Vicky, and Jay holding granddaughter Elizabeth, and Jenny, Elizabeth's adopted mom.

  

We spent all of today touring their grounds and seeing the fruit of their labors.  It was very, very inspiring.  We're hoping there will be opportunities to partner with them in the future.

Derek and Julie were also delighted to connect with New Hope and see many possibilities of collaborating with them in Uganda.  Especially meaningful to them was visiting the classroom of special needs children they're caring for at New Hope, and then getting to follow-up on a little boy who lives at New Hope and was operated on at their hospital last September. How gratifying to see this little guy doing so well after having a brain tumor removed by the CURE surgeons.  

The Special Needs class at New Hope praying together.

Derek and Julie were thrilled to see Israel who was operated on by their CURE staff in September to remove a brain tumor.  He is doing well, praise the Lord!

We drove back to Entebbe late afternoon and are now preparing to speak to a group of pastors from Kampala tomorrow morning.  We'll then drive to Mbale (about a 4 hour drive) and speak all day Saturday for a marriage conference hosted by Pearl Haven Church.  

Please pray for both of these events.  As always, we are so aware of the obstacles before us culturally, linguistically, and spiritually.  We are grateful to know we have partners around the world praying for us.

Pray also for Lisa who flies home tomorrow.  It will not be a happy farewell.  :(

Sending our love—

Virginia

------------------------------

Friday, March 8, 2013

Mbale, UGANDA

Dear All,

Today has been very, very full . . . and very, very good.  

Our day started very early as we were speaking on the other side of Kampala, and meeting Pastor Wilberforce at 8:45 am.  So after a great breakfast, complete with African tea, we tearfully said good-bye to Lisa, who flew out later in the day, and off we went to minister to a group of local pastors.

Very early Friday morning, we said good-bye to Lisa prior to leaving for our ministry event that morning.

We were so warmly welcomed and well received.  Many of them came up afterwards, asking us to return to teach their extended network of pastors on Biblical design for marriage and family.  They are dealing with the fallout of western culture's influence on their culture.  "Divorce is becoming more common in Uganda because our people see it happening in western culture."  A very sad commentary, for sure.

We loved our time with this band of faithful warriors and will gladly partner with them in the future as the Lord wills.

Paul and Pastor Wilberforce standing on the church grounds prior to our teaching session.

Richard and Rianna lead a marriage ministry at their church and were thrilled at the prospect of partnering.

Derek and Julie picked us up mid-afternoon, and after getting some provisions at the market, we made the 4-hour trip back to Mbale in 5 hours due to a horrific rain and lightening storm which struck not long after we left Jinja.  We were so thankful for Derek's expert skills in navigation on a very dark, stormy night, and were all so thankful to get to their home around 8 pm, safe and exhausted.

We stopped for a quick lunch at "Ozzies" in Jinja and had a few moments with Jude, the owner and operator of the cafe.

Please pray for us tomorrow as we'll speak at an all-day marriage conference for Pearl Haven Christian Center.  We are so honored to continue partnering with Pastor Wilberforce and Sarah, and covet your prayers that God will speak through us. We'll repeat some of what we did in September, but most of our presentation will be different material.

Paul will be preaching on Sunday at Pearl Haven, and then Monday thru Wednesday we'll be speaking for their first Pastors’ Marriage Retreat, sponsored by Home Improvement Ministries.  We are very grateful for the response from so many at the H.I.M. Marriage Conference at the Viking in Newport, Rhode Island, last weekend.  Many of you both assured us of your prayers and financially contributed.  More than enough was given to underwrite the retreat, and the extra funds will be used for contributing materials and other expenses associated with our ministry here.  Thank you!!!

We're so thankful for your interest in what we're doing and for your prayers that God will move in the hearts of those who attend, as we deal with the complex issues facing believers in Uganda.

Sending love from Mbale—

Virginia

Why do we have a home any more???

Paul’s longstanding proposal to sell our house and live in a hotel or RV made some sense this month as we touched down for a mere 24 hours after driving up from Harrisonburg, VA, on Feb. 6th, and flying out to California very early on the 8th.  And while we were home, we did 10 hours of counseling.  The non-stop flight to San Francisco was perfect for trying to fill our sleep deficit—which was good, because we hit the road running once we landed at SFO.  After a quick lunch with John and Marilyn Nugent, we drove the rental car up to Santa Rosa to speak for the Redwood Covenant Church's marriage conference.  Organized largely by Carter and Tracey Welch, long time H.I.M. partners, the conference was held in a beautiful community center and attended by many eager couples.  We're usually surprised to find at least a couple or two attending a conference who we've known from years gone by, and this was no exception.  Monica Ramsey served at CBS about 30 years ago and we hadn't seen her since.  It is SO encouraging to reconnect with people decades later and see how their ongoing commitment to the Lord has grown.  That was a definite highlight of the weekend.

We were so thankful the conference went well, and also thankful that we got to visit Garth and Rosemary Dougan, who live in Santa Rosa.  How we love these two!  Garth celebrated his 90th birthday last October, and he seemed younger than he did at 89.  Thankfully his health is good and he and Rosemary are registered to attend family camp this summer.  Yay!!!  Before leaving Santa Rosa,  we joined all five Welches for dinner and enjoyed catching up with each of them.

Garth and Rosemary Dougan stand by a photo taken of them about 67 years ago.  :) How sweet is this??

We drove to Sacramento that night (2 hours away) and had a happy reunion with Gabe, Kari, and Brandon.  These were bittersweet days as we helped them pack up for their move to Santa Clarita the next Tuesday.  Sacramento has been the only home Kari has had since graduating from college, and it's been Gabe's home his whole life.  Pulling up deep roots isn't easy, but fortunately they've been equipped with "wings to fly" to their new home 5 hours south.  They have no doubt that God is directing this move and as I write, they've completed two weeks on their new church staff at Grace Baptist Church—and they're loving it.

Monday night we had the privilege of speaking to a dinner event for Bayside staff and their spouses who had been married five (or so) years or less.  Carol Johnston and Sally Shaull set a beautiful "restaurant-esque" evening in the Johnston home and served a fabulous meal.  We spoke on challenges to marriage because of ministry and thoroughly enjoyed working with Ray and Carol, the co-hosts and interviewers.  Evenings like that are among our favorites.

Gabe, Kari, and Brandon left Granite Bay on Tuesday, and the next night we spoke at the second "Couples' Date Night" at Bayside Church.  Happily lacking in the drama which accompanied our first date night the previous month (see our blog post about that), we got to the church early and loved giving the evening presentation on temperaments in marriage.  It was fun and well-received and we heard from many who felt it was very helpful.

Over 900 attended the second-in-the-series Couples Date Night at Bayside Church of Granite Bay.

Making sure that no moss would grow under our feet, we hopped a flight first thing Thursday morning to Burbank, California, to speak for a Valentine's event in Yorba Linda (Orange County area). The date night was co-hosted by The Rock Church and Calvary Community Church of Brea, and it was also held in a community center.  It was beautifully done and we felt honored to be there.  We spoke following dessert, transitioning it from a romantic Valentine's dinner to a date-with-a-purpose.  We loved working with Brent and Melissa Slezak on this event.  They again did a great job (this is the third year in a row we've partnered with them), but even more, the vitality of their relationship is inspiring and we always enjoy being with them.

With Brent and Melissa Slezak . . . love these guys!

It's pretty cool that before Gabe took the job at Grace Baptist, we were booked to do a marriage conference for that church . . . that weekend.  God is full of delightful surprises!  We felt so blessed to get to stay with them in their "new temporary" home that weekend, and that they got to attend the marriage conference.  Very cool.  

Any chance we get to partner with David Hegg, we grab.  As the senior pastor of Grace Baptist, David is committed to healthy marriages as well as to accurate Biblical teaching.  He and Cherylyn attended the conference (it’s not always a given that the senior pastor will be present at such events) and we were reminded of how important it is for the leadership of a church to buy-in to such a conference.  We were impressed with how interactive the attendees were.  They were making it worth their time.

David and Cheylyn Hegg and Gabe, Kari, and Brandon, on staff at Grace Baptist Church in Santa Clarita, CA

The next few days were spent helping Gabe and Kari settle in to their temporary housing, exploring the area with them, and stocking the fridge.  It was such a gift to have some days with them during their big transition.  We also made a quick day trip to San Diego to visit my parents.  My mom had just been diagnosed with "angio sarcoma," a fast growing malignant cancer spawned by the radiation used to treat her breast cancer seven years earlier.  Thankfully, a CT scan confirmed that it had not metastasized and a lumpectomy days later was all that was needed.  We are all feeling very blessed.  

Brandon visits Sea World in San Diego while visiting his Great Grammie. The move south has some pretty sweet perks!

We flew home on Tuesday, counseled on Wednesday, had meetings all day Thursday, Paul spoke to a singles group at Tremont Temple Thursday night, and Friday we drove to Glens Falls, New York, to do a second "annual" marriage conference for Pine Knolls Alliance Church.  (It's becoming clearer to me why I feel like we haven't been home.)

Before the conference started Friday night, we spoke for lunch for local pastors, hosted by PKAC.  Senior pastor Steve VanDixhorn has a deep commitment to networking with other local churches and this event was an affirmation of that.  We had a blast interfacing with a wonderful group of pastors "in the trenches," and we encouraged them to not let the demands of ministry rob their marriages.  

The conference launched that night and continued the whole next day (until 4 pm) and we felt God met us profoundly.  We were privileged to hear from several who attended last year's conference and whose marriages had been transformed, and we heard from many this year who left feeling much more hopeful that they had when they arrived.  It was evident that God was at work.

Our plans to have dinner with Richard and Amy Dean (Amy coordinated the whole conference again) and Steve and Ann-Marie VanDixhorn were scrapped due to threatening weather, so we ended up driving home that night and we were glad we did.  The storm did come and it would've been very hard to have made it home Sunday reasonably.  We did hate to miss the evening and church at PKAC on Sunday, but we couldn't afford to get stranded.

With Richard and Amy Dean at the end of the Pine Knolls Alliance Church marriage conference. Amy worked tirelessly to make this happen.

That also bought us an extra day at home.  :)  That was good.  We made good progress packing trunks for Uganda and procuring supplies for the trip on Sunday and Monday, which was really good, because we counseled on Tuesday, and then picked up our marriage conference speakers (David and Carrie Tebay) late afternoon.  We spent the evening with them, introducing them to Legal Seafoods, and left them at a hotel with our car because we flew to Orlando on Wednesday, the 20th.  

The Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO) conference began that night, with Lecrae kicking it off.  He is good, and I'm not a big rap fan.  We had so much fun reconnecting with ex-Pats and others we've developed relationships with through the 13 years we've been going to PAO.  We presented at a workshop on Thursday, hung out with couples, and squeezed everything we could out of the day, because at 4 am Friday, we left the hotel to catch our flight back to Boston.  

Admittedly, most of our crazy schedule is due to our planning, but in this case, the PAO conference was moved a week later than it's "always" been, but not until long after the rest of our winter/spring was mapped out.  Hence, we missed more than half of their conference and had to shoehorn in the day we were able to be there.  We so believe in the work of PAO it was worth it.

God had another big surprise for us on that trip.  On our flight from Newark to Orlando, our across the aisle mate was Gail MacDonald, my long time mentor and friend.  :)  It felt like pure gift to be able to catch up with her so unexpectedly.  Her husband Gordon was also on the flight, but they only got one "upgrade" and he kindly gave it to her.  It was great to see him as well.  

We left the PAO conference to return to Boston in time to launch our H.I.M. annual marriage conference held at the Viking Hotel in Newport, Rhode Island.  The conference was sold out with 130 couples, which was exciting, and we were fully energized in spite of our tiredness by the presence of the Lord.  There were so many highlights!  Thirty-two of the couples attending had been married 6 years or less - and most of them were graduates of Engagement Matters.  Very exciting.  About a third of the couples were new to H.I.M. as they attended their first H.I.M. event.  David and Carrie Tebay, from Calvary Community Church of Brea in California, were the plenary session speakers and were well received as they communicated in real, practical ways how to live a gospel-driven marriage.  Several new workshops were among the seven offered twice during the weekend, and very popular was Christopher and Dorothy Greco's workshop dealing with forgiveness.  Also well received was a new workshop Paul and I did on "How to Help Friends in Marital Crisis"—more than 60 chose to attend, and the 1 hr 15 mins time period seemed way too short.

Dave and Carrie Tebay were the main session speakers at the Newport Marriage Retreat.

Christopher and Dorothy Greco led an excellent workshop on forgiveness.

Danny and Rayna Oertli led worship again and were joined by another guitarist, Kevin Hanly, and a percussionist, Erik Kerr.  Many will remember Erik and Marlene from Grace Chapel in the 90's and beyond—both incredibly talented musicians who led worship at Grace Chapel's night service for years.  It was great to reconnect with them, to have their talent on the stage and their friendship off the stage.  Together they made a great band, which was good for the larger crowd in the larger room. 

Danny and Rayna Oertli, together with Kevin Hanly and Erik Kerr, led worship.

Kelly Plosker took on the task of creating an environment for the conference and creatively transformed an already beautiful ballroom into a warm embrace to all who entered.  Simple but elegant.  That's what Kelly does.  Lovely centerpieces.  Sweet goodie bags.  A welcoming registration table.  It's amazing how the little things, like adorable tags on the bags of Paul's "World Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies", make such a difference in ambience.  She thought of everything.

Sue Martis and Barbara Steele, H.I.M. assistants, both put copious amounts of time into preparing for this conference and we obviously couldn't have done it without them.  It was a great gift to us to be able to cruise in from the PAO conference, after having been in town only six days since Feb. 1 (and three of those were counseling days) to a well prepared for conference of our own.  We are so blessed to have such an amazing team around us, with those two at the helm.

Part of the team behind the H.I.M. marriage conference, after all was said and done.  Great group!

With the Uganda trip so much on our mind due to our departure the day after the conference, we shared with the conferees the agenda for our 12-day ministry tour, highlighting the H.I.M.-sponsored and underwritten Pastors’ Retreat which will be held in Ginja March 11-13.  We were deeply touched by their response, both in assurances of prayer and in financial partnering, and leave for this trip feeling very supported.

Most gratifying to us were the many couples at the conference who affirm that the health of their marriage has been significantly and positively impacted  by the work of H.I.M.  Numerous couples there attributed their intact marriage to the hand of God working through H.I.M.  It was truly humbling to hear story upon story of God using the well-meaning but meager offerings of this fledgling organization to affect marriages, families, and eternity.   

We're all too aware that we can't change lives, but He can.  And in ways we'll never fully understand, He allows us to have some small role in that.  What a privilege to be on His team, helping to make a difference . . . one marriage at a time.

Now, about that RV idea . . . It's gaining no traction with me.  But many more months like this, and I might be more open to it.  

Oops: looks like we'll only be home 5 days in March.  Yikes!

All over the map

After getting Derek and Julie off to Uganda on January 14 and counseling all day the 15th, we took flight from Boston early the 16th for a speaking engagement that evening at Bayside Church of Granite Bay, California.  This view from the window of the plane on the tarmac at Logan became quite familiar after an unexpected early arrival of snow paralyzed the airport.  Three hours after scheduled take-off, two trips to the end of the runway, and two de-icings later, we were on our way to Denver, knowing we had missed our connecting fight to Sacramento and praying there would be a way to "get us to the church on time."

For the first time in the ten years we've been on the road with H.I.M., we almost missed a speaking engagement.  The best we could do from Denver was to fly into San Francisco, arriving at 4:23 pm, and we were to be at Bayside at 6:30 for sound check in preparation for a 7 pm start of the "date night."  Our talk was to begin at 7:30.  

Now if you know anything about traffic out of San Francisco in the late afternoon, you know we didn't have a hope or a prayer of this happening.  But thanks to the herculean efforts of daughter Kari and John and Marilyn Nugent, we fashioned a "this will work if everything goes perfectly" plan of catching a BART train (leaving behind our luggage), taking it to the Richmond Station, where John would be waiting in an escape vehicle to drive us to Granite Bay.  Amazingly, we arrived at Bayside at 7:37 pm, pulled on speaking clothes selected and purchased by our personal shopper Kari, and were speaking at 7:45.  Whew!!!  That was a close one—and it never could have had that happy ending without the Nugents and the Garcias.  We are so grateful for having such qualified accomplices.  We were also so grateful for the gracious, understanding Bayside staff who were ready to fill in for us if needed and who flexed with the moving schedule. 

Wed., Jan. 16: snow delayed us in Boston.

Fortunately, the talk went really well, and, as is always true of our Bayside events, we were warmly and enthusiastically received.  By the time it was over, we were wiped out, but so so thankful.

Long after the crowd had dispersed, we celebrated for a moment with these Bayside staff families and gave thanks for a great date night.

To catch our breath, retrieve our luggage, and hang with our dear friends John and Marilyn Nugent, we drove with them to San Francisco the following day along with Gabe, Kari, and Brandon.  It was a fun-from-beginning-to-end day as we played on play grounds, walked the city, and ate in Chinatown.  The spring-like day was perfect for enjoying the great outdoors, and after the crazy day of travel we'd had the day before, it was just what the doctor ordered.

Not sure who enjoyed the playground more: Brandon—or John, Paul, and Marilyn, who engaged in a very competitive game of spin the hula-hoops.  I can tell you who was more entertaining.  :)

A great dinner in Chinatown was a yummy way to end the day.

Our days with Garcias were so sweet, especially knowing that those days are "numbered" in Sacramento as they prepare to move to their new ministry assignment in Santa Clarita, CA, on Feb. 12.  We walked to the park every day, visited some favorite eateries, helped with the moving projects, and enjoyed every minute we had with Brandon.  Sunday was the big football game—the AFC and NFC title games.  Very thankful that we weren't playing each others teams (Gabe is a lifelong Niners' fan), we fully expected that at day's end, we'd call a truce and part ways in anticipation of a Patriot-49'er Super Bowl.

Well....we all know how that went down.  Pretty sad ending for our boys in red, silver, and blue...and especially heartbreaking for us since we have such deep hearts for the 14 guys who came regularly to the couples' study this fall.  Fortunately, both of our teams didn't lose and we were really happy for Gabe.  We were able to brainwash Brandon, however, and whenever he sees us on FaceTime (Apple's version of Skype), his first words are "GO PATS!!!"  Pretty smart little guy, eh???

Getting ready for the play-off games . . .

Monday night of MLK Day, I spoke for a Bayside staff women's gathering hosted by Carol Johnston and Sally Shaull.  It was a Q and A evening and I loved every minute of it.  Great questions about relationships, discipleship, priorities, in-laws, etc., made for rich conversation and I was truly honored to be part of this event.

Bayside staff women gathered for an informal discipling evening at the Shaulls’ home, led by Carol Johnston.  Great time.

Off to Colorado we flew Tuesday, the 22nd, and were thankfully unhampered by weather.  In fact, we landed in 60-degree weather, causing us to re-check the calendar to make sure we had the right date!  We spent Wednesday at Focus on the Family, and were interviewed for a variety of their programs.  Our first 2.5 hours were spent with Jim Daly and John Fuller, recording a couple of days of radio shows on "Raising Kids with Convictions."  We'll keep you posted re: the air dates, but they thought the end of May would likely be the time frame.  

We loved every minute of our time with these two anointed men.  We "clicked" immediately (bantering about football initially) and discovered how deeply our hearts were in sync and resonated with a shared passion for families and marriages.  The radio show recording was very natural and "easy" and we knew we were being prayed for by those who knew where we were.  

Our next stop was the "Boundless" studio, where we were interviewed by Lisa Anderson, who directs this singles ministry arm of Focus.  We talked with her about the role of parents in helping their young adult children navigate relationship issues, especially regarding marriage, and we really enjoyed sharing on a topic we're so passionate about.  That's supposed to air on Valentine's Day, so check out the Focus on the Family website and follow the prompts for Boundless broadcasts.

Our last stop was an interview with Roy Baldwin, who is directing a new Focus program for "Dads and Daughters."  We love the idea of this initiative and were honored to be in on the ground floor.  Roy talked to us about possibly helping them develop some curriculum for young parents.  We said "Twist our arms."  :)  At the end of five hours in various studios, we left feeling very, very met by God and are praying that He will use our words to carry His words where needed.

John Fuller and Jim Daly spent a couple of hours interviewing us for some upcoming Focus on the Family radio broadcasts.  What an honor and a privilege!

We spent the evening with our sweet niece, Kristi Rottschafer Daggett and her family, catching up over Little Caesars pizza and enjoying their three precious children, and then we crashed.  Uncharacteristically, we stayed another night at the hotel in Colorado Springs so we could "sabbath" on Thursday, in anticipation of a very full weekend of ministry in Denver.  It was a great decision.  We spent several hours hiking around the "Garden of the Gods" on a spectacularly beautifully day and felt quite refreshed as we drove to the Oertli B and B in Parker (a suburb of Denver) that evening.

Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs . . . we hiked 7 miles and didn't tire of the unique and beautiful scenery.

We love the Oertlis.  It's just energizing to be with them, and they always make us feel so loved.  They're easy.  Comfortable.  Fun.  Laugher bounces off the walls.  Tulo (the dog) chases balls.  Maggie digs for dinosaur bones.  Gracie gives up her room.  Jack's kindness and unpretentiousness touches us.  Love them!

It was a gift from God that our first days in Parker intersected with our dear friends Dave and June Bullock's last days in Parker, so we seized the opportunity and spent several hours over brunch catching up with one another.  What a treat.

We picked up with long-time friends Dave and June Bullock, as though no time had elapsed since our last visit.

Mission Hills Church hosted “Spark” marriage conference that weekend at a local hotel and it didn't take us long to fall in love with this vibrant, open congregation.  It was easy to see why after spending some time with their lead pastor, Mike Romberger, and his wife Jane.  We were very impressed that Mike and Jane attended the conference and actively engaged in being full participants.  We were blessed to hear their heart for their congregation and to see the fruit of their vision for the church.  It is a thriving, growing, relevant ministry that God is using in big ways in Denver.  

360 attended the Mission Hills Marriage Conference in Denver the weekend of Jan 25-26.

The team behind the Mission Hills Conference did a great job of putting it together and pulling it off.

The Mission Hills conference ended mid-afternoon, and then we headed to Front Range Christian School that evening to speak on parenting teens.  We always love partnering with Dave and Kathleen Sherman, who have worked tirelessly at Front Range through the years, and they once again did a great job of setting up the evening.  They were as surprised as anyone that their hoped-for crowd of about 20 grew to almost 100, and an interactive evening followed. We shared a late night dinner with Dave and Kathleen, along with their newly-engaged daughter, Kaylee, and her fiancé, Jake.  Kaylee and Jake are refreshing: they have been committed to honoring God throughout their relationship and stand out because of the wisdom and depth they have at their age.  Both are in seminary now and will be married in August.  It was a delightful evening all around.

Our last ministry stop in Colorado prior to flying home was held in the home of ex-Patriot Tom Ashworth and his wife, Julie.  Tom and Julie were part of the couples study during the years Tom was a Patriot, and they made some pretty pivotal decisions to follow Christ during that study.  It's given us such great joy to watch them grow in the Lord through the years.  They invited us to speak on marriage to their small group on Sunday night, Jan. 27th, and in that intimate gathering, we were impressed with the honesty of discussion and sharing.  We were also so impressed with Tom and Julie's hospitality as they opened their home to 16 adults and about 32 kids (or so it seemed!) without flinching.  "This is why we have this home," Julie shared. Love her heart!

Tom and Julie's small group gathered to talk about marriage.

Tom and Julie Ashworth are faithfully seeking and proclaiming Christ in the Castle Rock area of Colorado.

So after five varied and productive days in Colorado, we flew back to Boston Monday morning.  Amazingly, snow began falling as we returned and we were thrilled to have winter welcoming us home.  Honestly.  :)  Especially since it didn't jeopardize getting to the church on time.

Counseling, an H.I.M. Board Meeting, and multiple small gatherings filled the next few days before we took off again, this time driving.  We were slated to speak at the Mennonite and Brethren Marriage Encounter banquet on Saturday, Feb. 2, and though we were honored by the invitation, we really had no idea of what to expect.  We were very surprised to find out shortly before the event that 550 would be in attendance!  The evening was a great affirmation of the commitment of the group to honor and encourage marriages.  We were very impressed with both the breadth and depth of this event.  Snow started falling about 2 hours before the start time of the banquet, and amazingly had little effect on the turn out.  Many conversations at the end of the evening indicated that God was at work in hearts.  One couple shared with me that their 30-year marriage had almost gone down in the previous year because he had neglected his wife as he pursued the expansion of his business, and she had neglected him as she had poured herself into the children—but by God's grace, they were working to save their marriage.  He said that the message that evening had spoken directly into his heart and he was more committed than ever to loving his wife well.  Praise God!

Don and Twila Sauder organized the Mennonite and Brethren Marriage Encounter banquet and did a great job.

The banquet for over 550 was held at Yoder's Restaurant in Lancaster, PA.

Have car, will travel.  After the banquet, in the snow, we continued south, driving to Harrisonburg, VA, in order to preach at the New Beginnings Church Sunday morning.  It's a long story why we said yes to this invitation, given the timing and the distance between the Saturday night event and this early Sunday morning event, but we knew it was right, so we did it.  We were very thankful to arrive safely at Lisa's condo at 2 am, and caught a few zzz's before filling the pulpit at New Beginnings.  

What a great church!  Pastor Tim has a very missional view towards his community and is committed to being a beacon of  hope in that area.  The conversations we had with many after the service confirmed that people feel very welcomed and accepted in that body.  We so appreciated the opportunity to partner with them.

Monday night we spoke at the JMU FCA Huddle on the topic of relationships. We love to challenge college students to think differently about preparing for marriage that most are accustomed to, and after speaking to the mixed group for the first half of the meeting, the guys went off with Paul and the women stayed with me to discuss issues in a single-gender setting.  I can't speak for what happened in the men's group, but I was very impressed with the interaction with the women.  The distorted messages of the culture were examined through the lens of scripture and many seemed to "get it."  It was a very energizing evening.

A shot from the back of the room during the FCA huddle as we spoke on relationships.

The "girls only" segment of the evening was very interactive and fruitful.

We hated to see our time in Harrisonburg come to end as it meant saying good-bye to Lisa, but with hearts full of gratitude for our great days together, we did just that.  Our long drive home was broken up by a stop in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to spend some time with our life-long friend, Barbara Boyd.  "Barbie," an IVCF colleague and close personal friend of Paul's parents, is approaching her 90th birthday and she is remarkable.  She is a saint.  Words of praise are continually on her lips.  She loves Jesus.  She loves His word.  It is her lifeline, her bread of life.  It's always a spiritual experience to spend time with Barbie, and each time we visit her we leave feeling humbled to have been in the presence of one so deeply in love with Christ.  

At the end of so many ministry opportunities in so many places all over the map: from CA to CO to PA to VA and with MA sprinkled in the midst, time with Barbie was the perfect "ending" to this run of days.  Our short visit with her was renewing, delightful, and challenging all at the same time.  We left wanting to be more fully surrendered to Him.  

How blessed we are to have Barbie in our lives.

Paul and Barbara Boyd enjoy reminiscing about the years Barbara lived with the Friesen family back in the late 50's/early 60's.

New Year's . . . Really? (Part 2)

December 14 ushered in eight of the best days of 2012.  Kari, Gabe, and Brandon flew from California, Lisa from Virginia,  Derek and Julie from Uganda, and Paul and me from Massachusetts, all gathering in Orlando for an early Christmas reunion.  From Orlando, we drove to Vero Beach, where we enjoyed the remote hospitality of Doug and Julie Macrae who loaned us their on-the-beach condo for the week.  The days which unfolded were "as good as it gets" and we all felt so, so blessed.  Walks on the beach, playing in the pool, eating great meals, hanging out in jammies from dinner on, playing some competitive "Nickel," and our favorite pastime of all: watching Brandon, playing with Brandon, laughing at Brandon, being amazed by Brandon . . . all combined to make a most memorable gathering.  

At 28 months, Brandon was pretty much all we needed for entertainment.

Daily walks on the beach were therapeutic on all levels.

Papa and Brandon had fun in the pool . . . especially when Papa was a whale.

I made sure our time together was well-documented photographically, and this beach photo-shoot was a highlight.

So was this one—and I am grateful for sons-in-laws who willingly participated in both wearing the jammies I made AND being seen in public in them.  :)  Great guys!!

We were all so grateful for this gift of relaxation, rest, and time of reconnection with each other.  Disconnection from all of our ministry commitments was just what we needed.   

We left Vero Friday Dec. 21, to go from our quiet, secluded getaway to one of the busiest places on earth . . . Disney World!  Another gift to our family: dear friends from California (who are also Disneyland employees) gave us passes to "The Happiest Place on Earth" and we had a blast experiencing the Magic Kingdom through the eyes of a 2-year-old.  It was a first for all but Paul and me to visit Disney World and we had a great time.  The only real surprise was the weather, which registered 40 degrees at 8 a.m. Dec. 22.  The plus side of that was that only the hearty ventured out, so the crowds were smaller than expected during the morning.  :)  It was the exclamation point on the end of a great family time.

Brandon was thrilled to meet Goofy in person—and Gabe was thrilled that Brandon was thrilled.

We made it til 7 p.m. before throwing in the towel and returning to the condo to get warm.

Dec. 23 we got Garcias on a plane back to California and Johnsons off to Oklahoma, each to spend Christmas with their "other" families.  That left Lisa, Paul, and me in Florida, and after considering many options to launch the celebration of Lisa's upcoming 30th birthday, we took friends up on their offer for us to use their home in Ft. Lauderdale and off we went for another almost-week of sunny, warm weather.

It was another first for us to visit Ft Lauderdale, and we had so much fun exploring this area.  Lots of beach walks, late breakfasts, a dinner cruise on the inter-coastal waterways, and an all-day trip to the Keys filled out our time.  Christmas was different . . . lacking all of the "trappings" and all of the people with whom we usually celebrate, it definitely felt a bit like "Skipping Christmas" but Christmas Eve service at the local Calvary Chapel brought it all into focus.  Paul and I loved having these days with Lisa and have many sweet memories from them.

Paul very creatively fashioned a Christmas tree from a limb he found in the trash . . . and then decorated himself with paper cut-outs.  We were impressed!!

On our Christmas day walk, we came across this Sandman Santa and hijacked it for a photo.  :)

We were quite entertained by feeding the tarpon in Islamorada at “Buddy’s.”  Another first.

We packed our warm weather clothes and after-Christmas-sales finds and flew back to New England on Saturday, Dec. 29, just in time for our first big winter storm in a long time.  We felt so fortunate!  Honestly!  We're among the few who actually love it when the white stuff falls and it was a "cold" warm welcome back home.

Paul was honored to do the chapel for the Miami Dolphin players that night and then fought his way home in the raging storm.  We were so thankful when he crawled in around midnight, safe and sound.

Off to Gillette Stadium we went for the Pats’ final regular-season game in which we routed the Dolphins.  We had such a great time connecting with the many couples who have faithfully been a part of the Couples Study all season, and the highlight for us was getting to introduce Lisa to them.  Since they had all met Julie two weeks earlier at the Christmas party, we heard many, “Your girls look SO much alike!”  A very fun time was had by all.

What a great time we had at the final Pats game! We were thankfully and surprisingly warm in spite of temps in the 20’s.

We welcomed in the New Year by spending some time in Boston enjoying First Night features, including the 7 p.m. firework display, which was fabulous.  On to join with a number of family camp families for a family-fun new years party and home before the ball dropped.  A great way to welcome the new year.

Lisa and Paul on the Boston Common early on New Year’s Eve.

Derek and Julie rejoined us late on the 2nd, overlapping with Lisa for her final days in Boston, and our days were filled with exploring the delights of Boston, hanging out with friends, meeting up with our dear Helen in Stockbridge, and enjoying being together.  We were all sad to send Lisa off on Sunday, the 6th, back to her life and world in Harrisonburg, VA.

This ice sculpture provided a suitable backdrop for us and our bags.

A lovely lunch at the Red Lion Inn with Helen was a highlight of our day with her, though shopping at the Lee Outlets was a close second.

Another highlight of these days was having Dave and Kim Noble, directors of Campus by the Sea, live with us for a week while they visited their children who live in downtown Boston.  We had many leisurely breakfasts together and a few evenings, affording us opportunities to get to know one another in ways that our busy shared weeks at CBS preclude.  We loved it and we love them.

This slightly distorted photo was the best we could do with the self-timer, but we're all glad to have captured a frame of our time together with Kim and Dave Noble.

The highlight of this young new year was celebrating Lisa's 30th birthday last weekend.  It was a full-on surprise, commencing with Derek and Julie ringing her door bell “out of the blue” on Thursday evening, Jan 9th.  Kari, Paul, and I were hiding in the van we had driven down from Boston (via Lemoyne, PA, where Derek and Julie had done some CURE business at headquarters) and Lisa was close to "heart attack" surprise when she opened the van and found us.  :)   Off to dinner we went, taking with us Lisa's wonderful roommate, Rachel, who was our right-hand-gal in setting up Lisa's birthday weekend.  No one could stop smiling.

Dinner at “Dave's Restaurant” with Lisa and her housemate Rachel. Let the party begin!!

The next part of the surprise was Friday night, and 30 of Lisa’s closest friends and family pulled it off.  A delicious Mexican feast was enjoyed by all, but the highlight was hearing tributes to Lisa.  Many brought “thirty” of something that made them think of Lisa and presented them to her with an explanation of the symbolism.  It was deeply moving to hear how God has used Lisa in the lives of these friends, and the themes about her life were consistent: her love for Christ, for people, for serving, for fun, and for chocolate.  It was one of those “Could this have been any better?” evenings and we were so, so thankful.  

Lisa’s surprise party was a blast and she was duly honored by all of these very-important-to-her people.

The fam—for one last photo before we all disperse.

We also gave Lisa a book of affirmation, compiled and produced by Kari and contributed to by many.  It was a beautiful shout-out to a remarkable young woman.  I know we’re biased, at least a bit, but we are so very proud of who Lisa is and we're quite humbled to be her parents.  She reflects the amazing love of her first love, the Lord Jesus Christ, and lives so winsomely for Him.  Her selflessness and her servant-heartedness has touched all of those around her and she is loved, esteemed, and cherished.  Many of her friends are moving in the direction of Christ because of her.  How easy it is to celebrate her life!

So, that’s how we've brought in the new year.  It’s been such a sweet run of days.  We’re now up to speed—we’ve hung the 2013 calendars—and accepted the fact that 2013 is underway.  

By God’s grace, we stand as a family, facing the new year, with confidence and hope vested in Him and Him alone.

New Year's . . . Really? (Part 1)

Does anyone else feel like New Year's Day should be about now—and that though the calendar already says January 16, 2013, it feels like that's impossible?

That's where I am.  We have just finished a full-to-overflowing month, filled with memorable family moments, rest, rejuvenation, and renewal.  "The End" to our family reunion was written Monday night as we bid farewell to Derek and Julie and sent them back to Uganda.  Let the New Year begin!  

So, after a month of not needing to know exactly what day it was very often, we're back at it.  An early morning trip to Logan and we're off to California and Colorado for a 12-day ministry tour.  The New Year is rolling.

But first, I need to wrap up 2012.  Picking up just after Thanksgiving,  I had an important lunch with my longtime mentor and friend, Gail MacDonald.  It's impossible to express what it means to me to have Gail continuing to invest in my life, which she's faithfully done for 28 years.  I've learned so much from her, both formally and informally, and her life lived for Christ has hugely influenced mine.  I will be forever grateful that Gail continues to carve out time in her very busy schedule for me.

Lunch with Gail MacDonald at the Bedford House in NH, belatedly celebrating my birthday and prematurely celebrating hers!

We welcomed in December with a half-day H.I.M.-sponsored conference, "The Church Family and Your Family."  Designed to encourage churches to intentionally build into families and marriages, we were very pleased with the group of around 30 that gathered that morning, representing about 8 local churches.  We were especially impressed by Bethany Gospel Chapel of Swansea, which sent four couples from their leadership.  That's a church that is serious about this very important mission!  The morning was lively with discussion and inspiration, all while sitting in the atrium-like living room of the Macraes' home as snow fell softly outside.  It was a really wonderful way to spend the day!

The group of leaders from Bethany Gospel Chapel who attended “The Church Family and Your Family” conference.

Monday, Dec. 3, we were honored to partner with the Faith EV Free Church of Acton by speaking to their Mom to Mom group.  Lorraine Stobbe extended the invitation and we were so pleased to be a part of that very exciting ministry.  One of the women we spoke to afterwards shared that she had just come to Christ after having been a part of Mom to Mom for several years, and that she was now praying for her husband to embrace Christ.  Very cool.  

The week was filled with counseling, Patriots studies, and getting things done for Christmas.   As I was perusing my iPhoto collection of photos for this blog, I came across this one which seemed very fitting to include.  Our ideas about love and serving can be so lofty at times and seem out of reach, but this photo captures love-in-action.  We "rescued" this destined-for-the-garbage pumpkin from the porch of some dear friends, and Paul, as a gift to me, processed it.  Our freezer now has a good amount of pureed fresh pumpkin, which will be used to make soup, pies, and breads.  It's a win-win-win.  Paul has spoken my love language loud and clear and has been duly appreciated, and many will enjoy the fruit of his labor in various treats from the kitchen.  And the pumpkin has a happier ending than in a landfill.  

The girls asked if he used a chain saw to cut this baby open. He did not.  Just brute strength and a huge karate chop.  :)

We canceled Engagement Matters scheduled Dec. 8-9 due to low enrollment, which opened up the weekend for our annual trip to St. Louis.  We were SO happy to not break tradition with our beloved Williams family.  As usual, our weekend was filled with baking, talking, and catching up, in between and during their normally scheduled school and sports events.  Something new this year was being introduced to "The Duck Dynasty" reality t.v. show . . . and that made the girls "happy, happy, happy."  So many great moments with this precious family; so thankful for this Christ-centered home.

The tradition continues: matching jammies for the family . . . except for Wilson, the dog.

All too quickly the weekend was over and we flew home on Monday, Dec. 10, in time to go to Gillette Stadium with Stacia and Annette Woodhead to watch the Patriots handle the Texans (the first time.)  Annette, the mother of #39 (aka Danny, Woody, etc.), and I had a blast talking shop about marriage and family during commercial breaks.  We share many similar passions, and she and her husband are helping families in Nebraska embrace God's design for them.  The weather was great, the game was a blow-out, and still, it was the conversation with Annette that was the highlight.  It's so very encouraging to see how God is using others to impact our very confused and wounded culture with the good news of the gospel. 

We had a great night at Gillette Stadium with Stacia and Annette Woodhead.  Go Pats!!!

We wrapped up the Patriots Women’s study on Wednesday, December 12, with a cinnamon roll baking workshop.  With 18 women regularly involved in the study this year, I hadn’t really thought of what that meant in terms of dough for this popular annual event.  I now know.  It means A LOT of dough!  I started making the dough at 5 a.m. and drove down to Attleboro at 8 a.m. with 12 batches of dough rising in the trunk of our car.  :)  Thankfully, we had plenty of dough and lots of laughs working with it.

We also wrapped up a wonderful fall study of Every Body Matters by Gary Thomas and had a time of sharing about what the study had meant to each one.  It was evident that God was stirring hearts and drawing us closer to Him through our time, which—cinnamon rolls aside—really is the desire.  I’m so thankful for each of these precious women.  They are really very special. 

A few of the women proudly showcase their handiwork.

Our final women’s study—sweet, sweet group.

It was straight from baking rolls to Logan to pick up Julie and Derek from Uganda!!!  Our dear friend Helen had joined us for a few days to be my right hand girl in all the preparation, baking, wrapping, cleaning, etc., so it was an extra mutual bonus for all parties to reconnect.  Homecomings are usually joyful and this one surely qualified.

These happy smiles are for more than the Dunkin' Donuts coffee Helen bought to welcome these two from Africa!

Later that evening, Paul returned to Logan to pick up Danny Oertli, who had been flown in to do a mini-concert for the Patriots Couples Christmas party Thursday night.  Arriving after midnight, he thought he had landed at the North Pole upon seeing the “elves” hard at work making gingerbread houses.  :)

The after-hours crew making the annual gingerbread houses.

After a full morning of counseling, we finished baking, wrapping, and preparing for the grand finale of the Patriots Couples’ Study, and headed down to Attleboro for a really great night.  Betsy Hasselbeck and Kara Mankins had transformed the Mankins’ dining room into a beautifully decorated room, delicious food had been brought in, and the Ugly Sweater Christmas party began.  (Let me note here that when it had been suggested during the previous study that the party become an “Ugly Christmas Sweater” night, I had NO idea that they were referring to the very sweaters that I’ve worn Christmas after Christmas, never thinking them “ugly.”  I honestly thought they meant something very different, so was I surprised to show up and see what this young generation considers “ugly.”  What a rude awakening!)

Sweaters aside, the evening couldn't have been more delightful.  After laughing over the parade of "ugly sweaters" and eating a fabulous meal,  Danny Oertli did a fabulous concert, highlighted by his original tune written just for that night (in anticipation of the AFC title game between his beloved Broncos and our beloved Pats.  You can hear it here on YouTube:    As we now know, that song will have to wait for another year to go viral, as the Broncos will be watching the Pats and the Ravens in the AFC title game, but we all thoroughly enjoyed Danny's creativity and passion expressed in that song.  Matthew Slater talked about his walk with Christ and Paul wrapped it up with a charge that goes beyond the season.  It was a perfect night and we were very, very thankful for how God had met us through the study this season.

The Ugly Sweater gang

That takes us through Dec. 13 and that’s it for now.

I have to try to figure out how it’s already Jan. 16.

Mixed Metaphors

Though "it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas," I begin this blog, as promised, with a photo of the "Shark from Heaven," in living color.  Please forgive me for mixing my metaphors.  Still it's hard to believe that only 5 weeks have passed since this photo was snapped. Though it is obviously out of step with the season we are now in, I couldn't exactly omit this adorable photo of Brandon and his California grandparents enjoying his $1.41 shark costume (read the previous blog post for the back story).  Pretty cute shark, yes?

Grandpa Dan and Grandma Debbie flank Brandon the Shark, who is ready for trick-or-treating.

We continue to be so grateful for what God is doing in the lives of our immediate family.  This season of grandparenting has more delights than imaginable.  We feel exceedingly blessed as we observe Gabe and Kari teaching Brandon about our faithful, loving, heavenly Father.

They're also teaching him other life skills: Kari and Brandon have a mentoring session over cookie dough . . .

. . . and then enjoying the results.

Paul was the featured speaker at Camp Berea's “Man Camp” the first weekend of November.  He felt God really met him through his four plenary talks as well as his two seminar sessions.  He had some very meaningful interactions with a number of men who expressed to Paul that the weekend was a turning point for them.  Pray for decisions made that weekend, that they will be honored and fruit-producing.  No pictures from this event . . . :)

While Paul was away, the female mice played.  Daughter Lisa flew in, and dear friend Helen drove in to join Dr. Vita (the Sicilian neurosurgeon who lived with us for six weeks this fall) and me for a "girlfriends’ weekend" in celebration of my birthday.  And what a great time was had by all!!  We exploited the delights of late fall in New England, buying lobster off the boats in Gloucester, driving up the coast of Maine, overnighting in York in a great “Priceline”’d hotel on the beach, walking the shoreline, and having the bonus of an extra hour, to boot (since Daylight Savings Time expired while we were off galavanting)!  It could only have been better if two more daughters had been able to fly in, but even as such, my heart was filled with gratitude and delight for having such a special time.

Vita, Helen, Lisa, and me, just before sitting down to a New England lobster feast.  Yum!!!

Beautiful weather made walking to Cape Neddick a perfect choice.

In early November, we made our annual pilgrimage to Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary to speak to the seminary wives and their spouses for "couples night."  It's such an honor to partner with Lita Schleuter for this evening.  We love the opportunity to speak into the lives of those preparing for full-time ministry.  The group seemed very appreciative of our sharing from our 37 years of married ministry wisdom with them.  

A small portion of those who attended Couples Night for Seminary Wives at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary hung out long after we stopped speaking.

That weekend we drove to upstate New York to speak for the First Presbyterian Church's marriage conference.  Held at a hotel in Glens Falls, everything about the weekend fulfilled the several years' long dream of two couples to make this happen.  The Challeners and the Magills worked hard to pull this off and they did a great job.  We fell in love with their congregation, who were so open, receptive, and eager.  The conference ended Saturday late afternoon and was followed by a delightful evening with the two planning couples as well as the senior pastor and his wife, Dr. Larry and Betty Roff.  A more animated evening would be hard to find!  A great ending to a great conference.

Paul preached at their church in Schenectady and we both taught Sunday School for their combined adult classes.  Great time.  Before driving back to Bedford on Monday afternoon, we enjoyed the company of our dear friends, Bill and Helen, in their lovely home.

Al and Bonnie Magill and Bill and Helen Challener invested greatly in making the marriage conference happen successfully.

The Patriots’ women's study took a different tack on Wednesday, the 14th, as we held our annual pie making workshop, just in time for the holidays.  It was a ton of fun to work with 16 women around a granite island, with dough, flour, pie pans, and rolling pins everywhere.  They did a GREAT job and everyone left either with a completed pie, or with the ingredients to complete one in their own kitchen.  Several of them texted me photos of their finished product during Thanksgiving.  :)  

The Pats' women show their wares, with well-earned pride.

Our final pre-Thanksgiving event was the H.I.M./Trinity Church (Nashua) Marriage Conference, held Saturday, Nov. 17.  We were pleased with a great turn-out, especially after it looked like it would be an intimate gathering on the Monday prior to the event.  We more than doubled in size between Monday and Friday and were thankful for a wonderfully warm, responsive group.  One attender wrote:  

Thanks for such wonderful teaching.  It was a great reminder to me of how I am called to show my love to my husband.  You two manage to teach with such wisdom, while simultaneously sharing your own struggles in a way we can all relate and laugh with.  I appreciated that you backed up everything you said with scripture—and your stories made the meaning come alive in new ways.

It was a gift to partner with Trinity Church Nashua, and particularly with Matt and Beth Ide, who worked as the liaisons with the church.  They partnered with us beautifully, as affirmed by Sue Martis' comment, when all was said and done: "Putting on this conference was flawless!"

Paul mingles with the crowd over a great lunch, catered by MJM Catering.

The servant-hearted workers who made the conference a success.  We’re so grateful for them.

We wrapped up that very long day with a wonderful evening spent at the home of Dr. Ben and Cindy Warf.  Dr. Warf is the neurosurgeon who launched the CURE Mbale hospital in 2001, along with his wife Cindy and their six children.  He is now at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard, and Vita was able to intern under him during her stay here.  The evening was so inspiring!  Ben and Cindy have such deep hearts for the Lord and for all of His children, and are using their immense gifts to make a significant difference in the world of children's health.  It was truly one of the highlights of Vita's time in Boston to be in the "dust" of this rabbi.  A lovely evening indeed.

Dr. Vita, Dr. Ben, and Cindy Warf at the end of a wonderful evening.

We were off early the next morning for California for Thanksgiving, where we divided time between Gabe, Kari, and Brandon in Granite Bay, and my folks and siblings in San Diego.  Lisa joined us on this adventure, and many laughs and lots of talking transpired along the way.  Such a contrast of experiences between the north and the south, swinging from the hope and vitality of Brandon's 27-month-long life....to the obvious decline and diminishing vitality of the 85-year-old life of my dear Dad.  Amazingly, we treasured both ends of the spectrum and different aspects of life were experienced fully in each venue.  Parks, toys, races, Elmo, and early morning reveille in the form of a bouncing happy little guy filled our time in the north, while quieter dialogues, foot massages, repetition and reassurances, and spontaneously singing hymns and other long-time favorite songs highlighted our time in the south.  We are truly grateful that the generations of our family  are so connected and that we are blessed by both the burgeoning and the failing life.  

Brandon and Papa enjoy Elmo together.  Such precious moments!

I'll wrap this up for now because there is a lot to do to make it "look a lot like Christmas" around here.  Right now, it looks more like an explosion in a mattress factory . . . and, as always, there's much to do and not enough time to do it.  

My prayer is that we'll invest in what matters most during this season, and that whether the "list" gets done or not, our joy will not be diminished by such temporal things.  Gabe, Kari, and Brandon visited my folks in San Diego recently, and Kari said that as his great-grandpa lay on the sofa, in and out of sleepiness and awareness, Brandon would randomly stop whatever he was doing to walk over and kiss him on the head.  

That's a picture of how I want this month to unfold.  That in the midst of the busyness—and demands—and distractions, I'll stop randomly to adore the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who shows up this month in the form of a Babe.  

Brandon kisses his Great-Grandpa Collins as he snoozes on the couch. (photo courtesy of my sister Laura)

Of pumpkins and leaves and sharks . . .

The splendor of fall . . .

Brandon's first "U-Pick" pumpkin experience . . . looks like he figured it out!

I have a continuing love affair with fall.  I really love everything about it, except the shortening days.  I love the tastes.  All things pumpkin and apple and cranberry—yum!  I love the smells.  Cinnamon-infused apple pies baking, leaves burning, candle-lit pumpkins slowly cooking, soups simmering, caramel apples.  I love the sights.  Dressed up New England homes with fall decor producing fabulous curb appeal, leaves changing colors daily, late afternoon "plugged in" vibrant trees being backlit by the setting sun, creative displays made with most things natural. I love fall weather.  Warm enough to be out comfortably but chilly enough to wear sweaters, perfect for biking, hiking, or just taking a stroll.  

These are just a few of the reasons we've delighted in hanging out in New England these past couple of weeks.  Due to an international conference being postponed, we have had the rare privilege of actually being home two weekends in a row and we've tried to make the most of it.  Now, how we define "most of it" is vastly different for Paul than it is for me.  My imagination is immediately filled with visions of a clean and purged attic, decluttering and ordering each room of our house; making batches of jam; cleaning pantries and freezers by cooking up or throwing out.  My heart races just considering the options.

Paul?  Not so much.  “Make the most of it” for him would be: Relax.  Recreate.  wRite.  And so we divided and conquered, each lending support to the other when needed.

And we got a lot done.  The final draft of our book on marriage is coming to completion after hours and hours of reworking, rewriting, and incorporating input from others.  We're excited about this hopefully helpful tool, which we anticipate being available in the next couple of months.

And our house has less stuff and more appeal.  Many bags to Goodwill later, we're both enjoying our home more.   It makes me feel better to be in spaces more organized and simplified.  And when Mama's happy . . .  :)

This unusual spate of at-home days has been punctuated by some highlights, besides the magnificence of fall.  

One highlight was going to Gillette Stadium with our dear friend Kara Mankins and watching the Patriots play well against the Broncos.  Great game.  Great time.  Our study with the Patriot couples has been exciting, with between 22 and 32 coming each week.  We've had some great interaction on God's prescription for love and we're so thankful for the potential of this ongoing study.  The women's study using Every Body Matters by Gary Thomas is also going well, with 18 women out most weeks.  If you haven't gotten this book yet, you should.  It's very provocative.

At Gillette with Kelly, Case, and Kara, happy after a great win over the Broncos.

The Pats women's study says farewell to Margaret Austin and Adam, as her husband gets the nod from Carolina.  We all hated to see Margaret and Thomas go.  :(

The next highlight began with an email from Derek and  Julie asking if we could find housing for a Sicilian neurosurgeon who was coming to Boston to do a fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital and to work with Dr. Benjamin Warf at Children's Hospital.  She had trained at the Mbale CURE Hospital under Dr. John Mugamba, who had been trained by Dr. Warf when he was the lead neurosurgeon at CURE Mbale.  We invited her to stay with us for her six-week stint in the states, and she arrived the 14th of October.  Dr. Vita Stagno has been with us for just over two weeks now and we're having a delightful time with her.  Her age (29) and her size (tiny) all seem to make her an unlikely candidate for a neurosurgeon, but in four months, she will complete her training and begin looking for a job.  We've loved talking with her about relationships, faith, life in America, life in Sicily—and are so thankful the Lord has brought our paths together.  It just feels like we have a daughter back in our midst.

Vita is enjoying her American experience at the hospital and in our kitchen.

One of the highlights would hardly qualify as a "head-liner," except to this grandma, her daughter, and her grandson.  This will be entered in our memory banks as "The day God sent a shark from heaven."  As the story goes, Kari decided to acknowledge Brandon's current fascination with sharks by dressing him as one for Halloween.  She saw the costume at the online site of a beloved and frequented store, but the cost ($25.00) was more than she could justify for such a purchase.  The shark was only available at the online site, and not being carried in the store.  I told her not to worry; I could either make one (as I had years earlier for one of her pals) or hopefully find it for less than $25.00.  Several days later, I went into the Nashua branch of the store, and immediately moved towards the display of costumes all their stores were carrying.  And there, hanging in front of all the racks of the standard costumes, was one shark.  Adrenaline now pumping, I reached for the lone shark to check its size, and yes, it was a 2-3 —just the size we needed.  The sign above the costumes announced "25% off all costumes", but there was no price on the shark.  I quickly made my way to the young, 20-something-year-old cashier and asked her to check the price.  I told her it looked like it said $10, but I wasn't sure.  Smiling at me with a "your eyes aren't as sharp as they once were" look, she read the tag and said, "That actually says “S10,” which is the stock number."  :)  Of course.  But then, she scanned it and said, "You're not going to believe this, but it's scanning $1.41!"  I quickly said, "Well, before you find out that's a mistake, would you sell it to me?"  :)  She said, "That's really what it says, so it's yours for $1.41."

Now I know that's a really "small" thing, and as the world goes, it ranks in the lower percentile of importance, but for us, it was a potent reminder that God is in the details of life.  He is personally involved with us.  He cares enough about us . . . to send a shark from heaven.  

The shark costume was sent to California the next day and was a huge hit with Brandon.

We did renew our close relationship with Logan airport on Oct 19 when we flew to Rome, GA, to speak at Pleasant Valley South Baptist Church. Nate and Jeannie King were again our hosts and it was a gift to all of us to be together.  How we love this precious family!   And their church family, which is always so warm and embracing.  We also consulted with Kings and several other couples about family ministries in other contexts Friday night and all day Monday. and that's always energizing to us.

Senior pastor Dr. Philip May and his wife, Delayne, and 4/6th of the King family grab a moment at the end of the Pleasant Valley South Baptist Church service.

Sunday night we had the privilege of speaking on relationships to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes group at University of Georgia.  We LOVED that.  It was so encouraging to chat with several couples who are committed to being in God-honoring relationships and to get a sense of how God is using FCA at that great school.  It was also a treat to have dinner with Jill Perry, the FCA director at UGA, who is also a close friend of our Lisa's, and quickly becoming a close friend of ours.  She's a great lady.  

The remnant of the FCA gathering at UGA.

We've just returned from speaking on Long Island this past weekend.  The Church on the Sound and Christ Church teamed up to host a marriage conference all day Saturday (Oct. 27), and we felt it was a day well-spent.  Great people—with a great vision for building in to marriages—put the event together and we were just so energized by being with them.  Several of the attendees were engaged to be married and were so grateful for teaching that will helpfully get them off on the right foot.  We spent Sunday reconnecting with longtime CBS camper-grown-into-staffer Chelsea Paskvan in Manhattan, and were able to see "Mary Poppins" on Broadway before “getting out of dodge” before Hurricane Sandy hit.

We're now safely snuggled in our home as the storm rages outside, taking with it the last vestiges of fall and a whole lot more.  How thankful we are for a God who cares about beautiful fall colors and great marriages, and who sends friends from Sicily and sharks from heaven.

Loving the feel of those slimy pumpkin seeds...

The finished carved pumpkins, by Brandon and Grandpa Dan.

Yes, we know this is indoctrination . . . and we make no apologies.  Next blog, he'll be a shark.

It's Time to Change

Sunrise over Avalon Harbor . . . His mercies are new every morning. . . 

Three weeks ago we were flying home from Uganda.  Today we're flying home from California.  Maybe when we get home tonight, I'll change my watch from Ugandan time to Eastern Standard Time.

It's a quirky thing with me, admittedly, but it's something I've done for a really long time.  

It's not because I don't know how to change my watch, obviously.  It's because I don't want to quite yet.  For many reasons, my "heart" hasn't been ready to embrace that our days in Mbale, for now, are history.  Mainly it serves as a reminder to pray specifically for what might be going on in Derek and Julie's lives at a given time.  They've had a lot going on since we've left, and we've wanted to stay as connected as we can from seven time zones away.

Other than being completely confused when I glance at my watch in the middle of the night, it serves good "heart" purposes.  Just don't ask me what time it is.  :)

It took a week to adjust to being back in the states, sleep-wise and body-wise, but we didn't have that long before we jumped back in to ministry.  In fact, within 24 hours of returning, we met with the core team of leaders for the Patriots Couples’ study over dinner to map out the plan for the fall, and we managed to stay awake through the whole thing!  It was actually very inspiring to be with three of the player couples, as well as with Don and Betsy Hasselbeck, and to develop a new strategy with hopes of injecting some new life into the study.  We've now had our first two evenings, and we had 18 at the first...and 32 at the second!  We are more than excited at the potential of our gatherings.  

Within 48 hours of landing back in Boston, we were driving to Falmouth to speak at an all-day Saturday marriage seminar for Falmouth Baptist Church.  We had a really sweet time with Tim Rogers, who booked us to speak after coming to several "Worth It" conferences.  It was an adjustment initially to speak at normal speed with less concern about idiomatic expressions, or cultural context, but the "saddle" felt comfortable rather quickly.  It was a very positive time with very sincere folks.

Most of the attendees of the Falmouth Baptist Church conference . . . a great group of folks!

As though we had never been gone, the following week fell in to a predictable pattern.  Wednesday morning was the Patriots Women's study, and we were thrilled to have 17 ladies show up.  :)  After a quick scone-making lesson by moi, we launched our study using Gary Thomas' new book,

Every Body Matters.  

  I really appreciated the message of this book when I read it this past spring and have been promoting it all summer at Family Camps.  As Gary deals with the challenge of "stewarding" our bodies rather than worshiping or abusing them, he treds where few have dared to tred in the Christian community.  His indictment that we've been content to be "chin-up" Christians, focusing on correct theology and doctrine, while ignoring the implications of application of those very truths on our physical bodies and health, is spot on.  We've gotten off to a good start in the study, with good discussion of a topic extremely relevant to the fulfillment of God's purposes for our lives.  Eighteen ladies showed up for week 2 of the study!

Counseling fills the balance of our Wednesdays, and continues on Thursday mornings until mid-afternoon, and then we drive back down to Attleboro for the Pats Couples’ study.  The first week, Big Jim Martis catered a great bbq dinner of steak and chicken and the fixin’s, and then the second week Paul and I prepared a Mexican feast.  The spirit and interaction has been great for these first two meetings.  Pray for both of these weekly studies, that God would draw these dear couples to Himself in a deeper way.

Big Jim is in the middle of a few of our players at our Patriots couples' study.

Last Friday, Sept. 21, I flew to California alone while Paul fulfilled the commitment we had made to Camp Berea to do a seminar at their women's conference.  Paul was one of two male presenters, and his seminar was presented three times on Saturday to full crowds.  The ladies always love him.  

Meanwhile my first stop in California was in San Diego to visit my folks.  I hadn't seen them since Father's Day weekend and it was a joy to hang with them for a couple of days.  My mom's health is good and my dad is declining, but not too rapidly.  We had many sweet moments together. I was also happy to meet my newest great nephew, Josiah David Rivera, when Corey and Claire brought their crew over for a visit.  I spent Sunday on Catalina Island, attending the wedding of Sarah Armstrong and Doug Hippe, long-time friends from family camp.  It was a wonderful, God-honoring celebration and a great time for me to reconnect with many dear island friends.  It was also a joy to spend the night with Wayne and Carol Herbst, Paul's youngest sister and husband.

The mother of the bride, Jenny, is one of my dearest friends.

On Monday I spoke to a group of young moms in Ladera Ranch.  Two of Lisa's dear friends collaborated to make that happen, and it was such an encouraging time to talk about "The Things I Wish I Had Known..." with this group of thirsty young moms.  I LOVE this age/stage and delighted in encouraging them in the hope of the gospel, which is sometimes elusive when life is full of the craziness young children often bring.  Financial pressures, marital challenges, exhaustion, confusion, wanting to do the best but experiencing unwanted feelings of failure to an overwhelming degree at times.  We talked about lots of things and all seemed to really appreciate that I had felt all of those very things—and had survived them.  By God's grace.  It was a very special time.

And here are the moms—outnumbered for sure by the kids!

It was a treat to spend the balance of the time with my dear friend, Wendy Offield, before flying back to Boston on Tuesday.  I returned feeling very blessed: for all of the moments in California, and also for the husband I have.  Traveling alone, I was reminded of how much

he

takes care of when we travel—from hauling all the heavy suitcases, boxes, etc., to getting rental cars, driving to unknown places, etc.  And never getting flustered or acting like it "can't be done."  He gets it done and I am so spoiled.  And more thankful.

Back in Bedford for a mere 48 hours for the two Pats studies, for counseling, and then back to California.  This time to the Bay Area, to spend the weekend at Bethel Christian Church in downtown San Francisco.  Our dear friends, John and Marilyn Nugent (who are also H.I.M. Board members), arranged the weekend.  It was varied and well put together as a "Relationships Weekend,"  featuring us as speakers and Danny and Rayna Oertli as musicians.  We love any opportunity to partner with the Oertlis!!

We launched the weekend on Friday night with a talk on purity, given to teens and their parents.  We were thrilled with the response of a very engaged group; both teens and their parents were interactive and responsive.  During the first half of the evening we spoke to the group together, and during the second half we fielded questions from the parents, while the teens met with their youth leaders.  The questions were thoughtful and heartfelt.  We were reminded of how many more challenges face these parents today and how much more difficult on so many levels it is to protect and prepare teens according to God's design.  Thankfully our hope continues to be in the gospel, and that hasn't changed through the generations.

All day Saturday we did the "Irony of Intimacy" marriage conference.  We were thrilled to have Kari and Gabe, along with three couples they're mentoring, drive out from Sacramento for the conference.  :)  It was also heartening to have Bill and Kristen Smith, friends from CBS, fly in from Reno, and James and Charlotte, a sweet couple who attended Engagement Matters, as well as Drew and Dana Macrae, show up.  Charlotte told me, "As we celebrated our first anniversary in July, we were thinking about the assignment from Engagement Matters to have an annual marital check-up . . . and then the email came announcing this conference!  We were so happy!"

Gabriel and Jessika, Jerron and Danielle, Gabe and Kari, and Lamar and Kalyce drove from Sacramento to our marriage conference at Bethel Christian Church.

We were happy, too.  It was a wonderful day of celebrating God's design for marriage in some very practical ways.  God seemed to meet many there, as evidenced by their comments.

Sunday morning we taught a joint Sunday School class on "Forgiveness" and God met us in a powerful way.  I prayed with a forty-something-year-old man who said he carried deep anger towards his father who was severely abusive to him, his siblings, and his mother.  He said he wanted to walk in freedom, and through tears we prayed that he would release his anger and allow God to handle his father with justice.  

Paul preached the morning worship service and was anointed.  He preached with passion a stirring sermon on God's desire to take us from paralysis to praise—and young and old alike seemed very moved by it.  We wrapped up the weekend by enjoying Danny Oertli in concert and he did not disappoint.  It was a rockin' evening.

What fun to rock out to Danny's concert with Nathan and Julie Aleman and Liz.

Under a full moon and traffic-free highways, we drove to Sacramento after the concert, so we could be wakened by our grandson, Brandon, early the next morning.  And that's exactly what happened.  :)  Our 24 hours with Kari, Gabe, and Brandon flew by, but was a delightful ending to a wonderfully full weekend.

Brandon, 25 months, still loves being on Papa's shoulders.

As October opens its pages, we are glad for a few days to enjoy the best New England has to offer: fall.  Brilliant salmon, orange, crimson leaves pop out against the not yet turned leaves as harbingers of the steady parade of colors that will be ours to behold this month.  The delights of New England fall are unmatched and we're very thankful we'll be around to drink it in.

I guess it is time to change my watch. 

If Home Is Where the Heart Is . . .

It's Sept. 12 and we're somewhere between Brussels and Newark, NJ.  As the 11th anniversary of 9/11 drew to a close, we boarded our flight from Entebbe, Uganda, closing out three incredible weeks of ministry and holiday in this central African country.

A million thoughts are swirling through my head as we make this long journey back to the States, where a good portion of our hearts reside.  But surely "home" is now also in Mbale, Uganda, where we have left part of our hearts.

Our last week in that country has been more vacation than work, so we travel home considerably more rested and relaxed than we arrived 3 weeks ago.  Though I did visit the hospital daily to hang out with precious mamas and babies, much of the week was spent relaxing, swimming, napping, reading, and hanging with Derek and Julie.  Sweet, sweet times with them, making it harder and easier to leave them.  Harder because we love being with them so much; easier because they are delighting in marriage and are fulfilled in their ministry work.  They are "better together" and that is so encouraging to see firsthand.

"Papa Paul" plays with Hadasseh, a little 3-year-old Ugandan orphan adopted by Lexi, a young woman from Florida.

Mostly relaxing: Derek manages to enjoy the pool and take a business call.  :)

One of the highlights of this week was visiting "Overcomers Rehabilitation Center," a less-than-one-year-old private school for children with spina bifida.  One of the specialties of the CURE Neurological Hospital in Mbale is treating children who are born with this condition, which is considered a congenital defect of children born in poverty.  Though the opening in the spinal column can be surgically repaired at CURE, the children are typically paralyzed from the opening down, resulting in lifelong incontinence.  As a result, these usually bright children are refused admission to school, as the schools are not able/willing/equipped to deal with incontinent children.

The Spiritual Center Director of CURE, Miriam Ongom, received a vision from God regarding starting a private school for these children, who have survived the perceived "curse" of spina bifida as infants, only to be cast away by the time they are school-aged.  Without Miriam's school, the six students currently enrolled would languish in their huts, with nothing but a dismal future unfolding before them.

We first met her school children earlier in the week when they came to the hospital for a physical therapy session with Dr. Julie (Friesen Johnson!) and her colleague, Lucy (CURE's full-time physiotherapist.)  We fell in love with this little uniformed cohort of overcomers.  They played ball.  They recited their facts.  They laughed.  They did their exercises.  And they sang.  "Somebody touched me . . . it must've been the hand of the Lord."  Lustily and with conviction.  If you didn't know that the little silk purses around their necks held their catheters, or if you didn't notice the braces on their legs or the crutches under their arms, you would've thought they were any typical group of 4-6 year olds.

These children have come from all over Uganda to attend Sister Miriam's special boarding school.  Sister Miriam, who lives in Namatala, one of the largest slums in Mbale, has converted her rented home into a boarding school.  Not because it's a lucrative private school.  These children can't pay.  Not because she has so much excess money and time.  She works full-time to support her family of six sons.  Not because she has state aid, a huge board, and a list of benefactors.  At this point, she's doing this with the aid of two teachers and a "dorm" mom.

Just because God told her to do this.  Because these children, though considered "the least of these" by a society that has no purpose for their lives, are loved by Him, and Sister Miriam knows that He has a purpose for each of their lives.

We visited the "school" and had a deeply moving "sad-glad" experience.  I'll admit that it was initially hard to overlook the obvious symbols of poverty:  the dirt, the small room holding 3 bunkbeds for sleeping, the tiny school room, the smell of beans alone boiling for dinner, the "squatty potty", etc.  But all it took to see through a totally different lens was the children, who were happily working at their desks, learning to write and read, being taught by a beautiful Ugandan school teacher (who is willing to serve at ORC for much less than she'd receive in any other Ugandan school).  They lit right up when they saw that the "M'zee" had come with his wife ("M'zee" refers to an older man, who is considered wise and worthy of respect).  "M'zee Paul" had taught them "My God is so BIG" when they had come to the hospital on Tuesday, so they were thrilled when he led them in a chorus of this simple, profound song.  Precious moments.

The children from Overcomers Rehabilitation Center arrive at the hospital for physical therapy with Dr. Julie and Ms. Lucy. Enoch, Anthony, Adijah, and Emma are in the front row, with Ruth standing behind. All of these children had surgery at CURE in years past.

Dr. Julie tosses the ball, much to the delight of the children.

Sister Miriam stands in the "dorm room" of her little school.

The happy children with their teacher have just finished singing, "My God is so BIG!"

Miriam's school launched in March and they are beginning their 3rd term now.  She fully believes that this is just the beginning of a large boarding school which will meet the needs of many otherwise forgotten children.  Would you pray with us for her efforts - and ask the Lord if He is calling you to be part of the fulfillment of her vision?

Another highlight of the week was spending good chunks of time with my new friend, Janet, and her son Emma.  I referred to them last week in the blog:  Emma was born with hydrocephalus and was treated at CURE during its inaugural year in Mbale (2001).  He has had many complications and as a result, is non-ambulatory and confined to a wheelchair.  He was back at the hospital for the past couple of weeks for a shunt revision due to an infection.  His mother was widowed 4 years ago, about the time she had her second child, so she lives with her mom (who is disabled) as a single mom of two.

Emma, Janet, Julie, and another little patient share a few moments in the ICU ward after Emma's surgery.

Janet is one of the most beautiful, courageous women I have met.  I sat with her for about 30 minutes during Emma's surgery, sharing life stories and praying, and was so impressed with her heart for the Lord and her awareness of His presence.  "God is good ALL the time" she began, and I finished, "And ALL the time, God is good."  She loves her Emma, even though his needs are so great and her culture rejects him.  She inspired me greatly.

The hospital is expanding as we speak.  Construction is underway to add a ten-bed private ward, a new Physiotherapy Lab, and a third "theater" (operating room.)  Completion is expected in November.  It's very, very impressive to be on the hospital grounds - a beautifully landscaped "sanctuary," gated from the surrounding impoverished village, but providing life and health, spiritual and physical, to those living in such villages.  It's a remarkable work.

Interacting with the hospital staff was another highlight of our time in Mbale.  Led capably by our son-in-law Derek Johnson, the staff of over 100 are truly delightful.  Possessing the gracious spirit of Ugandans, they are appreciative, warm, respectful, and servant-hearted.  They so genuinely appreciated our teaching on relationships, and many expressed how much it had impacted their lives.  Many said it had really changed the way they looked at marriage and family.  We loved every minute of interaction and look forward to being with them again.

"M'zee Paul" and "M'zee Emma" share a bond as the two "M'zees" of the hospital. Emma has been married for 30 years and has raised his three children for Christ. He's a remarkable man of God.

Sister Harriet, Sister Esther, and Sister Miriam are three key players at the hospital.  Wonderful women of God, dedicated to serving Him and these precious Mamas and babies.

We also enjoyed connecting with the missionary community in Mbale and others who are friends with Derek and Julie.  Bob and Martha Wright (and their five children!), are missionaries in Karamoja, a remote and rough region in the northeast corner of Uganda.  They were in Mbale for much of the time we were, and we had several great times with them.  We had dinner one night with Yusef and Nada Eads, and four of their five children and enjoyed a Palestinian feast prepared by Nada.  They fled Palestine over 20 years ago and have made their home in Mbale since.  They're very involved in the Christian community in Mbale.  Another night we had dinner with JP and Jill Robinson and their two kids.  The Robinsons were married 15 or so years ago by our dear friend, Jay Abramson (of Valley Community Baptist Church of Avon, CT), and began their missionary career in Mbale in April.  We attended their ecumenical Bible Study one Sunday night and got to meet many others there.  It gave us good insight into Julie and Derek's world outside of the hospital.

Dinner with the Wright family from Karamoja.  We really enjoyed these guys and admire the work they're doing in a very tough setting.

No safaris or sightseeing tours on this trip, but on Saturday, Derek did drive us up Wanale, a mountain just behind their town.  It was a beautiful drive through the waterfall strewn landscape.  The hillsides were terraced with small farms and we were enthusiastically greeted by small children from the small villages dotted along the road.  We were captivated by all the sights and sounds.   Derek regaled us with tales of riding his bike up their arduous dirt road, which planted a vision in my mind for our next trip.  :)  Great day.

On the Wanale Road, the friendly children paid a visit when we stopped to photograph the waterfall.

Just about the time that we were tuning out the incessant sounds of roosters crowing through the night, and dogs barking their heads off, and birds contributing their special songs to the symphony of the night; and just about the time the sometimes noxious odors of people and poverty were becoming somewhat normal; and just about the time walking into the ward at the hospital didn't cause me to automatically burst into tears; and just about the time it was second nature to not swallow any tap water . . . it was time to pack and go.  

But we weren't quite done.  We were privileged to have two more ministry opportunities before we boarded our flight home.  We drove to Kampala on Monday, the 10th, and spoke that night at the Family of Destiny Church in NTinde.  Pastored by a dear friend of Pastor Wilberforce, we were invited to speak on marriage to their young marrieds, so we did.  We were in cross-town Kampala traffic to get there for longer than we spoke, but it was a wonderful night.  We've been invited back.  Pastor Thomas said, "You have only served up an appetizer tonight.  We want you to come back and serve a full meal!"

The following morning, very early, we were invited to speak to the Christians in Parliament.  We had the privilege of addressing this group 3.5 years ago when were were here, and considered it a great honor to have another opportunity.  We mainly encouraged this group of faithful men and women in positions of influence to use their appointments to strengthen marriages and families in Uganda, using scriptural truth as their guide.  They've also invited us back.

Pastor Wilberforce, MP Charles Angine, and Patrick helped make it possible for us to speak to Parliament.

We've said yes to all these invitations.  What makes it a bit easier to leave part of our hearts in Uganda is that God has made a way for us to return in March.  :)  We are most grateful.

So as we head home, we carry with us much less luggage, and much fuller hearts.  We'll be processing these weeks for months to come, undoubtedly, but we know we've been changed by these experiences.  We have greater confidence than ever in God's design for the family, and a deeper awareness that He will bring about His purposes in spite of cultural distortions.  

And we know that a heart can be divided . . . in a way that doesn't decrease it, but expands it.  Only God can make that happen.

Worlds Apart

The heavens declare the glory of God . . . whether we're at CBS, or Camp Berea, or Mbale, Uganda.  We send our greetings and love today from Uganda, where we have spent the past two weeks doing very much what we do in the States: speaking on marriage and counseling couples.  

We "hobbled" out of the USA on Monday, Aug. 20, after nine weeks straight of family camp, during which time we barely stopped to catch our breath.  This was a particularly full and exhausting summer—as I wrote in the last post—so by the time we boarded our flight out of Boston, we were anticipating with joy our 24 hours of travel to Entebbe!  Crazy, maybe, but two eight-hour-plus time periods in the air, with no interruptions, was just what we needed about that time.  We were most thankful for good, on-time flights, and for a safe arrival at the Entebbe airport late Tuesday night.  There's nothing quite so sweet as being greeted by eager children, full of smiles, and seemingly non-plussed by the 4-hour, rugged drive they had just made to pick us up.  It was a very happy reunion with Derek and Julie, whose faces we had only seen via Skype since early February.

We drove back to Mbale the next day, after a lovely night's rest and some errands around Kampala.  We made a quick stop in Ginja en route for a late lunch, and just around supper time, we arrived at their home.  This is our first return to Mbale since our visit in May of 2009 (when Derek and Julie were in the beginning of their courtship) and it was such a joy to settle into their home this time. 

We came fully loaded with "not available in Uganda" provisions for Julie and Derek.  What fun!

Our ministry opportunities began almost immediately, as Derek and Julie had their pastor and his wife, Wilberborce and Sarah Okumu, come for dinner Thursday night so we could discuss with them the ministry plans for their church that weekend.  Why Derek and Julie appreciate this couple so much became quickly apparent:  they are passionate people of God who serve their people with deep hearts and commitment.  Wilberforce was really excited about our proposal to teach his congregation about God's design for marriage as found in Genesis 2, the fall and curses in Genesis 3, and the "antidote" to the fall in Ephesians 5.  It was a new thought to him that God's spoken  curse to Eve, "Your desire will be for your husband, but he will rule over you" (Genesis 3:16) means that Eve would have a tendency to control, undermine, manipulate, and overrule her husband (her power corrupted), and that Adam's power would also be corrupted and expressed through dominance or passivity.   With this understanding of the Genesis 3:16 account of the curse, the instructions to husbands and wives found in Ephesians 5 "make sense" and far from being obsolete, irrelevant or oppressive, they address the sinful tendencies of men and women as a result of the fall and the curse.  Wilberforce was very eager for us to teach this to his people, which we did all day Saturday at a marriage seminar, and again on Sunday to a combined number of over 600 in two worship services.  What a privilege to be invited to speak into the lives of these precious people.

Here we are with Pastor Wilberforce and Sarah Okumu of Pearl Haven Christian Center, Derek and Julie's home church.

Our inadequacies have been very apparent to us, and we've been often plagued with concerns about the cultural gaps that exist between our world and theirs.  We have had many moments of self-doubt and questions about whether we really had anything to say.  After eight full days of ministry, we are sure we don't have anything to say apart from the truth of God's Word, and that we don't have anything to offer apart from the work of the Holy Spirit.

We were so aware of this as we taught at Pastor Wilberforce's church, Pearl Haven Christian Center.  The all-day Saturday conference was well attended and received, and we quickly adjusted to speaking through an interpreter.  We were struck with how very different, yet how very similar we are to these people.  In the words of Ron Hall and Denver Moore, "the same kind of different as me."  The struggles between husbands and wives are universal to a degree, with cultural adaptations.  Obviously there are many differences, but the core issues are very similar.  It's been incredibly encouraging to see the impact of truth on the universally-fallen nature of mankind.

Sunday evening we had the privilege of teaching just under 100 at their youth service on God's design for relationships.  As we've done many times in the States, we started by asking them what qualities or characteristics did they hope to find in a mate.  The list was remarkably similar to every list we've heard in the States!  As we taught on God's design for purity and for marriage, we again sensed a hunger for the truth, and yet much confusion related to the cultural mores here. Great questions followed the talk and we felt that some of the confusion was clarified. The longing for healthy, God-honoring relationships was palpable.  Some things are universal among the body of Christ.

At the end of the youth service, a few remained to stack the chairs.

Before the weekend, we spent Friday afternoon with Derek's Senior Management Team at CURE Pediatric Hospital.  This group of very talented, committed leaders of the hospital were delightful to hang out with. After a fabulous lunch of homemade pizza a la Derek and Julie,  we discussed group and team dynamics and what Christlikeness looks like in a hierarchical setting.  It was a productive afternoon.

The Senior Management Team of CURE Hospital: Florence, (Julie), Miriam, Peter, Moses, (Paul), Moses, and Derek.

Fresh, homemade pizza, baked in Derek's outdoor pizza oven, was happily consumed by all.

Monday, Aug. 27, Paul spent the afternoon with 14 influential, evangelical pastors, hand-picked for this meeting to discuss marriage in Uganda.  Issues such as dowry, bride price, introductions (engagement), weddings, etc., were on the table with the hopes of aligning Ugandan Christian marriages with Biblical design.  The challenges are great:  dowry continues to perpetuate a "wife as property" sentiment, which sets her up to be abused and treated as inferior.  Weddings have become very costly, large events, which cause the couple to wait for years before actually marrying.  They do not, however, postpone co-habiting and having children as they wait for the wedding.  The evangelical pastors have a heart for the church to lead the way in bringing changes, consistent with God's design for marriage, and that was the subject of the afternoon meeting.  Paul took it all in until the end, when he was invited to speak, and he was so impressed with the hearts and thoughts of these men of God.  He considered it a great privilege to be a part of this pivotal meeting.

The next day, the pastors returned with their wives for an all-day seminar with us teaching on marriage.  Once again, we were honored to present Biblical design and to wrestle through difficult questions posed by the pastors.  We loved the spirit of the day.  Such sincere men and women of God who truly are troubled by the state of marriage in Uganda and are poised and ready to lead the way in making some much needed changes.  They were so excited about the day that several of them asked us to return as soon as possible so they could mobilize as many pastors as possible to be taught similarly.  

The pastors and their wives attended an all-day seminar on Christian marriage and ministry. They were delightful!

The day closed with the singing of "I Surrender All" and it was very, very powerful.

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday we spent at the CURE Pediatric Hospital, of which our son-in-law Derek is the Executive Director.  Working together with his spiritual care director, Miriam Ongom,  we would be speaking three times each day, in one-hour time slots, to maximize attendance of the hospital staff.  The spiritual emphasis of the hospital this year is "Developing Healthy Relationships," and we were asked to speak on healthy marriages, families, and singles.  

Over the nine hours we had in the three days, we addressed Biblical design for all of these relationships, focusing especially on God's design for purity, for treating one another with Christlikeness, and His design for sexuality.  All the topics were revolutionary to the way life is done in Uganda, but especially radical was dealing openly with sexuality.  Ugandans do not talk about it at all.  Though sex and all things related to it are kept in complete secrecy, there is tremendous corruption, abuse, and confusion concerning all things sexual.  At Miriam's and Derek's suggestion, we waited until Friday to teach on sexuality, and by God's grace and a deep level of trust which had grown between us and the staff, there was an amazing level of openness to our teaching.  Though many submitted written questions, a handful even voiced questions aloud.  There was such an obvious hunger for truth about this "taboo" subject that is so dynamic and which impacts each person's life significantly.  

Our commitment was to teach Biblical design.  The last thing we wanted was to communicate western ideas about sexuality, marriage, etc.  Enough of those ideas have floated through cyberspace and other forms of media and have had a very corrupting and distorting affect on this culture.  For many of them, the concept of a mutually-satisfying marital sexual relationship was a brand new idea.  The truth that there was no place for beating a wife into submission went against common practice.  The belief that husband's headship meant servant leadership, not "I'm the boss so it's all about me" was hard to swallow (for the men, anyway!).  The culturally acceptable attitude towards women as inferior was turned upside down by the Biblical truth of equality.  

God met us in ways which far exceed any expectations we had.  He was so gracious to give us wisdom in the moment as we dealt with complex issues and questions, and to touch the hearts and ears of those listening.  Though exhausted by late Friday afternoon (we also counseled in between the 3 teaching sessions that day), we were thoroughly energized to have been part of something so potentially revolutionary.  

Whenever possible during the four full days we spent at the hospital for the seminars, Julie and I slipped into the ward to see the babies.  As difficult as it is to see babies struggling with such challenging medical conditions, it's so hope-giving to see how God is using this place to bring life and healing.  We're more and more impressed with what is happening here.  

Julie loves on a precious little girl who has had surgery and will soon be going home.

This precious child and his 17-year-old mama has very advanced hydrocephalus and has had a shunt surgically implanted.  The mamas who come here are the brave ones.  Many succumb to the cultural belief that a big-headed baby is cursed, and "accidentally" drop the baby in the river or get rid of them in other ways.  :(

This is Emma and his mama Janet.  We've fallen in love with this pair.  Emma is 11 and due to many complications, is non-mobile and deals with the ongoing effects of hydrocephalus.  Even so, he hardly complains and has the sweetest smile.  He also has a very devoted, sacrificial mama, who is widowed.

This is a wonderful story of success.  This little girl has returned to the hospital for a follow-up visit and she is doing beautifully, thanks to the amazing grace of God and work of CURE.

We rested on the weekend.  :)  It's been wonderful to hang out with Derek and Julie, relaxing, enjoying playing games, eating fine meals, going to a local resort pool, and getting good sleep.  The first two days of this new week (and our last one in Uganda for awhile), Paul has been focused on writing a handbook to go along with our teaching last week, to leave these dear people with something tangible for reference as they continue to wrestle with these new ideas.  I've gone to the hospital for part of each day with Derek and Julie to check in on the babies.  

Our time is flying by, but we are grateful for every day we're here.  In one week, we'll return to a more familiar world—but one which is loved no more deeply than this one. 

Summer On Steroids

Good-bye Campus by the Sea . . . until 2013!

How fitting . . . that on the one year anniversary of Derek and Julie's wedding, we're flying to Africa to spend the next 3 weeks with them.  But first . . .

The past month has been fast and furious.  Camp is always all-consuming, but this summer was all-consuming on steroids.  Doing two weddings during our seven weeks at CBS (one in Aspen, one in Boston) and going straight from CBS to NH without the traditional week break ratcheted it up to the "on steroids" level.  

Truth be told, when we stood on the brink of the summer back in June, the intensified pace of the summer was daunting to say the least.  It was very clear to us that we wouldn't be able to do it without God's supernatural presence and power - which we know is always true.  We were just much more aware of it given the unusual schedule of the summer. 

With it all in our rear view mirror now, we are humbled by the way God has met us.  It seems like we've heard more stories about His work in lives throughout the summer than ever before, and we know it goes way beyond anything we could've done.  He is faithful.

Our final two weeks at CBS were a bit crazy.  We flew to Boston between camps 5 and 6 to do the wedding of Drew Macrae and Dana Neel.  Drew's parents are on the H.I.M. Board and we’ve had a relationship with Drew and Dana since they began dating their sophomore year at Boston University Academy.  That was over 8 years ago.  We were honored that they wanted Paul to marry them and it was well worth leaving camp to fulfill their request.  God met Paul very powerfully through his message and many of the guests talked with him about the meaningfulness of it.  We had a great weekend celebrating with them.

Drew and Dana came to camp for their final pre-marital counseling marathon session and we loved introducing CBS to them!

A week later, we flew to Boston to perform their wedding.  It was a wonderful celebration.

Before we flew to their wedding, the staff made the annual trek to "Lone Tree" - one of our optional "staff only" special hikes.  We had perfect conditions for the small but stalwart group who sacrificed one of their few opportunities for sleeping in to experience this out-of-the-ordinary hike.

Reaching the goal: Lone Tree!

Our final week at CBS was packed as we wrapped up a seven-week sprint.  It seemed impossible that the days at CBS ran out so quickly, but by August 4, they had.  Family Camp 6 speaker Gary Gaddini's teaching was relevant and profound and God used Him to help change lives.  He also wrapped up the staff's study of David Platt's book Radical in a challenging and practical manner.  The week was full of joyful celebration and sad closure.  

CBS Directors Dave and Kim Noble surprised Paul by honoring him at the final banquet for his 40 years of service to Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship.  Paul went on staff in 1972 as the first tour director for "Twenty-One Hundred", IVCF's traveling multi-media show.  From 1973 to 1976 he served as Campus Staff Member in San Diego, and started directing CBS in 1975.  After our marriage in 1976, he was appointed the full-time director of CBS, a position he held until 1991, when he went on sabbatical in New England and resigned as director.  From 1992 until now, he has been the Program Director for Family Camps at CBS. The Nobles did a great job of honoring Paul and he was as humbled as surprised.

Following the six weeks of camp at CBS, off to Boston we flew, along with 15 summer staffers.  We arrived around midnight on August 4, and by 3 pm Sunday, August 5, we had launched the HIM/Berea Family Camp at Camp Berea in New Hampshire.  276 eager campers arrived that afternoon and we were off and running.  

God met us so incredibly.  Some of my "I feel overwhelmed at times by this crazy summer" concerns had revolved around exhaustion and vulnerability to sickness....and we felt God was faithful to give us what we needed strength-wise, and we had very few cases of sickness.  Praise Him!!  He also met our needs for staffing such a huge camp: our final need was filled in the ninth hour by Aly, who is the sister of the boyfriend of a CBS staff's sister  :)  She was great.  We also had veteran staffers Liz Aleman (who just graduated from law school), Kelsey O'Keeffe (who just graduated from Muhlenberg College), Brian and Heather Dietz (on staff at Highrock Church and long-time mentees), Sue Martis (who has faithfully run the nursery childcare program at our east coast family camps for years), Barbara Steele (who keeps the infrastructure intact), and Helen Challener (who served at CBS in 1978 and 1980 and now has served two summers at Berea.)  What gifts each of these "ballast" veteran staff were to the team!

HIM/Berea's Family Camp 1 staff

Camp 1 ended on Saturday, August 11th, and Camp 2 arrived on Saturday, August 11th.  Yes.  Summer on steroids.  Though less than ideal, it's how it had to be since Berea had a camp booked the following weekend, beginning on Friday the 17th.  So . . . we had to start on Saturday the 11th, and we did!!!  Though not quite as large as Camp 1, it was a sold-out camp full of very expectant campers and God met us all.  It was a powerful week of ministry and God sustained us.  Right down to the last moment.  To Him be the glory!!!

Paul leads children’s devotions at Berea

The Ide family competes at the Tuesday evening game show . . .

. . . brought to you by your game show hosts!

Families and staff join together for the chicken dance at Berea

The Minch family works on their banner

The solo challenge was a new feature at Camp Berea this year

HIM/Berea's Family Camp 2 staff

I wish I could tell you all the stories from the summer, but I am going to share a few:

Some long-time CBS family campers brought with them a young family whose dad was not able to come due to his work as a maritime captain (and therefore is gone for long periods of time. ) The mom and her 4 young children came to camp as ones seeking to know God more fully.  Paul and I spoke this summer on Thursday nights on "Intentional Friendship in Marriage" and we close telling the story of my parents who wrote letters to one another every night while they were separated by my dad's Naval career.  (A link to that talk will be posted here with a few weeks.)  Our final challenge is "What are you doing to build into the friendship of your marriage that will help you finish well together?"  This young mom shared at the banquet that she was convicted due to her lack of keeping in touch with her husband during his deployments and was newly committed to being intentional to write him faithfully now.  She said that God had really met her during the week at camp.

Another camper wrote:

"Loved your staff!  My kids were loved and taught better than I could ever imagine.  No matter what age, all kids were taken such good care of."

And another: 

"It's with tremendous gratitude that we leave today.  Thank you doesn't seem enough to express what is in our hearts.  CBS is one place and time of year we know we come to meet God in a most intimate way - as a family and as a couple.  It truly is heaven on earth.  The staff are the best example we've seen of Biblical servanthood.  We are refreshed and encouraged to return home for kingdom building in our marriage and family."

We are grateful beyond words.  We'll take these next three weeks in Uganda to reflect on and process the summer, as well as to be refreshed and renewed.  We will also have the privilege of partnering with Derek and Julie by doing some marriage seminars at their church, with the Mbale missionary community at large, and with the CURE Hospital staff.  

We're basking in the faithfulness of God as we consider the incredible ways we've seen Him work through family camps this summer.  Thanks for your prayers and support in so many ways.  

We've arrived in Entebbe after 24 hours of easy, uncomplicated travel and have had a joyful reunion with Derek and Julie.  What a gift to be able to do life with them for the next three weeks.

Jambo from Uganda!  And no more steroids.  :)  

The Best Intentions . . .

The heavens declare the glory of God.  Sunrise, June 18th

It's ironic that the theme of Family Camps '12 is "The Intentional Family"...and it's not lost on me that though I've had good intentions to write an update for weeks now, I've not followed through very intentionally.  Not that I've been sitting around eating many bonbons...but still.  This late night attempt to catch up guarantees unusual brevity...and I'm counting on these pictures to paint many thousands of words.

I'm writing from the sacred cove of Campus by the Sea on Catalina Island, where we've been hanging out for the past 4.5 weeks in our 37th summer of being here as a couple.  We arrived June 18 along with our summer staff team to serve for 7 weeks — running six weeks of family camps, preceded by our orientation week.  As this would be our first summer with no daughters on staff, I'll admit that we arrived with at least a bit of sadness...and though we have missed them greatly, God has been more than faithful in bringing a wonderful team around us.  But first....

   

For the third year in a row, Lisa and I ran the Covered Bridges Half Marathon in Woodstock, VT, June 3.  This is such a beautiful race course and under robin-shell blue skies,  we completed our 5th run together (and my 6th half marathon since Nov. 2009.)  Paul, as usual, was our escort and he makes it so easy for us!  

Just after crossing the finish line, we were awarded our medals and were already talking about our next race.

We flew to Lancaster, CA, the next weekend to speak at Central Christian Church, and were honored to speak in this new venue.  We also consulted with Grace Baptist Church of Santa Clarita on developing a family ministries model at their church, which gave us some time with our dear friends and ministry partners, David and Cherylyn Hegg.  And we managed to squeeze in a lunch date with our mentors, John and Grace Tebay.  Rich, full days!

Back to Boston to get things wrapped up before the summer, we counseled, cleaned, and packed, and on Sat., June 16, we flew to CA to be with my folks to celebrate Father's Day.  My mom's health is much improved (PTL) and my dad seems to be holding his own.  Though brief, it was wonderful to be with them.

Happy Father's Day, Papa!

We arrived at camp on Monday, June 18, and we were off and running immediately.  Our program team gathered every morning to dive in to God's Word and to discuss the passages that would be used for the summer study.  We were immediately impressed with these college students and their insights into scripture, their character, and their openness.  We bonded fairly quickly and are really enjoying being in community "spurring one another on to love and good deeds."  We feel very blessed and very met by God to be partnering with them.

A highlight of our first days at camp was having Lou and Grace Charette join us for a bit.  They were on our staff in the late 80's, when Grace served as the head cook and Lou as the mechanic.  We have been fast friends ever since and have have watched God do amazing things in their marriage and family.  The staff were all deeply touched by their testimony, which they generously agreed to share during our all staff training time.  It was so good to catch up with them and celebrate God's faithfulness as they celebrated their 56th anniversary.  They inspired us all.

What a treat to have Lou and Grace Charette visit camp, 24 years after serving with us!

The program staff takes a photo break during staff training week.  They're a great group!

Family Camp 1 arrived June 24 and for the first time in our history, Paul and I were not at camp to welcome the campers.  That was strange!  We were in Aspen, CO, doing a wedding, and thankfully had very capable hands to carry on at CBS.  We were very happy to get back on the island before lunch on Monday, so we fortunately didn't miss much.  

We love family camps!  Everything about them.  The multi-generational presence.  The distraction-free environment.  The expectation and joy of the campers.  The way God works.  The beautiful setting.  The simplicity.  The purpose.  The transforming impact.  

"The Intentional Family" theme has been powerful.  It has provoked reflection and recommitment.  Each week we've heard testimony upon testimony of God's work in lives.  Humbling.

Family Camp 1 was extra special for us as Paul's oldest sister, Sandra, and her clan were in camp, as well as his sister Beth Smith, as well as our nephew Brian Rottschafer and his family.  We loved having late night hang-outs with them, sharing old memories, and making new ones.  Sweet times.

Extended Friesen family attended Family Camp 1, launching the summer with lots of laughter and energy.

Family Camp has many traditions . . . like singing the "Butterfly Song" every day, young and old; the annual original Game Show; great teaching from our wise speakers; the square, line, and swing dance; worship under that stars and around the fire ring followed by s'mores; the hike into Avalon; the milk carton boat race; the banquet.  Traditions connect the generations and create a secure foundation for changes that allow family camp to be fresh and inviting.  The mix of the known and unknown produces ongoing engagement and ownership.  

Game Show hosts Vanna and Paul Barker.

Each week we celebrate God's work in our midst.  Great teaching.  Worship.  Baptisms.  Reconciliations.  Confessions.  Prayers.

Paul had the privilege of baptizing Baker and Turner Welch in the chilly Pacific.

Family Camp 3 brought Kari, Gabe, and Brandon, as well as Lisa (who had just returned from Israel where she served on a summer missions project with Fellowship of Christian Athletes.)  It was SO wonderful to have them in camp with us (though all of us deeply missed having Derek and Julie with us, too) and Brandon managed to keep us all entertained with ease.  What a difference a year makes!  He was fully engaged in all the activities available, and especially enjoyed anything the included a ball.  We hiked, talked, swam, laughed, and had a blast.  It was hard to let them go after a week.

Gabe, Kari, Lisa and I hiked the loop together.

Brandon helped Papa with announcements at every meal.

Lunch at Antonio's Pizzeria in Avalon.

Loving playing on the mostly rocky beach at CBS.

Banquet night! By now, Brandon was down with an ear infection and wasn't too chipper, but the party continued.

Sending our little man back to Sacramento. The week passed way too quickly.

Family camp 4 at CBS is almost history and we have only 2 weeks left before we fly east to run our two family camps at Berea.  I wonder if the summer has passed as quickly for you as it has for us.  We'll cherish each day we have left in this beautiful place and be very intentional to maximize the opportunities unique to Campus by the Sea.  

I'm also committed to being very intentional about my intentions to post more often.   

Sunset on the same day, July 18.  Wow.

It can't be May already! [Part 2]

And so off to the Gold Coast of California we flew the morning of April 27.  Since we flew into San Francisco airport in order to facilitate our return trip 2.5 weeks later, we enjoyed the 2.5 hour drive through familiar territories en route to Arroyo Grande ("AG"), stopping in San Luis Obispo ("SLO") for bbq tri-tip at Firestones and frozen yogurt at Bali's (two of our favorite haunts from the years Julie and Lisa lived in SLO.)  Ah...the simple pleasures in life.

Grace Bible Church of AG hosted us for the second year in a row to do a parenting conference on Saturday.  Though the turnout was not what they had hoped for, those who came were delightfully engaged and we trust encouraged and fortified for the long, demanding, sanctifying journey of parenting.  We were also privileged to teach at the two services on Sunday.  Grace Bible is a healthy, vital church, lead by Paul and Charlotte Bubar who are seasoned, faithful people of God.  We truly love having the opportunity to rub shoulders with them.  

Paul and Charlotte Bubar faithfully lead the congregation at Grace Bible Church in Arroyo Grande, CA.

Up the coast just a bit, we drove to spend Sunday evening with Tim and Susie Theule and the family at Grace Church of SLO.  This was the home church for our girls during their years in SLO and through the years we've come to deeply respect and appreciate Tim and Susie - their ministry, their family, their lives.  So it's always an honor to spend time with them and their people.  That evening we addressed issues pertaining to parenting teens.  It struck us that though there are unique challenges to this age and stage, the principles are still largely consistent with parenting younger children:  authenticity, availability, consistency.  Especially regarding faith issues, teens need to see the reality of Christ in the home and be convinced that He is making a difference in how life is lived.  Teens are not fooled by walk that doesn't match talk.  We loved interacting on this subject with such proactive parents.  The talk continued afterwards with Tim and Susie over more tri-tip at Firestones.  :)

Tim and Susie Theule, along with CBS family campers Mary and David Hazlebeck, made our time at Grace Church SLO very meaningful.

Continuing up the coast, we stopped in Monterey to reconnect with our dear friends, Johnny and Lori Potter.  We shared our years together at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary from 1991-1994 and have been cherished friends ever since.  Johnny pastors Stone Harbor Church in downtown Monterey.  As is always true, we enjoyed every minute of our too short time together and then we were off to San Francisco, where we met up with more very dear friends, John and Marilyn Nugent.  How we love to spend time with these guys!  Taking a brisk 6-mile walk through downtown SF, we chatted the whole way about life and ministry and family.  The fact that we could chat  throughout the walk is a very good sign.  :)  It's always very inspiring to be with John and Marilyn.  We love their hearts for God and their very active role in making a difference for the kingdom through the use of their talents and resources.  We got another early morning walk in the next day before heading east for Sacramento.

Two hours later, our reunion with Gabe, Kari, and Brandon was very sweet.  As thankful as we are for being able to "FaceTime" with them regularly from afar, there's nothing that beats receiving an enthusiastic embrace from our little 20-month-old grandson.  The changes happen so rapidly during this phase of life, that though we had just seen him a month earlier, we were amazed at his growth and development.  He is full of life and has a very engaging personality.  What joy to spend days with them!  Twice-daily treks to the park, the reward for the two-mile walk preceding arriving there, delight Brandon and provide a lot of outdoor exercise and fun.   

Papa and Brandon enjoy the animals at the Folsom Zoo.

Papa, Gigi, and Brandon on the "little train that could" at the Folsom Zoo.

Bathtime . . . devotions, meals together, playing cars and ball . . . hanging out. Such sweet moments with our little "BooBoo."

Papa and Brandon . . . hand in hand.

Though visiting with them would be reason enough to be in Sacramento, we were brought there to be a part of the 7th annual THRIVE conference hosted by Bayside Church of Granite Bay.  We love being a part of this conference, which never lacks for enthusiasm, energy, and inspiration.  We presented two workshops, one on marriage and one on parenting, and both were full and overflowing.  Lots of great interaction and feedback.  We personally benefitted from hearing great speakers at the plenary sessions, and one of the highlights was spending a bit of time with Wess Stafford (president of Compassion Int'l).  We have great respect for him and how he's spent his life.  Over 2 million easily forgotten children in the world have hope because of the work of Compassion, which has been driven by Wess's passion and compassion. 

Wess Stafford,Victor, and Paul share a moment during THRIVE.

THRIVE ended Saturday afternoon, May 5, and we drove up to Sebastopol to speak for a couples' date night.  This was our second year in a row with Sebastopol Christian Church and John and Debbie Briones once again put together a really nice event.  Particularly heartening to us was a young couple who had come last year, separated, and were back this year reconciled.  They expressed great appreciation for the encouragement they had received from our teaching.  Praise Him!!!  Paul also preached at the two Sunday services, as well as the Saturday night service (which happened before the couples event.)  We so appreciate the senior pastor, Jesse Bradley, and his heart for his congregation.  

The other highlight of our time in Sebastopol was spending the night with Garth and Rosemary Dougan, our long time mentors and friends.  Garth will be 90 in October, but you'd never know it.  They are so "green with sap" proclaiming the mercies of God.  We cherish every moment with them.  

Dinner with the Welches and Garth and Rosemary Dougan was a highlight of our time in Santa Rosa.

We closed out our time in that area with a wonderful time of food and fellowship with Carter and Tracy Welch and their sons, Owen, Baker, and Turner.  New Englanders transplanted to Santa Rosa and dear friends and ministry partners with Home Improvement Ministries, we loved reconnecting with them and seeing God at work in this very intentional family.  On that high note, we drove back to Sacramento.

Between the weekends, we had some special days doing life with Brandon and his parents, and I had some special days with my folks in San Diego.  My dear mom, who has always been "healthy as a horse" was felled with a very serious virus around April 1 and was just returning to health during my visit.  She gave us quite a scare when the virus settled in her ears, causing near deafness.  Her severe reaction made us all aware of how run down she is for the years of caring for my dad (who has dementia) and more care is now in place to help ease her load.  I was really thankful for the days I was able to be with them, which included a day-before-Mother's-Day brunch with my three sisters who live in San Diego.  

My sisters Lucy, Sue, and Melissa honored my mom with a pre-Mother's Day brunch and my dad was very happy to be included.

Paul and I spoke on Mother's Day at Peninsula Covenant Church (Redwood City), whose lead pastor, Gary Gaddini, is a prized friend and partner.  What a joy to be with his congregation for both morning services.  My biggest Mother's Day gift arrived in the form of Brandon, Gabe, and Kari, who drove out from Sacramento to surprise me just as the first service ended.  Need I say more?  :)

My surprise Mother's Day present . . . brought smiles all around.

The beautiful Gaddini family . . .  They are true gifts in our life.

After a lovely picnic at a park with the Garcias and the Nugents, a brisk walk through the windy hilly streets of SF, and dinner out with the Nugents, we were on our way back to New England after a full and varied ministry tour.

The grand finale: lunch in the park with the Nugents and Garcias.  Very fun!

It's aways good to be home.  Really.  Lots to catch up on, of course, and mail to sort, but it's good.  Our first week back was dominated by wedding festivities as Paul married Sarah Hathaway and Jason Welch on Sunday, May 20.   Having known Sarah for the past 15 years, it was so good to celebrate this very special day with her and to affirm her and Jason's commitment to honoring God with their lives.  The shower Wednesday night, the rehearsal Friday night, and the wedding Sunday were all celebrations of joy.  

The very happy Hathaway family celebrates the marriage of Sarah to Jason Welch.

Quite a bit of counseling filled several days and some speaking, too.  We spoke in Springfield, MA, at the Evangelical Covenant Church on Monday, the 21st, to a group of parents on "how to keep your marriage alive while raising children."  Great question!!!!  It doesn't happen naturally, that we know.  It was a great evening, organized by long time friends Mark and Caroline Funchion, and we most enjoyed reconnecting with them after many years.  I mentored Caroline as a single women long before she met Mark!  They're now on the cusp of their 11th anniversary and have 2 adorable and lively little boys.  God is faithful!

I'll wrap up with our annual Memorial Day Family Tenting trip, which happened last weekend.  Twenty-five families, 103 campers, perfect weather, great food, and greater fellowship.  Despite missing having any children with us (our tent seemed very large suddenly) and making our first camping trip without our precious dog Baker (who had been with us the previous 18 Memorial Day weekends), we had a spectacular weekend.  Jim and Sue Martis did a great job organizing and executing dinner each night and Paul delivered on family devotions each night around the campfire.  Keith and Amy Hinrich came through as worship leaders and Thora Eames made a guest appearance as our oldest and most inspiring camper ever.  At 94, she delighted all with her joyful worship and her childlike enjoyment of a messy, gooey s'more.  Our annual Memorial Day parade was rag tag but meaningful.  Veteran Glen Franks once again served as our Grand Marshall.

Thora delighting in her beautiful garden.

S'mores are enjoyed by all ages.

Let the Memorial Day parade begin!  Mount your steeds . . .

. . .  and we're off, with Grand Marshall Glenn Franks leading the way.

And so another Memorial Day camping trip is in the annals of time, having accomplished the purpose of providing a community building experience for families committed to being encouraged by the body of Christ by doing life together.  

I'm writing from West Cornwall, CT, as Paul and I spend the fifth year in a row encouraging the pastoral staff at Avon Community Baptist Church.  These days are like a slice of heaven, really.  A beautiful retreat center, surrounded by a healthy church staff, lead by two of our favorite ministry couples:  Tim and Sharon Ponzani and Jay and Liz Abramson.  It really doesn't get much better than this.  Oh wait!  It does!  Our daughter Lisa has joined us here!  Last night she spoke on the blessings and challenges of being raised in a pastor's family and she knocked it out of the park.  Wow.

Around the world, Derek and Julie are into their 10th month of marriage and spent 10 days recently on their "real" honeymoon in Mauritius.  Their days were relaxing, renewing, and celebratory of all that is good in marriage.  We are so thankful for their life together in Uganda and look forward to joining them there in late August.

Derek and Julie in a self-portrait from Mauritius.

Shockingly, in a few hours, the days of May will expire and we'll be in June.  I'm trying to catch up with the quickly moving calendar days, but don't have much hope of that happening.  Mostly praying that we'll allow the Holy Spirit to direct our days and rest in knowing that we've done what He's called us to do.

It can't be May already . . . [Part 1]

Welcome to my “Gigi”’s delinquent blog.  I’m only part of the reason she’s so far behind . . . but I think I’m the favorite reason.  :)

Though the calendar says it’s May 28, I’m having a very hard time believing it.  The past two months since my last post have all but evaporated.  As we return to Boston after spending Memorial Day weekend camping at Myles Standish State Forest with 100 family campers,  I'll begin reflecting on how God has met us. And to ensure that this is not an overwhelmingly long blog post, this will be “Part 1.”

My last blog was written from California, during a two-and-a-half-week west coast junket.  That time, which began with a meaningful marriage conference at The Journey Church in El Segundo, California, ended with the marriage of our nephew Mark Herbst and his bride, Angie.  What a wonderful celebration it was to join with most of the extended Friesen clan (including all of our immediate family except Derek and Julie) in honoring Mark and Angie's commitment to Christlikeness as singles and now as a married couple.  The setting, on the beach at Dana Point, was spectacularly beautiful, and Angie's grandfather was inspiring as he boomingly preached their wedding service with passion and conviction that would belie his 80-plus-year life.  It was truly a celebration of all that is good and we were thrilled and honored to be there.

Cousins . . . celebrating the wonderfully God-honoring marriage of Mark Herbst and his bride Angie.

Gabe and Brandon enjoyed the lively coastline during the ceremony.

Besides the wedding, the highlight for us was being with our kids and, of course, Brandon.  He is one very fun little guy and we're all kind of mesmerized as we watch his curiosity unfold in discovery.  He doesn't miss a thing, and in his own language, narrates life as he sees it.  We had a blast being together.

Back home Monday, April 2—briefly—before heading to Harrisonburg, Virginia, to spend Easter with Lisa.  We had been wanting to get down her way and this presented the best opportunity schedule-wise, so off we went on Good Friday.  We had a great time with her, just hanging.  A little shopping, a little yard sale-ing, a little running, a little entertaining.  A lot of talking and laughing.  Easter Sunday, full of sunshine, blue skies, and fragrant blossoms, was packed with joyful celebration, starting with our traditional breakfast of almond puff pastry fashioned in the shape of a cross and followed by gathering with the church.  Her church included the singing of many traditional Easter hymns, which connected us with memories spanning the decades.  We hosted dinner for a number of her FCA leadership team and over a delicious table, and enjoyed sharing family traditions celebrating this significant Holy Day and faith stories from each one's life.  The grand finale was an Easter egg hunt in her yard; we never really outgrow the delight of that childhood event!  Couldn't have been a better day, affirming the hope-giving resurrection of Christ!  We wrapped up that trip Monday, returning home that night with hearts full of gladness that we had gone.

Lisa and some of her FCA volunteers celebrate Easter together.

Engagement Matters was the main event of the next weekend, April 13-15, and we were thrilled to have a sold-out conference with 22 couples (six of whom came in from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and California)!  The California couple stayed with us and we thoroughly enjoyed having Kevin and Rawni in our home.  Many conversations were had throughout the weekend regarding making “the second most important decision in life,” and we were impressed with the process these couples were engaged in to confirm God's best. 

Engagement Matters was packed and inspiring.

We love Engagement Matters weekends, and this one definitely will rank among one of the best ever.  So many thoughtful, engaging couples, striving to hear from the Lord regarding their potential marriages.  Great questions.  Great interaction.  Great "aha!" moments.  Our passion for this weekend grows, especially as the disillusionment with marriage increases.  Marriage really isn't the problem; selfishness and an increasingly skewed view of God's design for marriage are.

Taking advantage of being "in town" for EM, we spoke for a Friday Date Night at North Shore Community Baptist Church the 13th (always love partnering with them), had 3 of our EM couples for dinner Saturday night (great time!), and on Sunday evening met with a sweet high school group lead by Dan and Lois Frasier who have been using Paul's Discussion Guide for Letters to My Daughters over the past several months.  That was especially delightful as we interacted with them on the impact of Letters on the decisions they were making regarding relationships.  Though packed and at least somewhat exhausting, we valued every moment of the weekend.

Dan and Lois Frasier lead this group of teens through Letters to My Daughters using Paul's new discussion guide.

As tempting as it was to sleep in on Patriot's Day, the lure of the reenactment of the first battle of the Revolutionary War on the Lexington Green . . . and the promise of 60 degree temps at 5 am (the ungodly hour of this historical event) and the fact that we had two Californians staying with us, all combined to compel us to pile in the car at 4 am and be among the thousands to experience this unique event.  It had been several years since we had gone, and truth be told, it's one of our family traditions that our girls would just as soon have skipped (after the first time.)  None expressed regret that they were not with us this year.  Even so, we had a great time and memories were made.  :)

Kevin Munsey and his fiance Rawni flew out from California for Engagement Matters and we hosted them at our home.

We had the honor of speaking at the 1st Presbyterian Church of Ipswich the next weekend.  What a delightful group of people came out Friday night and Saturday to wrestle with "The Irony of Intimacy."  This church, which we attended from time to time when we lived on campus at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, has a long history of faithfully preaching the gospel and it was a joy to reconnect with them.  

The weekend also was highlighted by reconnecting with some dear friends.  Helen Challener drove from Glenville, NY, to spend several days with us.  Time with Helen is beyond fun.  She makes us laugh like few others and that's just one of the gifts she brings.  Another dear friend, Dave Bullock, also drove in.  Not by car . . . but on his Harley, from Milwaukee!  It had been too long since we last saw Dave and his son Al, so it was a joy to go to church together and then catch up over a plate of fried clams in Essex.  Great weekend.

Just before heading to California on the 27th, we celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary.  That's starting to sound like a really long time, but in all honesty, it doesn't feel like a really long time.  We are blessed.

Our engagement photo in March 1976.  :)

From Snow to Surf

We waited a long time for it, but winter finally made an appearance in New England the first weekend of March.  Barely.  It squeaked in just as Danny and Rayna Oertli were flying in from Denver, Colorado, to lead worship at our H.I.M. Marriage Getaway in Newport, Rhode Island, and the snow added a festive touch to their arrival.  Fortunately, it had no impact on our weekend conference, as the weather cleared out and warmed up by the time we launched on Friday, March 2.

New England made Danny and Rayna Oertli feel right at home with a small snowstorm to herald their arrival.

We love this annual conference at the Viking Hotel in Newport.  The setting is spectacular, the hotel service is top-shelf, and there always seems to be a spirit of anticipation that God will meet us in a big way.  This year was no exception.  Eighty-five couples were warmly welcomed by our smiling registration team first, and then by beautifully set tables as they entered the ballroom.  Kelly Plosker gave the Macraes a break this year by taking over the decoration task and did a great job of setting the stage for a romantic getaway.  We feel so blessed to have such a capable team around us, who take care of everything from the book table to the printing and everything in between.

The tables were set and ready for the couples’ arrival Friday night.

The room was full of couples seeking encouragement, renewal, relaxation, reconnection, and fun.

The H.I.M. Board once again insisted that Paul and I speak for this conference.  We resisted initially, but then submitted and considered it a great honor and privilege to speak to the hometown crowd.  It's always more challenging to prepare to speak at "home" to people who know us well and have heard us many, many times.  But God was with us and we felt met by Him.  We especially enjoyed developing a talk on “Friendship in Marriage,” which at first blush sounds unromantic.  But it's our growing conviction that maintaining friendship in marriage is a key to growing vitality and deepening love.  Many couples who come to us for counseling complain that though they're committed to staying together, they really don't like each other any more.  True friends don't say that about their relationship.  We had fun working with the concept.

Besides our four plenary sessions, we had some great workshops offered and inspiring worship led by the Oertlis.  We purposely leave Saturday afternoon free for couples to reconnect (which we feel is the greatest need for most couples on a getaway weekend), and the Lord provided bright sunny skies for those who ventured out.  From the things we could control to the things we couldn't, all went swimmingly and we were encouraged to hear many affirming comments on the weekend experience.  Here are a few of them:

"Thanks again to you and Paul for a great weekend.  One of the takeaways was that we really need to understand God's word as written in the Bible more and to live according to His word.  The weekend taught me that our 'instructions' on life according to God's plan are all there in the Bible."

"Thank you so much for putting together the weekend retreat.  We got so much out of it; it is hard to adequately describe the impact that it had on us.  Our marriage and our relationship with God is so much better for the time we spent in Newport.  The speakers, the workshops, the worship—all were incredible!  This was the first marriage retreat we have attended; you've set the bar awfully high!"

"Another wonderful weekend by Home Improvement Ministries. Thank you for investing in our lives and marriages. May God continue to bless your ministry." 

This photo partially represents the team who worked very hard to make this weekend happen.  We are so blessed!

The H.I.M. Board met Monday night, the 5th of March, and discussed strategies for increasing the impact of HIM.  We continue to be so grateful for such a supportive group of men and women who invest greatly and sacrificially in this ministry. It is certainly an understatement that we couldn't do it without them.

After a couple of days of counseling, we packed our bags and flew to Detroit for several days of ministry with Ann Arbor Christian School.  Our longtime friends Wai and Elaine Wong (who lived in Boston previously and were very involved with us 2000-2005) arranged for us to come to serve their school community.  We had a blast!  They put together a very diverse schedule for us, starting with an early morning parenting seminar Friday.  The small crowd they expected multiplied and filled the library.  Perhaps word got out that Paul Friesen's "breakfast biscuits" (aka his chocolate chip cookies) would be served.  Whatever, it was a great start to a full couple of days.  Next on the schedule was speaking for the school-wide chapel, and Paul's cookies were served there as part of the devotional.  The Wong girls said that Uncle Paul was the best chapel speaker ever.  :)  Admittedly he had an unfair advantage with his world-famous cookies.  :)

Chapel was followed by a delightful lunch at our niece, Heidi Rottschafer Lemmerhirt's home, with her husband, Dave, and children, Daniel and Anna.  We loved being in their hospitable home and reconnecting with them.  Next was a meeting with one of the pastors from Heidi and Dave's church who is developing a family ministries emphasis.  Almost nothing gets our adrenaline going more than being part of a conversation focused on equipping and encouraging churches to address this "blind spot" in many of our churches today.   We had a great, stimulating time with Tom and Ruth Ann Robertson.

We closed out the day with an evening marriage seminar at the school.  The turn-out was great and our talks well-received.  We were especially thrilled to have Joe and Lynn Forrester in the audience.  They drove down from the Upper Peninsula (Cedarville) for the conference to put live faces with a relationship that began online just over a year ago.

The back story begins when an order for a case of

Letters to My Daughters

came in from Michigan.  Paul didn't recognize the name of the customer, so he sent an email asking who they were and why they wanted a case of books.  Joe wrote back:

Our organization typically does 50 gift bags for high school graduations.  A recent graduate recommended your book.  We obtained a copy. Read it and immediately decided we needed more copies. The book is so needed today and the way it was put together is outstanding.  Thank you for all your insights.  God bless you, Joe and Lynn

We couldn't wait to meet this couple!  Both retired from the U.S. Navy and are fully engaged in serving the next generation where they are.  They have already given out hundreds of copies of

Letters

and have a vision that every high school senior girl will get a copy of it in the years to come.  It was truly a highlight of our weekend to spend some time with them.  They’re Christ-followers, living missionally, and making a difference.  They are tilling the soil to have us come to their area to do a marriage/family conference in 2013.  What a privilege to partner with such "we're not gonna waste our life" folks.  They wrote us after the weekend:

Paul:

It was a very special educational experience for us.  We certainly enjoyed meeting the Wongs and your niece and nephew.

We knew Virginia was going to be exceptional from her book.  What we did not know was what a great team the two of you make.

Lynn and I discussed so many new ideas on the way home that we almost reached overload.  The Lord knows our limits so we feel he will not give us anything we cannot handle.

We really liked the idea of putting together a series of seminars at Cedar Campus during the first week of June in 2013.  Now we have to work out the local details and then we will get back to you with specific proposals.

May God see you safely home,

Joe

Chapel at Ann Arbor Christian School.  We were so impressed with the well-behaved, attentive students, ranging in age from pre-K through 8th grade.

Joe and Lynn Forrester drove over 7 hours to attend the seminars at AACS and we were delighted to put real faces to the names we'd been in contact with for over a year.

And that was Friday!!

Saturday started early as we met with the Forresters before the morning seminar on parenting.  The whole morning went really well and we were truly honored to partner with the Wongs and their vision for their school community.  We also enjoyed connecting with Wayne Sit, the headmaster of the school for the past 2.5 years, and were happily surprised to know that we were familiar to him since Boston and Park Street Church were home to him prior to his move to Ann Arbor.  He was extremely supportive of our time there and sent us this kind note:

"Thank you for coming.  We felt so blessed and grateful for your guidance and leadership this weekend.  Many families at our school were thrilled with their time with you and Virginia."  A return trip is in the works.

The rest of our weekend was spent hanging with several dear friends, along with the Wongs.  The time passed too quickly and before we knew it, we were on a flight back to Boston, carrying with us many precious memories of a wonderful weekend.  It was especially encouraging to “do life” with the Wongs, who are deeply committed to honoring the Lord in their marriage and their family.  Their home was marked with Christlikeness and was refreshing to our souls.

Jessica, Leilani, and Jasmine show us a fort they built in their spacious back yard.

I just love this photo of the Wong girls.  It prompts many memories of years gone by with our three.

At church Sunday morning, we stood in front of the photo of their newly "adopted through support" African child.

Back home . . . briefly.  Counseling, unpacking, speaking at a moms’ group at Bethany Gospel Chapel in Swansea, repacking . . . and then off to California to speak at Journey of Faith Church in El Segundo.  This conference has been a long time coming, and we were so happy it came together.  Our very longtime friends Gene and Teri Engle hosted us in their always-open home that Friday night and we enjoyed the evening with their family.  The all-day Saturday marriage conference was held at the church, which was dry and warm while a ferocious rain storm swept through the area in the morning.  Those who planned the conference had the brilliant foresight to provide a counterpart children's program which enable many young families to benefit from the day.  We were especially touched by the entourage of Air Force couples who drove from Edwards AFB east of Lancaster to attend the conference.  It would be hard to find a more responsive and receptive audience than we did there.  Once again, we were aware that God was with us.  After each event, we thank Him for being the change agent in people's lives.  We're called to be faithful; He's in charge of changing lives.

The Engles and the Harts (David and Krista Engle Hart and Abigail) are dear friends and partners in ministry at CBS as well as at Journey of Faith.

Over 200 people came out on this rainy St. Patrick’s Day for the marriage conference at Journey of Faith.

We were thrilled to have five Air Force couples from Edwards AFB attend the conference.  Two of the women had been at the women's conference I spoke for last year in Oahu.

Because of canceling our “Worth It” conference which had been scheduled for March 24, and because of our nephew’s wedding in California on March 31, we decided to stay west through his wedding and take a writing break.  We're both working on projects which have been all but neglected for too long and know that we need blocks of time in order to make progress.  So, after spending a couple of days with my folks in San Diego (a delight as always), we're hiding out in Camarillo in the home of some dear friends who currently reside outside of the U.S.  Our first few days here have been fraught with distractions, some of our own making, and others of satan's making.  We’re attributing some crazy problems with my computer to the latter.  Things are settling in now, though, and we’re beginning to make some progress.  Pray that these days will be productive and that we'll allow the Holy Spirit to direct our writing.

Before I sign off, let me briefly update you on the family:  Derek and Julie are happily settling in Mbale.  Though their first seven weeks have been buffeted by some trials, they're riding the waves together well.  They blog here

Julie's doing a great job of keeping us in the loop of their life in Africa.  Lisa spent an indulged week in Costa Rica with the JMU women's soccer team, which was a delightful break for her from her rigorous schedule as an athletic trainer.  And Gabe, Kari, and Brandon are in transition, having resigned from their work at "The House" Church.  They are seeking God for the next chapter of their life.

So we’ve left the not-too-wintery environs of New England for the beautiful coastline of California, and are soaking in the natural gifts of this area.  As much as we love snow, if push comes to shove, the surf is going to win . . . most every time.

Leaping through February

As the first real snowstorm of the quickly-coming-to-a-close winter “that wasn’t” blankets the area, I’m happily snuggled at home absolutely delighting in this thoroughly unexpected twist of nature.  My “Let It Snow” collection of pleading signs that have greeted every visitor to our home this winter have been ignored by the Great Snow Maker...until now.  LET IT SNOW!!!!

This is the perfect scenario for writing an overdue blog entry... and on leap day, no less.  We have been home eight days since I last wrote...which explains why I feel very far behind on most maintenance issues.  Our travels have taken us to CA, NY, and FL, and each trip has been full of people, ministry, and delight.

Backing up to Feb. 3, when I returned from London, I had no time to get over anything before we were in the saddle Saturday a.m. teaching at our H.I.M.-hosted parenting conference.  Though the turn-out for it was disappointing, those who attended were very affirming of its value.  Between the workshops and the plenary sessions, there was plenty of energy and hunger for encouragement and instruction.

It was interesting to juxtapose the seeming lack of priority placed on attending a parenting conference (too busy, kids' sports, no babysitter, etc.) with the immense amount of time and energy invested in being prepared for the biggest football game of the year which happened the following day.  There were no lack of callers-to-sports-radio from armchair coaches who had clearly spent a lot of time analyzing the Patriots and developing a game plan that would produce the desired results.  If fathers spent a fraction of the time investing in developing a game plan for their families...and then showing up to coach them through the "game of life," our homes would be so different.

Super Bowl Sunday started for us at Highrock Church, where we heard a challenging message by David Swaim, and was followed by a trip to Plymouth to visit our dear Thora Eames.  She was recovering from hip replacement surgery, necessitated by an unfortunate fall off a ladder while washing her outside windows (Why not?  Isn’t that what all 94-year-olds do on a Saturday afternoon?).  We had a great visit with her and were most encouraged that her spunk and spirit were not dampened in the least.  We presented her with a new Patriots shirt to wear as she watched the game that night as she is a diehard, energetic fan.  Her son instructed the nurse to seatbelt Thora in her wheelchair during the game to keep her from leaping to her feet during happy moments (and dislocating the newly located hip!)  We left so inspired  by her amazing life.

Paul presented Thora with a shirt to wear during the Super Bowl, and Thora was more than thrilled.

So . . . the game didn't go how we had wanted/hoped/expected/prayed.  It was heartbreaking for so many reasons, but mostly because of our personal relationship with a number of the players and their families.  They really left it all on the field and it's hard to come up short.  Fortunately, there's much more to life than football and we move on.

After a board meeting and a day of counseling, we flew to California for a return visit to the Desert Vineyard in Lancaster/Palmdale.  This was our third trip there in a year and each time we're with David and Nancy Parker (lead pastor and wife) and their crew, we're more impressed with what they're doing and with how God is using them.  We kicked off our time by speaking for the Antelope Valley Ministerial Association's monthly luncheon on Thursday.  We were amazed at the broad representation of area churches in attendance and had many conversations that gave us glimpses into the greater work in that area.  It's so encouraging to see churches working together to make an impact for the kingdom!

That night, the church hosted a Couples' Fiesta Date Night, and they pulled out all the stops!  From a beautifully decorated room to live Mariachis and a delicious catered Mexican feast, the ambience was set for a delightful evening.  The sold-out crowd was full of energy and didn't run out of it until we were done speaking.  It was an extremely well done evening.

The Mariachis set the tone for a great evening at Desert Vineyard.

The catered Mexican feast was enjoyed at colorfully set tables.

Friday morning, after a very fun visit with some friends, we drove to Westlake Village for the weekend marriage conference for Desert Vineyard.  There was a huge response to the conference, and we're convinced that when the senior pastor leads by example and attends the marriage conference his church is promoting, there is greater buy-in by the congregation.  It sure was a bonus for us to grab moments with David and Nancy throughout the weekend.  So many in that congregation have become dear to us over this past year!  And we "owe it all" to Tommy and April Garcia, long time CBS family campers, who got the ball rolling for us at DV.

The conference was packed out, with couples from all ages and stages of married life.

Tommy and April Garcia convinced David Parker that he should have us come and speak at Desert Vineyard.

All too quickly, our five days with Desert Vineyard were up and as we said our good-byes, we felt like we were leaving very dear friends.

Since it was only Sunday afternoon, why not do another event?  On to Yorba Linda we drove (about an hour south) to speak at "The Rock" for their Valentine's Date Night.  This was also the second year in a row with this group, headed by Brent and Melissa Slezak, and we had a great night.  The Slezaks have such strong ministry gifts and such a deep passion for family and marriage, so it's a real joy to partner with them.  The evening was beautifully done, from the decorations to  the dinner, and we had a very receptive audience to speak to.  We loved every minute of it.

Brent and Melissa Slezak did a great job on the Valentine's Date Night at The Rock.

Since "all work and no play make one dull" we took Monday to play. . . at Disneyland.  The Slezaks made that possible (Brent is employed by Disneyland) and we had a really fun day at the Magic Kingdom and California Land.  Just honing our skills for our grandchildren . . . :)

We never tire of nor get too old for the fun of the Magic Kingdom.  

We flew home on Valentine’s Day and spent a full day Wednesday counseling, and an equally full day Thursday with various events, the highlight of which was our end-of-the-season celebration dinner with our New England Patriots couples Bible study group.  Unfortunately, between those who had already left town for "home" and others who had had surgeries, our group was rather small—but we had a really great evening together.  Don and Betsy Hasselbeck were surprised when Paul read the dedication of the study he wrote for our group this fall ("Jesus on Marriage") to them.  We are so grateful for their partnership!

Off we drove the next morning...for upstate New York!  Glens Falls to be exact!  We were privileged to do our first conference for the Pine Knolls Alliance Church and were so pleased to feel very much at home with them right off the bat.  Richard and Amy Dean, who came to Engagement Matters many years ago, planned the conference and overlooked no detail.  They did a great job of covering the bases and the conference ran very smoothly  They had a great turn-out and we were thankful for a very enthusiastic audience.  The conference ran Friday night and all day Saturday.  On Sunday, we spoke for two Sunday School classes on marriage.  We had a great experience and are so thankful for what they have going at that vital church.

We spoke to a packed out conference for Pine Knolls Alliance Church in Glens Falls, NY.

Richard and Amy Dean did a masterful job of planning the conference.

We drove back home, after a stop in Glenville, NY, for dinner with our dear friends Bill and Helen Challener, and were thankful for non-winter weather that made the drive very easy.

Continuing the rhythm, we unpacked, did laundry, and repacked, counseled for a full day, and then were off again.  Destination:  Florida!  Conference:  Pro Athletes Outreach, for the 12th year.

We love this conference.  PAO is committed to putting together a high quality program, steeped in solid Biblical teaching, and this year was no exception.  Dr. Tony Evans and Louie Giglio were two of the best who gave challenging, brilliant messages to this group of professional football players and their wives.  Paul and I did our temperaments workshop twice, and spent a lot of time interacting.  It was great for us to reconnect with many ex-Pats as well as others who have become friends through the years.  Our Lisa flew in during the conference to join me for an after-conference event and we loved having her with us.

David and Kassidy (and Karis) Thomas, Doris Simmons-Woods, Thomas and Margaret Austin, and Janelle David — all ex-Pats — loved reconnecting at PAO.

And about that after-conference event: Lisa and i joined 20,000 other Princesses (with a few Princes thrown in) to run the Disney Princess Half-Marathon that Sunday morning.  This was our 4th half-marathon together (my fifth and her seventh) and we both agreed it was our best.  Not our best time (though almost) but certainly the most fun.  Taking full advantage of the princess theme, we "fit in" with our self-fashioned princess garb and enjoyed the cool, overcast morning run from Epcot through the Magic Kingdom and back.  It touches me so deeply that Lisa is willing to run a much slower race so she can run with me.  That's sacrifice.

At 4 am, getting ready to run . . .

Two hours and thirty five minutes later, we crossed the line and got our beautiful medals.  :)

So that's the month in a nutshell.  It was fast.  It was fun.  It was full.
And it ends with snow.  Leaping with joy . . . and looking forward to tubing tomorrow.  At last.

Good-bye and Hello

Only a very few days into the new year, we said good-bye to one of the best gifts to us from the years we served on the staff of Grace Chapel.  Claude Cole, 94-years-old, was released from his suffering body as he breathed his last on earth.  Though it wasn't "hard" to accept his death (as it is with early or tragic deaths), we experienced a profound sense of loss accompanying our deep gratitude to the Lord for allowing our lives to intersect on such a personal level with such a great man.

At Claude's 90th birthday celebration, he and Forestine are flanked by four of their great fans: John and Marilyn Nugent and us.

Claude was a faithful man of God, who, along with his wife, Forestine, joined forces with four other couples back in 1948 and prayed and sacrificed to birth Grace Chapel.  As recounted by his daughter Claudia at his funeral, he was a man of extraordinary faith whose belief in God's power and presence was unshakeable.

Though many things endeared us to Claude, at the top of the list (behind his faith) was his commitment to and love for his precious Forestine.  His love for her not only never wavered, but seemed to grow stronger when the effects of her dementia became impossible to ignore.  Statistically, when a man is afflicted with Alzheimers Disease, 70% of their wives stay with them and care for them.  When a wife is so afflicted, only 30% of their husbands stay with them and care for them.  We knew Claude was in the cream of the crop long before Forestine began losing her mind, but through the years of caring for her until her death, Claude demonstrated over and over the stuff he was made of.  He was deeply in love with her all his days.  He set the bar.

So 2012 was ushered in with Claude's farewell, and Paul did a beautiful job of tributing him at his funeral.  We were so thankful that our whole family was able to attend the funeral the morning prior to Derek catching his flight to Uganda and Gabe, Kari, and Brandon catching their flight to Sacramento.  Our desire to meet up with Thora Eames (who along with her husband Elliot was one of the five GC-founding couples) was also fulfilled that day, as she came up from Duxbury to pay tribute to Claude.  (The Cole and Eames families were best friends for many years.)  We were all so happy to catch up with this dear friend whose "full speed ahead" life at 94 inspires us!!!

After Claude's funeral, we caught up with our beloved Thora.

Julie, Lisa, and I drove down to southern Pennsylvania on Friday, Jan. 6, so Julie could attend a prep course for her Physical Therapy board exam.  Continuing to seize fleeting moments with influential elders, Lisa and I visited Barbara Boyd on Saturday while Julie was in class.  Barbara, now 88, was one of Paul's parents’ best friends and colleagues.  She retired from a lifelong career with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship some years ago after faithfully investing in making disciples through the discipleship program she developed for IVCF, Bible and Life.  I was thrilled that Lisa was able to hear stories of her grandparents from one who knew them very well...and to hear the heart of a devoted woman of God whose life didn't go exactly as planned.  Barbara's fiance, Ralph Willoughby, a promising Christian leader and rising star, died 4 days after contracting an unidentified virus, and Barbara has never met a man she wanted to marry after him.... "yet!" she said with a twinkle and a smile.  Far from bitter, Barbara lights up as she speaks of the unmitigated joy she's had in serving her Lord by helping others discover the matchless riches of His Word.  Listening to her talk was sacred, to be honest.  What a privilege.  So now, only Kari hasn't met this remarkable lady and I'm praying that day will come.

Lisa continued south to Harrisonburg as Julie and I returned to New England on Sunday, Jan. 8.  It was great to get home to a de-Christmased home (thank you, Paul!) and to spend a few days regrouping following our wonderful two-week Christmas vacation with our kids.  Especially fun was having Julie with us for the month as she continued preparing for her PT boards.  Counseling resumed, we had a H.I.M. Board meeting, and we were quickly back in the saddle.

Fifteen families gathered at the Boxborough Holiday Inn over Martin Luther King's holiday weekend for our annual Family Mid-Winter Getaway, and the balmy weather departed just in time for a cold weekend, making the indoor swimming pool even more appreciated.  It's a very low-key weekend with minimal programming, and lots of time for hanging out, enjoying community.  We were especially impressed with the teens, who fully integrated with the younger kids and made it a very fun weekend for all. They give us great hope for the next generation.

Brian Dietz once again lead worship for the Family Mid-Winter Getaway and had enthusiastic support for the "Butterfly Song" from all ages.

The family groups circle up for discussion during the "program" time of the weekend.

It was also really nice to celebrate a big Patriots win over the Broncos that weekend.  The last two Family Mid-winter getaways have not produced such good results for our boys, so we all enjoyed the win.  However, we also agreed that we're all big Tebow fans, so we're sorry he had to lose in order for us to win that weekend.  Even so, there was plenty of Tebow talk throughout the weekend as we all could celebrate his incredible impact on the NFL world with the message of the gospel, which leaves all things temporal (even football) in the dust.  What a difference maker he is!!

We hit the road the next weekend, after a month's hiatus from airports.  Off to Rome and Athens (in Georgia!) we went, after flying in to Atlanta.  It was such a joy to be picked up at the airport by Nate and Jeannie King, and to have many hours with them throughout the weekend as they served as our personal chauffeurs.  Our speaking engagement was with the 1st Presbyterian Church of Rome, and their annual marriage conference was held in the Brasstown Resort.  It was such an upscale place that the rain all weekend didn't really dampen anyone's experience!  This was the second year in a row we've done their marriage conference, so we felt very connected with the group.  We had a great weekend.

As soon as the conference ended on Sunday, the Kings whisked us up to Athens, GA, where we had a very important date with the TV to watch the AFC playoff game.  :)  We had the privilege of watching it with Kevin "Chappie" and Mikki Hynes, who serve with FCA at University of Georgia.  Mikki's brother is Coach Mark Richt, head coach of Georgia football and the one who honored James David Eunice (our 17-year-old friend who died a year ago in a duck hunting accident) with a Georgia jersey at his funeral.   Small world.  "Chappie" lacks no enthusiasm for football so we held nothing back in that nail-biter of a game against the Ravens.  Whew!!

Minutes after the Patriots defeated the Ravens, we pose for a celebratory shot with the Hynes family, Nate and Jeannie King, and Jill Perry.  Go Pats!!

With our hearts still racing and our adrenaline still pumping, we drove with Chappie and Jill Perry, also on FCA staff, to the campus to speak to the FCA meeting that night.  What fun!  To a room packed full of Division I athletes, we talked relationships and God's design.  It was very energizing for us and thought-provoking for them, which spawned many conversations long after the talk ended.  We loved it.  We were so encouraged by what's happening through FCA at UGA.

After most of the attendees had dispersed, we gathered the remnant for this shot after the FCA meeting at UGA.

Interacting with a very responsive crowd, we felt right at home at the FCA meeting.

A shot into the crowd . . . athletes from football, basketball, gymnastics, tennis, track and field, etc., gathered to talk about relationships.

Jill Perry wrote the following day: "It was a wonderful night. The students I meet with for weekly discipleship have shared with me how much it deeply impacted them. We had a huge turnout! What a blessing!”

I can assure you, the blessing was ours.  We love to interact with students who are leaning in to a godly view of relationship rather than a cultural view.  As we said to them, our great sadness for their generation is that they've been lied to since they were little about their sexuality and the nature and purpose of relationships.  For many of them, gaining a Biblical perspective is relatively new.  What a joy to be part of that process.

We flew back to Boston on Monday (after getting at least a couple of hours with the four precious King children) and we made the most of the 24 hours we were home to help Julie with her final preparations for moving to Uganda as soon as her boards were taken on Monday, Jan. 30.  We did a few errands, some baking, a bit of sewing - but mostly we marveled at how much work she had done and how well organized and prepared she was for this major transition.  We squeezed everything we could out of those brief hours and then boarded a plane for Spokane, WA, to partner for the 4th time in 5 years with the Moses Lake Alliance Church (MLAC).  We have very deep hearts for this congregation and are so honored to return.

Though short, we had a sweet morning with the King children before leaving GA for home.

Kent (executive pastor of MLAC) and Staci Copley picked us up and we picked up with one another as good friends do.  We really do love hanging with these guys and their daughters, Tori and Britni.  We are terribly amused by one another on one hand, but also have deep and significant conversations, so we always enjoy being with them.  We not only admire their ministry hearts, but we respect them greatly as parents.  Their daughters reflect the best of parenting as they are well behaved and respectful as well as being tons of fun.  It's a joy to stay in their home.

Kent and Staci Copley with their daughters Britni and Tori are always a delight to hang with.

Not that we were there much!  We arrived in time Wednesday to go directly to church to speak on relationships to both the middle schoolers and the high school group.  Both groups were receptive and interactive and it was clear that the families and the staff at MLAC have a strong commitment to teaching Biblical design to their kids.  Refreshing!

Thursday morning, we spoke to a group of women on parenting and marriage.  Caryn Bowser, the lead pastor's wife, served up a lovely brunch at the church (and explained to me, "I want them to feel as though they're coming to our home!".)  She accomplished that!  It was a sweet time.  Paul baked cookies with the girls in the afternoon and then we were off to speak to a very cool event that evening.  The "Ministerial Association" of Moses Lake invited to us to speak for a special night out for the local pastors.  A phenomenal dinner was served by the local country club (seriously good steak!) and after some time of worship, we spoke on balancing ministry and marriage.  It was very encouraging for us to see pastors and wives from about 15 different churches in Moses Lake communing with one another rather than competing with each other.  They are clearly committed to working together for the Kingdom which can only be good for the people of Moses Lake!  Walking shoulder to shoulder in unity is so consistent with the heart of the gospel. We loved being a part of that.

Friday we drove up to Clearwater Lodge in Newport, WA, and began the marriage conference.  It was like a family reunion of sorts, as this is the 4th conference we've done for them and we have deep hearts for these folks.  Lots of laughter and fun interaction throughout the weekend, along with rapt attention during the times of teaching.  It was especially meaningful to us that Jody (lead pastor) and Caryn Bowser were there.  It makes a bit statement to a congregation when pastoral staff prioritize a marriage conference.  And they weren't "just" there.  Jody led worship and played songs we haven't heard since the 70's.  (When was the last time you heard "Blind Man"?)  It was fun to actually know all the songs!  A definite advantage of having a more "mature" worship leader.  :)

Jody and Caryn Bowswer and Kent and Staci Copley are providing Godly leadership for the congregation at Moses Lake Alliance Church.

The conferees at the MLAC marriage retreat.  We have grown to deeply love this group.

It was a great weekend and we were truly sorry when it came to a close.  Kent and Staci sped us off to the airport to catch an early afternoon flight so we could be home in time to take Julie to her Board exam in the morning.  Thankfully, there were no complications and we made it by the time the clock struck twelve midnight.

The long anticipated Boards came and went on Monday, and hours later, Julie and I flew to London.  Why not?  Julie's husband, Derek, flew up from Uganda to get some dental work done, and more importantly, to retrieve his wife.  We've spent the last three days enjoying London, the highlights of which were staying in the lovely Ashburton Bed and Breakfast in Chorleywood (owned and operated by Nick and Olive Vale, whose daughter, Tiffany, lives in Mbale volunteering for an NGO there), seeing the stage play "Les Miserables", spending a day with our lifelong friend, Kelsey Offield, and eating some great meals.  Of course the highest light was hanging out with Derek and Julie.  As I fly back to Boston today, they are on a plane taking them the opposite direction to Uganda, and so their life will begin as a married couple as medical missionaries in this  developing country.

I'll admit that since their engagement 15 months ago, it has seemed to easy to think of Julie living in Africa.  It's so consistent with her long-held desire to serve underserved children in Africa.  And how can you argue with the divine orchestration of God bringing her and Derek to one another, serving children in Africa.  I've said countless times, "I'd rather have her in Africa where she feels she's exactly where God wants her than near us where we would love to have her."

I didn't feel that as convincingly this morning as we tearfully hugged good-bye at Heathrow six hours ago.  It all of a sudden feels like she's very far away, and in a curious way, she seemed awfully young and vulnerable as she waved good-bye.

Of course she's not.  Her 27th birthday is just ahead and she’s married to one of the finest men of God we've ever met.  And we all believe they're where God wants them to be for now.

Though my feelings are real and valid, they're not stronger than what I know is true.  Our good-bye this morning allows her to say "hello" to her new life, which is full of hope and promise, love and adventure, challenge and accomplishment.

And God is over all and in all.  That's most comforting of all.

Our early morning farewell at the Ashburton B and B, with innkeeper Nick Vale sending us off.

Wrapping It Up: Ending 2011 and Beginning 2012 (Part 2)

Christmas Eve 2011: At 1 pm, Derek and Julie safely pulled in after logging 3,800 miles between San Diego and Bedford.  Their arrival completed our immediate family circle, which was “all we wanted for Christmas.”  What a gift to have our whole gang together for almost two weeks!

Traditions weave together the holidays, and one of our many treasured traditions is meeting up with Paul and Dawn Amico and their three little ones at Park Street Church for the Christmas Eve candlelight service (now a glow-stick service.)  We love the way Dr. Hugenburger sets the tone for a service that both honors the Christ Child and affirms intergenerational worship.  Following that joyous gathering, we returned to our home for dinner and our “Happy Birthday Jesus” cake.  Wiley, Hadden, and Lucy Amico helped to show Brandon the ropes (since by now, they’re old pros) and we had a great evening together.  It’s a privilege for us to be with the next generation of families who are striving towards Christlikeness in their homes.  The Amicos are doing a great job of it.

Wiley, Lucy, Hadden, and Brandon sing happy birthday to Jesus on Christmas Eve.

The Amicos seemed delighted to receive one of our homemade gingerbread houses.

Another beloved tradition is opening one “surprise” gift on Christmas Eve.  The surprise isn’t the gift—it’s always the same: matching jammies sewn by me for the family.  The surprise is the fabric with which they’re made, which now, because of having a grandson, needs to be gender neutral.  :)  Fortunately everyone loved the choice of flannel (made on Black Friday at 6 am at Joann’s Fabrics’ $1.50 a yard flannel sale!) and our green flannel pants became almost uniform-esque over the next 10 days.

Even Brandon seemed to like the matching jammies, which evidently “dressed” him for the turkey roasting pan.

Christmas morning dawned snowless, despite our longings for a white Christmas, and earlier than it had it years, since we had a 16-month-old in the house.  :)  We had sort of gotten used to doing a lot of “Santa” work on Christmas morning as our “grown-up” daughters slept late . . . but this year shot us back to the days of having toddlers, and the house was fully awake by 7 am.  The traditions continued to unfold as we had almond puff pastry in the shape of a wreath, eggs, and little smokies for breakfast—but after the reading of the Luke 2 account of the birth of Jesus, and the presence of Baby Jesus, whose manger in our creches remains empty until Christmas morn.  Individual floating candles at each person’s place setting remind us that the Light of the world is Jesus, and our still unopened stockings and unwrapped gifts remind us that today is His before it’s ours.

Brandon was quite captivated by his Papa’s reading of the Christmas story before breakfast was eaten.

And then, Santa arrived!  Wearing a now antique Santa suit, worn by his father, Santa Papa Paul made his entrance—briefly—both amusing and petrifying his grandson.  Brandon didn’t know quite what to make of this strangely dressed guy who sounded familiar, but didn’t look at all familiar.  Santa made a quick escape before Brandon could burst into tears and all was well.

Brandon didn’t know what to think of this bright, jolly, familiar-unfamiliar visitor . . .

. . . but in the safety of his mother’s arms, he was amused.

In the arms of “Santa” he wasn’t quite so sure.

Next (as tradition dictates), the stockings are opened . . .

Brandon seems to like the little white bear we brought him from the Steiff factory during our European adventure in September.

 . . . and then a quick photo of the matching jammies in front of the Christmas tree.

Gifts are opened and modeled (when appropriate!)

Much to the surprise of the sons-in-laws, the gift-opening process takes forever.  Not that there are that many gifts.  It’s just that we (me?) like to savor these moments, so we open each gift, one person at a time, and manage to stretch what for Gabe’s family was a ten-minute opening frenzy into a multiple hours event.  :)  Traditions.  At least when we host Christmas.  :)

Dinner preparation comes next and with all hands on deck, we manage to create a modicum of order in our great room and prepare to welcome our traditional Christmas dinner guests.  When discussing Christmas plans, one of the first questions asked by each daughter  is “Will Hank, the Borthwicks, Felicia, and Linda be with us for dinner?”  Gladly, for quite a few years now, we affirm that they will be.  We all love this tradition, too.

Our “family” photo at the end of Christmas dinner... the turkey is no longer stuffed, but we all are!

Brandon, of course, stole the show this year.  He’s just pretty irresistible and was well loved on by all.

Brandon, sporting his Christmas dinner outfit, practices pitching with his new Red Sox ball, given to him by his aunties.

By the time the last dish was done and all candles had been extinguished, we hit the hay, ever so tired, but much more so grateful for such a fitting celebration for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  It was one of the best Christmases ever—even without the snow.

The party continued the next day when our dear, dear friends John and Marilyn joined us for the afternoon.  Since Santa always leaves their stockings at our house (or wherever we are), we had Christmas, take 2, with them.  A lunch of Paul’s homemade turkey soup carried on yet another tradition.  Just as the Nugents were leaving, the Martis family arrived—and we continued celebrating with family-like friends into the night.  Another wonderfully relaxing day full of memory-making moments.

Our annual Christmas celebration with the Nugents happened on the 26th . . .

. . . as did our time with the Martis family.  Matthew was very loving with Brandon.

Our commitment to “do nothing” was challenged when we found out that our dear friend Helen had emergency surgery the day after Christmas, and the girls voted to drive to Albany, NY, to surprise her with a visit on the 28th.  Helen is deeply loved by all in our family, so it was really not a huge sacrifice.  I wish we could’ve recorded her reaction to our arrival.  It took her at least 10 minutes to believe that we were actually there and not just a hallucination caused by the pain killers she was on.  :)  We had a wonderful visit with her and her family before driving home in time for a late dinner with our men, who each felt they had been given a genuine gift of solitude by our absence.  It was just what those introverts needed about that time!

Bill Challener, with sons Douglas and Gregory, extended warm hospitality to us as we surprised Helen with a visit.

Besides our trip to Albany, we honored the “do nothing” decision, so our days were delightfully filled with wonderful “nothingness.”  Translated, that meant plenty of time for eating late and leisurely breakfast/brunches, playing games, hanging out and talking/laughing/enjoying one another, watching football, and singing around the piano (my personal favorite.)  At Gabe’s request, we had “lessons in hymnology” daily which was very, very sweet.  For the past three decades, the majority of post-modern churches  have replaced hymns with contemporary tunes, but it seems the pendulum may be swinging back towards the rich heritage of doctrinally sound theology expressed through many of the old hymns.  It shouldn't be an “either/or” but a “both/and,” since there are many theologically profound contemporary songs, but for our days together, we immersed ourselves in some of the great hymns of the faith.  Mixing the old with the new, Gabe pulled up a hymnal on his iPad and marked several hymns he plans to commit to memory.  :)

Brandon played and sang along with “GiGi” during our family hymn sings.

Before we knew it, New Year's was upon us.  We had a great “in-house” New Year’s Eve celebration, featuring a progressive dinner, table games, and an eggnog toast at midnight.  The real celebration came on New Year’s Day, when we headed down to Gillette Stadium to cheer our boys in red, white, and blue on to their 13th victory of the regular season.  At this point, we were thankful for the lack of snow and cold weather as we enjoyed the game in very balmy conditions.  After that great win, we joined the team families in the “tunnel” for dinner and then played a little football of our own on the post-game field.  It really doesn’t get any better than that.  :)  It was a perfect day.

Kara made sure we were well-taken care of at the game, making it a very happy memory for all.

Brandon runs towards the goal line while his teammates watch in wonder at his speed and agility.

That was the last big hurrah.  Brandon came down with a severe ear infection the following day and his misery had a mitigating affect on the carefree atmosphere of the  previous days.  We were so blessed by a family-friend/physician who provided care for him, and by the time they flew home on Thursday the 5th, he was much better.

As we continue the regrouping process, we are pretty much overwhelmed by God’s graciousness to us during this very special and unique time frame.  With Derek now back in Uganda (and blessing us by leaving his wife here to prepare for her physical therapy boards on Jan. 30), Lisa back at her now full-time position at JMU in Harrisonburg, VA, and the Garcias back in the saddle at their church in Sacramento; with mostly all vestiges of Christmas returned to the attic; with a happily full home reduced to a neat and mostly orderly space; with the sounds of animated conversations and lots of laughter replaced by echoes in the walls; we’re reminded again that relationships are what really matter.  This life lesson is reinforced each year as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, who came to facilitate relationships.

So, as this new year begins, we are feeling very full of what matters.  And that’s the wrap.