"Between States" Travel, September 2008 (IL to OH, OH to MO, MO to OK, OK to TX)
Following School of Missions, our family traveled through 8 states in 8 days (with the blessing of a new trailer from a wonderful couple that we love so much). There were a few days where we were able to enjoy family and friends in the process; that helps to make the trips more bearable, for sure! Our family had a new addition in August - a new niece/cousin named Zoe - and it was great to "meet" her for the first time. We were also able to attend our home church and enjoy a service at the "Awakenings" Conference held at Calvary Apostolic Church; then, on the way to Texas, we were able to visit our "St. Louis family" once more. And, we can't leave out the fact that we stopped at the "World's Largest McDonald's" in Oklahoma!
Texas, 2008
We had just one weekend in Texas...Candace has to visit the ortho' every so often, so this shortened our first week there, leaving us with just one weekend and three services. While 3-service Sundays are never easy, we were blessed with three incredible meetings. God moved in mighty ways, and we made some great new friends. We also managed to squeeze in family time during those few days...ever heard of Palo Duro Canyon? It is the second largest canyon in the United States, second to the Grand Canyon, of course. Gorgeous...and worth the trip, for sure.
On the road again...we had just 2-1/2 days until our first service in California. That's "a lot" of time in the car and can get rather boring. Rather than dwell on the longevity, we decided to make the most of it. Our family has never been "out west," so we chose to cram in as much sightseeing along the way as we could. All of us are getting rather adept at taking pictures from a moving vehicle! The scenery in New Mexico and Arizona is amazing. We drove through the Petrifed National Forest, the Painted Desert (all part of the same national park area), and made a quick trip to the Grand Canyon's south rim, too. It made for one 15-hour day, but we decided it was worth it (although we were exhausted at the end of that trip). We also had our first "desert" experience while driving through the Mojave on the way to Hanford, CA. God has made an incredibly beautiful world, and we live in one amazing country!
MS - AR - TN - KY 2008		OH 2008	MI - IN - IL 2008
LA - 2008		GA - FL 2008	MK Retreat - SOM 2008
CA and OR 2008