this doesn't convey the energy, but it was an awesome evening in worship as well. this was right before the service started.  

this evening at coan church we celebrated another encuentro. we had 62 hispanic friends there. that is the largest number yet at a gathering - outside of Posadas last december. this picture was taken before the last big group got there.  

Leslie, sporting her new glasses, last night about 11:30 or so. she's getting ready to preach at Irvington church on the 31st. She did an incredible job in Bible Study this evening - she's doing the acacia resources study on the book of mark -- discipleship. she was ON, man, REALLY ON.

During the party this evening, a total of 19 guys from White Stone, including most of the 8 who just got in, joined us to celebrate Hannah's party. the party was mostly going on downstairs in the basement, and they came in and Mundo was the last one in -- carrying THIS. We were stunned. They all pitched in together, or most of them, anyway, but just the thought that they DID that ... and some of them STILL brought other smaller gifts in bags for Hannah ... it was another one of those times when we were not so much surprised as we were overwhelmed.

We are REALLY looking forward to seeing them in their own homes in January when we go to visit.

Grace & Peace

Sitting on the edge of the float for the High Flyers, waiting for the parade to begin, behind the old Ames store (that closed a couple of years ago), with fields in the background (I LOVE it that you don't have to walk far to find a field or a woods here on the Neck!). The float won first place in the Youth Award category. Not sure exactly what that means, but it's cool either way.

Hannah is 9 years old today. this picture is from back on the 4th of July. I'll try to get an updated shot in here this evening or later this afternoon. She's having a 60's themed birthday party, with 9 of her girlfriends and 1 little boy. In addition, there are maybe close to 20 hispanic friends coming to celebrate as well. 8 of them just got in wednesday evening, some we've not seen yet, so it's going to be a welcoming party as well as a birthday party.

left home thursday morning about 4:30, got back around ... 2 i guess, then drove down to kilmarnock to take a couple of guys to the free health clinic for follow up dr's visits, then home. yesterday i left at 5:30 to drive to norfolk for an all-day training seminar on a counseling package hosted at one of the bigger churches in town. interesting feeling being in a church that felt something like an office building, what with riding an elevator to the 3rd floor and all ...

interesting mix of folks in the seminar ... felt like they were all a good bit more conservative than i am. kept a low profile ... as usual... more or less. :-)

grace & peace

yes i know it's been WAAAAY too long since i posted something words-wise. (not that i'm saying my words are wise ...) anyway ... here's what's going on. i've been to Richmond 6 times in the last ... 2 weeks ... i suppose. it's not that far, really -- just over an hour, and there's usually not a whole lot of traffic to contend with. sometimes the being there is draining. sometimes the going and coming back. please understand, this is not complaining, it's just a recitation of what is involved in ministry in a rural area, specifically in regards to medical care and visiting folks in the hospital, and issues that arise in working with hispanics.

Edith doesn't have a job, but she has to have her gall bladder removed. MCV is asking for a deposit of 1,000 - $500 each to the surgeon and for the procedure, to be followed by a payment plan for the balance.

she has NO income. she doesn't qualify for financial aid because she's not a resident alien or a US citizen. we drove over, sat for ... 4 hours to be seen by a (kind, friendly) doctor for all of 15 minutes, then waited another half hour to be told about the deposit requirement.

i UNDERSTAND there are costs involved. i really truly DO understand that. but it seems that unless her gall bladder ruptures and threatens her life (if that even happens) they're not going to operate.

Jose injured his arm in a work accident, and needs to go to occupational therapy 2 or 3 times a week (this week twice, next week 3 times). he spends an hour and a half to two hours in therapy or meeting with the doctor at a time. it's roughly a two hour trip each direction, counting leaving, picking him up and dropping him off and getting back home. so that's 5 or 6 hours out of the day that i am away from the local congregation.

yeah, they are both my 'local' congregations, the anglo and hispanic folks.

i've been able to overlap and visit some folks who are in the hospital, so that's been good, but i've felt myself start to drag.

on the myers-briggs, i'm an INFP. the I means i get my energy from solitude. Jose is either shy, an introvert, or still doesn't know what to make of me, since we only met a couple of days ago. we talk some on the drives back and forth, but haven't delved into any serious discussions yet. part of me is okay with that, but another part of me is thinking i could be using that time to ... break the ice more. talk about faith issues, stuff like that.

it's funny how expectations -- my own self-imposed expectations can be the most ... draining ...

i spend a good part of my time helping people by getting them to somewhere or bringing them FROM somewhere. good thing i enjoy driving ... i'm really wishing for a 15 passenger van capacity, with a hybrid engine consumption factor. do they make those yet??

so where is God in all of this????

I keep finding him in new places.

in the joking, in the quiet comments, in the building of the bonds of trust that make them comfortable with me and with Leslie. i ESPECIALLY see it when three of the guys from white stone drive up here to the used auto parts place just up the road from us, and 'just drop by' to say hi and visit with Leslie and the kids (i was ... surprise surprise... on my way back from Richmond), and then ended up eating supper with us. Caleb and Judson absolutely clobbered Jose ... they got to playing and wrestling with him, and hanging on his legs and arms and stuff ... at some point they settled down enough for Caleb to teach him how to play 'Go Fish'... but to have them feel at ease enough with us to drop by unnannounced ... it made them feel more and more like family to us ... and hopefully, us to them.

grace ....

and Peace.