12,000 MILES - 60+ CHURCHES - ONE BIG PICTURE

Update on the Israel Journey and Website

2011-02-15T09:41:00.000-08:00

In just 5 days we will be headed to Israel and Jordan. We did scrap the Egypt portion of the trip and I'm sure you are not surprised. We have opted, instead, to go to Petra, in Jordan. This is the city that was literally carved out of the red sandstone. It was made more famous recently by the filming of the Indian Jones film, but even better by a feature article that National Geographic did.

I have the new website up for my book. It will eventually replace this one, but you might want to check both sites to see which is working more easily. The new site can be found at marvinwray.com but, like I said, if you are not seeing pics there then check here. Eventually I want to get Mozambique, some of the Martin Luther tour, the Sabbatical ride and Israel as well as future trips all on that site.

We leave early Sunday morning, Feb. 20 and will return on March 5. Of course you can understand that we won't arrive until the evening of Feb. 21 so don't look for pictures until a day or so after that. You know me, I'll do my best to keep you up to date.

A New Journey Is Coming Soon!

2011-01-18T09:10:00.001-08:00

If you like to keep up with my various travels and pictures I have an announcement for you. On Feb. 20 I will be leaving with 22 others to lead a tour of Israel and a side trip to Egypt. I'll be posting daily pics and commentary. I hope you will join me for the adventure.

The book, "Journeys" is selling well and has opened some doors already. Let me know if you want to get a signed copy. Just email me at marvinwray@sbcglobal.net. Otherwise you can get them at barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com, or at the local ABC. You can get paperback, hardback, or ebook formats.

We just cleaned up after having a massive celebration for Hanna's (Ingrid's mom) 90th birthday party. We had 15 guests sleeping at our house and it took a couple of days over the long weekend to reassemble the house, but it was worth it. Now the New Year is well under way and we have many things to look forward to. See you there!

BOOKS ARE HERE!

2011-01-03T09:17:00.000-08:00

THE BOOKS ARE HERE, and they're actually selling pretty well for the little bit of awareness advertising I've been able to do through Facebook and a few other sources. I've been a little surprised at how many have ordered and downloaded the Kindle or Nook versions. It's certainly been a fun venture (Journey) in every aspect and it is exciting to hold the final product in my hand. If I can help in any way, let me know. Let's see what happens. I'm looking forward to setting up a new website in the next couple of weeks as well. I'll keep you posted here. Thanks for riding along!

2010-12-16T10:21:00.000-08:00

We're getting close! I have received the advance copy of both soft and hard cover books and they look great. I gave the "all clear" sign to the publisher and they are rolling the presses as we speak (uh, write and read). I hope to have my order of 300 books in hand within a couple of weeks, give or take. You can order them directly from me and I'll personalize them postpaid ($20 & $27.50) or you can get them from barnesandnoble.com or from amazon.com. This has been an act of faith. Let's see how it turns out! I'll also keep you posted on how the new website is coming along soon.

2010-12-12T10:08:00.000-08:00

"Journeys" will be available very soon as I mentioned in the previous post. You can order it direct from us postpaid for $20 in paperback, or for $27.50 in hard cover. Just send an email to: marvinwray@sbcglobal.net. I am also in the process of setting up a website at: marvinwray.com. In the meantime I will be posting more often again here and keep you informed as to the actual arrival and availability. A lot of this is very new to me, so I appreciate your patience.

An interesting side note: I just made contact with Renee Martin, the wife of John Martin. John was one of the pastors I met with at the Arizona Campmeeting. He was the pastor at the Holbrook Mission Church. Unfortunately John died of a heart attach at campmeeting the following year. I have his picture in the book and I wanted to make sure that was OK with his wife. She was so delighted and told me that she and John had followed the journey right here. I assured her that a signed copy would be on it's way to her soon. Please keep Renee in your prayers as she continues on her journey.

2010-12-09T11:54:00.000-08:00

Here's the copy of the hardcover edition. I am supposed to have the advance copies of paperback and hardcover within the next day or two. Then I have to check them through for any copy errors and we can move on to final printing. It will be a race to see if I have them before Christmas. Likely it will be in early January and then begins the fun of trying to get the word out, sign copies, and send them out. This has been a long, but fascinating journey for sure. I just pray that it will prove to be a blessing to many. Thanks for riding along!

THE BOOK IS COMING OUT!

2010-11-16T08:09:00.000-08:00

I know it has been forever since anything has appeared here and probably most of you who were following our happenings have given up. I am even considering just starting a new blog, but I want to at least try to get the word out to those of you who have been faithful followers.

The good news is that the book "Journeys" is just about to be published. I should have advance copies in hand in December and will probably try to organize some kind of major release in the early Spring. I am very open to advice and help on this project, but I am very excited about what is coming. I am just going through some touch-up editing this week in the final proof process and we'll be on our way.

"Journeys" has been a long project and often interrupted by a wide variety of happenings and I am so thankful that it has been completed. The book is 210 pages and will be available in paperback. hardbound and ebook. I'll give out more details soon and will also try to learn how to let all of you know if I begin a new blog related to the book and its content.

If you read this, leave a comment so I'll know you're still there.

Many blessings, Marvin

Mendocino and Friends

2010-04-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

We had such a delightful surprise the other day when Dwight and Karen Nelson stopped by on their way back to the Sacramento airport. Dwight had spoken at the inauguration of Heather Knight at PUC.

Next enjoy the pictures of the fantastic orchid on Hanna's patio. This plant doesn't look like much most of the year, but wow, it sure
is beautiful when it blooms. Next, we took cousins from Germany to the Mendocino coast last Friday. We stopped at the Navarro Winery to get

some of their wonderful grape juice (yes, real grape juice) I took these fun pics of the newly born lamb. Notice that in the one pic the umbilical cord is still visible. We then continued on to Mendocino, which is one of our favorite destinations and just shot some fun pics of seagulls, cormorants, family, flowers, and my beautiful bride. Hope you enjoy the pics half as much as we enjoyed the day. Have a good day yourselves right now!

Sorry for the absence!

2010-04-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

OK, I know it's been too long, but I really have been very, very busy! Obviously that means that I should be posting more so that you would know what I have been busy doing, but I do tend to procrastinate just a wee bit. So, let me show you just a few pics of late activities. We have had two cousins and spouses from Germany with us for the past week and a half. One of the couples has never been to the U.S. before and the other only once. They don't feel like venturing out on their own with a car so we have squeezed in as much as possible with them and have had a great time. These pics will show just some of the activities which include a trip to Ukiah where you will see some of the cherry blossoms (note the busy bee), the sheep, and a fun little lizard. Also I took off a day to go to a ball game between the Oakland A's and my Seattle Mariners. Yeah, we lost, but I included a pic of Ichiro about to hit the ball. We did hit a day of perfect weather in SF and enjoyed walking across the bridge. That night we BBQ'd some really great salmon,if I do say so myself. One pic shows the group after the crossing and looking just a bit weary! They will still be here for another week and a half, but will be in Ukiah for much of that time. God has blessed us with such a great family and so many other things to be thankful for. I hope your life is equally blessed.

What A Gorgeous Place To Live!

2010-03-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful Sabbath afternoon and we headed for SF once again. Seems like we are making a habit out of this, but there are so many areas to explore and every one of them is special. We began by hiking along the coast starting at the USS SF Memorial. There is a great trail down to a labyrinth overlooking the ocean. That must have taken a lot of work to make. We then hiked up (and up and up some 500 steps in all) to the Cartier Exhibit Hall and then back to the car. Then we drove over to the north side of the Golden Gate and up the road to where it becomes one way. There are some really neat tunnels and gun placements to explore and just such wonderful scenery. These pics were taken from that site. Note the fantastic strata formations in the rock. Our friends JC Buller and Andrea Clarke (husband and wife and both physicians in our church) were with us and then we capped off the evening with a lovely dinner at Piatti's in Mill Valley. Did we have fun? Yup, I think we did. I should note that these pics were taken with my iphone and not my regular camera.

The Birthday Party

2010-03-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

Well, this was the day of the birthday boy! We did all kinds of things for his enjoyment. We went to the Chinatown Coffee Company where he got the gourmet hot chocolate and you can see that he enjoyed it. We went and saw the dinosaurs at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. We had dinner again at the Old Ebbitt Grill, where they let Beck be the honorary Maitre 'd (see the pic) and had a spectacular chocolate birthday cake delivered and then came back to the hotel for a surprise decorated room with dinosaur decorated cupcakes and presents. Yes, it was a Beck day, but we all had fun! Wish you could have been here!

Singin' In the Rain

2010-03-13T15:27:00.000-08:00

Well, it was a bit wet, but that didn't stop us from having any fun for sure. We had a relaxing morning and then went down to the Museum of American History. We saw Julia Child's Kitchen, a wonderful experimental play area for kids which Inge found "electrifying," we ate at the Old Ebbitt Grill and walked past the White House. Now we're back at the hotel and the kids are wired for sure, but that's what we came for. Tomorrow will be more of the same and we're looking forward to it. Tune in for the latest news! Notice the flag. That is the original that flew over Ft. McHenry and inspired our National Anthem.

A Fun Day Back East

2010-03-13T07:10:00.000-08:00

We have arrived in Washington, D.C. and, as you might expect, we are having a blast! We are now with all the kids and grandkids and debating which part of the Smithsonian we want to see today. On Thursday we went to visit a friend of Julies, Margaret Hluch, who is a wonderful artist with woven artwork. Her husband, Kevin, works with clay, but all free formed and no wheel. They have this marvelous place in Frederick, Maryland that was a dance hall and entertainment center for blacks. Ike and Tina Turner performed there. The building was left abandoned for decades and was pretty well destroyed when they bought it, renovated it and made their studios downstairs and their marvelous home upstairs. You will see pictures of their work and one picture of Julie, Ingrid, and Margaret. This is amazing art! You can also see the molds Kevin uses for lids and trays. Many of them came from China. We had a great day here!

San Francisco Beauty

2010-03-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

The past two Sabbath afternoons we have gone down to the area around Golden Gate Park, the Presidio and the Cliff House Restaurant. The first time was the day after the Chile earthquake and we were looking out over the ocean at the time any tsunami activity was due. We saw the most spectacular wave action clear out on the horizon. Unfortunately I did not have my camera at that moment. Last Sabbath we simply hiked along the coastal trails and soaked in some much needed sunshine. We have determined that we need to make more time to enjoy God's beauty all around us. Life is short! I hope you enjoy the pics with us.

BUSY

2010-03-03T10:39:00.000-08:00

No pics this time. Just busy with too many board meetings this week on top of the regular meetings, classes, and preparations. We're really looking forward to next week. We'll leave late (11:35 pm) Wednesday night and get to D.C. around 7:30 am. We'll spend Fri - Sun nights at the Hilton Garden Inn on 14th St. with all the kids and grandkids from the east side of the country. Always lots of fun to go to the museums and other fun places with the little ones. We'll be back Monday night and have to hit the road running to get ready for the following weekend. One of the fun parts of the weekend is that it will be Beck's 5th birthday. I expect we'll hear plenty of laughter and squealing and other things that remind us of the joys of grandparenting. Hope you all have as much fun as we're going to have and I also hope you get a lot more rest than we will!

IN FULL BLOOM!

2010-02-23T15:10:00.000-08:00

As you can see, the Vulcan Magnolia is really in all of its splendor this year! We enjoy this beautiful tree so much. Many cars actually stop and the people get out and look at it. Neighbors ask to take pictures with their families in front of it. I guess we should charge!

I've been able to make some good progress on the book this week since I don't have to preach on Sabbath since our Pathfinders will be in charge of the service. That's good news as I really need the time to focus.

We met with a precious family last Sabbath where the wife is losing her battle with cancer. We have several other church members in similar conditions as well as families undergoing relational, financial, and other physical challenges. As I look at that I see how blessed we are, but I also see how fleeting and fragile our lives are. I have so many members and friends who have died from, or who are currently battling, cancer that it just makes me wonder when it is going to hit our immediate family. Life is certainly precious, but also unpredictable. My only hope is to stay close to Jesus. It's not about what I know, but WHO I know that counts.

May we each blossom like the Vulcan Magnolia in our front yard!

Beauty Amidst Sorrow

2010-02-17T16:50:00.000-08:00

I conducted the funeral today for the 102 year old member. It was interesting to witness the pain in the eyes and faces of the four living children (three had died), all of whom were in their late 70's to mid 80's, as they laid their mom to rest. No matter how long you have them, you're never ready to let go of mom. Perhaps the fact that they had her so long made it so difficult to comprehend that she was actually gone. And so we have mixed emotions everywhere we look, but God is always there and we can always find evidence of new life and hope if we look for it.

I hope you can enjoy these beautiful blossoms in our front yard. We watch them now daily as they will be completely gone in a few days, but they are glorious while we have them. Our loved ones are the same way. Enjoy the beauty of your family and friends today. Tomorrow they may be gone, but we still have the promise of an even more wonderful tomorrow.

May God bless you and keep you in His hand today.

Nice To Have A Long Weekend!

2010-02-15T13:10:00.000-08:00

Wonderful to have an extra day to the weekend. Ingrid dealt with a big project in repainting one of the guest rooms. I was available to help when needed, but spent a great deal of time working on the book as well as other items that would need to be done during the shortened week, like weekly letter, sermon, and all that good stuff. I also have two funerals this week which only adds to the list of things needing time and the lessening of time in which to do it all.

We are fully enjoying some spring like weather. The Vulcan Magnolia in our front yard is starting to bloom already and we are ready for some warmer weather and sunshine (bike weather!), but we are not complaining as we talk with our kids back east and their 45" of snow with more coming today!

So, I wish you and yours a blessed week as well. Keep the faith!

OK, I'm back

2010-02-10T17:01:00.000-08:00

I am back and after having read blogs from other colleagues I am chagrined to realize that I have not been faithful at blogging unless I was traveling or leading up to something. I hereby resolve to change that and get blogs up at least twice a week and hopefully more.

So, what have I been doing since I last signed in? Well, aside from the usual church items, which seem to keep me more than busy, I've been writing on the book, "The Journey." I am now about halfway through it and picking up speed. I do hope to have it done this spring and published asap. The writing of it has been a journey in itself and it does take a lot of time. Anyway, no more excuses. I'll just ask your forgiveness for being slack on this blog and get back to business.

I am currently working through a sermon series on "Challenges Facing the Church in the 21st Century." Challenge #1 was, "Do Not Worry", #2 was "Perceptions", and #3 was "Apathy." This Sabbath will begin to cover #4, which is "Truth." I may take two weeks to work that one through and then move on to "Reverence." It has been a fun series and well received even though I've been very much to the point. You can go on the church website and still pick up this series. Go to napasdachurch.com and click on Worship Services. Let me know what you think. I love feedback.

Much to do, but I'll post again at least by the weekend.

Blessings

A Poem For the New Year

2010-01-04T16:51:00.000-08:00

Twas the day after New Year

And time for reflection

On how to eliminate

All that confection.

Year after year

I am so resolute

But the best of my promises

Seem nothing but moot.

But really, those pounds

Are the least of my fears

As I think of the sins

Of my 63 years.

I want to do right,

Yes, my heart’s fully in it

But, time after time

Where there’s wrong I am in it.

The things I should do

I rather neglect

And things I should not

I do quite direct.

I know I am wretched

In need of a Savior

To cleanse me anew

From repeated behavior.

Praise God there’s an answer

That brings such elation

For in Christ I’m daily

A brand new creation!

This marvelous news

Of redemption and grace

Is the primary reason

We come to this place.

We all have been broken,

We’re hopeless alone

But Christ came to Bethlehem

For sins to atone.

And this is our message

To all who will hear,

Emmanuel, God with us,

Can cast out all fear.

His arms are wide open

For one and for all

Eternal life is yours NOW

If on Him you’ll call

And we, this church body

So strong with those hopes

Will humbly and lovingly

Hold onto your ropes.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

It's been a little while so I thought I'd better at least let you know that I'm still here for 2010! My main focus as we launch into this new year is to get the book done. I have to really concentrate on that and get it done before summer or it will be of little value.

I will also do my very best to post here at least once a week just to make it worthwhile for anyone who takes the time to check in.

We have been super blessed throughout the Christmas and New Year holidays. We've been with all three kids and all five grandkids as well as both of Ingrid's sisters and families. Who can say that we are not rich. I wish I could see more of my family in Washington, but that just doesn't seem to work out as easily. Our church is doing so well and we are so blessed to have completed ten years in Napa now. Doesn't seem possible and we're still having fun!

In my next post I'll include the poem from last week's letter to the church. As you may know I do a letter (the VIP) each week and this week I included a copy of VIP #1 along with VIP #524! Bundle them all together and you've got quite an epic!

Here's to a happy, blessed, and wonderful New Year to each and every one of you. God bless us everyone!

Early Christmas in D.C.

2009-12-16T14:50:00.000-08:00

We just had an amazing weekend in Washington, D.C. with two of our kids and three of our grandkids! We stayed for three nights at the Hilton Garden Inn on 14th St. which is quite near the White House. We did not try to crash any parties! We did get a small Christmas tree for the room and had lots of presents for the kiddies and, in general, just had a lot of fun.

Santa showed up on Sunday morning and you can see the response from Inge (almost 7) and Beck (soon to be 5). In the next picture all of Steve's family got in on the act. Emmas 15th birthday was the Sabbath we were there which made it nice. We went to Union Station which is one of our favorite haunts and got the whole clan together for a pic in front of the tree.

The Capitol building at night is always a great shot as you can see. Then we went to Arlington Cemetery on Monday to see some of the 15,000+ wreaths that had been laid there on Saturday. It was impressive. Obviously I also took some shots of the Washington Monument as well. After that we went to the Georgetown Mall, which is another favorite of ours just for the beauty, especially at Christmas.

We ended the trip with dinner at the Daily Grill in Tyson's II, near Vienna where we used to pastor. Julie and T were there along with his parents, Norm and Carol Wootton and a friend. A grand time was had by all and we are so blessed with our family connections.

Thanksgiving Day Walk

2009-11-26T21:11:00.000-08:00

We definitely had a fantastic Thanksgiving Day spent with our son, Dan, his wife, Shihoko, and the kids, Lauren (19) and Daniel (13). The pics in this post are taken from a walk that Dan and I took in Steven's Creek Park. The weather was perfect and the wildlife, particularly the waterfowl, was amazing. I don't think the pictures need any explaining so just enjoy the journey. I'll try to get some pics up from tomorrow with the family.

More Napa Valley Beauty - Home Sweet Home!

2009-11-18T16:19:00.000-08:00

The hardest part of all of this is choosing only ten pictures to put up. I know I could just post them all, but then that would take a lot of time and would just make you all want to move here, which wouldn't be so bad!

The first picture was taken just south of Hopland, which is near Ukiah. I took Hanna up to Ukiah to be with Lilli this morning and I'm glad I took the camera along. I love these red clusters on the fence around the vineyard. Next we move down to St. Helena, which is just 18 miles north of Napa. This is along the tree canopied portion of Hwy 29 just coming into St. Helena from the north. Then you see a shot of the entry to Beringer Brother's Winery, which was established in 1876.

The rest of the pictures are just random stops along Hwy 29 heading toward Napa. There are just so many beautiful spots to pick for photos and the beauty is there all year round. The colors this fall are particularly stunning it seems and we never get tired of driving along this highway. Next time I'll have to get some pictures from along the Silverado Trail.

I hope you enjoy the scenery. Wish you were here!

The Beauty All Around Us

2009-11-16T15:21:00.000-08:00

I promised you all some pics from the beautiful Napa Valley/Alexander Valley areas and here they are. The first four pics are just a small sampling of the beauty we drive by every day. The next two were taken yesterday, Nov. 15, along the driveway up to Ingrid's sister's house in Ukiah. The colors are gorgeous everywhere it seems. The second of those pics is of her house looking down from the drive.

Then I took a picture of a picture showing Lilli and Bruno in happier days. In fact that picture was taken near Retzow, Germany when we were all there for the cousin reunion in 2005. We lost Bruno one year ago today, Nov. 16, as the last picture illustrates. This is a sad day in so many ways and yet we choose to celebrate the beauty and the joy of all the great years we had with this great man. It is an enormous loss, but we are all so much richer for his example.

I hope you are all having a wonderful autumn as we are. Praise God for the beauty all around us. It is easy to miss it with all the tragedies in the world, but don't miss the gifts God gives you every day.

It's Beautiful Here Too

2009-11-13T14:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks for checking back in. I know it's been a week since I posted those pictures from home. It's been a really busy one too with catching up on mail, bills, and visits to church family. I have a funeral tomorrow for a dear friend and church member and then on Sunday we'll drive up to Ukiah to be with Ingrid's sister. Monday will mark one year since we lost her husband and our brother, Bruno. The drive up through the Alexander Valley will be awesome and I promise to take some pictures and post them here early next week so check back again.

We had such a marvelous time in Germany and we look forward to each one of them who comes to collect "payback!"

Life is good and God is great!

Home At Last!

2009-11-06T08:55:00.000-08:00

Yes, we are home at last. That doesn't mean that we didn't have a most marvelous trip, but it is always good to be home, back in your own bed, and ready to get back into the "normal" swing of things.

First picture is of Ingrid at the Frankfurt Airport. Isn't is always good to be at the airport in time, rid of the baggage, and through security. Enough to make you smile (after you've had time to go to the restroom!)

The next few pics show our wonderful home as it looked upon arrival. The climbing roses are still blooming by the fountain and the plants are healthy, but looking like they need a little pruning care. All in all, the whole place looks good and we are just thankful to have such a comfortable place to come home to.

God blessed us with safe travel. We drove over 3,000 km without incident (well, except for the three times I got my picture taken via radar!) and we saw so many cousins, aunts and uncles, and friends. Our health was good and we just had a wonderful time seeing so many beautiful places and following the steps of Martin Luther.

Yes, it is good to be home and now we have much work to do, but with it all we have an amazing assortment of memories the cherish. Thanks to all of you who have been a part of it.

Now, keep checking back and I'll update posts of our happenings here once a week.

Tchus!!

I Lied

2009-11-05T03:34:00.001-08:00

The pictures loaded fast enough that I will get this up as well and that will finish until I give a report from home tomorrow. On Wednesday we went to Trier, the oldest city in Germany and it was a treat indeed. The first two pics are from the Trier Dom (Cathedral) which we felt was truly one of the best of the trip as it was not so overbearing, but beautiful! You see the courtyard and the pipe organ here.

Next are pics of the city center in Trier and those colorful houses are dated 1605 - 1609! The next pic is of a part of the original Roman wall that was built 157 AD. Quite imipressive! Then we drove with Axel, our good friend through the valley along the Mosel River and this is wine country at its best! Even more beautiful than Napa in some ways due to the higher hills. Just amazing colors and we stopped at this high point to take some pics.

Finally we stopped at a lovely town that I can't recall (or pronounce) the name of, but it was fantastic. We did just a little shopping and, of course, had to have some coffee and kuchen! Notice in the sixth picture the little house in the middle that is no wider than the two windows. Very quaint! Then you see Ingrid and me in front of the Ratskeller, which used to be the city hall, but is now a restaurant of sorts.

One last night shot with the reflecting lights and then the final shot of Ingrid with Axel and Marlies Kreis and their daughter Jennifer who reminded us so much of our granddaughter, Emma! We hope they will all visit next May/June!!!!!

God has blessed in so many ways. I'll share more reflections tomorrow. Thanks for looking!

Last Post before flying

2009-11-05T03:15:00.000-08:00

OK, we're at the airport in Frankfurt and I'm getting this last blog post up before taking off. This is a report of last Tuesday as we left family near Aachen and came down to Bitburg to be with friends, which I will show you in the next post. The first picture was taken on the last night as we looked at pictures from way back and shared lots of memories late into the evening. The next pic shows Gabi and Piero. Gabi is one of Ingrid's many cousins. We really had a great time with them as well and the city of Aachen is wonderful!

Then we drove through Maastricht, Netherlands, home of Andre Rieu and just took a picture along the river. We also drove through parts of Belgium and Luxembourg that day. We did enjoy a coffee and a wonderful raspberry torte on the way as you can see.

Can you guess why the next two pics are in there? Couldn't resist pulling off to drive only 1 km to see the town of Marvie, which is really a very cute town. (naturally). The drive along the way through Luxembourg was so beautiful and I chose just a couple of pictures to share of many that I could have used.

We'll be leaving soon and will be home tonight. Many mixed emotions as we leave family here and return to family at home.

Love to all!!

A Day of Relaxation For the Most Part

2009-11-02T09:25:00.001-08:00

Just a short post today thus far. First picture shows just one of the delicious items we have been fed here. This is Tante Ellie's spinach cannelloni (sp?) and it was fabulous. Next you'll see a sign on the back of a car as we were driving today. Didn't know I was so famous! Then we have Daniela, daughter of Gabi and Piero, our hosts currently. She sprained her ankle today in school and so we got her a little treat from the bakery. Just one cookie! Next is Ingrid with her Tante Ellie (Hanna's sister) and we have loved having time with her and the others. The last picture is just of a cat that was sitting outside the place where Tante Ellie was buying some eggs and I just liked the scene.

So, there you have a very short day. Tomorrow we will see Maastricht, some of Belgium and Luxembourg and then on to Bitburg, Germany to stay with friends the final two nights and see Trier, the oldest city in Germany. See you there!

Aachen

2009-11-01T12:03:00.001-08:00

Just a couple of quick pics to end Koln. First you see Ingrid with cousin Willie as we leave the area of the Dom and then a reflection of the bridge and the Dom in the windows of the Hilton Hotel where President Clinton stayed.

Next you see the main cathedral in Aachen which was begun in 800 AD. A beautiful church for sure, and the next picture is of the Rathouse. Don't misunderstand that. A Rathouse is the city hall and are usually very fine structures.

Then you can see Ingrid with cousin Gabi as they prepared more food. (Like I needed more food, but you know how polite I always am and so I am bringing home about ten pounds of memories! The final pic shows Ingrid and I with Horst Burkhard (another cousin) with his wife Katie. Also in the picture are Hanna's sister, Tante Ellie, and her brother, Onkel Erich. Tomorrow we will visit one more Tante (aunt) and then we will have seen all of Hanna's living brothers and sisters on this journey. What a treat!

Tomorrow also we will do some packing and preparing and perhaps spend a bit more time in Aachen. As wonderful a time as we are having we are anxious to return home to the church and the ministry that we love so much.

Koln in the Daytime

2009-11-01T10:45:00.000-08:00

Houston, we had a problem, but a good neighbor here was able to find the solution and so I am able to bring you up to date once again.

The pictures today are from Koln (Cologne) in the daytime. We began again by walking across the railway bridge toward the Koln Dom (major cathedral). On the bridge you will find thousands of locks, engraved with the names of couples and a date. They secure the lock on the bridge and throw the key into the Rhein. We came across such a couple and, well, you know me, I had to engage them in conversation. I took their picture placing the lock and then tossing the key. I have some others as well and then included them in a group picture with Ingrid and cousin Willie. I took their email address and sent the pictures to them. I would have provided the marriage service, but it is the wrong country. They have been to California a couple of times so we hope to connect in the future.

Next you see a picture of the Dom and please note that we climbed the left tower with its current configuration of 544 steps. It was breathtaking (literally) and then you see a picture taken from the top. More pictures of the cathedral, including the oldest crucifix known, and then St. Martin's Church above one of the shopping plazas. There are hundreds of such cathedrals in the city and this was such a gorgeous time of year with the leaves turning colors as is demonstrated in the final picture.

What a marvelous time we are having as we travel from place to place. Next we move on to more cousins near Aachen, which is another old and beautiful city of renoun. Charlamagne established the significance of this area known for its mineral baths. Coronations of kings were performed in Aachen and then they proceeded to Koln to present themselves before the tomb of the three wise kings of the east.

I'll put up some pictures from Aachen now.

Koln at Last

2009-10-31T01:40:00.000-07:00

SUCCESS! I have no idea what happened with the other pictures so let me just move on. First picture here is of cousins Idchen and Martel with Erwin, Martel's husband who is quite ill. We had a lovely two days with them and then moved on to Oberhausen to visit Hanna's brother Erwin and wife, Gitta. We also met Ralf, a cousin who Ingrid had never met along with his wife. What a wonderful time!

Now we are in Koln with Willie, Ingrid's cousin whom you met in Napa a few months back. I have shared here some pictures of Koln at night. We are now off to church and a day tour of the city and I'll put up more pictures soon. You see mostly the Kolner Dom. Today we will climb the tower with it's 504 steps!!!!! I couldn't resist this picture of the two bottles of beer with a banana on top. Honestly, the beer is not ours, nor is the banana. It was just there!

You also see Ingrid and I in a Greek restaurant at the end of the evening. The picture with the locks is interesting. Couples come to the bridge and place an engraved lock on the fencing and throw the key into the river symbolizing a lasting love. Nice concept eh?

Got to run, but will catch up later. More pictures I hope!!!

I"m Trying

2009-10-31T00:40:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, I can't get more pictures to upload right now. It keeps saying that it is a "Bad Request." I've even deleted the 50 oldest posts to make room, but it still won't accept them. So, I'm trying to just get this word out to you and we'll see what happens with that.

I left you in Buchenwald on Tuesday and it is now Sabbath morning in Koln. We did a tour of the city by night last evening and it was spectacular. We are going to try to find a church today and then to a day tour. All tours are done by our cousin Willie!

This evening we will go on to Aachen and we'll be heading home by next Thursday. I hope to get things figured out and get more pictures up for you so keep checking back.

All is well and the journey has been marvelous thus far.

Buchenwald & Goslar

2009-10-27T23:59:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm having some success with internet today, but encountering some problems as well. I got five of the pictures to load, and the rest don't want to cooperate. So, let's see what happens.

Let me share these five and I'll try to find access tonight in Espelkamp. This first pictures shows a monument at the Buchenwald Memorial, which is a beautiful and moving tribute to the atrocities that were committed here. Some 50,000 men, women, and children died here under unbelievable conditions. The memorial monument tower itself strikes a beautiful pose in the second picture. Among the names listed in a mass grave I found one American, Philip Hammens, and can't help but wonder what his story was. We spent a lot more time here than we had planned, but no regrets.

We stopped for the evening in Goslar, which happens to be the town where our dear brother-in-law grew up until they left for America. I'll have more pictures soon in the daytime, but it is a gorgeous city by night as well. The next pictures shows one of the buildings on the Market Square and the last is our hotel, The Goldene Krone. We actually got about 9 hours sleep last night and it was precious!

Sorry for the lack of picture cooperation, but we'll get you caught up.

Eisleben and Halle

2009-10-26T11:50:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Eisleben and Halle! We began the day by driving to Eisleben, which was only about 45 km from where we have been staying with Ingrid's cousin Ingrid (imagine two of them!) who lives in Halle. Eisleben is famous for being the birthplace and deathplace of Luther.

The first picture today shows the pulpit of St. Andrew's Church and it was from this pulpit that he preached his last sermon. Next we move to the house where he died. Here is an artist's depiction of the event. He was surrounded by friends, including Justus Jonas, first Protestant Pastor of the church in Halle and a close personal friend. The next picture is of the actual bed where he died and the next is of the house where he was born.

We had to move quickly in order to visit Ingrid's uncle and aunt on the way back to Halle. It was good to see them as Tante (aunt) Ruth is not well. Then we needed to get back to Halle by 2:00 in order to go on a walking tour of that beautiful city.

The next picture shows the baptistry in the Markt Kirche. Luther did preach here after Cardinal Albrecht, who did not like Luther or his reformation ideas, moved away in 1541. It was here that Justus Jonas became the first Protestant Pastor. this is the actual baptistry where George Frederick Handel was baptized and he was baptized by immersion! Next you see the small pipe organ that Handel learned to play on. That picture is followed by the larger pipe organ that he helped install and design, but he was never the church organist with that instrument. However, his son, Frederick Handel was the church organist there for 18 years.

The paintings that you see next are behind the altar and were painted by Lucas Cranach, Luther's friend and primary illustrator. This is unique in that the pictures can be alternated with other hinged paintings into four different scenes for the four quadrants of the liturgical year. We obtained a model of that.

The crucifix is not old, but is highly significant. It shows Christ secured to the cross not with nails, but with wire symbolic of those kept in concentration camps, and He has freed one arm and is reaching down to help them. It is a very moving piece of art.

The final picture today shows the orginal death mask of Luther's face and hands. You will notice as you look at the hands that he had some significant arthritis.

When Luther died in Eisleben he was moved by carriage to Wittenberg, but as he came through Halle they could hardly proceed because of the weeping throngs. Luther did so much for the people by putting them in touch with a personal, loving God and also by providing a common language and access to God's word, thereby freeing them from the Catholic dominance. We also have so much to thank this great man of God for.

Tomorrow we move north to visit more family by Wednesday, but we will stop in Buchenwald, which is well known for a brutal concentration camp, and then to just have some time for the two of us to enjoy some of the smaller towns along the route. I don't know about internet connections for the next few days so it may not be until Friday that I get a new post up. I'll do my best.

Dresden, Part 2

2009-10-25T13:04:00.001-07:00

So, I had a little more time and thought I would finish up with Dresden. These pictures were taken on Sunday. The first shows an interesting way of dealing with steamstacks on paddle wheel boats that are too tall for the bridge. The stacks lower to go under and then are hoisted back into position. In a section of downtown they have done some excavation to explore an earlier section of the city. This is not really all that ancient (probably from 300-400 years ago, but interesting none the less.

The next picture is in the day time back at the Zwinger, where so many night shots were taken. In the daytime as well it is an interesting place. Today we visited the art gallery of the old masters, which was fantastic and then the museum with precious items from the 15th - 18th century. This was a great way to end the visit.

Another mural is shown next from the time of the Russian occupation and control of E. Germany. What was really fascinating was having Erika describe the propaganda that was portrayed. She did it with great emotion!

The final picture just sums up for me what we saw in this gorgeous city. The old is often reflected in the new! If you ever get a chance to visit Dresden do so. We were so tempted to go on to Prague as it was only 100 miles away, but alas, no time. We'll be back!

Dresden

2009-10-25T12:14:00.001-07:00

I did not have access to the internet last night, so I'll catch you up tonight and a bit more of Dresden tomorrow, as well as Eisleben. Dresden is a marvelous city that rivals Prague in its beauty. The big difference is that Dresden was horribly bombed on Feb. 13, 14, 1945 and most of the city was burned. Many, if not most, of the historical structures were in ruins, but most

of them have been restored.

The first picture tonight shows the doorway entry to the address listed for the SDA Church in Dresden. I was thankful to find that they no longer meet there, but I had no new address. So, I didn't get to go to an Adventist Church, but we did get to go to church on Sabbath. We attended the service at the Evangelical Church (Lutheran). This is called the Frauenkirche and it is a marvelous church that was also destroyed in the bombing, but restored in exact detail. Standing room only for Sabbath church! We were with the last ones in, stood the whole time, and many were turned away!

Next you see a panorama of a tile mural depicting the various rulers. They said there were more than 25,000 tiles and the mural is over 100 meters long. I didn't count the tiles. I'll take their word for it. Next is a picture of Ingrid flanked by her cousin Ingrid and a good friend, Erika. It was just me with three ladies for the weekend. I won't make any further comment on that at this time.

Next you see a wonderful wood carving done by six prisoners who refused to give up their faith toward the end of WWII. These six young men, ages 19 - 32 were all beheaded. It was a moving experience to witness their work. This is on display in the Augustus Dom, a new Catholic Church.

The last five pictures all just show some of the architectural beauty that surrounds you in Dresden. The final four were all taken on the grounds of Zwinger, which is a cultural garden and exhibition area that has been the focal point of culture for centuries. I had so much fun walking around there for a couple of hours last night. I have many, many more wonderful pictures and it was hard to choose just a few to share.

Tomorrow we visit an uncle nearby and then the city of Eisleben for some further Luther sites and back to our host, Ingrid, for a tour of Halle. It's been a long weekend and our hearts have been with our home church family as they remembered our dear friend, Karl Yared. May Jesus come soon and show us beauty that we cannot even imagine.

Lutherhaus inWittenberg

2009-10-23T12:08:00.001-07:00

OK, let's get caught up. Today it was an easy drive back to Wittenberg to meet with cousins Irwin and Brigitte once again. They have been such super tour guides for Wednesday and today. The first picture is of Martin Luther's tomb in the Castle Church. Philipp Melancthon, Luther's contemporary and great supporter, as well as distinguished scholar, is also buried there in a similar tomb. Then we went into the print shop used by Lucas Cranach, who was the chief illustrator and printer for most of Luther's work. The worker there took time to give us a great demonstration and a wealth of information. What a super guy!

Next we went into the Lutherhaus, which we could have spent days, but did stay for over three hours. The next picture shows Cranach's depiction of the ten commandments, which was fascinating. The wood carving was particularly striking and the next picture is a portion of the debate platform and shows a Cranach depiction of Luther's concept of salvation by "faith alone."

Next you will see the table and some of the seating area in the room where Luther always gathered with his students and from which the "Table Talks" originate. Another Cranach work shows the contrast between law (on the left) and grace (on the right) Click on the picture to enlarge it and see the differences. Next I took a picture of an original signature of Philipp Melancthon just for interest.

Finally you'll see a shot of the streets of Wittenberg which also were so much fun and so many shops of interest. Of course we finished the day with coffee and kuchen at Tante Talchen's home. She is Hanna's sister and it was wonderful to visit in her home nearby. In the middle you see Irwin and Brigitte. Tante Talchen is next to Ingrid and the others, on the left are Christal and Renate, both cousins. Keep in mind that Ingrid has more than 40 cousins and spouses. I can't keep up with them all.

Tomorrow we're off to Dresden for the weekend and will be attending church there. Have a wonderful Sabbath.

Wartburg and Erfurt

2009-10-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for the delay, but last night I was way too tired and this morning the internet connection was not available probably due to more people being online. So I'll try to get yesterday's and today's posts both up tonight.

Yesterday began with a long drive to Eisenach to see the Wartburg Castle where Luther was secretly hidden under the

disguise of "Knight George." While there for only ten months he translated the entire New Testament from Greek to German.

The first picture shows a stained glass portrayal of the Wartburg Castle, which is very beautiful. The second picture is of his writing room there and you can see the ink stain to the left of the ceramic stove where he threw an ink well at the

devil, whom he was certain was interfering with his work.

As we walked around the castle grounds we found that love was in the air as the doves were definitely in a courting mood as you can see from the next picture. Next I took advantage of the elevation to get a picture of a distant church and next just a fun picture of a group of mushrooms that caught my eye.

Later that afternoon we drove to Erfurt where Luther spent some time, but our main purpose was to see the Dom St. Mariene. This is a gorgeous cathedral which is particularly noted for its striking stained glass windows. It was truly an inspiring place to be as you can see from the following three pictures.

The next picture shows just one of the beautiful street scenes that we enjoyed as we walked back to our car. We would love to have had more time just to look around Erfurt. It was late when we got Ingrid's cousins (yes more of them) back to their home and they insisted on preparing dinner even though is was 8:00. So out came the goulash, dumplings, and cooked red cabbage. I must say is was wonderfully delicious, but we didn't get home until nearly 11:00.

So that concludes another day and now I'll download pictures and stories from today's return to Wittenberg to see the Lutherhaus.

Wittenberg

2009-10-21T12:37:00.001-07:00

We begin the pictures today at the very door of the Castle Church where Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses. Unfortunately the wooden door was destroyed by fire during the Seven Years War in 1760 and was later replaced with bronze doors and the text in raised letters. At least I wasn't tempted to nail anything there. The next picture is of his grave in The Castle Church. Even though he did most of his preaching at the Town Church he was allowed to be buried in the more formal church along with Philipp Melancthon. The third picture shows a portion of the town and the twin towers of The Town Church. We climbed the tower at the Castle Church to get those pictures and it reminded us of climbing the Statue of Liberty. Our legs are sore!

Next we walked down to the Town Church and met Martin along the way and stopped to have our picture taken with him. He looks pretty good for being about 500 years old! Then you see the interior of the Town Church and then the pulpit from which he often preached. It was moving to be in such a place where such courage was taken to preach the Gospel in it's true form!

The painting shows Martin Luther on the right pointing to Christ as the Lamb of God. Luther's wife is in the group on the left as is the artist. The next picture is of the study, writing, and sleeping room of Philipp Melancthon, Luther's friend, colleague, and fellow theologian. We visited the Melancthon House today and will go back to Wittenberg on Friday to spend a significant amount of time at the Luther House.

Not every moment was spent in touring. Ingrid and her cousin Brigitte from Switzerland found time for a little window shopping. The final picture shows the tower of the Castle Church at night as we made our way back to the car and then drove an hour and a half to Halle where we will be staying for the next several nights.

Tomorrow we go to Erfurt and Eisenach. See you there!

A Quiet Day in Retzow

2009-10-20T13:52:00.001-07:00

Today we start with a picture of the house that Ingrid's parents built back in the 1940's. They made the bricks and built it all by hand. The bricks weighed 25 pounds each and Hanna would carry two at a time up to her husband, Sam. This is the house that they all walked away from in 1954 in order to escape, each one leaving separately. It is always a moving experience for us to see it today.

Most of today was spent just visiting with family and other friends from the village and a cousin who drove out from Berlin. Then I spent part of the afternoon with Egbert, another cousin who works for a farming business and drives these wonderful big toys! The first picture with him shows his seeder and tractor. This tractor is all computerized and does everything at the touch of a button. The next pic shows their brand new harvester. You can buy one just like it for just under $400,000.

Then he gave me a fantastic tour of their new bio gas business. The government is really into this kind of project and I was very impressed. The bio gas is produced by combining the manure from the dairy cows with silage and a process produces the gas and returns the manure to be used as fertilizer for the fields. Nothing is lost and everything is returned for productive use. This one plant generates enough electricity for 10,000 homes. It is a somewhat smelly business, but fascinating to see.

Finally you will see Ingrid very happy to get some more tomatoes from Egbert's green house and then we ended the day with Ralph and Jeanette, Sigrid and Irvin, and a marvelous dinner. It was a beautiful day and we now prepare to leave to pick up a car in Berlin and drive down to Halle via Wittenberg.

While we have had such a wonderful time with family we have been shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of two precious members of our church family. Rob Shipley and Karl Yared both passed away within the last two days. We thought they would both still be with us when we returned and our hearts reach out to the families. The lesson: Enjoy your loved ones every day you have and don't be slow to tell them how much you love them.

We hope to see you here tomorrow, but I'm not positive about the wireless connections where we will be, so if you don't see something new, don't worry!

East Meets West

2009-10-19T15:14:00.000-07:00

Let me take you on just a brief tour of the Berlin area that we saw today. The pictures got a little out of order, but I hope you'll forgive that. The first picture should be of the Schloss Sansouci, which is part of the grounds of the Royal family from the time of Frederick the Great. The grounds are absolutely marvelous and the day was cold, but clear and wonderful. Next you'll see a picture of many cousins as they all wanted to be with us for the day.

Before we left I took some pictures just down the street from where we are staying in Retzow, which is the town where Ingrid grew up. This quaint church is where Ingrid was married the first time at age four. Her sister performed the wedding and all the village children were present making noise with pots and pans. I have since had the wedding canceled and taken my rightful place. Next is a fun shot back at the grounds of the Royal family with just a fun reflection shot. That is followed by a picture of an old windmill on the grounds as well.

Now you should see the U.S. Embassy in Berlin with a hot air balloon depicting the world that was floating overhead. Quite an impressive building. I remember the old U.S. Embassy building in E. Berlin that we took pictures of in 1982 and were fearful of being arrested for it. Next is a picture where I have one foot in the east and one in the west and you see the brick line where the Berlin Wall used to be. That picture is followed by Checkpoint Charlie. We went through this checkpoint in 1982 and there is quite a story to that crossing with it's difficulties. Now it is for memories and picture opportunities. There is a lot of emphasis on all of this right now as Nov. 9 will mark 20 years since the wall came down.

Next is a shot of the Angel of Freedom which stands in the West, but we could see it from the East in 1982. It was strange to imagine what the people in the East must have thought seeing that figure, but unable to reach it. The next two shots are of the Brandenburger Tur, which was was also in the East. The horses on the top originally faced to the West, but the E. German leaders turned them around to face East as they still do today.

Finally there are just some fun shots at night. You see an old church with a radio tower that was all part of the Eastern sector. The other old church was bombed out and left as a reminder of the destruction. It is on Kurfuersten Dam and across from a very modern shopping mall. Last is a picture of the 1936 Olympic Stadium where Jesse Owens brought some grief to Adolf Hitler with his athletic victories over Hitler's fair haired boys.

Change is the operative word for the day. Much of the change has been good, but we always manage to bring in the bad with it eventually. Aren't we glad that the best is yet to come? I hope you enjoyed our day. We certainly did. Today, (Tuesday) we plan to visit many local scenes of Ingrid's childhood. See you tomorrow.

The Longest Night

2009-10-18T05:57:00.001-07:00

Well, let me tell you, the Germans know how to throw a party! This was a 25th wedding celebration for one of Ingrid's cousins and the party was held in the old brewery in Ribbeck, which is now a community hall and very beautiful. There were about 70 guests and the food was plentiful and wonderful. As you can see from one of the pictures the party went well into the morning hours. We arrived at 5:30 pm and left at 3:15 am and then were back there for breakfast leftovers and cleaning at 10:30.

The top picture shows the gathering with a women's choir that started the entertainment. The next picture shows the old church which is now a cafe, meeting place and somewhat of a museum depicting what the area was like before the wall came down.

Next you will see the fun way they had of making picture memories. One couple you will recognize, and the other is of the anniversary couple, Ralf and Jeanette. I couldn't resist including a picture of Jeanette looking out the window with the red ivy growing over the bricks. The three ladies are all Hanna's sisters and the picture with Ingrid is with the aunt she had not seen since she was ten years old. This is Tante Talchen and it was an emotional reunion!

The last picture is the whole group of cousins and family that was there on Sunday morning.

One interesting side note is that this was all held in Ribbeck, which is about 6 km from Retzow, where Ingrid grew up. This town had the only other Adventist family in the area and Ingrid's family would worship with them in Ribbeck and in Retzow on alternating weeks. They walked to each other's homes each week.

Family is so precious and this has been a wonderful, albeit sleep deprived, trip thus far, but I'm not complaining one bit. I am privileged to be a part of it all. Things should settle down a bit now. We will be going into Berlin tomorrow and who knows what fun the rest of today holds?

Let the Fun Begin!

2009-10-16T12:19:00.001-07:00

Here we are in Germany and the fun has already begun. The first picture shows Ingrid handling all of the luggage. What do you think I brought her along for?

The flights were all good and we arrived in Retzow (50 km west of Berlin) at about 3 pm local time on Friday, which was 6 am our time. Of course then there was lunch and then unpacking, and then dinner, and then lots and lots of talking and laughter.

You see Ingrid with several of her cousins. Keep in mind that she has about 50 of them over here. Sandwiched in between I got in on the act with two of Hanna's sisters.

The final picture is of Ralph and Jeanette, the anniversary couple. The real party is tomorrow evening and will be quite a formal affair and I know it's going to be a loud and lovely time of just being family.

I feel so privileged to be a part of this great clan and so fortunate to be able to make this trip as we include the tour of Martin Luther sites. Ingrid has many cousins who live right in the center of all of those cities and so we will have personalized tours.

Stay tuned as I will have many pictures of the celebration to post in the near future as I have good wi-fi connection here. I hope I have the same when we are doing the Luther sites.

It is now almost 10 pm, which means we have been up for 32 hours and have had about an hour of sleep. I think we need to go to bed.

Thanks for looking in and we'll be back soon.

Up we go into the wild blue yonder!

2009-10-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

Well, the day has finally arrived and we're off to Germany to visit family and to do a self-guided Martin Luther tour. We'll also visit SDA churches in Dresden and Koln. I know it's Octoberfest, but I promise to stay away from the beer! This is going to be especially wonderful because finally I'm doing something this year and taking my sweet bride with me! I've been to Africa for three weeks. I've been all over the country on the motorcycle for seven weeks. But now I get three weeks with her and it's just the two of us. I think I'm gonna like this! Check back often now as I will put up pictures as often as I can have wireless internet connectivity.

The church is in good hands and we are all in God's hands so enjoy today to the max, because we have no idea what tomorrow may bring, but as long as we're with Him it really doesn't matter. The older I get the less afraid I am of dying and the more I enjoy every day of life I have. It is precious. Handle with prayer!

Love and blessings to all of you and I hope to "see" you on the journey.

One Last Detour---With Pictures!

2009-10-13T09:29:00.000-07:00

Hi All:

Well, the final part of my sabbatical outline included a trip to Germany to do a self-guided Martin Luther tour. Ingrid has many cousins there and one lives right in the middle of all the major sites and we will stay with her and do day trips. We will be visiting other areas as well and I promise pictures as often as we get internet connections so check back for those pictures and updates.

The book is coming along well. I would still love to be done by Christmas, but I may not quite make that. Stay tuned though and I'll keep you posted.

We leave Thursday, Oct. 15 and will return on Thursday, Nov. 5.

It's Octoberfest there, but I promise to be good!!!

Still Writing and Planning Another Segment

2009-09-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

The writing is going fairly well. Two chapters are done and it is coming together slowly but surely. As we speak Ingrid and I are also planning the last segment of the sabbatical, which is a self-guided tour of most of the Martin Luther sites. We leave Oct. 15 and will return on Nov. 5. We will be visiting Wittenburg, Eisleben, Eisenach, Erfurt, Augsburg, Coburg, and other sites as well as taking the opportunity to visit some SDA churches in Germany.

Once underway I will be making daily posts as far as internet connections are available. You know how that goes. We are looking forward to this part of my study leave and especially the fact that we are doing this part together!!!

I hope you will be able to follow along once again and in the meantime, keep checking back to see how the book is going.

Long Time No Hear?

2009-09-13T16:27:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the long absence. I've been inundated with funerals, but I have truly been working on the book. Progress is being made! In just a month I will be leaving with my wife to go to Germany and do a self guided Martin Luther tour. Ingrid has many cousins in the area that we can stay with and do day trips to the various sites. I also hope to visit some of the SDA churches in the areas and pick up some insights as to what is happening there.

Please don't lose heart in following the blog. I'm really having fun reliving the trip as I write about each one that I visited. I must say it is a lot more comfortable to make the trip in the comfort of my study as opposed to the seat of the bike, but not as much fun!

May God bless each one as His Kingdom draws near.

Life Is Short & Fast

2009-08-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

You know, if you've followed my blogs at all, that I love to take pictures of birds. We recently hung this simple hummingbird feeder in our back yard and I love to watch these special creatures of God's imagination as they come to feed. When I'm out there they sometimes come and hover right around me. They are so fast and busy and so fascinating to watch.

Lately I've felt a bit like them as I've been trying to keep up with a rash of funerals, appointments, meetings, family needs, personal time, and writing the book as well as sermons and weekly letters to the church. I'm not complaining at all, I'm just flapping my wings as fast as I can!

If God is watching over these wonderful little birds, I know He is also watching over me as I flit from event to event just trying to do what He has designed me to do. Stop and enjoy today and thank the Good Lord for providing for your nourishment physically and spiritually. The Word of God and the Sabbath are "feeders" that He has provided for us as places of rest and refueling.

You Gotta Celebrate - Part Three

2009-08-19T10:24:00.001-07:00

You're going to need to read the posts below to fully appreciate what I am sharing here. Particularly the post immediately below is needed to see what was going on here. I realize this has nothing to do with my sabbatical journey, but it has everything to do with my philosophy related to what is most important about our relationship with God and what we should be portraying as a church. In the midst of sad events we can find beauty and a reason to celebrate. On a bigger scale, we live in a world of pain, suffering, and loss and yet we can find beauty in all of it IF we look to God and trust in His strength. These pictures, and the ones in the preceding post, were all taken in Ukiah, CA as we gathered at the home of Ingrid's sister, Lilli Teichman, to celebrate what would have been her 50th anniversary. Sadly, her husband, Bruno, died suddenly exactly nine months prior to that date. As we deal with loss and pain we can also see the beauty of nature and animals and the promise of a New Morning!

You Gotta Celebrate - Part Two

2009-08-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went up to Ukiah to be with Ingrid's sister to help her through a difficult weekend. Lilli Teichman lost her husband on November 16, 2008 and August 16, 2009 would have been their 50th anniversary. The family gathered together to remember and to celebrate the joys past as well as the promised joy that is yet to come. This post and the one above show some of the beauty of their home and property in Ukiah. This has been the place of stability where all of the children, grandchildren, and adults have gathered while the rest of us moved all over the world. I love to take pictures around their 10 acres. So much of what is seen there reflects the work of Bruno and we miss him so much. Even at the cemetery we find nature joining his memory as the deer rest among loved ones who also rest until Jesus comes. Enjoy the beauty God has given among the trees, flowers, and other forms of life.

You Gotta Celebrate - Part One

2009-08-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I just have to put up a post today since it's my birthday. I'll add a picture to it tomorrow after we have dinner tonight! I just have to say how very blessed I am. I've got three kids that love me, a wife that adores me (pray for her!), a God that is crazy about me and I live in a beautiful place with an awesome church and staff. I have good health and I have been given the opportunity to do so many exciting and fulfilling things. What more could anyone ever possibly want out of life? And then I have eternity already placed in my hands. I am just one very happy and content guy and the very worst thing that could happen to me today would be to take a nap and wake up and see Jesus! I pray that I will keep that perspective in the difficult days as well.

The top two pics are of my lovely bride and myself and the bottom one is Ingrid's sister, Elizabeth (Uschi) and her husband, Victor. They celebrated with us and we always have a wonderful time together as we do with her other sister, Lilli. I'll be sharing some pictures of this weekend when we go up to Ukiah to be with Lilli. This weekend would have been her 50th anniversary with her husband, Bruno, who died suddenly just nine months ago.

I have been deluged with good wishes on Facebook, in the mail, on the phone, and by email. I am rich with friends and so, I am rich indeed. Wish you all could have been with us for this wonderful dinner! Just for the record, I turned 63.

It's coming along!

2009-08-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

OK, I've got the intro done and the book outline as well. I've started a sermon series entitled, "Reflections - Nudging Your Comfort Zone". You can see it at napasdachurch.com. Just click on "worship services" on the left side of the site and then "watch online." It's just busy and hard to find (make) the time to write creatively. You kinda have to get in the 'zone'. Anyway it's all good and good to be home and I'm very excited about the trend in our local church. I'm anxious for my two associates to get back from Osh Kosh and vacations so we can really set the course for the coming year. I'm sure enjoying this great weather we have! The bike looks rather naked with all the bags and extras off again. I'm looking forward to riding it several days this week. I think it misses me! Thanks for checking back. I have loved all of the support and encouragement that all of you have given. Keep it up.

The Direction of the Book

2009-08-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

It was a very busy week just getting back into the groove of local church needs. Already since returning I've done a wedding and a funeral and I have another memorial service scheduled as well as an upcoming wedding. I've returned to the regular schedule of Bible classes on Tuesday afternoons and Wednesday evenings, nursing home visitation, committee and board meetings and last, but certainly not least, sermon preparation and the weekly letter to the church family.

So, needless to say, I scramble to find every available moment to work on the book that is my goal as a culmination of this whole sabbatical trip. I have begun and at this point I am approaching it like this: I will look at my own spiritual journey and the sabbatical journey in each of four segments.

The SDA denomination has gone through enormous change as we look at it historically. I will endeavor to weave that into the picture as well. Certainly I have also gone through, and continue to go through, significant alterations in my thinking, focus, and outlook. Likewise, my itinerary, topography, and findings as I traveled around the country evolved into a picture that I could not have seen when I first set out.

I have many hours of work ahead of me to bring this to fruition and I covet your prayers as I seek to do so. Again, this work must be positive, but real. It must be helpful, but painfully truthful. Let's see what God can do!

The Whole Enchilada

2009-07-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a final map showing the entire trip. As you can see I didn't exactly take the most direct route across the country either direction, but I did have the maximum fun! I just thought you might enjoy seeing the finished map. Even I am amazed as I look back on all the territory I covered and all the churches I visited with. Now I am trying hard to process all the information and decide just how to put it into the best format. This is just a short note, but more will follow so keep checking back. The short version is: 11,393 miles, 70 churches and one big picture. Click on the map and it will show a larger version.

Back to "Normal"

2009-07-27T17:32:00.000-07:00

Just want you to know that I haven't dropped off the face of the earth since arriving back in Napa and I don't want you to lose total interest in the bigger picture of what all this has been about. I did return to business as usual with a wedding for a couple who live just down the street on Sabbath afternoon. That was a fun wedding for sure, located in the Ryde Hotel in Walnut Grove, CA. This hotel was built in the height of prohibition and the reception was held in what was a well patroned speakeasy. Lots of movie stars, presidents, and gangsters frequented this place. No wonder I felt right at home! the beautiful young lady is, of course, my wife and it is so good to be back with her. The family pic was taken on Sunday as we took Hanna (Ingrid's mom) back up to Ukiah. On the way we hooked up briefly with Mark and Susi Etchell and their girls, Bekka on the left and Lis on the right. Mark is the Sr. Pastor at the Walla Walla City Church and has a fantastic program going there with the help of Susi. I want to include some of his concepts in the book as well. Now things are really back to normal as I have two funerals on the schedule as well. It was a good thing I got home a half day early as I was able to make one visit just hours before my member passed away. God's timing is fantastic! Stay tuned and I will get posts up at least a couple times a week and keep you up to date on the book progress and other happenings.

The Last Wednesday (With a Twist!)

2009-07-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

You've all heard the saying about the horse once it smells the barn? Well, that was me today, but first let's look at today's two appointments.

I rode from Eugene down to Grants Pass. This is a fantastic facility. I met with two associates. You will see Chuck Austin on the left and Glen Chinn on the right. Chuck is a local hire Pastoral Assistant and Glen is a "retired" Associate Pastor. The Sr. Pastor, Marvin Clark was out of town as was the youth pastor, Ed Nelson. Grants Pass has a TV studio operated by BLBN (Better Life Broadcasting Network) which is affiliated with 3ABN and is reaching a wide area. This ministry is bringing many new faces to the church. The Grants Pass Church is very active with health programs such as CHIP and NEWSTART and they have a beautiful Community Service Center, Thrift Store, and meeting/fellowship hall. They have a very active youth ministry and are working hard to include the youth in the worship service. This is truly a beautiful church!

Next I rode down Hwy 199 to the coast and on down to Fortuna, CA. Our family has strong ties to the Fortuna Church because of a large number of German families that used to live there. Our brother-in-law, Victor Neufeld, grew up in that church. Dave Perry is the new pastor there now since last September. One effective thing he initiated at the first of this year was switching the Sabbath School and Worship times. They begin Worship at 10:00 am and have Sabbath School at 11:30. This has resulted in a 40% increase in SS attendance and no loss in the numbers for worship.

Dave, along with some local leaders has also presented a series of meetings that convenes on Friday evening, Sabbath morning, and Saturday evening. Dave and two others each preach a short message at each meeting and the theme is "Christ For the Common Man." The atmosphere, dress, and format is more casual and I think this is a great idea.

Since the local campmeeting was cancelled this year they also initiated a creative idea. The Red Cross Bloodmobile always came to Redwood Campmeeting and so Dave has invited them to come and set up for donations after church on Sabbath. That may have some interesting responses, but I believe this is the kind of creativity and outreach that we need to be exploring. Keep it up, Dave.

Now, I was supposed to stay in Fortuna and finish up on Thursday with Ukiah, which will be a very special stop since that is the church where I became a Seventh-day Adventist and was baptized. But I talked with Ingrid and we realized that I could make it home on Wednesday night. That would allow me an extra day to get ready for this weekend (preaching and a wedding) and I can get with the Ukiah Church and have more time a bit later. Ingrid's sister lives there and we visit often. I am anxious to include Paul Hawks and the Ukiah church, but I was also anxious to get home so away I went.

I arrived at the house a little after 11 pm and the final total was 11, 393 miles. Thank you, Jesus, for a safe journey. It was so good to sleep in my own bed and be with my sweetie! Now I have mountains of things to catch up on, prepare for, and wade through. The book writing portion will be a daunting task and so I ask for your continued prayers.

I do thank all of you who prayed me through 30 states, districts, and provinces as well as through all kinds of weather and challenges. I will continue to put up some blogs on afterthoughts and progress, so keep checking back. I am a very lucky man to be able to return to my wife, my home, and my wonderful church family. I am also thankful and appreciative for the opportunity given by the Northern California Conference to take this Sabbatical journey. I pray that the results may be a blessing to the church across North America and elsewhere.

Now, I gotta get to work!

And Tuesday

2009-07-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

Definitely on the home stretch now, but these last appointments are certainly no less important or special! Tuesday morning I had just a short ride down to Gresham, OR, just on the east side of Portland. There I met up with a dear friend, Jared Spano. Ingrid and I have known the Spano family for more than 20 years and we remember Jared first as a growing and energetic teen. He spent one year working with us in Napa as an extern from PUC before he transferred up to Walla Walla to finish. Now he is the pastor of the Gresham Church as well as the youth pastor for the nearby Rockwood Church. One of the truly exciting things happening in Gresham is the attitude of the members. They have literally embraced young people who's lives have become entangled with all kinds of problems. They welcome them, work along side of them, and involve them in their church activities. This is a church full of simply ordinary people with an extraordinary love for others. Jared is sharing a sermon series on "Christ's Method Alone." Things are looking up in Gresham.

From there I rode down to the Eugene area to stay with Lane and Carrie Meadowcroft, former Napa members and more special friends. They are part of the Pleasant Hill Church just a few miles east of Eugene. Dave McCoy is the pastor there and has been there for 16 years. Praise God for longer pastoral stays! This church has had a strong outreach to younger families and has drawn many of the students from the University of Oregon in Eugene. They will come all the way out to Pleasant Hill because of the loving atmosphere and inclusive spirit. One really neat activity that Dave shared was having the students from their Jr. Academy go to the local bank that had recently been robbed twice and they prayed all around the building, at each door, and inside. This got media attention, but more importantly, it touch the hearts of the employees. What a great way to build relationships in the community!

Next stop: Grants Pass, OR

The Last Monday

2009-07-20T20:58:00.001-07:00

I started the day with Dale Kongorski, pastor of the Sequim, WA church. This is the church where my sister and brother-in-law are members. The Sequim church has strong medical and health outreach with several members in the medical profession. The Sequim church is very loving and outgoing, but Sequim is largely a retirement community and so they face the challenges of effectively reaching young families. As you can see the church is beautiful and in a wonderful setting. I took the ferry from Kingston over to Edmonds and had the chance to visit for a bit with my aunt. That redhead is not a girlfriend. Ingrid knows all about her.

Next I rode down to Kelso/Longview. Mike Speegle, who was in Northern California until two years ago is the Lead Pastor there. They have a unique and marvelous outreach with their "Walk Through Bethlehem" and their Easter programs that attract thousands every year from the community. It will take some time to lay out all that these events accomplish. You can see a pic of their beautiful foyer with their information area and one pic of the "Bethlehem" staging which is quite impressive.

I also love the sign as you leave the parking lot. The mission field is both in the church and out in the community. We need to remember that each week. I just added what you see as the first picture, which is of Mike!

Just Some Fun Sunday Pics!

2009-07-19T18:13:00.001-07:00

First pic is of the Edmonds SDA Church. I'll be chatting with the pastor from there later. From Edmonds I got on the Ferry to Kingston to come over to Sequim, where my sister, Phyllis lives. (I just added a picture of her, with my nephew Lance and his wife Jen.) The other pics are of the seagulls, including some chicks, and the last is of a fellow biker on the ferry with a very special passenger. I'm just having a relaxing afternoon with family. I did wash the bike again. It was very dirty and full of bugs. I've tasted quite a few of them myself. Tomorrow I meet with the Sequim pastor and move on down the road to Kelso/Longview. I'm getting closer folks!

Last Sabbath before home!

2009-07-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

A gorgeous day in the Pacific Northwest! The ride from Bellingham up to Aldergrove, B.C. was short and very beautiful. The border crossing going north was quick and painless, but I saw an enormously long line coming the other way into the U.S. Well, I'd just have to deal with that later. I arrived at the church in time to visit for awhile with Pr. Francis, who has been on the staff there for the past five years. They have two services which are both pretty much the same. With a member ship of just over 600 they have an average Sabbath attendance of well over 500! I would encourage any of you who are interested in getting some quick insights into their outreach to go on their website. I actually don't have that immediately with me, but you can just Google them. Search for Aldergrove, B.C. SDA Church and you'll find them. Fun, relevent worship and warm people with a super amount of creativity. Look at the pic of the wall leading to the kids divisions. Every wall down there and going down the stairs is painted fantastically. The pictures on the wall are of their actual kids in the classes. The picture of the foyer was taken between services and shows the crowd waiting to get in for 2nd service. First service was nicely full for a summer Sabbath as well.

On the way back I was given a great tip for avoiding much of the long line of cars and was back in the USA withing 30 minutes. Mt. Baker looms high to the west and is just another beauty mark in this great part of the country. I stayed last night with dear friends, Klaus and Adele Hann, who are members of the Edmonds, WA church. Today I'm heading across Puget Sound to Sequim to visit with my sister and then the pastor from the Sequim church on Monday morning. I'll have some fun pics over the next couple of days. Today was a wonderful worship experience and I'm thankful for sunny skies. Home looks really good right now!

Friday, July 17

2009-07-17T17:24:00.000-07:00

Today was a day of stunning beauty. After my nephew did his hospital rounds (he is a PT) we left around 8:30 and headed past Coulee Dam and up Hwy 155 to Omak. Along the way we did spot the elusive Sasquatch up on a hilltop. Now we have a verifiable sighting! Heading west on Hwy 20 we wound through Winthrop, where we had a great breakfast, and on up and over the North Cascades Pass. This pass has only been open for a little over 30 years and, as you can see, it offers some stunning views. On top of that it is a great ride with lots of twisty turns. One of the things I love about riding this country is the smell of the pines in the warm sun! My nephew, Rick King, and his son, Skylar, rode their BMW's with me more than halfway before turning back home while I continued on to Bellingham, WA. Interestingly this is where I went to college in my first life. It has changed a great deal, but then so have I! Tomorrow I will cross over into Canada and attend church in Aldergrove, B.C. where I know they have a lot happening! After church I'll head back down and end up with friends near Edmonds, where I grew up through high school. I do have to admit that home is really sounding fantastic by this time. It always has, but now it is not just calling me, it is fairly screaming and I am anxious to arrive there. Mileage at this time stands at 10, 285!

Thursday, July 16

2009-07-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

This day started very early and I was on the road by 5:30 in order to get to Yakima by 9:00. The road construction was not an issue early in the morning and is was much cooler too. You will see two mountain pics here. The first one is Mt. Adams and the second is Mt. Rainier from the east side which I have not see often. In Yakima I met with Shane DelVecchio, Sr. Pastor, and Helen Teske, Worship Leader. They also have a 19 year old youth pastor. In fact, this whole staff does not fit the traditional mold of church leadership as Shane has a background that can only make you smile when you hear it. Talk about a specimen of grace! But grace and mercy and love and acceptance is what you will find at the Connections Church, which is currently renting space from a Vineyard Church that you can see pictured. I would say that probably their main focus is on activities for and ministry to and through their youth. One neat thing they do is facilitate a service of blessing for youth by their parents when they turn 16. They will soon have such a service with five SDA youth and eleven non SDA families participating. Can you say, "AMEN"? This is another church that is on the move in positive ways. Connections branched off from the 35th Avenue Church in Yakima a few years ago. A good friend of mine, Harry Sharley, is the Sr. Pastor there. We ran into a scheduling conflict and so I will have to visit with him over the phone and include that at a later date as they, with more traditional offerings, are also a strong and effective church family. The last three pics show some Indian drawings from the Ginko Petrified Forest near Vantage (we always stopped here on vacations when I was a young boy), a panorama shot of Dry Falls, and a pic of Coulee Dam, which was a lot more spectacular when I was younger. I guess a lot of things were more spectacular when I was younger, including me! Next post will show pics of the ride over the North Cascades Pass.

This was Wednesday, July 15

2009-07-17T06:21:00.000-07:00

I know there is a little time lapse going on here, but I'm keeping up as fast as wi-fi connections work, so it is Friday morning, but here is the report from Wednesday. I left Bozeman around 7:15 and headed up to Helena to meet with Darrin and Loy Dixon, who are actually members in Great Falls, but met me halfway. Darrin and Loy and I are special friends having worked through the sad loss of his wife, Joan, to leukemia a few years back. I then had the privilege of marrying Darrin and Loy nearly four years ago and God is proving Himself, once again, to be a God of grace, mercy, love, and peace as we journey through this thing called life. We talked at length about friendship, but also about their church, which is currently without a pastor and is seeking direction. The Dixons, along with several of their friends have vision, willingness, and passion for the gospel, but the challenge is finding the overall desire of the body. The scenic pic shows just a glimpse of the beauty riding from Helena toward Missoula over the pass. It was a gorgeous ride!

From Helena I rode on over to Coeur d' Alene, ID and met with Phil Muthersbaugh, first in his office and then in his home with about a dozen of his church family. I must say that this group was absolutely "FUN" and alive with a passion for the gospel and connecting with His children. I will have much more to say about LifeSource in the book, but this group is going to grow. How big they grow in numbers is not the issue is it? They are growing relationships, but I expect that numbers will follow. All I know is that I was loved, cared for, prayed over, and blessed. If I felt that in one evening, how would a visitor feel after attending for a few weeks? Well, they would feel loved, cared for, prayed over and blessed and I am guessing that they would want to come back and stay.

It was late than I anticipated when I got away so I only rode to the west side of Spokane as I was finding major slow traffic in road construction and decided to just sleep and get an early start. That's where we'll pick it up in the next post.

Finally, A Starbucks!

2009-07-15T15:34:00.001-07:00

Allright, let's get caught up again, at least partially. On Monday I just rode hard and got up to Dubois, WY and checked into a motel just before the rains came hard. That was one windy ride! I got about 25 mpg that day due to the headwinds, sidewinds, but no tailwinds! I left early Tuesday morning because I heard reports of lots of road work. Well, that was the understatement of the day. The first 85 miles took me over three hours, but I did meet some nice workers! While stopped at one spot I also saw this pretty little dear who posed so nice for me! I was trying to get to Bozeman in time to get my new tires put on so I was pushing and not stopping too often for scenic pics, but some just couldn't be missed. Notice that the osprey flying low over the water has dinner clutched in his claws. I saw him dive and got this shot just as he took off. I'm not sure what the other white bird is, but it sure was pretty!

Of course as I was going through Yellowstone I had to stop to see if Old Faithful was going off any time soon and it did, just 20 minutes after I arrived. It is not as spectacular as it used to be, but still fun!

Finally you see a picture of the Bozeman City Church which I pastored from '85-'87 and our good friends Jim and Sylvia Grindley. I stayed with them and had a great evening visit with the current Bozeman pastor, Jim Jenkins and his head elder, Linda Nysstrom and her husband Clair, Doug Meharry, head elder at the Mount Ellis Academy Church and Tom Glatz who pastored in Kalispell recently and is moving to Vancouver, B.C. to pastor. One thing in particular I thought was cool was related to the Bozeman City Church. They are located next to the high school and have had ongoing problems with grafitti and other worse things on their property. They started feeding the kids who cross through the church parking lot lunch one day a week and the problems have stopped. They hand out literature about drugs and alcohol and have had some very positive results.

I did get the tires done and an oil change so I should be good to go now. The weather today, Wednesday, was great on my way to and through Coeur d' Alene, ID and after I meet with the church here this evening I will head toward Yakima, WA. I'll report on today's visits later or tomorrow.

The weather ahead looks great all the way home at this point and I'm ready to head that way. At this point I now have covered 9,565 miles and have a few more to go before I'm home, but we're getting closer. At least I'm back on Pacific time!

Be Patient!

2009-07-15T04:56:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you know I am doing well, the weather is looking very good for the next several days and I don't have time to get pics up just now. Hopefully tonight although this is going to be a very long day from Bozeman, to Helena, to Coeur d' Alene to Yakima!

Please check back. Maybe this afternoon I'll have a break for a Starbucks!

Map of Return Week One

2009-07-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

View Larger Map

Sunday Evening, July 12 and Monday

2009-07-13T15:40:00.001-07:00

Sunday evening started with me being able to get some computer work done at a local Starbucks while waiting for my hosts to get back from an outing. I was early! While waiting I was able to connect with Roger and Debbie Peterson. Roger is the brother of Darla, whom I stayed with on Friday night. It was great to see them again since it had been nearly 30 years! Then I was off to connect with Clay and Selene Peck. These are special friends as I was the Ministerial Director in Potomac when we brought them to the Courthouse Road Church in Richmond, VA. John and Cristina Grys followed them there. Small world huh? Clay now is the Lead Pastor at Grace Place in Berthoud, CO. This started as an experimental project with the Rocky Mountain Conference. The rest is a long story, but they are now an independent church with an amazing outreach. There just isn't room to show all that they have going on with two campuses. In Berthoud alone they have several centers with a strong emphasis on outreach for youth. You can see some of the facilities at "Five Stones" which is their center for youth. The activity shot shows the Sundae Night Fights where they were actually throwing ice cream and toppings and whipping cream. Well, I was so glad I didn't get to participate, but they seemed to be having a great time. This morning I had breakfast at the Grace Place Cafe which operates in the front portion of their worship center and is a full service cafe for breakfast and lunch. The food is great as well! I had a truly wonderful visit with these friends and enjoyed picking at Clay's brain related to the ministry opportunities he has developed there. I added one more pic at the top showing Clay with Bailey, their rescued Golden Retriever.

Monday morning after breakfast I headed toward Yellowstone and rode nearly 400 miles in amazingly powerful wind. Tonight I am in Dubois, WY, jusst 80 miles from Yellowstone and I'll go through the Grand Tetons Park on the way. Tomorrow I also get another new set of tires and from the looks of the rear tire it will be none too soon. Tomorrow I arrive in Bozeman, MT.

Sunday Morning

2009-07-12T12:56:00.001-07:00

Sunday morning started out foggy and moist, but the fog burned off after about 60 miles and the sun turned things very warm. By the time I took this first pic of the wheat field it was already in the mid 80's. The landscape was changing from flat to rolling hills and it was a beautiful morning to be riding. My first destination was the town of Wray, Colorado. You can imagine why I wanted to include that. I know many of you will think I'm old enough to be in a museum and now you have proof, but treat me nice because I also have a bank! (Don't I wish!) Ingrid and I visited this town back in 1990 and we remembered that there was a church there, but when I checked on the conference web site it didn't list one. Now I know why. I found the church. The road sign is still there, but the church is vacant. Lots of spiritual applications come to mind with this picture. I will say that most of the town looked like it was heading the same direction.

From Wray I rode 150 miles to Brighton, which is just north of Denver. Rex Bell has been the pastor here for about 18 years. He was out of town and so I met with Todd Belleau (I need to recheck the spelling on that) and his son, Caleb. Todd is the school board chair and the Brighton Church puts a major emphasis on outreach through their school. The school is pre-K through 10 and has about 130 students currently. It has been higher in the past as is the case with most schools. The Brighton church is the only sponsoring church and it requires a major portion of their finances. Rex Bell holds two garage sales every month and raises $800-1200 each sale to support worthy students. That's about $24,000 a year, but their worthy student cost is closer to $80,000 plus a subsidy of another $100,000. That's commitment to education. They do have many non SDA students and this has been a rich source of baptisms for students and parents.

As you can see it is a very pretty church in a prime location and the school (last pic) is very nice looking as well. The challenge is to find ways to reach the community and draw more active young families into the church body. It was a great visit. Thanks Todd and Caleb! Now I'm off to Berthoud, which is only about 45 miles to stay with Clay and Selene Peck who are the lead pastoral couple at Grace Place.

Total miles thus far = 8,550.

Sabbath, July 11

2009-07-11T19:41:00.001-07:00

I must say that my Sabbath did go a lot better than my Friday as far as the traveling was concerned. I stayed last night with Rocky and Darla Peterson. Actually I'm not sure if that is the correct spelling of their last name, but they'll forgive me. Darla was a member in our first church in Ames, Iowa and used to babysit Julie for us. The first pic shows them with their daughter, Roxie, who also has three other sisters.

After breakfast with them I rode over to the New Creation Church which has been going for nearly 10 years now and is led by Michael and Michelle Mesnard. Yup that's Bob and Davy's kids! They were involved at another church this morning, but I did get to touch base with them last night. I found the New Creation Church to be a delightful experience. They have signs out to help you find their storefront location. (They just got approval for their building plans for a new church building.) I was quickly and warmly greeted and made welcome in a Sabbath School class. I liked the way they included the children. Instead of having a children's story they used the kids in the first praise song. Their "meet and greet" portion was active and very sincere. Then Tanya Cochran got up to preach. She is one of the elders. She doesn't always dress like that. She was illustrating some of the trends of the past and things that we thought were just so cool. Her sermon title was, "King of Pop, King of Kings." (Spiritual Lessons from the Lives of Michael Jackson and Jesus) It was a very good and well done message. The New Creation Church is growing and ministers to a large number of students from Union College as well.

Following a lunch with a couple from the church I rode 280 miles to Ogallala, NE. Thunderstorms were visible to my left and right, but God provided a path from me. Tomorrow morning I'll spin through Wray, CO on my way to Brighton, CO and then a very special evening with Clay and Selene Peck. I'll tell you more about these special friends in the next post.

Friday, But What A Friday

2009-07-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

I can't begin to tell you about my ride this morning, but you can see a bit from the first two pics. It started out fine, but I could see the dark clouds coming. I stopped and put on my rain jacket, but not the pants. All of a sudden it got almost pitch black and the heavens opened and I was almost blind. I could see about 20 - 30 feet in front and was limited to 20 mph in a 55 zone. I couldn't see the trucks coming the other way until they were almost passing me. I was doing some serious praying, but I was in the middle of nowhere. There were no overpasses, no gas stations, no nothing. This lasted about 25 - 30 minutes and I finally found a gas station. They all came out to see this nut that was riding a motorcycle in these conditions. The rest of the day was cloudy and misty, but not stormy.

I arrived a bit late in Sioux City, but had a wonderful visit with many former members although 32 years had brought a few changes! I have included a few pictures mainly for the benefit of my family who will remember loving faces. Mark Lewis, Cindy VanTuyl (Wareham), Ellen Cates, Fran Whitcomb (on the left in the next pic). Following that is a picture of the church and then the parsonage we lived in. In fact we were the first Adventist pastor in that house. The last pic is the lovely sign at the bottom of the hill.

This church feels like they are struggling in some ways, but in reality they have some awesome outreach happenings. They sell cases of fruit (many hundreds of them!) and have a mailing list of over 1800! They also have a new teacher who has established a learning center where students from the community with learning challenges are tutored at no cost. This is an outreach with amazing potential. It was so much fun to sit and talk with them even though I was soaking wet!

After that visit I rode down to Lincoln, Nebraska and I'm staying with a dear friend who used to babysit Julie way back when. I'll get some pics of her and her family up tomorrow.

Thank you for your prayers. I felt them this morning and I am just thankful for God's blessing. The next few days still look stormy in parts, but I'll be on freeways which give a lot more options for escape. I know all you ladies in the church have been praying so don't stop now!

I just turned 8,000 miles on the trip. 4,000 to go and I'll be home in less than two weeks!

Thursday, July 9

2009-07-10T04:29:00.000-07:00

I started today in Davenport, IA, where I first interned 36 years ago. The pastor and his wife, Bob and Angie Joseph, live in the parsonage where I met with my Sr. Pastor way back then. No time right now to talk about programs, but Bob and Angie do certainly have them happening there in Davenport. Some great ideas to share in the book. First pic is of the Davenport Church and then you see Bob and Angie. Great breakfast! Thanks!! Then I followed bob up to Cedar Rapids, IA to meet with an area group pastor's meeting. Great time of fellowship. Left to right you see Mark Luckesh, Bob Joseph, Roy Weeden, Gary Birth, and Dave Bissell. What a neat group of guys! Thanks for the fellowship.

Next it was into the rain and absolutely pounding wind, but I arrived safely in Ames, IA where I had my first district and initiated so many wonderful memories and friendships. Treva Martsching, my clerk, is still watching children and active. She is sitting with Dave Lincoln who was the pastor until about a year ago and served there for nearly 10 years. Had a great visit and saw this red tailed hawk in the neighbor's yard feasting on a squirrel. Couldn't resist that pic and then he flew away. The last two pics show the Ames Church which is pretty full each week and then the parsonage we lived in while pastoring there.

Today I'm off to Sioux City, IA and I'll catch up with you later!

Wednesday, July 8

2009-07-08T19:34:00.001-07:00

What fun it was to spend some time at Andrews University which has such a diverse student base and faculty as well. I love this campus! The entry drive has been made so beautiful and this globe and archway sets a nice tone. The Pioneer Memorial Church is so easy to take pictures of and I also loved their Garden of Grace which I had not seen before. That even gives me some ideas for our courtyard in Napa! Due to my primary interview being limited to a phone call due to illness I had time to go over to the Pioneer Church and found Esther Knott, who I have known for many years. Esther is on the pastoral staff at Pioneer in charge of small group ministries. She has a real passion for connecting people with people as well as with Christ through small groups. We had a very insightful conversation and I'm looking forward to some material she has coming out later this year.

As I left Andrews to ride to Davenport, Iowa I could see dark skies waiting for me. My fears were made reality as the rain began and grew in intensity. For more than 150 miles I rode in absolute downpour, but God was with me and the bike handled it all well, but I must confess that it isn't much fun to ride that way. I was thankful for good rain gear as well. Tomorrow should be a bit drier, but Friday and the weekend look pretty gloomy. The good news is that each visit is so worthwhile and each day brings me that much closer to home. I'll meet with a group of pastors in Iowa City tomorrow and then go on to Ames, Iowa, where I pastored my first church.

Tuesday, July 7 continued

2009-07-08T19:03:00.001-07:00

We start this posting with a picture of Bruce and Jackie Moore, Sr. Pastoral couple at Battle Creek Tabernacle where they have served for 6 years. He took me to see some of the important Adventist history sights. I had seen them before, but I wanted some pics to share with you. You can see the graves of Ellen and James White in the second picture. The next one shows the entry gate for the Oak Hill Cemetery. Notice the date of 1844, which is an interesting coincidence. The next picture is of the former Battle Creek Sanitarium, which is now a Federal Building. This was built by J.H.Kellogg after the original Battle Creek San burned. Across the street you will see the Fire Station built after the San burned. The Review and Herald had burned down a year or so earlier and they determined that Adventist fires couldn't be put out. The last picture is of James and Ellen White's home which is part of the very interesting Adventist Heritage Village. If you ever get a chance to visit Battle Creek you will find a fascinating array of historical information from the origins of the Seventh-day Adventist organization and the great cereal wars between Kellogg, Post, and as many as 250 0thers who tried to cash in on the popular trend.

Tuesday, July 7

2009-07-08T18:39:00.001-07:00

Well, I've got a little catching up to do and a lot of pictures to share. I had a hard time limiting it to the ones I'll put up here. I started out Tuesday morning from Dayton and rode up to Toledo to meet with Mike Fortune. This is a very beautiful church facility and Mike is doing a great job there in reaching the community in some very creative ways. They sponsor and host a car show in the church parking lot every year and are getting a very large turnout. They have adopted a women's shelter, hosted community block parties and done mission trips to Toledo just to name a few. Now Mike has asked his church to pick from the 20+ outreach events they have done and choose the three that they can do best. They have a pastor with a passion and the church is trusting him to lead. What a concept. There is a picture also of Dee, the church secretary who, as always, holds things together.

The last two pics are of the Battle Creek Tabernacle church. Bruce Moore, Sr. Pastor, gave me a great tour of the church and, as you will see in the next post, of some of the historical sights. They have done some nice refurbishing for a church that was built in 1924 after the Dime Tabernacle burned down in 1922. I was interested to see if this church had an eye to the future in that so much history is focused here and I found that they definitely do. Obviously they get a lot of visitors, but they are also offering a variety of classes to the community including Depression Seminars. They have adopted a portion of a local highway and they participate in at least one local mission project with a Christmas offering each year. I'll continue with my Battle Creek visit in the next post.

Halfway There

2009-07-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

James Boyles helped me get another map of the third week's journey. You may or may not have difficulty seeing a line connecting the cities. I'm having some trouble on my computer, but James is seeing the correct picture. At this point in time, after three weeks I was sitting at 6,217 miles. I'll try to get up a new map showing where I will be at the end of week five, which is the first week back. Thanks for following.
View Larger Map

On My Way Home, Part Two!

2009-07-07T10:54:00.001-07:00

My second stop on Monday was at the Newark, SDA Church in Ohio where Pr. Tom Hughes is turning the tide and direction of the church. Tom is a fan of bikes for sure and serves as a chaplain for the Christian Motorcycle Association. He has worked hard to make the Newark Church increasingly loving and open to all who come. They have a lovely sanctuary and although the workers could happily use more help you will not find more dedicated and committed workers anywhere. The first pic shows Tammy (Pathfinder and Youth Leader), Leon (Head Elder and a hospital chaplain), and Lynda (who does a whole lot of everything else). As always it is a challenge to steer the direction of a long established church, but I can see lots of good indications in process here.

From there I went on to the Dayton area to stay overnight with Monte and Norma Sahlin. Monte is best known as the research guru for the Adventist Church and has been an enormous help to me in this project. I met his daughter, Melissa, and her husband, Gianluca, who is the pastor of a church nearby and the Agora project, which is a bookstore, teaching center, church, outreach and ministry that is doing some exciting things. Their attendance has doubled over the past couple of years and, again, the key is building relationships outside of the church proper. This is a neat young couple and God is really blessing them, and others through them.

I just had to include a couple of pictures of Monte's library. He has about 10,000 volumes down there and I've seen a lot of school libraries that could be envious of what he has available. We had a great time talking about his research and my project. In fact we talked until nearly midnight and then picked it up again around 6 a.m. Sleep is highly overrated don't you think?