Last Day before I Go Back to Work For Awhile

A great day with the kids. They both had swimming lessons this morning and then we just hung out at the house and relaxed. I did a lot of connecting and reconfirming appointments for the return. Tomorrow I'll head up to the Washington, D.C. area for several appoinments before I go over to our daughter's home on Wednesday evening, spend Thursday with her and pick up Ingrid on Friday morning. It has been just beautiful back here while I can see that it is blistering hot out home.  Look for some updates on more churches either tomorrow night or Wednesday morning. Notice the future biker at the bottom of these pics. He thought that was pretty cool. So did his Opa!

Sunday Evening, June 28

What could be a better way to spend a summer Sunday afternoon than going to a polo match with family? There is a family in Crozet, VA who own a winery and have hundreds of acres and they have opened it up to anyone who wishes to come to watch polo matches.  I have never been to one before and I must say it is a truly exciting event. The pace is fast and you can feel the thunder of the horses. One of the best parts is that it's free! As you can see I had a great time with the kids and they had a great time with the horses, dogs, and even with the people! Tonight we're just hanging out at home playing with the Wii, which is quite addictive, and develops quite a bit of actual skill. I don't do as well with the motorcycle racing as I should. I hope it doesn't carry over to the ride home! I am truly a blessed man with three kids who love to be with us, five grandkids who love to be with us, a wife who loves me even though others can't understand why always, and a church that loves me too. I think I'm rich! Have a blessed week!

Sunday, June 28---NO MILES!

Can you imagine? I've had a whole day without even sitting on the bike! I make it sound like I'm suffering when I ride, but actually I'm not. However, it is nice to have a break.  We had a wonderful Sabbath day just being together and playing with the kids. We went up to Camp Blue Ridge a enjoyed the beauty of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Just enjoy the pics today of the kids swinging, getting a ride on Papa's shoulders, and the beauty from the hillside above their home. When we were up at the camp we got to visit with Jenny's (our daughter-in-law) brother Ryan Elliott who is a camp counselor up there. His girlfriend (in the last picture) is from New Zealand and her father is a physician there. I asked if she knew Ross and Natalie Sinclair and her eyes lit up and she told me that he was her dad's partner and they were like second parents to them. One of the delightful things I find as I travel around the country or around the world is that the world is very connected within the church. Most of the time that's a good thing. Today, Sunday, we're just hanging around the house in the morning, changing the oil on the bike later in the morning and then taking the kids to watch a polo match in the afternoon. I loved being a part of the church service yesterday and I am even more thankful to be able to Skype with Ingrid so that I can see her as well as talk. By the way, she is doing pretty well after her foot surgery. God is good, all the time, and I am thoroughly enjoying this week with family. I just added a pic of our oldest granddaughter from back here on.  Her name is Emma and she's a sweetie!

And Now, Sabbath at Last and I'm Caught Up With You!

Alright, we started the time together with dinner on Friday afternoon in a Thai restaurant in Charlottesville.  When we got back we had a couple of tired out kids.  I loved this picture in the clouds!  I see a little terrier dog yapping at my bike! Our son, Steve, and I walked up on the hill behind their house to watch the sunset. I forgot my bow and arrow to shoot the apple off his head. The last two pics are from this morning as the kiddies got on the computer and then Beck and I built a car with his Lego set. This kid knows where all the parts go and he did most of the work.  I hope car building with your grandson is a good way to start a Sabbath morning.  We'll use it to go to church. OK? I'm looking forward to a few days now off the bike, getting it cleaned and the oil changed and just hanging out with the kiddies.  Thank you Jesus for a safe trip out and for time with family and for the Sabbath to rest. May God bless each one of you today!

Great Smokey Mountains, Blue Ridge Parkway and Tail of the Dragon!

Here I am on Sabbath morning and getting you caught up with the ride I did on Thursday and Friday with David and Vicki O'Guin. Vicki is the aunt of our daughter-in-law and I did their wedding just two years ago.  We met up south of Knoxville and rode for 14 hours on Thursday ending up in Ashville, NC. You can see that we saw some beautiful scenery riding along the Cherohala Skyway, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and through Deal's Gap and the Tail of the Dragon.  That last part is an 11 mile ride with 318 curves and you can see the Tree of Shame where they have collected some of the bike parts from various crashes along the course. We actually saw three wrecks that day, but none of them were on the "Tail".  Looked like one bike just did a bit too much scenery watching and got off of the pavement onto the soft shoulder.  Another biker simply got nailed by a car and the third was a pickup truck that lost control and flipped over.  Your's truly made it safely through the day!

You can see David and Vicki with me at the highest elevation point on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We got on the BRP at it's southern beginning point. It actually goes clear up to northern Virginia!  They ride a Gold Wing and it certainly has lots of comfort features that mine doesn't have, but I'll keep what I've got thank you. On Friday we just stuck to the Interstate and hustled up to Fishersville, VA to be with the kids.  What a sight awaited me as I drove up the street to our son's house and found him and the grandkids excitedly waiting at the bottom of the driveway.  I'll get up another post with pictures of them later today.

Friday Evening, June 26

I looked back on some of my pictures and saw that I had Dave and Debbie Ketelsen in the corner of a larger picture and so I just worked in through iphoto and got at least somewhat of a picture to show you.  They are a beautiful couple in the Peachtree City Church south of Atlanta.

On Wednesay I rode from Madison, north of Nashville, to Knoxville to be with Ed and Cheryl Komerowski.  I've known Ed and Cheryl since they came to Potomac from Ohio when I was ministerial there.  Before moving to Knoxville a year and a half ago they pastored the church in Vienna, VA where I pastored from '87 - '91 and they did a marvelous job there.  Ed is working hard at the Knoxville First Church to build relationships with the members and to show them that he really loves them and wants to help them grow.  That does take time when you first come.  I attended their evening VBS program and I can easily see that he is achieving his goal.  Financial challenges are a big part of his early work there, but he has a strong business head and I know God is going to use him to do a great work there.  I was reminded of how important it is for the church to allow their pastor to use his God given gifts to lead a local congregation.  Too often churches are not willing to do that.  God is blessing in Knoxville and it was good to be with my friends again.

I left Knoxville early on Thursday morning to meet David and Vicki O'Guin in Tellico Plains so that we could ride through the Cherohala Parkway, Deals Gap and the Tail of the Dragon, the Great Smokey Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway.  I'll put up some of those pics tomorrow.  I'm in Virginia with our kids and grandkids tonight (Friday) and I'm looking forward to Skyping with the Napa Church tomorrow.  As of tonight I have covered 5,853 miles and I'm going to do an oil change on Sunday with a little help from my friends!  Look for the pretty pictures tomorrow folks!

Nearing the Half Way Point

Now it's Friday morning and I'm trying to catch up with what I did last Tuesday.  Heading north from Sharpsburg, GA, where Dave and Debbie Ketelsen live I rode through Atlanta morning traffic to get to Auburn, GA to meet with Gary Rustad.  It's always interesting to see the connections within the SDA church.  Gary's dad, also Gary, was pastor in Hong Kong some years after us and we first met him there.  Young Gary (I guess that means the other one is OLD!) has some really fun things happening in Auburn.  The church is full and they have to provide closed circuit TV in three other rooms. The key is relationships within the community through Rotary, friendships with the mayor, participation in community festivals and providing a place of love for people to come to.

From there I rode up to the north side of Nashville, stopping on the way to visit with dear friends, Steve and Bev Ericson and their daughter Kara.  Steve was my head elder when I pastored in Iowa a really long time ago!  At the Madison Campus church I was with Lynn and Lona Schlisner.  Those of you in Napa will recall that Lynn preached there last September.  He has been battling with a brain tumor and had a third surgery after they were here.  He has been at the Madison Campus Church for 14 years and has led them through wonderful growth and a massive remodeling and addition program.  I got thoroughly lost touring through his church. The picture of the children's division gives you an idea of the purpose they are putting into reaching children and young families. You can see their beautiful campus and their sweet smiles. Please keep Lynn and Lona in your prayers for God's blessing, healing, and strength.

On Wednesday I headed over to Knoxville and I'll put that up in  another post later today and try to get you current with my travels, map, and plans for the coming week.  Ingrid is coming a week from today!!!!!

Thursday, June 25

OK, I'm back online and should be for the next few days and that will allow me to catch up on the visits I have made.  The top picture is of Lee Whitman, pastor of the church in Opelika, Georgia.  He also is responsible for three other churches, but two of them are managed mostly by Uchee Pines.  The Opelika Church is new and it is a really nice facility.  He is trying to take it to new growth levels and they are reaching into the community via health and exercise programs. Interestingly he says his membership is 90% black even though there are regional churches nearby. Lee has never been in one church for more than four years and is realizing that a longer stay is needed to achieve significant growth and trust for leadership.

My next stop was Peachtree City and the pastor there is none other than Dave Ketelsen, son of John Ketelsen who is one of my elders.  I must apologize in that I meant to get a picture of them and time got away from us so I will have to get one from them and get it included later. Dave and Debbie are doing some wonderful things for this church.  In fact they outgrew the church and built a school and they meet in the gym, which has been made very nice as a place of worship. The Peachtree City Church sponsors a run every year and Dave has made some significant contacts and friends in the community.  Another outreach they do is called "Truly Christmas" where the ladies decorate tables, prepare food, and the husbands serve.  They have had up to 300 women attend with 60% being non members.

I'll catch you up on Wednesday's visits and Thursday's fun ride tomorrow.  Right now (Thursday evening) it is 11:20 and we rode for 14 hours and I think my bed is calling me.  Thanks for your patience with the lack of internet connections.  I promise we'll get back on track.

Just a moment more!

Just thought I'd take a couple more minutes and get another post up while I'm here at the Kentucky/Tennessee Conference Office.  The first pic is of Reg and Betty Phillips.  Reg pastors the church in Texarkana along with another church.  For him this is coming home as he grew up in the area and they have a lovely home on property next to his mom and a brother as well.  As with many small churches they face many challenges, but have had some good success with evangelism and other means of outreach.  His courage is good and they both love the work and love the people God has placed under their care. I couldn't resist putting in a picture of the dog. That dog loves to chase sticks and get in the water. I had a fun and relaxing evening with the Phillips.

Next I had that long 510 mile ride in 98 degree heat to get to Tuscaloosa, AL and be with Jon and Libna Arroyo.  They are just in the process as we speak of transferring down to Bass Memorial Academy where Jon will be campus chaplain and recruiter.  In the midst of packing and preparing they opened up their apartment and made me very comfortable.  Again, challenges abound in the smaller churches he has been serving and I'll talk more about that later, but the key to overcoming challenges seems to be genuine love for the people and John and Libna have an abundance of that.  Their smaller church, in Tuscaloosa, is shown here and he also had the church in Columbus, Mississippi.  Please pray for their transition.  This is one great couple!

OK, now I really have to get on the road.  More later.

A LITTLE CATCH UP TIME

Just a few pics to let you know that I am back online with my computer.  The first picture is from way back last Friday in Waco, TX.  Kraig Turpin in the head elder in Waco.  He's an office administrator for a medical practice and a great guy with an awesome vision for what could be done.  Waco was a lot bigger than I expected and they certainly were hit hard way back when the Branch Davidian fiasco hit.  They still struggle with challenges, but there is a future for the church.  On Sabbath I was with Tony and Mary who visited Napa just a few weeks back and we connected.  I attended the "Cowboy Church" in Joshua, TX and had an absolutely marvelous time.  These folks know how to love people and the results are showing.  I really had a great time with them and the last pic shows their pastor, Henry Reid.  Can you tell by his face that he loves people.  

I'll catch you up on the other days journeys hopefully tonight.  I just wanted you to know that I was still in the business.  Today is Wednesday and I'm headed from Madison, TN to Knoxville, which is only about 200 miles.  I can't wait to show you the great pics from here in Madison.  God has blessed so much with safety, weather, and great visits which have been very insightful.  I especially enjoyed my visit with Dave and Debbie Ketelsen in Peachtree City, GA.  But now I'm getting close to the halfway mark, kids, grandkids, and INGRID!  Hope to get more up tonight and catch up.  Love and blessings to all.