March 20, 2012
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Duck Bowling and Tornadoes…
We have had an incredible week in Vian, Oklahoma. From Wednesday night through Sunday, we were blessed to spend time with Richard and Tammy Volz. While they could have easily stayed in their home with us, Richard and Tammy stayed with Tammy’s mother so that we could “spread out” in their country home. What a gift to us!
Time in Vian was like vacation to us. Our activities included catching up on sleep, fishing, duck bowling, watching the first couple of rounds of the NCAA basketball tournament, walking/running, and homeschooling Bekah (my turn at it this week). Of course, we did continue our Russian study on Rosetta Stone. No vacation there
. Vian also had our first sickness on the journey. Jenni has not felt well for a few days. Praise God, she is feeling better today!If you are not familiar with duck bowling, it is just like regular bowling except with a smaller, lighter ball with no holes for your fingers and smaller pins. Jenni, Bekah, Sarah, and I all bowled. Bekah won the first game… no kidding! Ashamedly, we were not even trying to let her win (insert sheepish grin here).
Vian also provided a dramatic moment for us as a spring storm came through eastern Oklahoma last night. At one point, there was a TV interruption that said, “If you live in Vian, there is a tornado warning and you should take cover.” The girls were already in bed, but we thought we should gather together in an interior room of the house. We did not face a tornado so it provided for a fun time of giggling and holding one another.
This past Sunday, I preached at Broken Arrow First Nazarene in their two morning services. I have had a special connection to this church through the years. Two of my first mentors in ministry, Pastor Jerry Stipp and Pastor Bill Morris, came to Fort Wayne Lake Avenue Nazarene from the church in Broken Arrow. When Pastor Morris retired as the music minister in Fort Wayne, he and his wife returned to Broken Arrow. While studying at Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, each year Jenni and I would spend Thanksgiving weekend with the Morris’s in Broken Arrow. Great, great memories. It was there that I first met Adam Schwing who later became Houston Spring Branch’s youth pastor and the church plant pastor for Katy Celebrate Life Nazarene.
Broken Arrow First Nazarene has been pastored for the last ten years by Pastor Larry Morris. Through these years, we have become good friends. He and his wife, Kristi, are wonderful people and Larry is a great pastor. The Morris’s and the church were so welcoming and loving to us. We had a great morning!
We spent a couple of hours in the afternoon with Jenni’s cousin and his family (Terry and Kim Habegger). Terry is the youth pastor of Family Church of the Nazarene in the Tulsa area. It was so nice to put our feet up at their home between churches on Sunday. Terry and I watched tournament games and talked basketball and church. Jenni and Kim talked… well, they talked about whatever women talk about
. Bekah and Sarah had a blast with Kayla Habegger, their 10 year old daughter.Sunday night I spoke at Sapulpa Nazarene. Pastor Steve Davis has been at the church for around 20 years but only recently transitioned from the music minister to the lead pastor. He and his wife made us feel so welcomed at the church. The church was incredibly kind and generous to our family. We met extended family of Jeff Moseley, friend from Houston, there. We also were able to spend some special time with Monte and Elaine Geerdes. Monte and Elaine are the parents of Ben (and Isabel) Geerdes from Houston Living Word Nazarene. We visited their home and shared dinner together following the service. What a blessing to be with them too! One of the great things about the Church of the Nazarene is that the fellowship is so much like family. Every church we visit we meet someone who is related to someone we know. I remember Dr. John Knight, a former general superintendent, used to say, “The Church of the Nazarene does NOT have a family tree we have a wreath… we just keep marrying each other!”
Tomorrow, we leave Vian, Oklahoma, and return to Fort Worth, Texas, and the home of Chuck and Vickie Watson. I have planned a “date night” with Bekah for Thursday night this week. We will be going to dinner together and then to watch “Oliver” at a local theatre in the round.
This weekend we will be at Richardson Church of the Nazarene in the Dallas area. Can’t believe it, but this is our final weekend of “raising partners” for our Mission Corps portion of missionary service. God has blessed us in every way during this journey. We are excited that it is coming to a close because that means we are close to departing for the field… less than three weeks until we fly to Kiev!
