Stories from the Road- Leaving SC

We have spent the last week in South Carolina at Prayer Baptist Church. It was a bit of ground breaking for us, as we have had no connections in this area, but we have certainly got good reason to return now. Pastor Jimmy Anthony had a week long revival, With Dr John Parker as the guest preacher. It was a great week with some good preaching and great fellowship. Our connection here was through Savannah Baptist Temple (SBT), and the Andary family. 

We stayed on their property (which is the creek place that we nearly burned down, remember??) and it was great that they could come for the long weekend and be with us for the past few days. Our kids had a great budding friendship from our time at SBT this past February, which continued to blossom through texting and FB. These past few days has solidified the fact that we are officially adopting them all into our immediate family.

The Andary's house joins property to Lorie's mom, Mama Tucker, or Miss Betty. She is possibly one of the most youthful women I know. Up every day at 4:30 am to be at her full time job at Wal Mart deli by six, home by 2:30, and then on to a full evening that I was having a hard time keeping up with. She had Wednesday off, and she took us to a flea market. We walked through several acres of booths, tables, and various re-sellers of all kinds of goods and sundry, all the while loading up our arms with the treasures of our hunt. She led the pace and a speedy clip! 

She is a beautiful, godly woman inside and out, and I truly have found a home within hers. Precious only begins to describe her. When our kids heard we would be staying by an older "Grandmother", they were a little worried that we would have to be in bed by 8, and be subject to long rants of tales from when she was a child... the same two over and over. Well let me tell you, it was about three hours into our visit and they officially voted her "So-o cool!" I wholeheartedly agreed! 

She gave us a gift to take with us on the road and it is such a perfectly appropriate token for us to carry from her as well. This beautiful quilt set will travel with us through these next several months (I refuse to say years!!) of deputation, and it will be a continual reminder of her. Warm, beautiful, timeless. 

I know I look jaundiced... I should have gotten us all in the sun! 

Norris, SC is another bright spot in our travels to be sure, but also a bit of bitter-sweet. We have truly fallen in love with these people, and have to be settled in the knowledge that we will spend very little time with them in respect to the scope of days. We will remain ever connected in our hearts, and I am sure we will burn up a few internet connections, but we will really have to wait until the Lord calls us home to be "together" never to part again! This world is not our home, we are just a passin' through... but it is so cool to meet some of our heavenly neighbors now!