Each sunset and sunrise is unique and, like fingerprints, snowflakes, and humans, no two are ever exactly alike. This beauty captivated us as the sun set behind our home in Fairfax. God of all creation!! How majestic are your works in all the earth!!
We were thankful for this sky show seen during our four days of being home after moving here and before departing on a month-long speaking tour. We were also grateful to have the opportunity to walk the Littles to school on one of those four days . . . since they are the main reason we made this move. Joy!
Off to school to walk with the Littles, which is a great way to start the day!
After unloading the moving van on Monday, Aug 21, we flew to Charleston, SC, on Thursday, Aug. 24th, to celebrate the wedding of Christen Engel and Grayson Mayberry. Christen was a long time family camper as well as a stellar family camp staffer, so it was our joy to join her and her dear family for this most auspicious occasion. Lisa also flew in for the event and we spent three very fun days in Charleston together. Besides the beautiful wedding, for which Paul shared the pastoral duties with Christen’s father, Carl, we met up with our dear friend Leiann and shared a meal catching up with her which was a delight. We also did early morning walks on the beach and enjoyed being in the south, viewing Spanish moss hanging from the trees and seeing “grits and hushpuppies” on the menus. Love it!
Happily standing with Grayson and Christen (Engel) Mayberry during the reception.
Before it started, we captured this beautiful setting where the wedding was held.
Early morning meet-up with Leiann was one of the highlights of our time in Charleston.
And shockingly . . . we found our way to the beach two mornings in a row for a 5-mile, sunrise beach walk.
We flew home from the wedding late night on the 27th and were on the road 12 hours later, driving to Upper Tract, West Virginia, to Lodestar Mountain Inn, where the Sarasota Community Church staff was convening. We were delighted to be invited to speak at this four-day pastors and staff retreat, from this church with which we’ve partnered for several years now. And through these years, we’ve grown to love these dear leaders, which only deepened over our days together.
Though a variety of topics were explored, the sessions which generated the most interest, insight, and discussion dealt with temperaments as viewed through the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). There was much lively interaction and “aha!” moments as we unpacked the inner workings of our temperament differences, and everyone left with a deeper sense of understanding themselves and each other. That’s why we love this tool.
Besides our teaching sessions, there was time for walking the grounds of this beautiful retreat center, singing around the piano (this group has many talented musicians), playing corn hole, and having a very exciting and competitive “Game Night.” The days together were well planned by discipleship pastor, Liz Lane, and senior pastor, Dennis Bontrager. It was a joy to be a part of this getaway.
The founder and director of Lodestar Mountain Inn, Steve Wingfield, and his wife, Barbara, made a brief appearance during our stay.
The pastors and staff of Sarasota Community Church were a delightful group to hang out with.
Though we lost to Dennis and Alice Bontrager, we gave them a run for their money on our first corn hole competition.
Dennis and Alice gave it a good effort, but it was not enough to win the game.
Hard at work trying to figure out the recipe for Paul’s chocolate chip cookies.
We drove home, arriving around 8 pm, repacked, and were off to Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) at 3 am Friday the 1st of September, for Mazatlan, Mexico, to speak at the YWAM base there.
Even for us, that was a fast turn-around.
But so worth it!
Invited by Brent and Heather Madsen, base directors, we quickly discovered how “simpatico” we are with them upon our first meeting. Legendary in YWAM circles, they pioneered this base over twenty years ago in Mazatlan, which has now grown to host 120 staff and multiple programs throughout the year. It’s a happening place!
We were teaching at their Friday night/Saturday all-day marriage conference several hours after landing. Beautifully set up by their able committee, all of the married couples on base attended (except a few who were off base) and were treated to a transformed auditorium which communicated “we care about you and your marriage.” Flowers, graphics, refreshments, goodie bags . . . well done, providing a great context for sharing and learning. The couples were engaged and thoughtful, which reflects on the leadership provided by the Madsens.
We were so grateful to partner with them.
The YWAM base is strategically located right on the water in downtown Mazatlan.
Brent and Heather Madsen are the founders and directors of this over 20-year-old base.
The committee did a beautiful job of transforming their oft-used auditorium into a romantic getaway for the marriage conference.
The balance of the next two days was spent meeting with couples for counseling, experiencing their all-staff worship morning, and speaking to their all staff “Connect” meeting on Monday afternoon from 2 to 4. We spoke on relationships, which fueled a lot of discussion and a few questions, which we loved.
We also had a couple of two-on-two “dates” while there: breakfast with the Madsens, which allowed us to get to know one another in a deeper way. We were so encouraged to hear their vision for the future of YWAM Mazatlan. We spent another breakfast with Nathan Everson and his fiancée, Ellie—we’ve known Nathan since he was born, but hadn’t seen him in years! It was a joy to reunite with him as a young man with a deep heart for the Lord, serving at this YWAM base and to meet his lovely fiancée. Our third “date” was with Josh and Cammie, a dear staff couple, who are in their first year of marriage. They took us to a lovely restaurant overlooking the ocean and we had no lack of conversation re: early marriage. And we spent a sweet lunch with Natalie, who serves as the admin for the base.
Our early morning 5-mile walks got earlier and earlier as we tried unsuccessfully to find cooler temps, but the heat and humidity couldn’t be avoided. We did see a few beautiful sunsets, ocean action, and a sea turtle laying eggs on the beach. Very cool.
Dinner out with Josh and Cammie was a delight.
The all-staff worship time, held every Monday morning, was full of passion and energy.
Speaking on relationships to the all-staff “Connect” Monday afternoon was lively. Most of the 120 base staff are single and young.
On our final morning, we were happy to have breakfast with Nathan and Ellie (soon to be) Everson.
Natalie, from the UK, is the admin for the base and we had a lovely lunch with her.
We left Mazatlan with hearts full of gratitude for the kingdom work going on there and for people like Brent and Heather Madsen who have spent their lives pioneering such a difference-making, kingdom-building ministry.
Brent Madsen wrote these encouraging words after we left:
“We so enjoyed having you with us. It was refreshing for all the marrieds and singles alike. You both share with transparency, honesty, and love.
And your humor . . . it was well received by all! In NZ (New Zealand), we’d call you ‘cheeky.’ Love it!”
And from “The YWAM Mazatlan Family”:
“The way you served and blessed this base is truly remarkable. Thank you for investing your time and your heart in our family. Your wisdom and love touched many hearts and we hope you will come back soon.”
On to Oakland, CA, for two days with our kids/grandkids, to make a "proper fuss” over Brandon’s 13th birthday.
We’re still wondering how that happened so fast, but we must accept that it did.
We celebrated him with dinner out with just him . . . at Ruth’s Chris Steak House (taking advantage of their “happy hour” specials) . . . and we had a sweet time with this towering 5’10” just-turned 13 year old. Brandon’s tender heart for loving well continues to grow and he adds positive value to wherever he is. We are so thankful for his wise choices, his commitment to serving at New City Church Oakland with his family, and that he’s a ton of fun to be with.
We had a great time hanging out with his family, too. A few walks, meals, and hours of catching up filled the rest of the time.
The Garcias continue to put down roots in Oakland . . . their newly landscaped front yard looks beautiful!
Ruth’s Chris Steak House was a fitting venue for celebrating Brandon’s 13th birthday.
On to Live Oak, CA, to speak for The Church of Glad Tidings. But first, we stopped in Gridley to connect with our lifelong friends, the Stenzels. Frank and Shirley were fellow partners with us in IVCF for decades as they faithfully served the international community in the Chico area. They were also faithful family campers, “raising” their four with this annual tradition. We’re always happy to have time catching up with them and their daughter Melinda and her husband Ted. Though always too short, we were so happy to spend an hour over coffee, pie, and affirming our love for each other.
A brief visit with Frank and Shirley Stenzel and Ted and Melinda (Stenzel) Collins was better than no visit at all!
On to Live Oak for a marriage conference Friday and Saturday and teaching at three services Saturday night and Sunday.
DJ and Rachel Crist, the family pastors at Glad Tidings, organized the weekend masterfully. We love working with them! Though the conference wasn’t as well attended as they had hoped, those who came were very glad they did (according to their feedback!). One woman who attended, married to an unbeliever, spoke with me after the conference and said it was a game-changer for her as she understood some things about marriage she had not previously realized. We’re praying that her husband notices the changes she’s committed to making.
The Saturday night service at Glad Tidings is their main weekend event and it was very alive, full of passion and energy. Though it’s less usual for us to be in a pentecostal setting, with flags waving and people dancing, we appreciated the sincerity of their expression of worship. Their engagement carried right into our teaching and many expressed their deep appreciation for our Biblical insights. It was a joy to be with them both Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Sunday evening we spoke at their “church plant” in Nevada City, which reportedly has an aging population of hippies and a booming population of New Agers. It was very exciting to join the congregation of about 100, many of whom are relatively new believers, and all who were enthusiastic learners. It was a great way to end our time with Glad Tidings.
Glad Tidings is a pentecostal, Bible believing, socially involved church in Live Oak.
DJ and Rachel Crist are the family pastors at Glad Tidings and they are passionate about encouraging family and marriages.
Our dear friends, Dave and Diana Watts, came up to Glad Tidings to take care of our book table.
Our final teaching time for Glad Tidings was at their church plant in Nevada City.
We returned home Tuesday Sept 12 for a minute—or at least 3 days—during which time we spent a day counseling and two days continuing to get settled. That brought the total up to 6 nights we had spent in our new home since closing on it July 31st.
And then we were off, to Rosemary Beach, FL, for a marriage conference and preaching on Sunday. Chapel at the Beach members, our dear friends Tom and Joan Carmody, arranged and hosted the weekend and it was such a joy to partner with them on this first-time event at this growing church.
Tom and Joan came to Boston in 1996 as one-year-old believers and for the next four years, we had the privilege of mentoring them. They were super involved in family ministries and were part of our first family missions trip to Haiti. A very deep bond formed between us. They moved out of the area four years after arriving and we’ve stayed connected through occasional visits and emails. We jumped at the chance to spend four days with them when they invited us to partner with them in this endeavor.
They pulled off a blockbuster weekend.
Held at a local hotel, they covered the bases: from goodie bags and great food, to worship and teaching, to time alone as couples to process. Very creatively, their team put together picnic baskets for each couple for Saturday’s lunch and allotted 2 hours for a leisurely picnic lunch for processing the weekend. We were impressed!! We’ve done a lot of these events and this was a first.
The spirit among the attendees was great and we had young married couples and old married couples and everything in between. We love the mix—we feel the greatest health happens in cross generational experiences.
It was obvious that Tom and Joan are deeply and personally invested in the congregation, who definitely feel loved by them. They are actively mentoring a number of the couples, effectively passing the mantel of faith. It was such a joy to see this couple, whom we’ve known since their babyhood as Christ followers, maturely coming alongside younger couples and discipling them.
Sunday morning, Paul preached to a full house during the first service and to a 2/3rds full house the second. We could tell the church is alive and growing, and with a young pastor (Cole Floyd) who has been at the church only 3 years, we believe great things are ahead for Chapel at the Beach.
Tom Carmody welcomes the attendees to the Marriage Conference, “Marriage Rich,” on Friday night.
Tom and Joan Carmody stand with us on the balcony at the hotel hosting the marriage conference.
The picnic baskets are labeled and ready for the guests’ Saturday lunch. Very cute and creative!
Paul preaching Sunday morning.
The house is full!
An added bonus for us was having our dear friend, Lindsey, attend church, and then having lunch together. Lindsey and her husband, Sebastian, were with us in New England for about 8 years and we welcome any opportunity to get together.
Our lunch date with Lindsey was a definite highlight of our time in Rosemary Beach.
We had some great “chill” time with Tom and Joan before we flew “home,” which now means Fairfax (we’re still trying to make the mental adjustment). Walking on the beach Sunday evening, we were captivated by this incredible sunset. No words, except praise.
We were humbled to receive this note from the Carmodys:
“It is hard to even begin to put into words how grateful we are for God’s perfect will which brought us together so many years ago. It is wonderful to witness your ability to communicate Biblical truths from God, from His heart and from yours to all of us. We know God moved in powerful ways this weekend to strengthen marriages and change hearts, as has always been the case. We were all so blessed by your being here. Thank you.”
We returned home late Monday night, Sept 18, and the next day, welcomed a few siblings who arrived early for a sibling reunion which began the 21st at our home.
But that’s a story for the next blog post, so for now, I’ll wrap it up by saying that God has faithfully continued to meet us and give us exactly what we’ve needed in each of these diverse in expression but united in purpose venues over the past month.
And we are beyond grateful and truly give Him all the praise.
Amen.