Anniversary Weekend

Last Sunday was our first anniversary! We took the weekend to drive up to the northern parts of Michigan to enjoy nature, tours, and a little fudge...



On Friday we went hiking on the Manistee River Trail. It was beautiful, and we didn't see a single snake until the very end. Dave carried the backpack. Erika carried Stroopie (who is becoming a little more evident these days).



We ferried over to Mackinac Island and rode this "horse-drawn carriage" around the island. It's the way to go because it takes you out of the main tourist area, and the tour guides keep it interesting. For lunch we had a pastie (rhymes with "nasty" but it's not, and free fudge samples until our stomachs ached). Also, it's only just lilac season up there, so lots of free smells.



In the evening we crossed the "Mighty Mac" to the Upper Peninsula for supper. It's the world's longest suspension bridge over fresh water...or something impressive like that.

Gift Sharing

Despite the fact that we're still "appointees," which sometimes feels like "not much of anything," God is giving us opportunities to use our unique gifts and experiences to meet unique needs in our home church.

On Monday night Dave got a chance to share some of his camping-related gifts, and I got a chance to see him in his element. A team of adults (and a few teens) is going to Jamaica this summer, and they asked Dave to do a team-building evening with them. So, after the requisite pizza dinner, Dave led them through a few activities intended to diminish personal barriers and build trust.

They did a great job (I'm not sure I've ever seen a group where the leaders who emerged seemed so open to other opinions), and we had a great time. Thank You, Lord, for the chance to serve!

Training and Fun in Colorado

We're back from Colorado and the trip was, as Dave puts it, "profitable."

Our 2 weeks of pre-language training (no, we didn't learn a single word of Croatian) got us thinking about theories of language learning (almost everyone has the physical equipment needed to speak any language), responsibilities of language learning (if we're going to learn Croatian, WE have to make it happen, not our teachers), and tools for language learning (comprehension comes well before mimicry).

We also got to interact with missionaries from all sort of agencies who are going all over the world: Yemen, Slovenia, Dubai, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, etc. On top of that, we got to meet Juice and Beth, a couple around our age who are joining the same team we are (a few months sooner, probably). We'd heard a lot about them and were relieved that they lived up to their many compliments. So, now we've met everyone on our extremely likable team (what a blessing...and a relief)!

After the training we spent a week with my (Erika's) family in Colo Spgs. Since my oil-rigging brother was able to make it back from the North Sea, and my little sister (and husband and baby girl) recently moved to a closer apartment in town, it was quite the happy reunion. We celebrated several birthdays and patronized countless restaurants.

Upcoming events include an across-town move at the end of June and an ultrasound on July 1. Yes, we will try to find out what the gender is, and yes, we well tell everyone who cares...and probably a few who don't. :)