OK – so I arrived in D-town for the sole purpose of being a “personal assistant” (aka wedding slave) to my buddy Janet as she prepared for her daughter Sarah’s wedding on the 12th. She was still working a full schedule so I figured there would be plenty to do. So far it’s been a pretty cushy job – with my duties ranging from helping to weed the entry to the church (not so fun) to keeping Janet company while she sat by the pool working on her tan. I think this is about as laid back of a wedding as you can get. With the wedding just two days away, the BIG WORK is just beginning (setting up and decorating the church gym for the reception, rounding up flowers (literally – we’re checking out the neighbor’s flower beds as we drive around), getting STUFF to the church (this could be heavy – the place cards are small river stones with the names painted on!), helping Sarah with her move to her new digs (oh, and their daughter Ash is moving to Colorado the same day as the wedding – so that adds another level to the mayhem!) I’m sure the pace will move to frenzy before too long, but it certainly has been fun to be part of the “fray”.

And son Josiah moves to Lancaster this weekend too! He starts his new job on Monday, and he is very excited to be setting out on this new phase of his life. It includes a lovely young lady (who lives in Lancaster ), so it’s great to see him so happy. And it’s nice to be able to be part of this time in his life journey.

Finally, here is a Small World story. Janet and Joe had me tag along to a picnic given by a co-worker of Janet. I meet a couple of folks, chat mostly with J&J, and begin to enjoy the picnic lunch. The older woman sitting across from me is a neighbor, and out of the blue she asks if I am related to a Ruth Conrad. Well, say I, my mother –in-law was a Ruth Conrad, but she hadn’t lived in the area for 35 years. Well, says she, I worked with a Ruth Conrad in the early sixties and I wonder if it’s the same woman. We check a couple of details, and sure enough – she had worked with Gary’s mom shortly after she was divorced from his dad. The neighbor had lovely things to say about Ruth – and I was astonished that she remembered someone that she had worked with 40 years ago well enough to recall her name and ask if we were related. She must have made quite an impression!

Back to work, the boss is callin!

Can it be? We’ve been on the road for two years. As I thought about our time traveling I thought about our windshield plant. The one on the left is from our first month out (and judging from the road it’s in Ohio!), and the one on right was taken just yesterday. The two together tell an interesting story.
In the beginning we were literally on the road more. Those first windshield shots were mostly of what the passing scenery looked like. The current view from the windshield is more apt to be that of a camping area at a SOWER project. When we started out the dash was relatively uncluttered. Now, we not only have a photo gallery on the dashboard, but even the plant saucer has grown to accommodate shells and stones and other memories. I hope it also shows that we have been busy making this 40 foot tube our home and not just the place we live. And of course, the plant has grown. I hadn’t really noticed how much bigger it had gotten until I looked back over some photos from early in the trip. (This plant is a cutting from a Jade plant I bought the first year we were married. I couldn’t bring the whole thing (it’s HUGE now!), but I wanted to bring at least a part of it.) As the plant has grown, I believe so have Gary & I. We’ve learned (and are still learning) how beautiful and vast this country is (and how much of it we have yet to see), how beautiful the people are that we’ve met along the way, and the precious beauty of quiet time with the Lord.
So just where have we been this past year? Well, we started Year2 in Wisconsin, popped into Minnesota, visited with friends in Iowa, worked SOWER projects in Illinois, Tennessee, Mississippi, Texas, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. And yes, we still seem to be having trouble staying west of the Mississippi River.

And where are we right now? Two years into the Adventure and we are ironically right where we started – in Doylestown! We’re hanging around Home Town in anticipation of Sarah Ikoniak’s wedding and then will take off for a truck-only trip to our cabin in Vermont. After working 12 of the last 13 months, we officially taking August “off”. I must admit it’s nice to work out our own vacation schedule.

And the year ahead? We’re scheduled to work at Sandy Cove in September, and then from there…..only the Lord has that information right now. I’m certain He’ll let us know where to go when the time is right. We’re hopeful that He has the WEST in mind for us!

Thanks for joining us on our journey! We’ve been blessed to have YOU along.