California here we come!

First of all, before we leave Nevada - I just want to share one picture with you of our kids, Peter and Paige, in their home in Las Vegas -- what a great time to be with them again!

And now into California - we did thoroughly enjoy ourselves at Buck Owens Crystal Palace - the country music provided by his son, Buddy, and the Buckaroos was a delight...his museum is marvelous, all thru the Palace, with photographs, albums, awards, and larger-than-lifesize bronzes of ten country music greats.

Just driving through this state has been an "ecstasy overload" as we like to say in our family! There are so many variations in the landscape...I thought the drive from Barstow to Bakersfield was spectacular scenery..but then we headed north into the valley with all its agriculture, loaded fruit trees, nut trees...and today we were in to rice fields, and olive trees and almond trees -- simply amazing!

Yosemite National Park is not to be missed! We are so glad we were able to spend some time there. We hit the fall colors at their absolute peak - so we didn't get fall in the Ozarks but we were more than blessed by the fall colors at Yosemite. At both the Yosemite Valley and the Giant Sequoias, we were fortunate to take the ranger guided tram tours - and it was the best choice ever...We learned so much.

The last two days we camped at the California Delta. Our campground was just west of Lodi, CA, on the river. We saw a glorious sunset the first night, but last night the sky was too cloudy. Today, Halloween dawned perfectly--with lots of fog, very spooky, and just right for this trick-or-treat day!

We spent time yesterday with Jerry's Aunt Roberta, his Mom's sister, who lives in Livermore. She is amazing - 92 years young...she and Jerry went from one family story to another! Jerry has been out to visit her several times in the last few years. We are so grateful we had this opportunity to visit her.

And tonight we are camped just outside of Redding CA. Mt. Shasta rises up just in front of us, and tomorrow we will be driving in the mountains heading for Oregon. We are excited about the beauties of God's world that still lie ahead of us as we head north. Its all new to us and we are constantly amazed by His creation.

Westward, ho!

The wagon (i.e. Itasca Suncruiser motor home) has begun its journey westward beginning on Monday, October 15th. On November 11, Jerry will begin an interim pastorate at the Sammamish Presbyterian Church in Sammamish, WA - so travel with us as we head west!

Our first stop-over was in El Paso, where we spent a couple of days catching up on our visiting with our cousins Bill and Wayne...I wish we could say we sat on their patio and watched the spectacular view of EP and Juarez, but unfortunately, the winds were horrible, which confined us to inside, but didn't slow down the conversation one little bit!

Fortunately, the winds had subsided when we left for Arizona, which is a good thing - I have always wondered about those roadside signs that say "Dangerous winds." I think I would have understood that better on this trip had the winds still been up! This is a beautiful time of the year to travel Interstate 10 and we were constantly marveling at the scenery. After an overnight in Tucson, we became squatters in front of my brother's home in Phoenix. Jim and I haven't changed a bit, have we? (see picture) We were able to visit with their two adult kids who live in the Phoenix area (Nancy and Steve) as well. Brother Jim's weekend was perfect with OU winning their football game.

Our next stay was Las Vegas NV - you will remember we spent two months there shortly after Jerry retired, with Jerry assisting Jim Houston-Hencken, pastor at FPC LV. The city continues to build and build - everywhere we looked, more construction. We spent the evenings with Jim and Kathy, and our "grandchildren", Peter and Paige...who also continue to grow ...I just wish we lived closer to them so we could see more of them...but we will take whatever time we can get!

You will see Jerry with our other niece, Sarah, in front of their new home...our "home" while in LV was the big driveway at Sarah's former home which is on the market presently..anyone want to buy in LV? What a treat to spend time with her over lunch at a great local Mediterranean restaurant..later on that evening, Sarah, her husband, Ray, and son, Ryan, stopped by--so we got to spend some time with all of the family.

Yesterday we left Nevada and entered California - destination Barstow. The drawing card was Peggy Sue's Nifty 50's Diner - and it lived up to all its advertising!! The place is an absolute museum of memorabilia from OUR generation - and we loved it. 50's music filled the dining rooms, with so many photographs and movie posters on the walls, it would take a week to look at them all. We toured Barstow this morning - its on historic Route 66, also a restored Amtrak train station, with a Harvey House museum (anyone remember the Harvey House?)

We watched the sun set last night through particles of smoke beginning to float in from the wildfires in southern California --and woke this morning to the smell of smoke as well as a hidden sun, sometimes barely visible through the smoke. What a horrible experience for all those folks!

Tomorrow we head for Bakersfield, so we can enjoy country & western music at Buck Owen's Crystal Palace located there, before turning north. We already miss our friends and family in the midwest, but are eagerly looking forward to living in the great northwest for a while and meeting a new church family. God is so good!

Love from the Gypsies

Fall in the Ozarks

It may have been the fall months in the Ozarks, but we certainly did not have fall weather - it was hot when we arrived, and hot when we left! But even tho we didn't see the fall colors or the leaves falling, we had a fabulous time being there. Jerry is seen overlooking the Kansas City skyline from the top of the Liberty Tower. Below the Tower, the WWI Museum has opened this year--and you don't want to miss visiting this fine display if you find yourself in Kansas City. One of the highlights for the fall was the opportunity Jerry had to work on his fiddle skills. You will remember that he bought a fiddle while we were in Wichita and has been practicing. He had the opportunity to participate in several "jam sessions" which were super learning experiences for him. Above you see Jerry getting a fiddle lesson from Violet Hensley--she is in her early 90's. and this is her 41st year at Silver Dollar City. Jerry remembers Violet being present in the City, where her skill was making her own fiddles--a gift she can no longer continue because of macular degeneration. But she can still fiddle a mean tune, and she was more than happy to give a lesson to an aspiring fiddler! Jerry and Carla are enjoying a great gospel concert during the Gospel Picnic at SDC - even in the rain...we sat through at least 3 concerts that week in the rain, but it didn't diminish our enjoyment of the music. We shared the Gospel Picnic with many friends--Spanns from Wichita, Carla, Garretts from Monett, Tim & Heather Garrett from St. Louis. And we were able to spend time with many other friends whose lives have crossed paths with ours, and we are grateful to God for ALL of you on this marvelous journey. It was a good time! We left Table Rock Lake on Oct. 7th for a trip back to Midland with an overnight stop with Jo and Scott...and a full and busy weekend at home before setting out on another BIG ADVENTURE....but more about that in the next blog.

Catching up on the Summer

  The biggest problem in being on the road again is the uncertainty of internet capability - so its very hard to keep you posted on our travels--and traveling we are. These last two months we have spent some quality time with some of our "adopted" grandkids--here with Garrett & Shannon Worley while we camped at Babler State Park in St. Louis. It was fun to go to Shannon's soccer practice (bless those coaches!) and Garrett's baseball game as well. While we were in Gunnison, we were able to spend some time with precious Abby and Jonah McCown, who now live in Colorado Springs, and we just don't get to hug very often. Jerry celebrated his 50th high school reunion in Crane MO - and here are the class members gathered around some '57 cars that also came to the reunion. It was GREAT fun, especially for the classmates, but fun for us out-laws too! Silver Dollar City and the Southern Gospel Picnic was just great! We were joined during the ten days by Carla, Richard and Beverly Spann of Wichita, the Garretts from Monett and the Garretts from St.Louis -- and other friends we just happened to run into wandering the City. We had more than our share of rain - and this is just ONE of the 3 or 4 nights that we sat in the rain to hear a gospel group sing..and they were all worth it! If anyone can tell me HOW to get the pictures and the text in a blog to be located together, I would greatly appreciate it! It seems an impossible task to me - but I am sure all of you can mentally get it together! We are presently camped at Heartland Presbyterian Center in northern Kansas City, one of our favorite spots, and will be having supper with some of Jerry's kinfolk (Jim and Jane Carney), getting to see Carla, and this afternoon - of all things - I was in the checkout line at Hobby Lobby just down the road, and right behind me in line was Joyce Hohensee--Joyce and her husband were members of our church in Enid OK quite some time ago, and are now members of the church Carla serves, Pine Ridge Pres..and we were both stunned to see each other. As I've mentioned over and over, I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God! Love and hugs - our next adventure involves flying to Seattle on Thursday to meet and visit with our next church family at Sammamish Presbyterian Church--and I'll tell you all about that next time!

118th Bloys Campmeeting begins Tuesday

NEWS RELEASE: JEFF DAVIS COUNTY - the 118th session of Bloys Campmeeting will open with the 8pm service on Tuesday, August 7th, in Skillman's Grove. About 5,000 persons are expected to be in attendance during the week-long session, which will end on Sunday, August 12. Bible study will be held daily at 9 a.m., with regular worship services at 11am, 3pm, and 8pm. Prayer meetings for men and women are held each day at 5pm. Youth and children's services, ranging from pre-school through college, are held at 10am and 8pm, with scheduled activities for the older youth daily. Everyone is invited to attend and participate in any of these services. We are getting ready to leave for Ft. Davis TX to participate in this week-long annual event - and we are most excited about it. Over our years in Midland, it has been our privilege to participate for a day or two on several occasions - but this will be our first full week. This is its story, taken from a couple of news releases: "To describe campmeeting in a sentence or a paragraph cannot be done...perhaps thats why the Bloys Campmeeting Association chose to simply post the camp hymn on its homepage - "How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent Word." Building a strong foundation for the people of this region is what the Rev. William Benjamin Bloys set out to do when he organized the first campmeeting in 1890. Bloys, a Presbyterian missionary serving in Ft. Davis, rode from ranch house to bunk house in the vast tri-county area, ministering and attending to his scattered flock. It was in the home of John Z. Means that he began to formulate the idea for something called a "camp meeting." In 1890, Bloys was pleased to see 43 worshippers gathered under a brush arbor in Skillman's Grove for two days of fellowship. They stayed in canvas tents, ate as a congregation and socialized, too. As the number of attendees swelled over the next years, tin cabins were built and the group was split into separate camps according to the founding families." (There are now a large number of cabins built by the growing families - all built according to the same plan, simple and utilitarian, and all only available for use for about two weeks each year. There are no kitchens in the cabins, for everyone takes their meals together in one of the 4 family cooksheds. Now the campground also includes an RV park for use only during Bloys.) Each of the 4 denominations participating in the Campmeeting choose one to be in the pastoral leadership of Campmeeting. The Presbyterians have traditionally provided the Bible Study leader who teaches each morning at 9 a.m. Jerry will be teaching on the early chapters of Genesis this time. By tradition, the preaching rotation for the other services is not announced in advance! The United Methodists are represented by Bishop Bill Hutchison of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Disciples of Christ by the Rev. Tommy Potter of Brite Divinity School in Ft. Worth; and the Baptists by the Rev. Jim Dennison of Dallas. We are so eager to hear Jim preaching--my friend from Monett, MO, Phyllis Garrett, has told me about Jim's morning devotions on the internet, which she reads faithfully--Jim begins his day early with his coffee, the Bible and the newspaper, and after spending time with all 3, he writes his daily devotion on the web. (You might want to check it out!) Located at a higher elevation than Midland, in the Davis Mountains, the weather is generally cooler than here at home. The skies are incredible, and I read in the morning paper that there will be plenty of meteor activity on the last weekend of Bloys Campmeeting. Some day, YOU might want to put Bloys Campmeeting on your list of travels - its a once-in-a-lifetime experience of Bible Study, preaching, worship, fellowship, outstanding food, and unbelievable music. The music is one of the strong memories I have from our previous visits - John Hutchison on the organ, Janet Pummill on the piano and Doug Pummill as song leader - and what great old hymns we do sing! Its quite a site to be sitting inside the Tabernacle, which is all open on the sides, seeing all those cowboy hats hung from the posts and rafters, and thousands singing praises to our Lord! Do stop by some day..it always begins on the first Tuesday of August, but you better plan ahead - motels, hotels and nearby RV parks fill up quickly! You won't be hearing from me again until Bloys Campmeeting is over and we return to Midland - but then I'll send pictures. Love and hugs to all of you! Mary

Fisher of men AND fish

When Jerry took up fly fishing after we moved to Midland, he fell for it hook, line and sinker (if you'll pardon the expression!) Finally - after a long absence from fly fishing, we are back in Colorado and the fisherman is at it. He has now survived five days in a row of fishing and has had an incredible time. The fish on the right measured 22 1/2" - surely one for Jerry's record book.

We are having a marvelous time..the weather is cool and gorgeous, the rains come and go, we have to wear jackets some of the time...we are staying with the Beals (Midland) and Jerry has fished with two of his buddies who went to Argentina with him fly fishing a number of years ago.

Tomorrow we will leave South Fork and head for Spring Creek outside of Gunnison, to visit Abbe Mahone (Hobart and Oklahoma City) and see others. Tomorrow we will also get to spend some time with Jo & Scott's good friends, Conner and Naomi and their two children, whom we adore (See Jo's website for photos of Jonah and Abbey). We look forward to worship at Tin Cup on Sunday. AND more fly fishing on Spring Creek and Taylor.

Life doesn't get any better than this!

Reflections on a visit

Spending the week in San Antonio was great for me - it gave me a gllimpse into the kind of lives Jo and Scott are leading, their busy schedules, with no two days being alike, and helped the time pass more quickly for me while Jerry is in Uganda.

And when you have a daughter whose passion is her photography, you just never know what you will be doing!

You may be the subject of her camera....or you may be the one shooting the photograph as she works on a "hand collage", pouring glue all over her hand and drizzling blue beads on it so I can take her picture; or catching our dog napping in the quilt.

YOU might want to go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/johilton and see some more of Jo's photos from the weekend.

In the meantime, Happy Independence Day as we take a moment to express our gratitude to God for our country...and a prayer for the safe return of our Mission Team!

Uganda Adventure continues

Our Uganda team of missionaries has been gone for one week now - and we are delighted and overjoyed at the way the Word of God is being received, and grateful for all those new believers in Jesus Christ. The team is getting pretty tired, but they are over the hump, and grateful for each new day with renewed strength. They are encouraged and bolstered by all the prayers. Above you see a picture of our team, and as you look on them, please say a special prayer for their health and their boldness--the team ranges from 9 years old to those over 70, so it is a diverse group.

These last two days of the the week, there is a free outpatient medical clinic, and some of our team will be on hand to assist Dr. Patrick. (Our team has worked with Dr. Patrick every year. He is a native who received his medical training and then practiced in Philadelphia for ten years, before both he and his wife--in separate dreams-- felt the call to return to Uganda and practice their medicine.) The team took some suitcases with medical equipment to assist Dr. Patrick. Its heartbreaking to see children dying and people so sick from preventable disease, but at the same time encouraging that we can now help with a free medical clinic. The installation of freshwater wells will be a big asset to helping folks keep healthy!

The Sunday School teacher's seminar was a HUGE effort and success... in the U.S., we might have 30-40 people show up, mostly from our own congregation--right? When our team arrived at the Mbale Presbyterian Church, there were more than 250 teachers from over 60 congregations waiting to learn how to share the gospel with children.

The evangelistic crusades are drawing great crowds each afternoon. There is a lot of singing and dancing as people come to the church campus to hear testimonies and preaching. While our adult preachers have been well-received and are preaching from their hearts, the testimonies of our youngsters has been extremely heart-wrenching. Wouldn't it be amazing for us, sitting in our pews at home, to hear our 9 and 14 year olds tell how Jesus has impacted their lives!

The other picture I share with you is of my pastor's wife, Kathy Schorr, at FPC Midland - and its entitled "side by side" - what a beautiful witness and testimony in and of itself.

We are so grateful for all those who went as missionaries, for all those they left back at home, and for all of the folks who are supporting them in prayer. They are scheduled to return to Midland one week from tonight, and I can hardly wait.

I received word today from my friend Sally, whose husband is rooming with Jerry in Uganda, that she talked to her husband, Ralph--late last night (our time) just after their breakfast this morning (their time)-- and things are going well. Jerry's suitcase was one of the missing ones for the first two days, but he had stuck a change of clothes into Ralph's suitcase "just in case" and they all managed. One of our missionaries, Pat Hunter, volunteered to make the 8-hour trip back to Entebbe to pick up the missing suitcases--she is indeed a saint in my book! Ralph has a cold, the team are all getting tired, and they all appreciate our prayers.

Meanwhile - as Jerry's adventure continues in Uganda, my adventure has taken me to San Antonio where I am having a wonderful week with Jo and Scott. The 3 dogs are delighted to have someone home with them every day so they can go in and out of the house at their pleasure. My main project was to assemble my scrapbook/album from our Christmas trip to London and that is done--all but the journaling, which I will do at home. I have been cooking evening meals for us, trying new vegetarian recipes, and so far I am a success! This household rises early and hits the bed early at night. Jo and Scott have an interesting life with a great deal of variety in it--the schedule is different every day of the week for all 7 days, and its been a blessing to be a part of it. Today Scott was not to be home until after 7, but pouring rain meant the cancellation of a class this afternoon, so we are both home. Jo gets in about 5:30 this evening and we will be in for the night.

If you are interested in reading more about the team's adventure, please go click on this link, and click on the Ugandan Updates--its a great read and more great pictures! I just read that Jerry was the crusade preacher today and did a superb job.

http://www.fpcedmond.org

Love and greetings to all of you...until I write again!

June 7, 1964 ORDINATION

On June 7, 1964, Jerry Max Hilton was ordained into ministry by his home presbytery of Carthage-Ozark. Last week, on the evening of June 7, we joined two other couples for a quiet dinner and a toast to Jerry in honor of the occasion. Here is the limerick composed by our friend, Glenn Rogers:

There was a young man from Crane

Who heard God calling his name.

To McCormick he went in the fall

Spring 64 he was waiting a call

June 6, 64 Crane Pres proudly proclaimed

Jerry Hilton was duly ordained.

Now we here all know the rest,

Jerry and Mary are simply the best,

Our Pastor and friend,

Our love for them never will end.

Those participating in Jerry's ordination service included the Rev. Dr. W. J. Willis, who was 93 years old at the time and had baptised Jerry when Dr. Willis was Jerry's pastor. Jack Kurtz preached at Jerry's ordination--Jack and Jerry were students together at Missouri Valley College after having known each other through Westminster Fellowship activities during their youth. Jack and Jerry roomed together one year at seminary before Jack married one of Jerry's Crane cousins, Betsy. And it was Jack and Betsy who set up the first date Jerry and Mary had (chaperoning a youth hayride!). Jack's last pastorate before his death was back in Virginia--and a couple from his congregation were members of our congregation last year at Eastminster in Wichita (once again, God's family is all one!)

So it was a wonderful evening to celebrate Jerry's ordination and his life in ministry for these 43 years. And who knows what God has in store for our future? We hope another interim will open up come late fall, but in the meantime, we are enjoying our lifestyle and giving thanks to God for all His people!

Uganda Mission trip underway June 21st

For the fifth year, First Presbyterian Church, Midland TX, is sending a team to Uganda under the guidance of the Presbytery of Eastern Uganda. Our purpose is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and help to establish another new congregation. Each year we have sent money ahead which is used to build a church, secure a pastor, buy a cow and a bicycle for the pastor, and build pastoral housing. Our particular work will include house-to-house evangelism and village-wide rallies each evening. In addition, members of our team will visit schools, prisons, and assist in the medical clinic.

One of the highlights each year is the opportunity for some to return to churches that have previously been established, and to see them thriving and continuing to grow.

Pictures are worth a thousand words, aren't they? So I am sharing with you some pictures from previous trips. Last year is the first time we have had families go and this year that is happening again--it had a tremendous impact on those families as well as on our Ugandan friends, and the youngsters all wanted to return again this year.

If you would like to be a part of this mission and ministry, here are the ways you can be involved:

1) PRAY. Jerry will be a part of the team this year, along with 27 others from our church family. I covet your prayer support for him and for the entire team-- for safe travels, health, and bold voices to share the gospel of Jesus. The name of the village where we will be planting the church in Uganda is Kanyolo, and the new pastor is Denis Mukua, so we can be very specific as we cover them all with prayer.

2) FINANCIAL. If you would like to be a part of this trip, no matter how small the gift, you can send your check to First Presbyterian Church, 800 W. Texas, Midland TX 79701, with the memo noted "Hilton team". The trip itself costs $3800 per person, and all extra monies will be used to send Bibles for our Ugandan friends.

3) BE INCLUDED WITH EMAIL UPDATES. If you would like to receive by email any information the team sends to us, I would be so happy to share it with you during the two weeks that they are gone, plus a follow-up after their return. Please let me know by sending your email address to marymhilton@aol.com.

The bottom picture is the congregation gathered for worship at one of the churches planted on a previous trip! Praise God for all those receptive hearts, and their pastors. Jerry wishes each of you could meet the wonderful young pastors who are part of the Bible Training School. They are bright, deeply dedicated, and Spirit-anointed young leaders of a growing Church. It is his hope that he might have an opportunity to work with them during this trip.

Thank you for your love and support. Remember the dates: June 21 - July 5 to pray for the Uganda Mission team.

A Little Bit of Heaven - Table Rock Lake

Dear Ones - ever wonder what heaven is going to be like? Surely it is going to be a lot like the Cape Fair Campground on Table Rock Lake!

Back in about 1969 or 1970, some families in our church in Aurora, MO invited us to go camping with them, using their extra trailer..and we were hooked! We got our own trailer (a tent up off the ground actually) and started spending every vacation at the same campground. At that time, it was because Pop Hilton had boat there we could always use..but after the boat bit the dust, we still kept returning. And here you see our campsite for this spring. It was the perfect site--wonderful view of the lake and all the boats, very quiet (excluding Memorial Day weekend), and we felt like we had found a little bit of heaven right there.

During our two weeks there, we had lots of neat times--Sally and Scotty Campbell from Marshall MO (bottom right picture) showed up one late afternoon to spend the evening. Sally is some kind of kin to Jerry (from Crane MO of course) and Scotty and Jerry are fraternity brothers from Missouri Valley so we go back a long way together. We have camped together over the years numerous times (our daughters are all one year apart and all their names begin with the K sound--try calling for them to come in from the woods: Carolyn, Karen, Carla, Kathy...eventually it just became 1-2-3-4!) Mike Price (another Missouri Valley grad) and his family also camped with us--their daughter just graduated from high school in Springfield and we got to share that special occasion with them.

We had several delightful days at Silver Dollar City. This time the Bluegrass festival was going on, and we did enjoy the Ricky Skaggs concert this past weekend. We were there with the Campbells...and one day with daughter Carla (on the climbing swing, NOT to be confused with the BIG SWING new ride SDC is offering!)...and with Mike and Phyllis Garrett from Monett.

We celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary in Monett with the Garretts, which gave us an opportunity to drive out to Camp Barnabus. The top-left picture is taken there with our college friend, David Bingham. David was about 4 years old when his Dad chaired the PNC that called us to FPC Midland--so he and his family have been special friends for many years. David will be a sophomore at Oklahoma State and working this summer at a wonderful camp for special needs kids. I recommend you check out the camp's website if you want to see spectacular and life-changing camping opportunities for wheel-chair bound children. Its a joy to see David involved in this ministry.

And now we are on our way home...last night we were camped on the parking lot of Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Wichita and today we head west. I just finished reading Timothy Egan's The Worst Hard Time about the dust bowl days, and want to stop at a couple of museums in Guyman - the XIT Museum and the No Man's Land Museum - and another one in Canyon TX..and then home.

I hope each one of you has your own little bit of heaven someplace on this journey - always knowing that God saves the best for last--when we arrive Home with Him! God bless you!

Memories of the hardware store

As many of you will remember, Jerry was raised in the hardware business. His Grandad opened the A.B. Hilton Hardware Store in Crane MO in 1906. After his Grandad's death, his initials were dropped, and the Hilton Hardware continued for many years. Last Wednesday, our long-time friends from seminary days, Pete and Bonnie Fey (who retired in Newton KS) gave Jerry a real treat--a trip to Halstead KS to visit the Old Halstead Hardware.

The original store, from the 1880's, has been restored--the tin squares in the ceiling; old fixtures--like screw holders with pie-shaped drawers and glass-front drawers to see the pulls and handles inside; the pot-bellied stove near the back, around which the old men used to gather in the cold weather; even the spittoon!

Jerry took a real trip down memory lane wandering through there--seeing many items that the Hilton Hardware used to sell. It was so nostalgic for him, and we all enjoyed watching him with all the items. Jerry and Pete, who now fit into the category of those "old guys" who hung around the stove, even stopped to do that (they did not, however, use the spittoon!)

Time with the Feys was so special, as was the rest of our time spent in Wichita. We were treated royally by our dear friends there...and what fun to spend time visiting with several of them over various lunches and dinners. Our time with Bev & Richard Spann gave Jerry and Richard a chance to do two of their favorite things--fishing and golfing (the rain is finally over), while Bev and I got to go shopping and peruse the scrapbooking store.

Attending morning worship at Eastminster PC was a joy--the Spirit was moving in their joy, fellowship, preached Word, and a glorious men's choir. We were able to say hello to many dear folks whom we grew to love during our year in Wichita. (It goes without saying that the next interim has a LOT to live up to!) What really surprised us both was the number of Wichita folks who said they kept up with our travels by following this blog--thank you to each of you!

Now we are leaving Wichita, and heading for Table Rock Lake (our "home away from home").

Mother's Day was also our Jo's birthday, and of course the girls were on a Carnival Cruise ship in the ocean celebrating Carla's 40th--but with cell service! Isn't that amazing? We were able to talk with them, as well as receive pictures of their cruise...which made my Mother's Day complete!

May 7 - Kansas City - rain and more rain!

We are beginning to feel like Mr. and Mrs. Noah! I cannot recall having been in such rain ever before....we have seen the sun for a few brief moments one day last week..and we had one day without rain when Jerry was able to mow Carla's back yard (which needed to be harvested but he mowed instead!) The rains came down Saturday night, all day yesterday and last night as well - so we are now in flood warnings. I just hope this clears up whatever drought the area has been in! We have been camped at Heartland Presbyterian Center. It has been a perfect place for us to be, for we have been able to leave the RV and come in to stay at Carla's for a few days last week--we got the upstairs guestroom painted in anticipation of her new roommate who will arrive this afternoon. She is short-term, doing an internship here in KC, but it will be nice for Carla. Check out Carla's blog as well - she had a fabulous 40th birthday in Orlando with her American Red Cross friends, and in two days she leaves for San Antonio where her sister is treating her to a 40th birthday surprise (I could tell you, but since Carla will read this, I better not!) We worshipped yesterday with Carla at Pine Ridge Presbyterian Church, where Carla serves as DCE. They are in a building project and their new sanctuary is taking shape--it will certainly be a beacon for Jesus along Barry Road, as it is visible for some distance. First the city came in and redid Congress which runs along the east side of the church (to accommodate the new Zona Rosa shopping center directly across the street from the church) , and now that it is finally finished, the city will begin remaking Barry Road - so instead of getting them both done at the same time (as they said), this whole thing will end up being years in the making! Isn't it always that way? Meanwhile, the contractor needs some dry weather! Carla and I attended a Dave Ramsey financial workshop at the Municipal Auditorium on Saturday afternoon - the largest one he has ever held with 10,000 folks in attendance. He is marvelous--full of enthusiasm and common sense ideas. It was a joy to see all the ages represented--it would be marvelous if all those young people learned how to manage their money responsibly at their age, instead of learning the hard way (as many of us did) as they got older. We had a great time there. We had another project at Carla's house as well - getting the downstairs toilet NOT to leak. Carla and Jerry spent a great deal of time on that..I had a great picture to include here, but I can't do it from the computer I am composing on (which is not mine)..so use your imagination--Jerry contorted on the tiny floor space to get under the tank with a wrench with Carla kneeling on the seat trying to hold the pipe inside the tank steady while he tightened something. All this took place just before they called the plumber! It is now repaired! We have arrived in Wichita..and Carla has arrived in San Antonio and is with Jo and Scott tonight--the girls leave in the morning. Thanks be to God for His gift to us of family and friends--what a joy! Love to all of you...

April 26, 2007 -Adventures continue!

We seem to pick amazing times to be on the road - we left Midland on April 20, and turned north at Sweetwater TX - we saw wildflowers galore..not just patches, but fields of bluebonnets, which were just fantastic! There were many many different kinds of wild-flowers, fields of colors, and we were overwhelmed with it all. Not only that, but the wheat fields were lush, green and lovely...so the trip into Oklahoma was an enormous success from our standpoint.

We spent one wonderful afternoon down at Bricktown in Oklahoma

City--what a magnificent creation that city has pulled off! We were joined by our dear family friend, Abby Mahone, to take the canal ride in one of Bricktown's barges, seeing all the businesses that have gone in along the canal (including time to wander around our favorite, Bass Pro) and see the beautiful bronzes depicting the Run to settle Oklahoma. We finished off the Bricktown experience with dinner at the Spaghetti Warehouse, joined by David Mahone.

This is the centennial year of Oklahoma - a very special spot for us, since my parents lived here for 37 years; both daughters were born in this state (and Carla turned 40 yesterday!); our first pastorate was here in Hobart in 1964 (where we first became friends with the Mahones); and we returned to Oklahoma to serve the church in Enid in 1985.

Tuesday we filled the day - in the morning and again in the evening, we attended the Festival of Arts downtown--3 stages for performances as well as many artists and lots of food vendors. At night we listened and danced to the big band music of the Al Good Orchestra--an orchestra my folks used to dance to here in Oklahoma City, and we danced to his music when he came to Enid OK as well.

In between, when the rains came, we managed to be at the Cowboy Hall of Fame--both my parents had served as docents there so there are lots of memories associated with that spot. PLEASE don't miss visiting there, if you are ever in the area. Over the years, we have numerous photographs in our albums taken by the statue "End of the Trail" that you see above--when our girls were little and visited their grandparents, when our Indonesian AFS daughter lived with us in '83, etc...many memories!

We also found a painting done by my high school friend, Fritz Scholder, and his words in a quote painted on the wall of one gallery...along with works of one of his teachers, Oscar Howe--all of us were from Pierre SD in those days. Fritz died a few years ago, but left a legacy in his paintings. And would you believe - I have a painting he did for me when we were in high school?

It was a treat Sunday to worship at Westminster Presbyterian Church..my parents' church home during their Oklahoma City years. Jerry and I had our picture taken (above) in the chapel of WPC, where we were married forty-four years ago next month. I used to think that was the largest sanctuary I had ever been in...and the biggest campus...and it just didn't feel like that last Sunday. Isn't it interesting how the passing of time and your experiences changes one's perspective?

We are grateful for these days - renewing friendships with friends from Hobart days; seeing folks at WPC with whom we toured the Holy Land back in the late 70's; revisiting some special sites; seeing the beauty of this land as we travel; and now in Enid OK, where we will see some special folks from our pastorate here and worship with them on Sunday.

Bless you all - and if you are along this route we are traveling, we look forward to seeing you! Next week we will be in Kansas City visiting daughter Carla, on to Wichita KS to see the folks at Eastminster on Mother's Day, and then to Jerry's home territory in southwest Missouri.

Love, Mary and Jerry

Christ is Risen!

What a season of rejoicing! Even with all the snow, sleet, rain and cold that many of us experienced on this Easter week-end, it was a glorious experience! Above, you see a few of the spectacular roses that grace the entry to Incarnate Word College, just up the street from Jo and Scott's home in San Antonio. Even in the cold dreary day, the roses were radiant--a reminder of what a radiant life can do to brighten even the dullest of days!

Part of our Easter trip included a trip to Wemberley TX - and on the right we are visiting Ron & Nita Bagby, friends from Eastminster in Wichita, who have become Texans (again) after their retirement. It was such a special treat to be with them...to see a little bit of their new town...to watch Ron feed the deer who wander right up to their back deck. I do encourage any of you who are traveling in that part of Texas to spend some time in this little town--its a delight. (and on the first Saturday of each month, they have a HUGE market--I can hardly wait to be able to do that!)

Our family picture was taken on Easter Sunday at the Hilton/Peters home. What a great time we had just being together. To celebrate our birthdays, Jo and Scott treated us to dinner at a delightful vegetarian restaurant in SA called "Green". Family and friends are truly among God's greatest gifts to all of us - and we hope we are properly appreciative of this Gift. Our Easter circle was completed with the arrival of Scott's sister, Lynn, and husband, Jack, from Pueblo CO--who braved sleet, rain, snow and ice to make the drive to San Antonio--thinking several times of turning back. We are glad they persevered! Since we were all in London together over the Christmas holidays, we had lots of reminiscing to do. Jo has published her own book of our Christmas trip--so those of you who cross paths with us will one day have an opportunity to view it as well.

Speaking of friends, tomorrow we are off to El Paso to visit our cousins and see some special friends from Crane MO - back when Jerry was in high school, "Dr. Bob" was the "young optometrist" who came to town to practice, and is still there--and Jerry still thinks of him as the "young optometrist"---never mind that Bob is now 82 years young, and young Jerry is now 68 years old! Its all relative, isn't it? And even these birthdays have been occasions for celebration, and yes--amazement-- that we are, in fact, as old as the calendar says we must be! I don't believe it!!!! Not for a minute!

We'll be back from El Paso next Monday, and by the end of the week, we will be on the road again in our new RV to head north--with stops in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri--but you will be hearing more about that later.

Thanks for reading this blog, and for being such an important part of our lives!

Love, Mary & Jerry

Glorious Spring!

This is an absolutely gorgeous spring day...it is so nice to have the sun shining after over two days of heavenly rain--not a normal pattern in our part of the country! I hope you are enjoying a lovely day as well.

You CAN teach an old dog new tricks! And I am here to tell you that these two old dogs are slowly learning new eating habits and new foods. Here you see one of the appetizer servings on our cruise--now the food I am preparing at home HARDLY looks like this,

but it is fun to try eating the vegetarian/vegan way. I am trying lots of new recipes, and so far they have been successful! We both feel very well AND are losing weight..now we just hope those blood numbers are going in the right direction as well. So any of you who want to share a good vegetable, legume or grain recipe with us, feel free to send it on!

We will leave Palm Sunday in our RV with our destination being San Antonio to spend Easter with Jo and Scott, but first we will have a few days at Llano State Park on the Guadalupe River outside of Junction TX--a place we have been wanting to visit and this is the time. On our trip home from El Paso last week we notice the Texas wildflowers are beginning to bloom, so we look forward to seeing bluebonnets on this next part of our trip.

May the joys of this Holy Season be yours, as we walk with Jesus.

Healthy Cruising with Special Friends!

Last week we joined Jim and Sandy Alsup to celebrate Ralph and Sally Green's 50th wedding anniversary on a "Taste of Health" cruise aboard the Italian ship, Costa Magica. And indeed it was a magical week! We never lacked for delicious, beautifully presented healthy meals...or stimulating, hilarious conversations...creating memories that we will never forget!

And you are thinking "healthy cruise"? Jim is a cancer survivor of over 15 years through prayer and the macrobiotic diet. This is the 4th year that Taste of Health has offered a macrobiotic cruise...we numbered over 700 of the 2900 guests, had our meals served in one dining room where those of us who were not macrobiotic oriented could order off any of the menus--regular cruise fare, vegan, vegetarian, wellness--just about whatever you wanted. We were treated to the opportunity to attend 4 classes offered each day by very knowledgeable instructors--from diabetes management by Dr. Neal Bernard to cooking classes by Christina Parelli (whose TV show "Christina Cooks" is seen on many PBS stations) We had our own excellent macrobiotic chef, Mark Hanna, and his meals were amazing. Jerry had received a diagnosis of diabetes just two weeks before we set sail, with 3 months to get his blood sugar count down to normal or else, so we felt it was really a gift from God that we were going on this cruise. We came home healthier, lighter in weight, and determined to change our eating habits.

One of the Hilton "talents" which we are always happy to share with others is "hanging spoons". Now you have seen Jerry with one of his lesser-known talents, and he did his best to teach others around us to also hang spoons.

We had many opportunities to give thanks to God - the beauty of His creation all around us; the glory of all that beautiful water everywhere--and when you are from West Texas, its doubly impressive; the precious gift of wonderful friends with whom to share all these experiences; quiet time for reading and meditating, or walking the track on the top deck of the ship; the beautiful young people (primarily from the Philippines) who made our stay so comfortable; and most especially, for the gift of one another in our own marriage and these exceptional 2 1/2 years since Jerry's retirement.

We cherish you all!

Christmas worship experiences

We began our worship experiences by attending a Taize service at King's Cross Methodist Church in the setting you see at the left...quiet, peaceful, meditative--just right for the weary travelers trying to get acclimated to their new time zone! There were about 25 there, mostly young adults, but a few of us older ones as well.

We have Taize services here in Midland several times a year so we felt right at home with the music and prayers. One fellow we visited with pointed out to us that Sunday worship at the "big" churches within the heart of the city are really for the tourists--they basically minister to a congregation of folks who are in the city to work during the week, but are not there on Sundays, because thats a day they do not have to make that trip back into the city. Their ministry to their congregation takes place at week-day services, be it morning or noon or 5 p.m. So worship services at places like St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey are for the tourists.

This did not seem to be the case at All Soul's, however. To worship at All Soul's was a dream come true for Jerry. He so admires their former pastor, John Stott (who is retired but still participating..unfortunately, we did not run into him...) so it was a treat to be there. The church is built at the end of Regent Street--a magnificent setting. It is a viable congregation, with over 19 on their ministerial staff, highly programmed....we were there both morning and evening on our first Sunday in London, and heard a small choral group that you see pictured here lead the worship--gorgeous voices. The fellowship hour after the morning service featured tea and little mince pies--a Christmas staple in London. The church operates a fine bookstore in the fellowship hall as well. Folks were very cordial and welcoming to us, and we certainly could feel the Spirit in that church family.

This is a first for us - standing in line to get into a worship service! Wow! On Christmas Eve we were in line for about two hours for the late service at Westminster Abbey--the photo below is one Jo took while we were waiting in line. It was a beautiful service, as you can imagine, and one we will not soon forget! The fellowship and cameraderie of folks standing in line was marvelous as well.

St. Paul's was another worship experience - we also were in line on Christmas Eve morning for that service, but not for very long. The contrast between St. Paul's and Westminster is really something - WA is SO grey--stone everywhere, no color, very austere and regal, while St. Paul's is simply vibrant with its color--lots of reds and golds everywhere you look. The acustics are magnificent--on New Year's Eve, Jerry and I heard a Salvation Army brass band doing a pre-service concert as well as all the service music. Following the NY Eve service, we were dismissed through the front doors to the pealing of the bells and a bit of the fireworks that our kids were experiencing down on the Thames. Quite a site!

While we missed being with our church families at this special holy season, we found God's people very welcoming and accepting of us wherever we were worshipping. We were thinking of you!

Greetings in 2007

Its hard to believe we have been home from London for several weeks, and have not sent out a blog! However, that is about to change! Let me share a few thoughts with you from our fabulous London trip (and more thoughts will follow! Our Christmas dinner was spent at the Windermere Hotel, complete with crackers and king's hats, as you can see--it was the most amazing time you can imagine..the menu was delicious, and we just had the best time ever! We had a good long walk over to the hotel, with a stopover at Buckingham Palace, and it was truly a delightful day. Shopping was a real highlight--especially all the small kiosks and special shopping venues. Jerry found this very small coronet, which he felt called to own - and so he does! He even sat in our flat window late on New Years Eve and serenaded the folks who were walking down the street! I had the most fun sitting in a window upstairs from him and watching the looks on their faces as they tried to figure out where the music was coming from! He will enjoy this coronet and its a great souvenir of our magnificent trip. We are such Sherlock Holmes fans that visiting the SH Museum was quite a highlight for us. Here you see Jerry having a visit with Dr. Watson in the drawing room--it was very well done, and makes watching the TV series from home now even more fun as we can say "we were there!" Of course, we also visited the Sherlock Holmes Pub & Restaurant to finish off our day! Much love to all of you - and more will follow now that I have finally finished sorting and editing all the photos that our daughters took (would you believe over 4,000?) Soon I'll share some photo websites with you if you care to look at the pictures yourselves!