Back Again

We had a fantastic trip to Savannah  the end of March.  Many thanks to long time friends Connie and Denny Shippy for housing us and putting up with our hectic schedule while we were there.  Charlie and I had really prayed that God would put the people we wanted to see at the services we were attending.  (With four different locations and multiple services at each place you can see why we needed divine intervention!!)
 
Charlie was able to speak to two men’s groups, we met with two small groups, and we were able to attend Late Church Sunday night (a first for us and a delightful experience!)  Charlie spoke briefly at the “Global Gathering” Sunday afternoon and we were able to meet many of the leaders of the various mission trips scheduled this year.  We were able to connect with many  senior saints and were constantly amazed how God orchestrated and directed our steps during our visit.

We were able to reconnect with friends Sandy and Van Swofford near Nashville on our way home.  Sandy and I haven’t seen each other in almost nine years .  What a blessing to pick up our friendship as if no time had passed.  It was our first trip to Nashville, but definitely not our last.

 Mysterious Illness Floors Charlie


 Thanks for your prayers for Charlie this past week.  Tuesday April 10th, Charlie collapsed to the floor at ETS and was taken by rescue squad to the hospital.  After two liters of IV solution he was released home where he continued to have little or no energy for the rest of the week.  We are still piecing together parts of the puzzle but we are beginning to realize he must have had a bleeding ulcer.  He is improving daily and taking medication.  The work we do is very physical so we would ask your prayers for his continual healing.




Easter with the Grand Sons
 

We were delightfully thrilled to have our daughter Suzy and Tim come spend Easter with us.  We had not seen our grand boys since  January and were amazed at how much they have changed We had perfect weather and one of the highlights of their visit was the Easter Egg Hunt at the New Hope Fire Station.  This was their first official Easter Egg hunt.  Both  of my boys love fire trucks and they were actually able to go inside the Rescue Squad  Vehicle.   We spent Easter at a local park and fed the fish and ducks bread crumbs.  Baby Charlie liked the bread so he was upset when Mom made him drop it in the water.Thanks Suzy, Tim and boys for making the trek to Virginia.  We miss you already!

Back from Canada

   We just returned from our trip to Canada where we
were able to spend a week visiting with Emma, Jerry
and Becky. We left our little nest and drove to Dulles
International where we made connections to Chicago .
My sister Bev, let us travel on her status with United
Airlines. She has been with United for 25 years so we
were able to fly stand by, for a considerable discount.
We arrived in Saskatoon later that evening in a 50
person plane despite many obstacles (and
because of my momma’s prayers) . Both
Emma and Becky had the week off (winter
break) so we had plenty of time to play and
really enjoy our bouncy , giggly grand daughter.
The week went much too quickly but we
have many wonderful memories of our trip to
the frozen North. Unfortunately Jerry was sick
while we were there and Becky came down
with the same illness the night before we left.
While in Canada we played miniature golf at
the mall and saw Emma get her first hole in
one. We loved being able to witness “a first”
with her. It was certainly hard to leave her but
we did get to visit her school and meet her
teachers. We look forward to their visit this
spring.

On the Road Again!
We will be traveling to Savannah March
23rd and will be in services at Savannah
Christian Church on Saturday and Sunday.
We hope to see as many people as possible
and visit with several small groups during the
week. We would love to see you. Let me
know if you are available for lunch during the
Princess Emma and her week. See you soon!

Have you ever seriously studied an acorn? I know I've raked many of them in the fall and pulled out some fledgling sprouts (not wanting an oak tree growing in my flower garden.) An acorn in and if itself is not very inspiring unless we know that woven int the way it is made, there is something waiting to unfold that knows how to become an oak tree. An acorn is defined by this capacity. Every acorn yearns toward the full expression of its nature and uses all opportunity to realize its capacity to become an oak tree.

I recently had a health "scare" and began to notice that all the superficial things that I tend to worry about were mysteriously absent from my thoughts. I didn't care if the dishes were put away immediately after they were washed or whether we would be able to meet all our financial obligations for the month. I noticed that Charlie "was available" whenever I needed him and seemed much more concerned for my well being than normal. He hugged more, shared funny incidents of his day, and was very protective especially after I told him that he was my rock, when it came to facing uncertainty. We went through a long week of tests and waiting for results. My prayer life definitely increased, and I actively sought out my friends and family for strength and encouragement. I called the doctor's office three times to find out the test results. (Bear in mind that this girl has a very active imagination and is married to a "worse case scenario" kind of guy.) When "the call" finally came from the doctor that was normal it was such a great relief that I laughed and confessed that I had never been called normal before. My big strong "rock" of a hubby cried and cried and I was moved by his deep love for me. It was something I always knew but in that moment I saw his capacity to be an oak tree. (Something more than what I expected of him) that was always there but just needed the right soil and elements to be revealed.

I believe that God wants all of us to grow in wisdom and closer to Him. Life offers us many opportunities to make wise decisions if we pay attention. Paying attention is no simple matter, it requires us to not be distracted by expectations, past experiences, or early conclusions. I have to slow myself down, look at the situation, and remind myself that God is in control and I can trust Him to take me through whatever situation He places me.

Thank you for your prayers and support. We are going to Canada February 20th. We are flying stand-by so we expect to learn some new lessons in patience, trust and obedience. We would appreciate your prayers for our journey.

Not quite an oak tree yet,

Kathy

Dear Friends and Family,

January is always a busy month at ETS so I thought you would enjoy some pictures. This one is of Charlie and Me taken by the big Christmas Tree on the beach. Charlie and I spent part of Christmas day walking down the beachfront at Virginia Beach. It is quite a change from our country home in the Shenandoah Valley. (Do you see King Neptune in the background?)

This picture is of Baby Charlie at his one year old birthday party. What fun to spend it with Uncle Andy, Rachel, Suzy, Oscar and Tim and some of Charlie's special friends. We love to celebrate special occasions.

My beautiful mother celebrated her 85th birthday January 11th. It is the one time during the year that I actually get to see my sisters. We were all in attendance especially since we were making arrangements for transportation since mom's vision has deteriorated and she can no longer drive. She lives alone and is one strong independent lady so pleas keep her in your prayers. This will be a big adjustment for her.


Our beautiful spunky grand daughter Emmalee turns 5 this month on the 18th. We are making arrangements to go to Canada in February for a late celebration.
Thank you for your love and support. We rely on both so very much. Please pray for additional staff or regular weekly volunteers to help with the increased work load. Please keep me in your prayers (Kathy) as I now have the responsibility of sorting all the clothing in addition to my other responsibilities. Mount Clothesmore is growing bigger on a daily basis.