We were both honored and thrilled to be speaking for the first time for this church, which is home to a number of people we’ve known for many years. Katie O’Hara Ryou (and her husband Marvin) were the instigators of this event and we were so delighted to partner with them. We’ve known Katie since youth group days with our daughters at Grace Chapel, and just in recent years have reconnected with her. She and Marvin attended a conference we spoke for last year in Melrose and that planted the seed for their church hosting us.

We’re so glad they did! We loved getting to know yet another part of the body of Christ in the greater Boston area and we especially enjoyed their staff team, headed by Justin Gottlieb (senior pastor), Michael Prevett (executive pastor), and Sara Bida (ministry coordinator.) Seven Mile Road Church is a thriving, gospel-centered church filled with many young families as well as some wise sages. Check it out if you’re in the area!

The conference began Friday night with a catered dinner, served in the beautifully set sanctuary around round tables adorned with vases of tulips, giving the false impression of spring as snow covered the landscape surrounding the church. After a brief time of worship, we did our first teaching session, ending before 9 pm.

Saturday morning early, the conference reconvened with the added bonus of childcare provided in a local church. The childcare program, planned by Sara Bida, was not unlike a “mini-VBS” day, making it a purpose-driven event for the children as well.

We did two sessions of teaching during the morning hours and ended with a 45-minute time of Q & A. Many thoughtful questions were submitted and we loved being able to interact with folks in more specific ways. We like to “scratch where there’s an itch,” so to speak, and felt the time was very productive.

After the conference ended, we had the joy of going out to lunch with the Seven Mile Road Church staff and had lively conversation over yummy food. We came close to solving most of the world’s problems in our 2-hour lunch and we look forward to a continuing relationship with this vital church.

We actually flew home the night of March 7 and enjoyed being home for several days in a row for the first time this year.  We enjoyed spending the Sabbath with Derek and Julie and fam, and then spent Monday counseling.

Lisa flew in on Monday late afternoon from California for her spring break and the annual “Sister’s Getaway.” We were so happy to spend all day Tuesday with her, the highlight of which was our five-mile hike around Burke Lake early that morning.

Kari flew in Tuesday afternoon, making the “Sister’s Getaway” complete and off the three went to a cabin in Harper’s Ferry, where they experienced 80 degree weather Tuesday, rain on Wednesday, and snow on Thursday. They got it all! Almost nothing gives us more delight than observing their “best friends” relationship…which wasn’t always true when they were young siblings.

Wednesday was filled with catching up around the house, packing for a Thursday departure, and preparing to have Paul’s sister Carol and her husband Wayne move in to our home for the next 5 days.

It also including getting to have granddaughter Rachel join us from after school til 9 pm, when her dad picked her up after her brother’s basketball practice. We always love to have her with us, not surprisingly, and we managed to get Easter decorations up, make “Honey Nutters” (one of our favorite snacks), and start a new jigsaw puzzle. It was a day full of delight!

And then we were off again. Thursday morning at BWI, snow came fast and furiously…but it wasn’t the reason for our 3-hour delay AFTER we boarded. We departed from the gate and returned three times to address the same minor mechanical issue each time…and as they say, “the third’s a charm.” Three hours after boarding, we made the quick trip to Manchester, NH, where I met my dear friend Becky and we walked 5 miles. Great start to the long weekend!

We were so happy to be able to celebrate Barbara Steele’s birthday over lunch at the Colonial Inn in Concord, MA. Barbara and Guy have been indispensable as the publishing arm of HIM and have faithfully served with us for a few decades now. They are truly “chosen family” and it was a joy to honor Barbara on the day before her milestone birthday.

We drove straight from Concord, MA, to Manchester, NH, for the start of our next marriage conference at another new church. Tower Hill Church has sent a few couples to our HIM marriage retreats over the years and that spawned the idea to host their own. Scott and Cari Knuckles are the “marriage gurus” at Tower Hill and they were the ones who made this happen, along with John and Kim Lord, who also serve with the Knuckles.

They did a great job of planning and marketing the event, and their “hoped for” number of attendees, 60–80, turned in to over 250!! Of the 250, over 40 were young singles, who came to be better prepared to make the God-honoring decisions regarding their future marriages. That was thrilling to us.

As the church filled up, the energy was palpable. The audience, which represented a broad spectrum of people from young college and career age through over 50 years of marriage, seemed very expectant and open to growing. Our two sessions were well received, giving all praise to Him.

Besides meeting many new people, we were so happy reconnect with some long time friends as well.

We reconvened Saturday morning, and the landscape had changed color overnight. Of course, that posed no obstacle for their hearty crew. I even saw one man walking in to the church in khaki shorts. Only in New England . . .

We did two more sessions Saturday morning and a third answering questions submitted on index cards during the breaks. We were again impressed with the thoughtfulness of the questions and did our best to respond to them on the spot.

Cari and Scott wrapped up the morning by presenting a challenge to each couple (or single) to daily put on the “full armor of God” out of Ephesians 6 by praying through each element of the armor. They used their own life’s practice of doing so and testified to its positive effect on their relationship. It was a powerful way to end the event and we pray there will be much fruit from it.

Maximizers that we are, we left lunch with the Knuckles and had a very sweet hour with our dear friends and mentors, Gordon and Gail MacDonald. How blessed we are to have had them in our lives for 41 years now! They have taught us so much, through word and deed, and we treasure every moment we are able to spend with them. After a brief but rich one hour, we left refreshed and encouraged. They consistently have that affect on us. Blessed indeed.

And since we were in Concord, NH, we were also delighted to have dinner with Skip and Avonne Jarvis and their son Patrick. We first met the Jarvises at family camp at Berea, just over 20 years ago, and for many years, spent a week each summer doing family camp with them. We’ve watched with delight as all four of their children have grown into adulthood and we always enjoy getting together with them. Admittedly, we were pretty pooped by the time dinner came, but the stimulating conversation with them perked us right up.

Not wanting to miss an opportunity which rarely presents itself since we moved to VA, my dear friends Pam and Christy agreed to get together at 7 am Sunday morning. That’s a sign of truly devoted friends. Christy opened her home to us, continuing a tradition we’ve shared since the mid-90’s, when a mom’s group brought us together. We were four until just over 2 years ago, when our “fourth,” Patty, passed away from cancer. It still seems incomplete to meet without her, but we’re very thankful to still share a commitment to maintain this deep bond.

Our time was a brief 1 hour, since we were committed to going to church at Hope Christian Church in Winchester, MA, but it was none the less sweet.

Following an inspiring message by Todd Cravens at Hope, we grabbed an hour with Todd and Alisa in his office to catch up with these dear friends. Todd is an excellent teacher of God’s Word and we were so blessed to have been a part of the Hope congregation for the last few years we lived in Bedford.

In between the days, Richard Hendricks provided his always ready “airBnB.” He takes such good care of us whenever needed! How blessed we are to have him in our lives, another “chosen family” member.

And then we flew home. A long weekend well spent, full of rich fellowship and many moments of experiencing the goodness of God.

Our time at home was very brief (shocking, I know), and included a little counseling, a Zoom podcast interview (details will be forthcoming when it’s aired), unpacking our winter clothes and repacking our island clothes…and then Tuesday at 4:30 am, our uber driver picked us up and delivered us to Reagan-National Airport for our flight to Kauai, where we’ll spend the next week serving the congregation at the Kalaheo Missionary Church. This will be our 11th year with this wonderful group and we are very much looking forward to reconnecting with this “Ohana.”

Though these days have been very full, we have not neglected either meeting with the Lord during our quiet times, nor meeting with the pavement on our 5-mile daily walks. We know we’re exceedingly blessed to have good health and strong bodies and don’t for one minute take that for granted.

We are blessed beyond.

We are also very aware that many around us are suffering—either health, marriage, children, or financial issues,—or fear and anxiety based on world issues. We’re most thankful and find great comfort that in the midst of uncertain times, we have certain, unflagging confidence in our sovereign Lord, and our hope is truly vested in Him. We pray that will be your comfort and confidence as well.

We hit the road running with the first two days on the island dedicated to counseling, followed by teaching at Living Stones Church on Sunday, the 22nd , followed by two more days of counseling. Whew! Mercifully, as a result of a scheduling glitch, those first two days of counseling were “light” and we had time to catch our breaths and to catch up with some of our friends/ministry partners.

On Sunday the 22nd, we had the privilege of teaching at all three Living Stones Church services. Pastor Bill Barley is going through a series on “Hard Questions” and asked us to speak on the topic of Biblical sexuality. He admitted it was not at all difficult for him to turn that subject over to us.

Paul entitled the sermon “Is God Anti-Sex?” and we prayerfully prepared to speak to the congregation, which spanned the generations. In the face of the many distortions, abuses, and reigning confusion that characterize cultural sexual mores, we welcomed the opportunity to teach from God’s Word, proclaiming the “good news” of His design. Since He designed our sexuality, He also defines it.

We were very thankful for a very positive response to the message at all three services. So many thanked us for Biblically and clearly speaking into this area, which the church has been remiss in addressing for the most part. As a result, for many of us in the Christian community, the world’s anti-Biblical messaging has impacted our understanding of this sacred and dynamic part of our humanity, which has produced so much brokenness. One fairly new believer expressed that everything we said was news to her! She had never heard Biblical teaching on sexuality and after having led a very promiscuous life as a non-believer, she said, “This makes so much sense.” She’s excited about teaching her children the truth, with hopes that they’ll be spared the heartache she’s experienced pre-Christ.

Monday and Tuesday were very full counseling days. We were so encouraged by a number of the sessions we had, and not unexpectedly, we were discouraged by some. The enemy continues to work overtime to destroy marriages and that just fuels our passion to keep fighting for them.

One of the bonuses of our time on Kona is being able to meet up with some whom we’ve grown to deeply love over the years we’ve been serving here. And with some, like Jasmine, who are passing through here with YWAM. Such is the case with our dear friends Rob and Juliet Pyles, from NH! Rob did a number of the HIM video spots a few years back and we’ve enjoyed a growing friendship with them for about 10 years now. We were thrilled that they returned from their DTS outreach to the Philippines the first weekend we were here, enabling us to catch up with them. They inspire us!

Between meeting up with people for lunch and dinner on Wednesday and Thursday, they were mostly days off. One day we hiked and the next day we drove north in search of whales. We did see a few spouts, which was less than we had hoped for, but we were very content with driving along the coastline of this beautiful island.

Living Stones Church (LSC) hosted a Marriage Workshop on Friday night and Saturday morning, Feb. 27-28. Planned, organized, and executed by Jodi Coetzee and Roger and Erin Beasley (who have recently been appointed as family ministry point people for LSC), the event was a big success. They did a great job of putting together a very meaningful experience and covered all the bases. Dinner and breakfast were served, childcare was provided, gift bags were assembled, and the ambience was set outdoors with vases of tropical flowers adorning the tables. There were over 130 adults and 35 children in attendance and the vibe was electric.

After each of our sessions, the couples were given 15 minutes to process the teaching, directed by questions we had formulated, and that was followed by a period of Q and A. It was a very successful format and many expressed appreciation for the total experience.

Sunday we had the privilege of speaking at Mokuaikaua Church, the oldest church in the Hawaiian islands. It was planted by missionaries from Park Street Church, Boston, in 1835! We love partnering with Kahu David de Carvalho and his wife Kim who lead this congregation with love and faithfulness. The church has been under rehabbing for the past six years and it was wonderful to be inside this majestic, historical place of worship.

Monday the 2nd of March was our last very full day counseling and Tuesday was our day for packing and tying up loose ends. We did manage to sneak in a quick visit with the Pyles family, which was pure delight, and our time on Kona ended with dinner out with our “landlords,” aka “chosen family,” Bob and Debi Cary. How blessed we are to be invited to lodge in their lovely airBnB while we serve here.

We return home with full hearts and nothing but praise for the One who makes all of this possible.

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]]>Aloha and MahaloVirginia FriesenFri, 20 Feb 2026 18:45:05 +0000https://himweb.org/himweb-blog/2026/2/20/from-snow-to-shining-seas51b8daeee4b0a30f97aa6075:591cbd87fc01559b3ee3ddf9:69989ca9c3665820aba70b302026 continues at warp speed, supported by the fact that we’ve only been home 10 days since Dec. 28, and of those 10, three have been counseling days, two were marathon baking days for the HIM marriage retreat, and the rest were “turnover” days, consisting of unpacking, doing laundry, and repacking.

And truthfully, we’ve loved every minute of it. What joy is ours that we get to do what we love doing, knowing this is what God has purposed for us. Beyond blessed!

Back home from the HIM marriage retreat Feb. 2, five of those 10 days at home followed (with two dedicated to counseling). It was good to be home for a few days to catch up with ourselves. Winter continued in full force and we were truly delighted to have several inches of snow fall during those days, adding a layer of snow upon a base of over a foot of ice-topped snow. I realize that some find it irritating that I proclaim the joy of snow when we miss much of it in real time due to our travels (with no sympathy for my mourning that we missed a great storm while we’re off on a cruise or in Hawaii), but it’s true. After spending over half of our lives in California, where we were seriously deprived of the beauty of seasons, especially snowy winters, 35 years of living in the northeast has not balanced the scales still.

And so we walk and tube in the snow-covered landscapes as often as possible and try to repress our ecstasy when passing not-so-joyful neighbors.

During those few days at home, we had the pleasure of hosting Joy Amini and her daughter Ava, who were passing through our area. We met Joy and her family at Forest Home’s Family Camp in 2023 and have developed a deep connection. Joy and Amir extended radical hospitality to a mother-daughter duo from Gabe and Kari’s church in Oakland two years ago, which enabled the daughter to compete in a sports tournament. The Aminis opened their home and their hearts to these friends, transported them around Oahu as needed, and showed the love of Christ in practical and life-giving ways. It was a joy for us to open our home to them for a brief overnight. It was really fun to reconnect and catch up with each other.

We flew to Tampa Bay, FL, on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 8, for our next ministry “gig,” but first we overnighted with our very dear friends, Chad and Cathy Robrock. We met the Robrocks on a Caribbean cruise in 2012 and became fast friends. Though our times of meeting up are infrequent, it always feels like no time has elapsed. We share so much in common, starting with our commitment to Jesus, that our times together are effortless and uplifting.

Cathy, whose creativity is displayed not only in her very successful business of sewing costumes for ballerinas and ice skaters (www.primafashions.com), but also in her ability to turn an ordinary meal into an over-the-top party. We had so much fun being feted with this private Super Bowl party, it took some of the sting away from the outcome of the game. Though disappointing, we are amazed that the Patriots went from the bottom of the football food chain to the top in one short season and we have great hopes for the future.

We flew to Tampa to help Sarasota Community Church (with whom we’ve partnered for the past five years) celebrate their church’s 75th anniversary on a cruise! Up until two months ago, we had only been on three cruises in our just under 50 years of marriage, and in the past two months, we’ve been on two!

This was our first experience teaching on a cruise!

And we liked it.

Planned and hosted by Liz Baker Lane (who was a student of ours at Gordon-Conwell theological Seminary back in the 90’s) and the interim senior pastor, Dennis Bontrager, this 5-day cruise to two Mexican ports was not just fun, but also provided many hours of connection and fellowship among the group of 65. We spoke three times: talk #1 focused on God’s faithfulness in the past to this gospel-centered church, talk #2 focused on His promises for the future, and talk #3 was about His faithfulness in the present. The third talk ended with an open-mic sharing time of how God’s faithfulness had been seen and experienced personally, and it was a rich and moving time.

Our first port of call was Costa Maya, Mexico, and it was the only day of the trip that we had cloudy—at times, rainy—weather. That did lessen the enjoyment of the beach, but not of the overall experience. Continuing our commitment to walk twice our normal mileage (due to our increased indulgence during meals), we ended getting most of the 10 miles on the deck of the ship, after the rain had chased us off the beach.

On to Cozumel we went for our second port of call and the highlight here was getting in a pool with dolphins. A definite bucket list item, we got to be kissed by the dolphins, shake hands with them, pet them, and watch them perform. Such beautiful, happy mammals, we were momentarily thrust back in time to visions generated by watching “Flipper” as children. It was pure delight.

After our dolphin encounter, we walked our miles and were happy to spy this very large iguana.

We overnighted with the Lanes and spent Sunday serving at the church. We taught a Sunday School class, attended by over 100, and then taught at the worship service to a packed auditorium. We love partnering with this gospel-centered church. The worship—a blend of new and old—was robust and the engagement of the congregation was palpable.

The worship service was followed by their once-a-month “Carry-In”: their term for “potluck.” We especially enjoyed fellowship with Dave and Cynthia Tipton, longtime friends and ministry partners from New England, who partially snowbird just south of Sarasota. It was great to catch up with them.

We packed up and headed to the airport for a 5 pm flight, which after many delays was canceled due to weather, so we overnighted close to the airport and caught a 6 am flight out Monday morning. Though it was fraught with flight interruptions, we eventually made it home that day, thankfully.

As soon as we got home, we were greeted by winter and yes, we still thought it was beautiful.

After only two days at home, one of them full of counseling, we’re now flying to Kona to fulfill our two-week, twice-a-year commitment to Living Stones Church. We’re so looking forward to being with our “Ohana” in this place and have a full schedule: teaching both Sundays, doing a marriage conference one weekend, and counseling about 40 hours. In between, we’ll connect with many we’ve grown to deeply love during our many years now of serving this congregation.

The snow will most likely be gone when we return (March 4) and we'll look forward to welcoming spring. Two days after returning home, we’ll head to Boston to speak at a conference, so the beat goes on.

Thank you for your prayers for and support of us. Regardless of the weather or the season, we want to be faithful to His call.

We were only home 2 brief days from the Panama cruise before heading to the Pacific Northwest for an 11-day trip, which included a marriage conference in Newport, WA, a marriage night in Moses Lake, and multiple events in Kennewick, WA.

Every place was cold outside, but oh so warm inside.

Spanning the past 18 years, we’ve been honored to partner first with the Moses Lake Alliance Church and now the Moses Lake Christian Church in helping the community and church focus on Biblical marriage and family. The weekend conference is held at Camp Spaulding in Newport, WA, at a beautiful retreat center and 28 couples (max capacity) assembled January 16–18 to get a “marital shot in the arm.” Organized again this year by Justin and Marilyn Shuck, Mark and Sharon Blazer, and John Roberts, all of the elements were in place for this to be a very uplifting time.

And it was. The worship team, led by senior pastor John Roberts, was inspired; interactive games led by Jay and Cyndi Dickinson produced many laughs; and our teaching was well received. There was a great spirit all weekend and we all left refreshed and renewed.

Down the mountain from Camp Spaulding we drove Sunday afternoon, and after spending Monday counseling via zoom, we spoke for a marriage night at Moses Lake Christian Church. With RSVPs numbering 40, we were all happily surprised when over 100 showed up! We were so thankful for such a good turn-out and even more thankful for a responsive and appreciative audience.

Wednesday morning we hit the road and drove two hours southwest to Kennewick to spend the next 5.5 days with the South Hills Church. This was our third year with this group and it was such a joy to continue our partnership with them. The senior pastor, Scott Paulson, has been in our life since 1990, when as a young high school graduate, he served on our summer program staff for family camp. It’s been the greatest delight to watch Scott grow as a man of God, marry a beautiful godly woman named Lisa, graduate from seminary, and serve in pastoral ministry. He and Lisa, with their 4 children, came to South Hills 4.5 years ago to assume his first senior pastor role, and their congregation has grown exponentially under their leadership. They are both deeply loved and honored by their congregation.

This year we spoke for a parents of teens evening, at the marriage conference, and then Paul preached at their two Sunday services.

The evening with parents of teens was sobering as we talked about the increasingly challenging world in which our teens are growing up. Social media, gaming, sexual confusion, etc., are all constantly in the face of this vulnerable age group and threaten to turn over solid Biblical authority. Many parents are struggling to navigate this craziness. It was good to talk together, to hear from God’s Word, and to be reminded that each parent is not alone. There is strength in community and in having reinforced that while tools, information, and strategies are helpful and important, our bottom line hope is in the Lord and in Him getting a hold of each teen’s heart. That is our prayer for them.

Friday night and Saturday morning we spoke for their third annual marriage conference. Each year, this event has experienced significant growth, much to the delight of the team at South Hills as well as to us. Launching with dinner Friday night, the couples shared sweet fellowship over delicious, in-house made pulled pork sandwiches and coleslaw. We were the main event following dinner and the evening ended at 8 pm. All regathered Saturday morning for a full morning of teaching. The vibe was very positive and we had many encouraging conversations with a variety of attendees. We love what we get to do!

Paul preached at the two worship services Sunday morning and was well received. It’s so unusual for him to speak alone, but I love listening to him. He’s my favorite speaker.

Our final event before driving from Kennewick to Spokane to catch our flight home was having lunch with Bill and Ruth Dingfield while watching the Patriots win the AFC title. Bill and Ruth have become very dear to us over the past three years of serving South Hills. They are truly “salt of the earth” folks, with their huge hearts for the Lord and their unstoppable servant-heartedness. Our hearts are in sync with theirs and we love any time we have with them. How blessed we are!

We flew home Monday, the 26th, to a winter wonderland of snow, ice, and below-freezing temps. As much as we would’ve loved to have just played in the snow with our out-of-school grandchildren, we had two days to get everything ready to head to Newport, RI, on Thursday, the 29th, for our annual HIM marriage retreat, so our snow play time was limited to a couple of hours Wednesday afternoon. We made the most of that!

We still love sliding down a hill on a tube.

And it’s so much fun to do with two snow-loving grands!!

The cookie baking marathon was real. Paul baked 500 chocolate chip cookies and I made 250 each of lemony snap, oatmeal raisin, chocolate with white chocolate chips, and snickerdoodles for the conference. Our mixer and oven were going non-stop for the two days we were home, but we accomplished our mission and were ready to drive by early Thursday morning. Our rented SUV was packed to the gills with cookies, meals, books, and everything else needed for our weekend conference.

HIM’s annual marriage retreat was our largest ever with 450 attending. It was sold out in October with a waiting list. We are so thankful for the growing interest in this event, which underscores how important it is to gather as a community to reinforce the goodness of God’s design in marriage.

From the long on-ramp of registration, handled by Gabby Warren and Barbara Steele (two people along with their husbands, without whom we could NOT do this event), to the preparation of all aspects of the weekend, it was a joy to see it all come together. So many gifted volunteers gave their best, including: Richard Hendricks, who did anything and everything from office procurement of supplies to helping with decorations; Pat Drumm, who donated his AV equipment and professional services all weekend long, and his wife Betsy, who decorated the stage and ran the slides; Kelly Plosker, who once again transformed the ballroom with her bright and happy sunflower centerpieces; Ann Fredericks and Gabby Warren, who created lovely goodie bags for each couple; Gabby Warren and Alisa Cravens, who warmly greeted every guest at registration; Dave and Diana Watts, Steve and Janet Hathaways, Holly Mullen, and Richard Hendricks, who all tended the book table which was swamped at every break; Jamie Phillips, who served on the AV team; the Fredericks, the Eunices, Brittany Phillips, and Holly Mullen who bagged hundreds of cookies; Barbara and Guy Steele who formatted, produced, and published all printed materials and slides, and Rob Warren, who did an excellent job emceeing once again.

A team effort for sure. Each person with different gifts, all using them for the common good.

We are so blessed to be surrounded by such an incredible team.

The theme of the 2026 retreat was “An Extraordinary Marriage” and this was carried out through the plenary sessions and the workshops, each of which was led by exceptionally gifted teachers. The wide variety of workshops provided great choices for everyone and all were well attended.

Worship was led by Justin and Falon Unger (www.likewiseworship.com) for the second year and we were exceptionally led in the heart of worship. Their song selection ranged from beloved hymns to contemporary worship music, and at each session, the ballroom was filled with the angelic sounds of corporate worship. It was truly unifying and uplifting. Following the evening session, they then performed at the Saturday night coffee house and shared a number of their own songs. They’ve developed quite a fan base in New England.

Saturday night’s plenary session was a panel presentation by four couples on practices they have developed in their own lives to keep their marriages alive and growing in Christlikeness. Rob and Gabby Warren, Nate and Heidi Parks, Matthew and Shahrzad Slater, and Justin and Falon Unger inspired the audience with what’s working for them and gave us practical handles and inspiration. It was a great success.

We felt God moving through all aspects of the weekend and are so humbled that He takes our small offerings and empowers them to make a difference.

When the last person had vacated the hotel on Sunday afternoon, our HIM Board gathered to give thanks. We all felt that the Lord had really moved among us throughout the weekend. We all did all we could to contribute to the success of the weekend, but we’re all very aware of the truth that lives and hearts aren’t changed through our words and efforts, but through the work of the Holy Spirit.

And He did an extraordinary work.

And for that, we give Him all the praise.

Two weeks of no household duties (no cooking, cleaning, doing yard work, etc), no driving, very little internet, and virtually no phone service.

Two weeks of exploring Central America’s amazing features, on land and on sea.

Two weeks of sleeping, reading, writing, and engaging with new people at will.

Two weeks of seeing artistry in food and of tasting five-star meals.

Blessed beyond by this delayed gift from dear friends, we enter this new year refreshed and renewed because of the past two weeks.

It all started in Ft. Lauderdale on Dec. 28, where we had almost two days to meet up with friends and walk the beach. It was our great joy to spend the late afternoon and evening with Dick and Becky Molenhouse on the Sunday of our arrival. Dear friends for well over 50 years now, we shared the joys and concerns of our lives and lacked for no conversation. It is such a gift to have such sages in our life.

Monday we had the first of many “first time experiences” as we took an airboat ride through the everglades. It was fascinating to have a distinctly different “boat” adventure than any we’d ever had—and though we only saw one American alligator in the “weeds,” we had a great time.

Monday evening we spent with our dear friends, Kurt and Michelle Ling. We were brought together through Derek and Julie’s work with children with hydrocephalus (Neurokids.org) and our hearts beat in sync. We were so delighted to have several hours with them.

Tuesday morning we boarded the Viking Mars to commence this excellent adventure.

New Year’s Eve and Day were spent at sea and it was definitely unlike any previous new year’s celebration we’ve had! The Viking Mars pulled out all the stops and threw a great party with live music and an array of food that was as good to look at as it was to consume. We made it to midnight (barely) and enjoyed the first full day of 2026 relaxing on the ship and eating foods we seldom eat. We also fulfilled our commitment to walk 10 miles a day (twice our normal) to counteract the food we were intaking (close to twice the normal.)

We also started our new devotional, The Enduring Word Study Bible, written by our friend and co-worker, David Guzik. We were speakers along with David at Forest Home two years ago and fell in love with his deep teaching so much we had him speak last year at our HIM marriage retreat. We were thrilled when his lifelong project of making pastoral commentary on every chapter (and just about every verse) of the Bible was published in October 2025 and immediately got copies for ourselves as well as for many friends.

His depth of insight and explanation of context and meaning is rich and we are loving being taught by this deeply passionate man of God. We highly recommend it to you.

Our first port of call was Ocho Rios, Jamaica, which replaced the scheduled stop at Montego Bay, still inaccessible since Hurricane Melissa in late October. Our excursion was to Dunn’s Falls and River and we had the most unusual and exhilarating adventure there.

The falls cascade over what I would describe as sandstone “moguls” and the tour hikes you up these rapidly flowing falls which, at points, is no easy task. We literally had to link hands with the line of fellow hikers in order to not be carried away by the rush of water.

It was a blast.

And it was on this excursion that we met our newest dearest friends, Vance and Susan. We happened to be in the line-up together and through the mutual support extended to one another on this crazy journey, we bonded. Future excursions together would cement that bond.

January 3 was a sea day, which ushered in the entrance to the Panama Canal on Jan. 4.

Though we had read about the canal and heard plenty about it throughout our lifetime, we had no idea of how overwhelmed we were to actually see it in operation. An engineering feat accomplished in 1913 is such a testament to the ingenuity and perseverance of a generation which wouldn’t accept “it can’t be done.”

We were mesmerized as we watched the locks at work. The emptying. The filling. The rising. The sinking. The “mules” guiding. It was truly a feat to behold and we feel very privileged to have a real time experience of such a great accomplishment.

The major reason that going to the Panama Canal was on my bucket list was because I was born here. I wrote this several days after passing through the canal:

Today is our dear Mama’s 96th birthday…her 5th one in heaven. This day has even deeper significance for me than ever as Paul and I have just passed through the Panama Canal. It was here in 1954 that my very young mama, already mother to three children, aged 4 and under, was told that she would not survive another pregnancy due to a diagnosis of chronic nephritis. Four months after delivering her third child, she was pregnant unintentionally and was advised by the doctor in Panama (where they were stationed due to my dad’s naval career) to terminate the pregnancy, as it posed such a great risk of death to her and the child. My parents had not long before dedicated their lives to Christ at a revival meeting in Panama and informed the doctor that their trust was in Jesus and the pregnancy would be in His hands. They were 26 and 24 years old and parents of three little girls age 4, 2 and 4 months… in a foreign land, with no support around them. Eight months later, I was born and lived in Panama until I was 2. Returning 69 years later to the place where I was born and my parents were reborn was deeply moving to me. How grateful I am that my parents trusted Jesus and that His purposes for my life have been directed by Him. What a courageous decision they made that day early in 1954! Celebrating all of the decisions made over the course of her life that set her apart as a most extraordinary woman. How blessed all 7 of us were to have had her as our mother. #birthdaysinheaven #loveandmissher

Though we didn’t get to visit the base, Ft. Kobbe, at which I was born, it was enough to go through the canal. It was truly an unforgettable experience.

We went back through the locks the same day and ported at Colón for our next day’s adventure. We slept under a full moon, looking into the colorfully lit city of Colón.

Our excursion the following day took us to Agua Clara, the overlook site for the expansion Panama Canal. Opened in 2016, the expansion canal has the capacity for vessels too large for the original canal. It can accommodate new vessels called “New Panamax,” which are up to one and a half times the size of the original “Panamax” vessels and can carry twice as much cargo. We were fortunate to watch a vessel entering the new locks, guided by tug boats. Another amazing engineering feat!

From there, we went to a boat launch on Lake Gatun, the lake between the Pacific and Atlantic locks, and we kayaked with hopes of seeing howler monkeys or sloths or anything. We had to settle for a very large iguana spied in the top of a tree with its 2-foot-long skinny tale hanging from the branches. It was a beautiful day and an invigorating paddle.

Tuesday, Jan 6, we spent the day in Puerto Limón, Costa Rica. Our excursion that day took us on a 1.5 hour bus ride to a nature walk where we saw a few monkeys (never enough) and some sloths, just hanging out. After the walk, we did a river kayak, looking for more of the same and being rewarded with a few. It was a day well spent.

The next day was a welcomed day at sea and we did quiet things, took a nap, and got dizzy walking 10 miles on the deck of the ship.

Thursday, Jan. 8, was spent in Roatán, Honduras. We weren’t the only “ship in town.” The vessel in the first photo is the Star of the Sea, with a capacity of 10,000. And there were three more vessels besides that one and ours! Coxen Hole, where we docked, is quite small, so we stepped from our serene vessel of 900 into a sea of people unlike anything we had seen. It took an hour to get out of the parking lot!

But once we did, we had a fabulous experience snorkeling on the Meso-American Barrier Reef. As avid snorkelers, we were over the moon to see corals and species of fish we had never seen. It was a symphony of color and unique designs unlike anything we had seen. All praise to our amazing Creator God!!

We had a short stint on a small beach before returning to the center of town, where we took advantage of being able to get steps OFF the ship. We got underway hot, sweaty, and very satisfied with a great land day.

Our next stop, on Friday the 9th, was Belize City, Belize. Our excursion there was possibly our favorite: kayaking and tubing on a river running through Mayan caves.

Decked out with life jackets and miner’s hats, we kayaked into very dark underground caves, seeing the wonders of stalagmites and stalactites, of quartz crystals everywhere, and many unique geological formations. After kayaking upstream and then back, we exchanged the kayaks for tubes—and roped together, our crew floated down the river through the rest of the caves. It was so unique, beautiful, even breathtaking. We loved it.

Our final port of call was Cozumel. Another first for us, our excursion there was beginning scuba! After a briefing on the fine art of staying alive while submerging beneath the surface of the water to a depth of 25’, we took the plunge. It was like snorkeling on steroids! The silence of the world around made it seem mysterious but in a most magical way, as the beauty surrounding us was breathtaking (though we had to remember to breathe normally). Again we saw things we’ve never seen and it was nothing short of exhilarating. What a treat!!

We also got our walking in as we soaked in the culture of this beloved Mexican city.

Our last two days were at sea and they were a welcomed bookend to the trip.

Though there were many unexpected experiences throughout the two weeks, the two that rise to the top were the entertainment and the new friends.

This was our 4th cruise in 20 years and we’ve never taken in the entertainment on past cruises. After the first show on this cruise, we were sold. The four performers were extremely talented vocalist and performers. Every show, each showcasing a different theme or genre, was excellent and entertaining. Our favorites were “Broadway Musicals” and “The Beatles.” They knew the vibe of their guests and played right in to us. Viking doesn’t allow children or gambling, so it seems they attract an older crowd who would love older music.

And we did.

We were also surprised by the extreme talent of our cruise director, Patricia Poblador, who was not only a very competent cruise director, but also a professional musician, both vocally and instrumentally. Her sidekick, assistant cruise director Jason, was equally competent in his ship work as well as on the stage. Together they performed “The Prayer” and it was goose-bump producing.

It shouldn’t have been a surprise that we would connect with some great people, but we ended the cruise knowing we had gained five new couples with whom we’ll share parts of the future.

After two final days at sea, our magical great adventure came to a close and we left the ship with hearts overflowing with joy, gratitude, and wonder. We KNOW we are beyond blessed to have had this amazing gift and we’ll be treasuring the memories for the rest of our days

It was more than just a great time.

It was more than being spoiled beyond imagination.

It was more than having a break from all that is “normal.”

It was all that but so much more.

We were reminded every day, whether on the vast ocean seemingly in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by water, water, and more water, or exploring the land, people, and animals of parts of the world new to us, we were more aware than ever of God’s presence which surrounded us continuously.

In the beauty of creation.

In the generosity of the servers.

In the array of delicious foods.

In the sunrises and sunsets.

But mostly in the people, made in His image.

What a start to 2026!!

We closed out 2025 seemingly at the speed of base jumping after returning to Virginia from our 16-day ministry tour in Hawaii on Nov. 20. We actually arrived only 5 hours before our eldest daughter Kari and family arrived from Oakland, CA, for what has now become an annual Thanksgiving family reunion. We were so thankful for no delays and trouble free travel home!!

Another great week was had together as we celebrated the delights of intergenerational gathering. Many things we did all together, like eating, playing games, taking walks, working on jigsaw puzzles, going to church, and lots of talking and laughter. Other things we did by dividing and conquering, like rock climbing in a gym, jumping in a trampoline park, playing basketball, baking, and shopping. Many sweet memories were made and we were all left longing that we lived close enough to get together much more often.

All too quickly we sent the Garcias back to Oakland (on Friday, the 28th), and Lisa (on the 29th), but we were left with hearts full of joy and thanksgiving.

We had a FULL day of counseling on Monday, Dec. 1, and on Wednesday the 3rd, we flew to Boston for our Engagement Matters weekend.

Our days in New England were packed to the brim as we met up with as many friends as we possibly could, had dental appointments, and led a full Engagement Matters weekend. We were thrilled to have 11 couples for the weekend and were most encouraged by their responses to the value of the weekend.

One attendee wrote: “Brought many avoided topics to attention and gave us great tools on how to reconcile and plan for the future."

Another wrote: “The weekend affected our relationship super positively. Brought good conversation and a lot of confirmation about our future.”

And another: “It has given us a lot of Biblically-grounded wisdom to discuss and reflect on our relationship. The weekend was a treasure trove of wisdom, experience, and practical teaching. Loved hearing about real live examples of how these concepts play out in relationships. The stories were incredibly helpful.”

We are so thankful for the great team we serve with and for the Ides who generously host the weekend.

A true highlight of the 5 days spent in our old stomping grounds was discovering the geocache that Richard Hendricks and Guy and Barbara Steele developed in honor of my 70th birthday. Planted in the conservation land behind our old house, “Virginia’s Footprints” is a nod to the thousands of steps and hours I walked over our 29 years in “our” woods with many different people. I was so touched by this gesture of honor and loved discovering it on a frigid winter day with Richard. If you’re a geocacher, check it out in the Elmbrook Conservation land in Bedford.

Back to NoVA on the night of Dec. 7 and suddenly, the time between then and Christmas seemed very short, especially given all that was on my “to do” list.

So we rolled up our sleeves and got to it.

Making the annual family pajama pants topped the list and was especially challenging this year since JoAnn’s Fabrics closed their doors almost a year ago. I have bought all my flannel at JoAnn’s for decades, taking advantage of their great Black Friday specials. I’m sure there are a few other seamstresses who lament their closing and are trusting someone will pick up the dropped baton. But for now…

One of my strengths (finding deals and capitalizing on them) is at times a double weakness (having an overabundance of certain things) but in this case, my double weakness was a strength. I had purchased two extra bolts of red and black Buffalo checked flannel several years ago, and between that and scraps of previous projects AND the fact that Paul, Lisa, and I all had our jammies from the year (2019) when I last used that fabric…I was able to successfully make all we needed. Woohoo!!

I’m already wondering what we’ll do next year.

Between counseling, sending packages, baking up a storm, making batches of jam, and eventually getting the tree up, we did have many pauses during which we thoroughly embraced some great activities. The first was doing the “Zoo Lights” at the National Zoo with Rachel on a very cold night in December (the 9th to be exact.). We had a great time seeing the beautiful displays of lighted animals, sipping hot chocolate, and seeing the small mammals and snakes. What a sweet memory was made!

Another highlight of the month was teaching a cinnamon roll baking workshop for the wives of the Washington Commanders who are part of a Bible study led by a former Patriots’ wife, Lexi Soldier. Having done this with the Patriots wives for about 20 years, Lexi thought it would be fun to do with these ladies, and I was delighted to say yes.

What fun it was to invite them in to the world of yeast baking!! Everyone seemed delighted and I’ve gotten positive reviews from Lexi.

Another highlight of the month of December was pulling off a surprise 70th birthday getaway for my very dear friend, Helen. We met Helen in 1978 when we selected her to serve on our summer camp staff and we’ve been “chosen family” ever since. Our annual December visit provided the perfect opportunity to celebrate her milestone birthday (which was Nov. 7) and thankfully, it even exceeded my expectations. I whisked her off to Colonial Williamsburg (a place dear to her, as her oldest son graduated from William and Mary), stopping in Richmond along the way to pick up Lisa who was joining the surprise. While in Richmond waiting for Lisa’s arrival, we toured the Jefferson Hotel all dressed up for Christmas. It was spectacular!!

Once in Williamsburg, we enjoyed a very special meal at the Williamsburg Inn, walked endlessly through Colonial Williamsburg, and had a wonderful time celebrating both Helen and the season.

Back home on the 21st, the final preparations for Christmas were underway. Traditions. Traditions!

For the 54th year, we made gingerbread houses.

This tradition started in my senior year of high school at TC Williams HS (“Remember the Titans”), when my dear friend Jackie told me that her German teacher was offering a lunch time lesson in making real German gingerbread houses and that “outsiders” could come. Not one to pass up a great opportunity like that, I went and learned from a German teacher this fine art. I left with the recipe and the “how to’s” and have made gingerbread houses (anywhere from 2 to 8) every year since.

Thankfully, the next two generations seemed poised to carry on the tradition. Kari makes them with her kids and Lisa the Elf is always my right hand gal since she’s the one always home for the holidays. Nathan and Rachel are faithful apprentices.

This year we made four, one for each of our families and we gifted the other two.

I love this tradition.

Cookie decorating. Puzzle making. Doll dressing. Game playing. Ornament making. Delivering goodies to neighbors. Having dinner guests. These things filled up the days until Christmas Eve, when we attended the candlelight service at The King’s Chapel. The service was again beautifully done, with traditional carols broken up by the reading of the Christmas story. It was the perfect set up for celebrating the birth of Jesus the next day.

Christmas Day dawned bright and beautiful and Baby Jesus was placed in the up-til-now empty manger. Matching jammies. Stockings. Gifts. Games played.

“Santa” aka Papa arrived in the morning and there were no believers. But the tradition continues.

Wreath-shaped almond puff pastry for breakfast. Filet mignon a la Derek for dinner. Sister Laura and David came for dinner.

And the “Happy Birthday Jesus” party ended the day.

It was a most wonderful day.

That puts a bow on 2025 for us. We have been so generously blessed in every way.

We start 2026 relaxing on a ship somewhere in the Caribbean, but that’s for the next blog.

Happy New Year with love.

We’ve just wrapped up 16 days in Kona, HI, and are winging our way home on a red-eye flight, leaving behind beautiful beaches, spectacular sunsets, sunny warm days, and a community of people we dearly love. Our days have been rich and full with planned events fulfilled as well as some delightful surprises along the way.

Our first full day was Nov. 5, marking the end of my year-long 70th birthday celebration. Monthly “surprises” made this a year like no other and I have been extravagantly loved throughout. I’ll treasure the memories of this launch of my 8th decade for a long time to come.

My 71st year started with a surprise breakfast at Kona Village with our dear friend Mike Field. We’ve shared a lot of history at Kona Village over the past 4 years, but this was our first meal there and it was top shelf. What a sweet start to this special day. We worked off our indulgences with a walk down the coast, which is one of our favorite hikes on this island.

The celebration continued over lunch with our dear friends and AirBnB hosts, Bob and Debi Cary. These are two of the kindest, most generous people of God on the planet and we’ve loved getting to know them over the past 4 years that they’ve been hosting us for our twice-a-year ministry trips. We are so blessed by any time we can spend with them, though we all feel it’s never enough.

The exclamation point on the end of the day was having dinner with Bill (senior pastor of Living Stones Church) and Pine Barley. These two also mean so much to us as ministry partners, hiking buddies, and “in sync with our hearts ohana.” We love every minute we get to spend with them as we share stimulating conversations on spirituality and life.

A true highlight of this trip was discovering an “only God could’ve orchestrated this” intersection of three of our friends who were all attending the YWAM Crossroads DTS. Linda Bartel Dismukes, whom we’ve known since we were colleagues at San Diego State University and Paul was our campus staff minister, is part of the staff for the Crossroads DTS; Stephanie Everson, who we’ve known since the early 80’s when she came to teach music in Avalon schools, is in the Crossroads DTS, as well as Rob and Juliet Pyles, who are dear friends from New Hampshire. Can you imagine our surprise that all of them are in the same course at the same time we’re on the island? What a gift to us to reconnect with these dear friends and to get to spend time with all of them over these past two weeks. Only God . . .

And then, out of the blue, Betty and Larry Hansen, long ago family campers for many summers, saw my post on social media about being in Kona, and they were too! We had a sweet, though brief, time together. Another gift!

During our two weeks in Kona, we did about about 40 hours of counseling in addition to numerous events.

Sunday, the 9th, we had the privilege of teaching at Moku’aikaua Church , which is the first Christian church on Kona, established in 1835. Kahu David de Carvalho has faithfully served this congregation for many years and has become a dear friend. The church has been closed for repairs for the past 6 years, so the previous times we’ve taught there have been on their outdoor patio area. It was a thrill to be inside this storied church for the first time and it felt like the walls echoed and gave witness to the testimonies and worship of the thousands who have praised Jesus within the structure for over 200 years. It was a deeply moving experience.

It was also a joy to have our friends from the Crossroads DTS (Rob, Juliet, Linda, and Stephanie) in attendance, and even greater joy that they brought about a dozen more from their cohort.

The second Sunday of our “tour” we taught at the Kona Bible Church. It was the first time we’ve connected with this church and we were so honored that Pastor Brian Keiser invited us, sight unseen, to fill the pulpit. He trusted several close friends who recommended us with high praise, including his 14-year-old son, who had heard us teach at the high school youth group on relationships just days earlier. Fortunately it worked out well. We worked together with him at the service Sunday morning and agreed that our hearts are in sync.

Though there were many highlights of our time, the one we’ll treasure the most was speaking to the high school youth group on relationships. We were amazed by the level of maturity of the packed room of students, who listened attentively and were truly engaged throughout our 40-minute presentation followed by 30 minutes of answering their previously submitted questions. They blew us away.

Grace upon grace, we’ve received such positive feedback from many high schoolers AND their parents. We’ve had multiple conversations with parents who have told us their high schooler came home very pumped and told them many things we had said. One parent of a 15-year-old girl wrote:

“She loved it! She came home very excited and eager to tell us about it. When we asked what she liked about it, she said you guys were funny, energetic, and authentic. She summed it up with 'You can just tell they’re wise and want the best for young people.’ “

We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the way God moved through that evening and pray that the Biblical truth spoken will bear fruit in the lives of these beloved young people.

The night following youth group, we spoke for a parenting workshop and felt it was a very good night. The group of about 30 were very engaged as we shared Biblical principles and wisdom related to raising our children. One parent wrote in after the event: “We loved last night so much. I brought a coffee since we had had a very long, full day and I was worried I might have trouble staying awake…and I did not want to commit the mortal sin of falling asleep during your teaching. But you guys keep it so relevant, hilarious, and practical that I was 100% alert the whole time. It was honestly a delight.”

Another wrote, “Thank You for such a wonderfully encouraging evening! I took copious note and have sent them along to others as well.”

All praise is His!!

The grand finale of our ministry events during this trip was a two-night, two hours each night, mini-version of “Engagement Matters.” We actually had low expectations regarding how many would come based on the pre-event sign-ups, so we were amazed when we quickly outgrew the room set up for 40 and moved into the sanctuary at Pine Trees Church. When all was said and done, over 70 singles attended the seminar and we couldn’t have been more surprised or thankful. What a great opportunity to challenge the cultural narrative regarding relationships and sexuality! We had great interaction with the crowd and left with hearts full of hope.

Besides all of these very fulfilling ministry events, we were able to mix it up with many dear friends we’ve made over the years, and were fortunate to have “dates” with some of them. Though I didn’t get photos of all of our meet-ups, here we are pictured with a handful of them. We treasure this time of going deeper in these special relationships.

Though we managed to walk our daily 5 miles (usually around 5:30 am, in the cool of the day and before any events/counseling started), our hiking efforts were quite reduced during these two weeks. The few we got were rewarded with beautiful scenes.

We left even more of our hearts in Kona as we departed late on the 19th, arriving back in Northern Virginia this afternoon, Nov. 20. These days have been so full of “only God” moments. The beauty of this place and the beauty of His people have filled our hearts with awe and wonder.

This has been a perfect on-ramp for celebrating Thanksgiving with our family, in our home. We managed to sneak in about 5 hours ahead of the Garcias today, and Lisa will complete the circle tomorrow night. Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for God’s amazing grace and generosity.

All praise is His!

October . . . the month of colorful leaves, all things pumpkin, hearty soups replacing summer salads, chilly air prompting sweater wearing, shortening days, and the sand quickly slipping through the hourglass of the evaporating days of 2025.

It does seem that time is accelerating as the calendar pages stir a breeze as they turn.

It’s one of my favorite months, and this one has been no exception. Our daily five-mile walks allow us to drink in the beauty of the ever-changing landscape, whether in our neighborhood or around a local lake. Though New England holds the distinction of the most glorious fall foliage, Northern Virginia has not disappointed us. Such natural beauty always draws our hearts to Creator God, who wraps us up in His love as we drink in the wonder of the season.

Between our daily walks, we’ve done a lot of counseling, had many sweet moments on the sidelines of Nathan’s football games, had lots of in-person fellowship with many dear friends, and traveled to speak four out of the five weekends of October.

October 17–20 we joined 130 couples for the 9th annual Eusebeia Marriage Experience, held in Baltimore, MD. We were honored to be plenary speakers for the 8th year in a row at this very dynamic marriage experience founded and directed by Dr. Harold and Dalia Arnold. It’s become a family reunion of sorts for us, since over the years, we’ve developed deep relationships with many of the attendees. We’re especially thankful for the bond we share with Harold and Dalia, as our hearts are so in sync regarding the importance of building God-honoring marriages.

The three-and-a-half-day experience is full of great teaching, rich fellowship, passionate worship, and very fun social events. It’s a privilege to be a small part of Eusebeia and we always leave refreshed and energized.

Many of you know that our alarm goes off every day at 9:38 at the request of Gabe and Kari, our daughter and son-in-law who are church planting in Oakland, CA. Taken from Matthew 9:38, “The fields are white with harvest but the laborers are few; send the laborers in to the fields”, when they relocated to Oakland in May of 2020, they asked us to pray daily at 9:38 for their work “in the fields” and we have faithfully done it ever since. Since our alarm often goes off while we’re teaching, we pause, explain the alarm and pray. Four years ago at Eusebeia, Theresa was so touched by that practice that she set her alarm for 9:38 and has faithfully prayed for our children and grandchildren and New City Church Oakland ever since. We reunited at registration on opening day and she reassured me she’s still praying daily for them.

We exchanged hugs and tears, so blessed to be bonded by this spiritual rhythm that connects our hearts at such a deep level.

All too quickly it came to an end and we have next year’s conference penciled in for October 15–18. We’d love to have you join us! It’s a happening, God-honoring experience.

We did slip out an hour early from Eusebeia to watch our favorite little Patriot play ball. Nate is a talented young quarterback, playing his fourth and final season with the Patriots. We were so happy to get to see his game. This weekend his undefeated team with play for the championship.

The grandchildren have had many days off this fall and we’ve had the joy of spending some of those days with them. Baking, jigsaw puzzling, thrifting, and playing in the field behind our house have filled our times together and each time we’re together, we say, “This is why we moved here.” So thankful for these memory-making moments.

In a bit of an unusual twist, I spoke for a women’s conference in WA state October 24–26. Our “niche” obviously is speaking together for marriage and family conferences, but every once in a while, I move out of my comfort zone and say yes to an invitation to do something else. Stacey Munsey Taylor has been in my life since 1986, when as a 12-year-old (and eldest of five), she and her siblings, with their newly divorced mom, came to family camp. Over our almost 40-year history, we’ve walked through the thick and thin, the twists and turns, the joys and sorrows of life together. I’ve watched as God has redeemed and blessed this beautiful woman as He captured her heart several decades ago. I was last with her in 2012, when I spoke for another women’s retreat she directed on Oahu, so when her invitation arrived back in January, after prayerfully considering it, I said yes.

And I’m very glad I did.

After overnighting with Stacey and her family in their rural forested home Thursday night, Oct 23, we drove to Cedar Springs Conference Center in Sumas, WA, for the Lake Country Baptist Church annual women’s retreat. The retreat center is nestled on a beautiful piece of property which boasts fastidiously maintained gardens through which one can wander on their asphalt pathways. Though rain fell throughout the weekend, protected by umbrellas, many walks were had.

Stacey and her team so thoughtfully designed the weekend and covered all the bases. Worship, crafts, games, teaching, and small group for discussion filled the time for this intergenerational group of women and the fellowship was palpable. I instantly felt a part of “them” and as Paul and I often say at the end of a conference, “We got more out of this than the attendees did.” I was so grateful for how God met me throughout the weekend.

The highlight for me was reconnecting with Stacey and two of her three sisters. We spent many summers together at camp and it’s deeply encouraging to see the fruit in their lives. All three women said that their summers at family camp were life-changing for them and they are still harvesting from seeds planting in their young lives over three decades ago.

All praise is His!!

I returned home on a red-eye Sunday night into Monday, tired but oh so full of joy and thanksgiving. Stacey wrote the following day,

"We just had our retreat review meeting. Everyone felt relaxed and LOVED our speaker and topic. In fact "Encore" loosely describes our feedback . . . "

All praise is His!!

We made a twenty-four hour trip to Boston Oct 31–Nov 1 to tend to a couple of very important things, before returning home basically to do another day of counseling, celebrate Rachel’s upcoming 10th birthday, have an early celebration for my birthday, pack, and take off for 16 days in Kona. I’m writing as we spend 12 hours in the air on the way to a very full two weeks of ministry. Unsurprisingly, we managed to pack quite a bit into a very short time. :)

We’re looking forward to partnering again the next two weeks with Living Stones Church (LSC) in Kailua-Kona. Our schedule is pretty full with counseling, teaching a parenting seminar, speaking to the senior high youth group on relationships, doing a two-night Engagement Matters workshop, preaching at Mokuaikaua Church, and connecting with many who have become dear friends over the years. It’s such a privilege to have this partnership with LSC and we are always both challenged and inspired by time spent with Bill and Pine Barley, who lead this vital church.

This morning we left the fall leaves and harvest decorations behind and will now be enjoying the beauty of Kona as we catch early morning sunrises on our very early morning walks and then later, afternoon sunsets. Blooming plumeria trees and anthuriums, fragrant sea breezes and blue seas, undersea wonders, and crashing waves will declare the glory of God in this crown jewel setting.

We are blessed beyond. We’re often asked if we’re considering retirement, to which we respond, “As long as the invitations keep coming and our health remains good, we’ll keep saddling up, doing what we love doing.”

It is said that if you love your work, you’ll feel like you’ve never worked a day in your life.

We love our work.

All praise is His.

September has come and gone since my last blog post and it was marked by highs and lows, joys and sorrows. In Cynthia Heald’s book A Woman’s Journey to the Heart of God, she writes a parable of Joy and Sorrow journeying together. When Joy asked the master why Sorrow had to come along, he answered, “Without Sorrow, you would never know Joy.”

So, so true. Sorrow adds definition to the experience of joy, and joy gives hope in the dark valleys of life.

Our month started with the joy of hosting our very dear, chosen family friend Dawn for five days. We hiked, floated in the pool, had one more 75th birthday celebration for Paul, sipped coffee, and just enjoyed being together. We also went to the premiere of Focus on the Family’s newest production, “Truth Rising,” which was co-produced by Os Guinness, one of the greatest theologians of this century. It can be live-streamed here and is well worth watching. Our visit with Dawn was delightful in every way and we were truly refreshed by it.

The day after Dawn left, Sept 7, we were on our way to a magical four-day 70th birthday celebration for me, planned and hosted by our dear, also chosen family friends, Doug and Julie. In what could've been only imagined in a dream, we spent three days in Disney parks in Orlando—Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and the Magic Kingdom—and we had as much fun as any 5-year-old. We went on every ride in each park, made possible by not having to wait in lines—another fantasy come true. We went on a Safari Trek, during which we got fairly “up close and personal” with the hippos. We ate yummy food, including an extravagant evening at “Victoria and Alberts,” and enjoyed thoughtful touches along the way, like birthday cakes at the end of several meals. And we stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, which is surrounded by animals roaming on the savannah. Epic.

It soared well beyond any imagination or dreams, making for a truly unforgettable culmination of this year-long celebration of my 70th birthday.

It was during that magical adventure at Disney World that we received word of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, and we were reminded of the very fine line between joy and sorrow. Our hearts have been broken by the tragedy and it has weighed heavily on us ever since. What satan intended for evil, God will use for good. (Genesis 50:20) It has been immensely encouraging to hear the gospel being proclaimed in unusual places in the aftermath and to hear stories of many finding hope in Jesus. All praise is His!

From Orlando, we drove to Satellite Beach, FL, and spent the next four days speaking. Trinity Church of Wellspring put together a creative marriage conference held Thursday evening, Sept 11, Friday evening, and Saturday morning, ending before lunch on the 13th. Their team did a great job of planning the event, decorating for it, and feeding the attendees. We loved partnering with them!

An added bonus for our days in Satellite Beach was spending a full day with Dick and Becky Molenhouse. Becky and Paul went to "Orientation for New Staff” for IVCF back in 1972 and we’ve been very much a part of each other’s lives ever since. Becky’s best selling book, Out of the Saltshaker, has been instrumental in shaping evangelism worldwide since its publication in 1979. It was such a joy to have them attend the conference both Thursday and Friday nights as well as to spend the whole day with them on Friday. Friends as such add so much value to our lives as we solve both world and domestic problems during hours of talking.

Saturday night, after the conference ended, Jake and Kaylee Gosselin hosted a small group of 12 couples for an evening of fellowship and wisdom gathering. Each couple was instructed to come with a question about family or marriage, and after eating dinner together, we spent about an hour and a half having a stimulating time of Q and A. Very thoughtful questions were posited and all agreed it was an evening well spent.

To round out our week in Florida, we were honored to be invited to teach at Rock Harbor Church in Melbourne that Sunday, Sept. 14. This is Jake and Kaylee’s home church and it truly was a privilege to partner with their robust ministry. Both services were very well attended and the congregants were very engaged.

A highlight for us was having Adam and Christy Zulim with their two teen children attend the service. Adam served on our camp staff in 1999, and that summer was pivotal in setting the ministry trajectory for his life. We’ve only seen Adam a few times since that summer and imagine our surprise when we found out that the Zulims had moved from Utah to Florida just weeks earlier. It was a gift from heaven to reconnect with them!!

In a very rare “divide and conquer” plan, Paul and I flew to different destinations on Sunday after we finished at Rock Harbor. Because both of our sons-in-law were meeting up for a ministry retreat in Montana, Paul flew to Oakland, CA, to be Kari’s “wingman” for the week and I flew home to support Julie. There’s nothing we like more than being with our kids and grandkids. it was a great week for all of us, even with 3K miles between us. Paul did a lot of “Uber-ing” the kids to practices and events as well as doing a few projects around the house, and I helped out where needed with Julie. I also hosted David and Emily Hazlebeck and their three Littles for two nights as they wrapped up a trip to PA to see family and to DC to appeal for resources for "Global Algae Innovations.” We love the Hazlebecks!!

The second deep sorrow in the past month came with the passing of Dr. Voddie Baucham, Jr. Another bold giant of the faith, Voddie’s relentless commitment to strengthening the body of Christ with gospel-centered teaching has impacted hundreds of thousands over the past three decades. His voice will be missed.

The days we’ve been home in September have been filled with counseling, writing (Paul is working on his next book), preparing for future conferences, and enjoying friends and neighbors. We were really happy to host Harry Choi, the son of a dear friend, who spent the night of Sept. 27th with us as he drove from Boston to Raleigh, NC. It was such an encouragement to get to know the young man we’d been hearing about for years from his mom and to have him share his heart for the Lord with us.

And then . . . the calendar page turned to October! This month has started with one of our favorite things…speaking at a family camp. For the second year, we were privileged to return to Alpine Retreat and Camp for their third annual “Fall Family Weekend.” Once again, under the direction of Christi King, program manager, a full-of-fall-fun weekend was designed. Christi’s creative team did a great job of developing a western theme with skits that coordinated with the curriculum Paul developed, focusing on the life of Daniel. It ran like a well-oiled machine.

Paul developed and led all-family devotions at each of our four sessions and he never had trouble getting volunteers from the younger set to help with his illustrations. He has an amazing gift of conveying truth in a way which engages the youngest to the oldest. Besides the all-family devotions, we spoke to the adults only on marriage and that was a well-received session. Many fun games, crafts, a square dance, and a real live country fair were enjoyed by all at this beautiful camp.

We really love partnering with the leadership at this camp.

We especially enjoyed some time brainstorming and visioneering with Micah and Cassie Van Stetten, (program director and donor relations coordinator for Alpine). Cassie’s father, Gabe Valencia, received his call to ministry back in the late 70’s at CBS when Paul was directing camp, so we have a deep connection and love for this family. It’s so heartening to us to see the faithfulness of God in their family line as they intergenerationally minister together.

Stan and Angi White, former directors of Alpine and current board members, came up Friday night to hang out with us and that was such a treat. It was also a treat to have our daughter Lisa spend Friday afternoon and evening with us there. So blessed!!

We wrapped up at Alpine Sunday early afternoon and drove back down the mountain to hang out with Lisa. A hike up Mt. Rubideau under the “Super Moon” was a perfect end to a wonderful weekend.

Monday, the 6th, we were fortunate to spend time with two of our three treasured “elders.” Our dear friend, Wendy Turney, drove to Riverside for a couple hours of catching up in the morning and we drove to Fullerton to have lunch with another dear friend, Carol Kraning. Much to our disappointment, our plans to connect with John and Grace Tebay were canceled when Grace became ill. How blessed we are to have these “seasoned saints” in our lives.

We’ll be on the road most of the next two months doing what we love to do. Thanks for your prayers and support, your love, and your encouragement. We are truly most grateful.

“Summer is a period of luxurious growth. To be in harmony with the atmosphere of summer, awaken early in the morning and reach to the sun for nourishment to flourish as the gardens do. Work, play, travel, be joyful, and grow into selfless service. The bounty of the outside world enters and enlivens us.”

As the waning days of summer quietly slip away, we take a moment to reflect on the past six weeks which are fairly accurately captured in the above words penned by Paul Pitchford.

Full of slower paced delights, our days have ranged from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Absent the rush of demanding schedules, we have rested, relaxed, recreated, and ruminated on the Goodness of God.

We have also counseled, worked on writing projects, confirmed details for our annual marriage conference this coming winter, walked our daily 5 miles, and spoken at a family conference.

As much as we’d prefer another month of summer, we feel ready for fall and all the opportunities it holds.

Looking back, many of the highlights of summer include having lots of pool time and non-pool time with our grandchildren who live just two miles from us. Whether a spontaneous drop by or a planned outing, each time we’re with them we remind ourselves, “This is why we moved here.”

After we returned from speaking at Forest Home’s family camp, we were home for a week helping Julie with the kids while Derek was on a business trip in Africa, and upon his return, we all flew to Kauai for our biennial Friesen Family Reunion, Hawaiian style. Very blessed for the third time (2021 and 2023 were previous gatherings) by exceedingly generous friends who allow us to use their home for this “pinch me so I’ll know it’s real” week, our expectations (which were very high) were more than fulfilled.

Between their pool and beautiful yard which provided the perfect “smash ball” court, football green, and gymnastics space, we had great weather for plenty of beach time (snorkeling, swimming, and sunning), hiking, playing basketball, hosting the first ever “Family Talent Night,” celebrating (a month early) Papa’s upcoming 75th birthday and Nathan’s 12th birthday, and drinking in the beauty of this exquisite island. Natural therapy for all, but especially for the seven adults who consistently invest in people and ministry life.

There are now many traditions that give ballast to this every-other-year gift from heaven, one of which is having a family photo shoot by our dear friends Phil and Elisha Booye, and their oldest daughter (apprentice) Sierra. We’re so grateful for their sacrificial gift of time and talent on our behalf and once again, were so happy with the results.

Our week ended with an exclamation point: the Tsunami!!! It was quite exciting (and a bit scary) to be on the island when the island alarms were going off shrilly and constantly once the “advisory” was upgraded to a “tsunami warning.” Kauai’s locals were seriously alarmed by the seriousness of the upgrade, which was issued around 2:30 pm on Tuesday, July 29th, and from that point on, the massive evacuation of the coastline produced exceedingly slow moving traffic as everyone converged on the inadequate perimeter road of Kauai. It took us over 3 hours to drive what is normally 40 mins from where we were back to our home base.

Thankfully, the tsunami didn’t materialize as feared, though it did produce 10–12’ waves at some of the beaches the following day.

That was an auspicious way to end our family reunion, earmarking the 2025 reunion with a distinctive none other will have.

The Johnsons and Garcias flew off Kauai the next morning, Wednesday, July 30, and Lisa, Paul and I stayed until Friday. We hiked “The Sleeping Giant” on Thursday, stood on several beaches watching the crazy waves in the post-tsunami seas, swam at Kalapaki Beach, and watched sunset at Poipu Beach two nights. Such sweet times to share with Lisa before getting her on a noon flight on Friday.

Since our flight was a red-eye that night, I agreed to do a baking workshop for the Booye families, who are very dear friends. We made cinnamon chip scones (aka “Gigi Cakes”) and lemon white chocolate chip scones, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed eating them! What fun!!

After meeting up with some friends late afternoon, we boarded our red-eye flight and arrived back in Northern Virginia at 4 on Saturday, August 2, with exhausted bodies and overflowing with joyful hearts. Surely this was the highest highlight of our summer.

We were only home for the first week of August, getting things checked off the list, before heading to Ogunquit, Maine, for our annual vacation-by-the-sea with our dearest friends, John and Marilyn. This “chosen family” couple has been in our life since 1993, when we became ministry partners at Grace Chapel, and the rest, as they say, is history. Our lives are always enriched when we are with them. Fully devoted disciples of Christ, their devotion to Him is impossible to miss, so our times together are spiritual retreats in some ways.

Which doesn’t mean we stay indoors holding Bible studies daily. We spend most of the time out and about, walking the “Marginal Way” or the beach at Ogunquit, floating down the Ogunquit River, eating lobster, and soaking in the beauty of this crown jewel beach. All of this points to the Creator and fills us with gratitude for how deeply He loves us.

We spent four lovely days together, the first of which was celebrating their 34th anniversary with a great dinner at the “Lobster Pound.” Their marriage truly reflects the glory of God so it was a privilege to honor them on their special day.

We were home for a week before flying to California to speak for “The Building Christian Fellowship Church” (TBCF) in Suisun City. Several couples in leadership at TBCF were inspired by attending our workshops at the “Thrive Conference” (at Bayside Church in Granite Bay, CA) for several years, and extended an invitation for us to speak for their parenting/family weekend conference, August 22–24.

We’re so glad we said yes!! We expected we’d have a great experience based on meeting up with their leadership team at Thrive, but our expectations were far exceeded by our experience. We felt immediately ushered in to their warm, welcoming congregation, and were generously served with genuine Christlikeness. Lakisha Hunter, the staff assistant, worked behind the scenes to make sure we were well taken care of including having a “Welcome” basket in our hotel room awaiting our arrival. We felt the love!!

The all-day Saturday family conference included a session for the whole family, and Paul’s devotion was a huge hit. Our two sessions on parenting were well-received and delightfully interactive. Dinner that evening with the team was delicious and so comfortable. We felt like we have known these brothers and sisters in Christ for years.

Sunday we taught at both worship services and again were so grateful for such a loving and affirming integration into the body of Christ at TBCF. We love speaking to an audience that “talks back”—makes you feel like people are really listening and taking it in. It was a delightful morning.

We bid a heartfelt adieu after the second service ended. Our hearts felt so connected to this group, and their expressed desire to have us return indicates they felt the same. All praise is His!!

Off to Oakland we went for an 18-hour visit with the Garcias! We’ll happily take whatever we can get and whenever we can get it. We had an early celebratory dinner in honor of the birthday boys: August 29, 2010 was the day our oldest grandson, Brandon, made his entrance, giving Paul the best 60th birthday gift ever. The birthday buddies love that they share this special day and we all love celebrating them together.

Finally, Paul’s actual birthday did arrive on the 29th, so after two early celebrations, his third and final one was hosted by Derek and Julie, and attended by my sister Laura and her husband, David. “Chef” Derek served up a yummy steak dinner, greatly enjoyed by all. Since “words of affirmation” is Paul’s primary love language, we invited friends and family to text or email him lots of love and he’s been very touched by the many people who have done that. Since I believe in “birthday months,” feel free to send him your kind words any time. He is well worth celebrating at least all month.

That brings us up to now. We’ve had a very “summer-y” summer. Again I refer to the quote I opened with, which so aptly describes these weeks of this wonderful season. We are blessed beyond and are overflowing with gratitude for the goodness of God. Though it’s hard to say good-bye to summer, we have no doubt that God will be just as good in the fall months to come.

He’s just that way. All praise is His!

Forest Home has led the way in being committed to building in to families through family camps for over six decades now, and we love that it’s become part of our tradition.

The theme of “All That Glitters . . .”, supported by the memory verse of “I am the way, the truth, and the life . . .” (John 14:6) was carried out through family devotions and peer group teaching times. As the marriage and family speakers during the morning session, we contrasted the world’s "glitter” as it influences family with the “gold” of Biblical wisdom. Three days we spoke on marriage and the fourth on parenting. Our daughter Lisa made a “cameo” appearance at the end of the parenting session and the campers loved her wisdom and insights. On the fifth day, we were on a panel addressing questions raised by the campers. We felt very met by God during each of the sessions and had many, many great follow-up interactions.

We love eating with a different family at each meal and being available to hang out with the campers throughout the day. We met so many wonderful humans again this summer in addition to meeting up with a number of longtime friends. Family camp is such a natural context for community and fellowship. So much richness!

Forest Home’s family camps feature two teaching leaders: the morning is dedicated to family and marriage (and that was us) and the evening to Bible teaching. Paul Twiss, senior pastor of Bethany Bible Church in Thousand Oaks, CA, was our evening teacher and he “had” us after his first night of teaching. Trained in the discipline of expositional teaching, Paul taught from a different passage of Matthew each night and we feasted on his deep and practical messages each night. If you’re in the Thousand Oaks area, we’d strongly recommend checking out his church. And if you’re not in his area, consider checking out his church’s website where his sermons are available. We loved everything about Paul—from his British accent (he’s from the UK), to his lovely wife Laura (from Northern Ireland), to 4 of his 6 kids (the older two stayed home for summer jobs). All around delightful in every way, we hope our paths cross many times in the future.

We also really enjoyed getting to know Alika and Samantha Polanco. Alika did a great job hosting and emceeing the week and we had a small-world moment when he told us he had candidated for the senior pastor position at Kaimuki Christian Church on Oahu, the church we did a conference for last year. Crazy!

George Louis (worship leader from Saddleback Church in Irvine, CA) and his wife, Ruby, rounded out the team. George led worship at each of the plenary sessions and we were especially touched by him sharing an original song, “Be Still,” written after their foster baby was taken taken by her birth mom. George faithfully led us in worship morning and evening and we were blessed by his gifts and his sincere heart.

Each day started with family worship led by “Music Mama” and devotions, led by Alika. We love having the auditorium filled with all ages, from the littlest to the oldest. Family camp is such a perfect setting for connecting the generations and celebrating the whole body of Christ. Other “all ages” times were at Lake Day and Game Night, where friendly competition produced lots of laughter and energy.

The week was nicely balanced with good programming and free time. We were especially blessed to hang out out with many great families and couples during the free time and around meals.

We did manage to get our 5-mile walk in daily, which was harder than it looks at 5,500’ elevation. I actually thought it would be “easy” since I had just finished climbing to 17,500’ on Mt. Kilimanjaro, but I was mistaken. We huffed and puffed our way through each step of five miles, enjoying the beauty of the mountains.

We spent the final night in California with Lisa at her home before going to church with her on Sunday and then flying back to Northern Virginia. Of course we managed to hike Mt. Rubideau at sunset after having a yummy sushi dinner. Time with Lisa is always time well spent.

Returning home on Sunday, July 13, we jumped into helping Julie with the kids while she worked, as Derek was in Africa with Neurokids. We had a blast all week, doing some of our favorite things, like eating Papa’s homemade waffles, going to Skyzone, doing some kitchen projects, and, of course, lots of pool time. Nathan and Rachel managed to beat Papa and Gigi in pool volleyball numerous times, much to their delight.

We are so thankful for these times with the kids, since this is why we moved here. Pure joy.

We are so thankful for the opportunities we’ve had these past two weeks. The theme has been people. We are so blessed by those who have been in our lives for decades, as well as those who have just come into our lives. We’ve rejoiced with some who are experiencing the goodness of God in tangible ways, and we’ve grieved with some who are in the midst of painful, hard times. We’ve listened to many stories and we’ve prayed with many.

Speaking of those dealing with “hard things,” we have very recently received an update from Jennie Dangers Mutaka that was not nearly as positive as her previous one. She writes:

Hello dear friends and family! It has been over a week since my appointment with the specialist, and honestly, I just have not been able to find the words or the emotional energy to write an update or even fully express what he said and how we’re doing after our appointment... It was a tough meeting, giving me a much bleaker outlook than we had originally been told (or at least understood). Here’s a summarized update:

• The doctor emphasized how extensive my cancer is…

• The number of years he said I likely have left was far less than we'd first understood

• While the Tagrisso seems to be working great (I'm off my pain medicine completely and continuing to not cough much!), the doctor said that the average time patients stay on the Tagrisso before the cancer “wakes up” and finds a way around it is 1.5 to 2 years… far fewer years than we’d first understood

• He said he would not recommend the chemo now, but he said, likely, I'll be living from scan to scan (every 3 months) for the rest of my life, and after each scan, they will decide if chemo and/or radiation, or surgery would be necessary 

• And, likely, once the cancer “wakes up,” for the rest of my life, I will be dealing with chemo and/or radiation on and off 

• He does not feel it is wise or will be possible for us to live in Kenya or Uganda again, but just to have visits after our second round of scans (to ensure the Tagrisso has truly “turned off” the cancer’s activity)

Jennie’s CaringBridge site is here. Please continue to pray for the Mutaka family.

We are beyond blessed to be rich in friendships and relationships, the only part of life which is connected with eternity.

All praise is His.

This week is a win-win-win. The parents love having a week “alone.” The grandparents and auntie love having a week with the kids. And the kids love having a week with each other (and the grandparents and auntie). Our only regret is that we didn’t start this tradition sooner.

The theme for this year’s camp was “Dare to Stand,” based on the life of Daniel. Paul developed the curriculum and Barbara Steele put it together in a creative and attractive booklet, which each person received soon after arriving Saturday night.

Since the pool was beckoning on that very hot June night (the entire week had record setting temps!), the booklets weren’t explored until the next day, but all week they served as the basis for devotions, prayer, and affirmations, which were led by a different child each night.

Though we had planned to spend a day at the National Zoo and another day touring downtown D.C., the heat wave made those plans unwise. Fortunately, we have 5 grandchildren who LOVE the water and having a pool provided us with just what we needed to have lots of cool, creative fun.

The other “cool” destination was “Skyzone”—the local trampoline park. Besides swimming, everyone also loves jumping and we managed three visits to this great indoor bounce house.

One afternoon we escaped the heat by going to the movies. The girls opted to see “Lilo and Stitch” while the boys watched “How to Train a Dragon.” Everyone was pleased with the choices.

Back by popular demand, we had “make your own pizza" night. Each child’s unique personality showed up in their finished product.

Outdoor movie night was also a hit, though technical difficulties interfered with the sound so we gave up on it about halfway through the movie.

The grand finale came on Thursday when Rob and Gabby Warren took all of us out on the Chesapeake Bay in their beautiful boat. The kids were over the moon thrilled with every aspect of this adventure—from the air-conditioned, enclosed queen size bedroom to riding on the bow and jumping off the bow of the boat. They all agreed this was “the best day ever.” Rob and Gabby served us all so well and created for us a most memorable excursion.

All too quickly the week ended and our final breakfast together featured cinnamon rolls (by popular demand.)

The week was full of laughter, energy, activity, and organized chaos. As the week progressed, there were increasing amounts of fingerprints on glass doors, crumbs on the floor, clothes strewn about, and candy wrappers and empty seltzer cans that missed trashcans, etc. But within hours of the end of “camp,” everything was cleaned up and put back in place and a quietness settled over our home.

Truth be told, as much as I like neat and ordered spaces, I’d take the chaos of happy laughter and displaced items any day.

The memories made, the bonds deepened, the increased knowledge of one another, and the strength of solidarity are advanced in times like these and we are so grateful that we are afforded this privilege. Plans are already underway for “Papa & Gigi Camp—2026 Edition” by the children, who all agree this is their favorite week of the year.

The dust had literally barely settled on this great week, when 24 hours after taking the Garcias to the airport, we picked up our dear friend, Helen Belden Challener at the airport for a five-day visit. Helen worked at camp with us in 1978 and 1980 and has been a “chosen family” friend ever since.

Our days with Helen were more of the same. Skyzone with Nate and Rachel, the pool, and a thrift store visit. It’s always good to have Helen in the house. She brings laughter and delight.

Summertime: pools, travels, slower pace, and fresh tomatoes from the garden. Paul is having great success with his tomato plants and was thrilled to harvest the first two this past week.

We celebrated our first 4th of July in Fairfax, taking in the local parade in the morning and watching local fireworks at night. It was especially fun to enjoy this day with the Johnsons.

We’re flying to California today to speak at Forest Home’s family camp this next week, July 6–12. We’re so thankful for the privilege of being a part of this ongoing tradition of speaking for this vital ministry. Our love for family camps continues to deepen as the need for such encouragement and training escalates. Pray that the Lord will use us in powerful ways this week.

Finally, thank you for all of your encouragement and prayers for us and for Jennie Mutaka, especially this past month. We’d encourage you to keep up to date on Jennie by logging on to her CaringBridge site. Her body is responding well to the treatment she’s receiving, which is a huge praise, and she and Denis are seeking the Lord’s direction for the next steps. Their heart to return to Uganda do family ministry is deep, but right now there are more questions than answers. But God . . .

And I will forever be grateful for so many of you who sent texts or emails, or made comments on social media posts, and most of all prayed for me and Lisa during our Tanzanian adventure. I’ve felt the love and affirmation in deep ways. Thank you, thank you. Though I fell short of the goal of summiting, our hike up Kilimanjaro will be on the short list of both the greatest challenges and most amazing experience of my life. All praise is His!!

Hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro landed on my bucket list 15 years ago when two things converged: seeing the IMAX National Geographic movie chronicling the trek to the top by a group bookended by a 12-year-old boy and a 70-year-old woman, and subsequently visiting our future son-in-law in Mbale, Uganda, who at the time was the executive director of a pediatric hospital which had just hosted a trek up Mt. Kili to raise funds for the hospital. Lisa, Julie, and I all expressed interest in being part of such an event, one which combined both the adventure of hiking the world’s tallest free-standing peak with a clear philanthropic purpose.

As Lisa and I began solidifying plans for our Tanzanian adventure, I was concurrently praying for a “purpose” beyond the bucket list. As the date approached, and I had no clear direction, I accepted that we would hike without a purpose beyond the challenge.

But God . . .

Just days before we left for Tanzania, we received word that one of our lifetime family friends who was doing missionary work in Uganda had been diagnosed with stage-4 lung cancer days after arriving in the USA seeking medical attention. Jennie had been sick for several months in Uganda but the cause had not been identified. The stage-4 diagnosis came as a tremendous shock to her and her family.

As Lisa and I were hiking a local waterfall in Machame on June 3, the day before our Kili trek would begin, I suddenly had clarity re: the purpose. It was as clear as day that the Holy Spirit was behind the inspiration that the purpose of our hike would be to raise funds for Jennie’s medical treatment. Though the Mutakas do carry “Samaritan Ministries Med Share" coverage, the collateral expenses not covered would be great and well beyond what the Mutaka family could meet.

I was also suddenly aware of why I had drawn a blank on the “purpose” up until this point. God’s timing.

Between Paul, Barbara Steele (our incredible publisher of all things written), Gabby and Rob Warren (our admin and financial directors), and me, we managed to get word out—to the HIM base via email as well as to my social media contacts—of our plan to make our trek a fundraising one on behalf of the Mutaka family.

If you read the previous blog post, you know that our 7-day trek was the most challenging physical event I've undertaken, and you also know that we fell short of the goal of summiting due to me developing altitude sickness at 17,500’.

I will say this, though: every singe step I took, I was thinking of and praying for Jennie. I was picturing her in a hospital bed, receiving her first chemo infusion on June 4, the day we started hiking, and praying that the Great Physician would touch her body with His healing power.

I was praying for her as I scrambled up the side of Baranco Canyon wall, knowing that as difficult as the climb was, Jennie would probably give anything to be where I was rather than where she was.

I was praying for her as it became more and more difficult to breathe in the increasingly thin air as we attempted to summit, and I was thinking of how difficult it was for her to breathe lying in bed, knowing that cancer cells were attempting to reduce her breathing to nothing.

My shortness of breath and the physical challenge of the climb, as difficult as they were at moments, were nothing in comparison to the battle she was waging for her life.

And I continued praying.

Since we were off the grid for seven full days, we didn’t know that back in Colorado Springs, Jennie was being met by God in ways which could only be classified as miraculous. After one chemo infusion on June 4, she (and her family) received the pathology reports on her type of cancer and the prognosis.

And it couldn’t have been better news.

From Jennie:

"We also have some good news on my journey!! I don’t know if we can yet call it a miracle, but it is a HUGE HUGE praise and a sign of God’s kindness and mercy!

With “normal” stage 4 lung cancer, my prognosis was 2–8 or more years, and would require me to go through the trauma of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. However, there was a 10–15% chance that I would have a particular mutation of cancer that would enable the doctors to target/attack the cancer with a drug much more specific and much more effective than chemo.

A few hours after I’d finished my first round of chemo and immunotherapy, the doctor called and said my molecular tests had come back, and I have the EGFR mutation!!! It seems that my first round of chemo was also my last!!! In 2 weeks, I will be beginning treatment with a daily pill called Targresso that I will take every day for maybe even the rest of my life. It will target my specific kind of cancer much more effectively, and she said she even hopes that after 3 months, there will be no activity in the cancer! Targresso is far more effective than chemo for this kind of cancer and the side effects are far less!

I will need to go through scans and tests every 3 months for at least 2 years, but the doctor kept saying this was such a good prognosis and that there is much, much more hope for many more years of life because of it!

Friends, will you thank God with me for His kindness and grace? He is hearing your prayers. There is still so much ahead of us that we don’t know, but we want to stop and THANK HIM for this good news as we also continue crying out to Him for healing and grace and for many, many, many more years to raise my children, grow old with my husband, and serve the Lord with you my dear family and friends! I love you all and can’t thank God enough for you!! “

All praise is His!!!

Gabby has kept us informed regarding the donations which have been sent in for the Mutakas, and it gave Paul great joy to inform Jennie that over $18K has come in through HIM! All donations are tax-deductible and will be forwarded to New Hope Ministries in Uganda to be distributed to the Mutakas to support her medical journey.

Jennie wrote this back to Paul:

"Thank you again more than I can say!! This is truly amazing and an incredible blessing. May the Lord bless you guys for rallying people to pray and give! The Body of Christ is truly beautiful!!"

My trek was only 7 days long. Jennie’s “trek” is possibly for the rest of her life.

I will forever consider it a great honor that the “purpose” of my short trek will have meaning that will last for months and years to come.

As we picked our way down Mt. Kili to base camp where I would receive oxygen, Lisa snapped this photo of me being flanked by Kombe and Isaac, each who had a secure grip on my elbows as they guided me safely down the rough mountain. It’s a great metaphor for how you have come alongside Jennie, both prayerfully and financially. We were never intended to go it alone. We need each other.

Thank you for responding to the need and for making a big difference in the life of Jennie and her family. Please continue to pray for her complete return to health and for the Lord to use all of this for His glory. Donations are still being accepted and all will be passed on. (Donate through this link.)

Truly, all praise is His!!!

Exactly one week ago today, Lisa and I were walking the final 10 miles of our Mt. Kilimanjaro “Excellent Adventure” . . . through the rain forest, surrounded by beautiful lush plants, flowers, and trees, with passing views of the summit of Mt. Kili, and a few monkeys to boot.

It was the grand finale of a long held dream and bucket-list item. Flanked front and back by our incredible guides and constant companions for the past 7 days, Kombe and Jackson, Lisa made the accurate observation to Jackson, “I’ll bet you didn’t know Mama could talk!”

It was true. The preceding six days, our climb was uphill in increasingly thin air. And I reserved ALL of my breath for fueling the physically arduous movement up the mountain.

But on this last day, as we descended into thicker air, Kombe and I solved most of the world’s problems at large, and I gained great insight into the marriage and family culture of Tanzania. It was the perfect ending to the most physically challenging week of my life.

Some of you already know that one of my “life rules” is to keep challenging yourself to levels of discomfort throughout life, or life will “downsize” around you if comfort and ease are your “go to’s.” That rule is what’s behind our daily 5 miles walking regimen, among other things. It’s what pushes us to say “yes” to yet another crisis counseling request when our schedule is already full. It’s what helps us say “no” to indulging in “beyond the need” culinary temptations.

And it certainly was behind my decision to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro. The vision was birthed 15 years ago, when I watched the IMAX film done by National Geographic, which chronicled the trek of a group which included a 12-year-old boy and a 70-year-old woman. Though only 55 at the time, I never thought then that this would be fulfilled for me at age 70, but, here we are.

From that genesis, the timing finally presented itself this year. Daughter Lisa had been able to check it off her bucket list two years ago, when she summited with her friend Tracey, but she was 100% eager to do it again with me.

Game on.

The past year has been full of anticipation and preparation. Though our initial plan was to hike it the first two weeks of August, the scheduling didn’t work out for Lisa, so we pushed it back to the only other possibility in 2025, the first two weeks of June. It was no small thing to give up two months of training, but we were out of options. So we pressed on.

Gathering gear needed was a feat in itself, but by June 1, our duffles were packed with lots of smart wool clothing, sleeping bags, trekking poles, head lamps, and (unnecessary) snacks. Our flight from Dulles Airport, via Paris, to Kilimanjaro landed just over 24 hours later, and with a mixture of excitement and fear (me), we settled in to our hotel in Machame. From that point on, everything was orchestrated and provided by Altezza Tours (which we would highly recommend).

We were thankful that our luggage arrived without mishap and that we had a full day to recuperate from our long travel day before beginning the climb. That day included meeting with a rep from Altezza who approved our gear, as well as taking a hike to a local waterfall with a local guide for a couple of hours. It was a great day.

Wednesday, June 4, we began our trek up the tallest free-standing mountain on the planet. Kili is known as “The Roof of Africa,” and according to stats, approximately 35K hopeful hikers will attempt to summit her annually. Of those, about 60% will successfully summit.

We (us plus a support staff of guides and porters numbering 17!) bussed to the entrance of the Kilimanjaro National Forest, and after registering with the park, watching our gear be off-loaded, weighed, and re-loaded, and eating a “box lunch,” we drove to the start of the “Lemosho” route just after noon. It was a somewhat deceptive start to the journey as it was only 4 miles over a very easy path. We arrived at the Shira 1 camp, greeted by an already-set-up tent, dining tent, “private bathroom,” and a smiling porter’s crew. We had started at 3407 meters and ascended to 3610 meters at Shira 1.

It seemed magical and only reinforced my expectations that this wasn’t going to be as daunting as I feared.

Because Lisa had hiked the "Northern Circuit” route two years earlier, she assumed that the Lemosho route would be similar but different in interesting ways. She had no doubt that I could successfully summit on a route like she had done.

She didn’t expect that “Lemosho" would be significantly more physically challenging than her first hike.

But it was. Hindsight, as they say . . .

After poking around the campground, catching glimpses of Kili as clouds intermittently hid her from views, eating a hot yummy dinner prepared by our chef, Badru, and served by our waiter, “Dio,” we hit the hay. At that point, Lisa gave me a note written by Paul . . . and each night thereafter, I received a note from him as well as one from a grandchild or daughter. I was so touched by the thoughtfulness and pre-planning of these messages of encouragement. So very kind.

The temps dropped dramatically after the sun set and we snuggled into our “0”-rated sleeping bags for what we hoped would be a good night of sleep. Only hours later, however, was one of my ongoing fears regarding this trek realized: bladder vs hydrating battles. I knew there would be an ongoing challenge between staying hydrated and getting uninterrupted sleep…and I knew that hydration had to win, but . . . Getting up during the night and crawling out of the tiny tent opening into frost-covered darkness to empty my bladder was a real struggle. I fought off the need to go for as long as I could, but eventually had to succumb to nature. Admittedly, the thought of a catheter seemed very appealing during those moments. Though painful, the silver lining was having nightly views of Kili against a clear, moonlit sky and that was truly reward.

Thursday, June 5: Day 2 of hiking. Shira 1 to Shira 2. 5.5 miles to elevation 3,850 meters.

After a yummy breakfast and great medical checks, along with our daily dose of Diomax (for altitude acclimatization), we set out for Shira 2. Halfway to our destination, we were served tea in the middle of “nowhere.” Altezza really does it right!! Tea and snacks, to fuel the journey. It was delightful.

The second half of the hike was more challenging as we gained in altitude, and further impacted by a heavy mist which not only penetrated us with wetness, but also obscured any views. Though an acclimatization hike was planned for after arriving at Shira 2, our guides canceled it due to the weather and we instead spent the afternoon resting and reading.

During that time, the questions began to circulate in my head: ”Could I do this?” “What was I thinking when I decided this was a good idea?” etc. I expressed my fears over dinner, with a few tears mixed in, and sweet Lisa just listened and reassured me.

She also reminded me that this trek was about the journey, not about the summit.

Friday, June 6: Day 3 of hiking: Shira 2 to Lava Tower to Baranco

After a better night of sleep (praise Jesus!), we witnessed a beautiful sunrise behind Kili, had breakfast, and set out for Baranco Camp via Lava Tower. This was an acclimatization hike, which started out clear and beautiful but was soon accompanied by rain. We ascended to Lava Tower at 4,600 meters and after a hot lunch there, we hiked to Baranco Camp, back down to 3900 meters and logged 10 miles. It was a tough hike, but not as tough as I had imagined based on Kombe’s description.

A bit of nausea visited me this night, with a corresponding lack of appetite, but I forced myself to eat and drink. I passed the med check with no trouble, thankfully, and Lis and I retired after dinner with our “Alltezza Hot Water Bunnies”—another amazing feature of how well Altezza takes care of its clients. Every night we went to bed with two hot water bottles sporting Altezza bunny covers and they added to our sleeping comfort in that otherwise freezing world.

Saturday, June 7: Day 4 of hiking. Baranco Camp to Karanga: 4 miles

A beautiful morning in Baranco Canyon . . . a river running through it, hosting small waterfalls and spouting gurgling sounds. Across the river, we began what was a 1-mile ascent up the “Baranco Wall”—straight up out of the canyon. This was a hands-and-feet climb for the first half-mile and thankfully, Jackson carried both my (very light, basically hydro-pack) backpack and my trekking sticks. Though challenging, it was interesting and “fun,” scrambling up the side of the canyon wall with lots of company. Beyond incredible to me was observing the porters making their way up the canyon walls while balancing 40# duffles on their heads. Mind blowing.

Tea was set for us when we made it to the top of the wall followed by 3 more miles of hiking to Karanga Base Camp. Once Karanga came into view, Kombe had forewarned us that if you could walk straight ahead, we’d be only 20-30 minutes away . . . but unfortunately, between where we were and where Karanga was, a deep canyon exists.

So very counterintuitively, we picked our way down the canyon (.75 miles) and back up the canyon (a very steep .75 miles) and were greatly relieved to settle in for the night in Karanga.

Sunday, June 8–Monday, June 9: Day 5-6 of hiking. Karanga to Barafu to Summit to Barafu

The hardest day has arrived. We hiked about 4 miles from Karanga to Barafu in the morning, which was not a hard hike physically but definitely mentally, as the reality that in less than 12 hrs we would be attempting the summit. The rain held off (a mercy) and we hiked in cloudy and chilly weather, arriving at Barafu around 1:30 pm. Hot lunch was awaiting us, which had no appeal to me but which I did my best to consume. We’ve become very good friends with Dio, our waiter, who joins us in praying at each meal. By now, he’s even praying for some of the meals. We have a very sweet bond with him.

Sleeping was on the agenda from 3–9 pm., but honestly, between anxiety about the impending summit climb, and it being broad daylight with plenty of activity going on around us, sleep was rather elusive. We both managed to catch a few winks and suddenly it was 9 pm and we were being served “breakfast” for “dinner.” By 11:30 pm, we were encased (entombed?) in our “summit” clothes which made it near impossible to move and we began our ascent under a full-moon-lightened night. We were 4 miles from the summit, with the expectation of an 8-hour climb . . . hoping to reach the summit at sunrise.

Unfortunately this is where things derailed. Traveling together with Kombe, Jackson, and now an added team member, Isaac, Lisa and I slowly began picking our way up the very steep, rocky path. My breathing was hard and my legs felt like lead, and though I kept reciting Psalm 121 (“I look unto the hills…where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord.”) or, singing in my head, “One step at a time…I’m climbing my mountain, one step at a time…” or, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, none of the mental tricks or spiritual truths seemed to be making a difference.

At 17,451’, I noticed that the moon had set and I couldn’t believe it! I was even more shocked to hear that it was 5:30 am and that we had been hiking 6 hours and only covered 2 miles. Jackson and Kombe talked with Lisa and suggested that at our pace, we still had a very long way to go. They said they were willing, but wanted to know what I wanted.

By then, my oxygen saturation had dropped to the mid-50’s, my stomach was rebelling, and all I wanted to do was go to sleep—so it took me a nano-second to say, “Let’s go down.”

Though disappointed that we would not reach the goal of the summit, I was relieved when the decision was made and we began our descent. Our guides were wonderful. Recognizing that I was suffering from altitude sickness, they flanked me and made sure I made it safely down. We hiked down as the sun rose, which was beautiful, and except for three “bathroom” breaks to relieve my revolting stomach, we made it down before 8 am.

I went straight to bed and received support oxygen for the next couple of hours, helping my recovery immensely. By noon, I was ready to “eat” (not much) and hike the 1.5 hours downhill to Millennium Camp where we spent our final night on the mountain.

Tuesday, June 10: Millennium Camp to End of Trail

Up early for our 10-mile hike down through the rain forest, I was feeling mostly normal and had no concerns about descending. We were so blessed with a non-rainy hike through the rain forest! Lots of great conversations and beautiful scenery. There were even a few vistas with stunning views of Kili, framed by verdant green tree branches. Though eventually several blisters on one foot and two jammed toes on the other made hiking a bit painful, we made it in good time and had a celebration lunch before boarding the bus back to the Aisha Hotel in Machame.

Jackson and Kombe presented us both with medals, which didn’t require summiting to receive. Jackson kindly affirmed the very heroic efforts of “Mama” who almost made it. He chose his words carefully and assured us that turning around was the right decision. “Mama, you are far more important than reaching the summit.”

Though exhausted mentally and physically, Lisa and I chatted the 1.5-hour drive back to the hotel, beginning to relive the most poignant moments of the previous 7 days. Any disappointment in not reaching the summit was overwhelmed by the fullness of my heart at having this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and experience with her. I often mused during the trek that our roles have surely reversed: she was parenting me each step of the way. Her words of confidence, encouragement, affirmation, courage, and pride fed my soul day by day. Though at 5:30 am the day before I had encouraged her to continue the climb to the top with one of the guides, she would hear nothing of it. “This hike is about us, not about summiting.” Sacrificial love.

Though I will be processing this experience or a long time to come, the most important lesson capturing my focus is that it’s more about the journey than the destination. Admittedly, I am a destination person. I tap the wall, gate, fence at any turn-around point, signaling completion of a goal.

I don’t remember not completing a hiking goal until now.

But as I reflect on each day of this epic journey, I am filled with awe and wonder at the majesty of God, reflected in His creation. I’m astounded by what I could hear in the silence. No phones, No distractions. Only the pure sounds of nature (and a lot of very heavy breathing. :) ). I have an appreciation for “Po-le. Po-le.” Slowly. Slowly.

“Slowly" has never been my strong suit.

I’ve come back liking how it feels.

I’ve also been absolutely overwhelmed by the immense of amount of support I’ve had from you, “my people.” From texts, emails, calls, notes, and prayers, I have felt loved beyond measure by people who mean so very much to me. "Thank you" will never adequately convey the gratitude I have for each of your expressions of care, but believe me when I say I could never have gotten to 17,416 feet without you. I am blessed beyond.

Most of all, with all of the conveniences and comforts of life mostly gone, with the noisy distractions of the world silenced, I was aware of the magnitude of God and His omnipresence, which echoed the question of the Psalmist, “What is man that you are mindful of him?” A tiny speck against the landscape of the massive, and yet known and loved and called by name by the Creator of it all.

All praise is His!

The days of May quite literally seemed to have evaporated. I wonder if anyone else feels that way. I’m writing from the boarding area of Dulles Airport as Lisa and I await our flight to Tanzania to check what has moved up to the number one spot on my bucket list.

Hiking Mt Kilimanjaro.

Inspired by the 3-D Imax Theater’s film featuring a National Geographic trek up this fabled mountain 15 years ago, it landed on my bucket list. The trekking group filmed included a 12-year-old boy and a 70-year-old woman, with the rest of the entourage scattered across the generations. At that time, I had no thought that this challenge would be attempted during my 70th year, but here we are.

More on this adventure later in the blog, but for now . . .

May began in Granite Bay, CA, with the annual Thrive Conference hosted by Bayside Church, but first—in the ongoing celebration of my 70th (who knew it would be so much fun to have a decade birthday !!), my dear friend Christina planned the perfect celebration: a 6-mile hike around Folsom Lake, surrounded by spring flowers in full bloom, followed by coffee and lunch at a favorite coffee shop, where we were joined by her post college daughter, Hannah. I felt so known and loved by this treasured friend of over 40 years. A great start to several days in California.

Thrive launched the following day, May 1, and it once again lived up to its billing. It’s always such an honor to be workshop presenters at this very alive, adrenaline-pumping, worship-inspiring conference. This event, which is the brainchild of Ray Johnston, a dear friend and ministry partner for over 40 years now, is replete with great teaching, fervent worship, and incredible networking. Now in its 20th year, it’s been a joy to be part of all of the Thrives and we never leave disappointed.

Thrive ended the night of the May 2, and we drove to Oakland to attend New City Church Oakland’s all-day Saturday seminar featuring our dear friend and ministry partner, Becky Manley Pippert. Paul and Becky went on IVCF staff together in 1972 and have been fast friends ever since. She is still at the top of her game as a world class evangelist as she trains Christ-followers around the world how to naturally and effectively share the gospel. Her first book, Out of the Saltshaker, is a best seller and as relevant today as it was 40 years ago when it was first published. She is such a gifted communicator and so passionate about equipping people to spread the good news. It was pure joy to sit under her teaching once again and then to have dinner with her and Dick that evening. An added bonus was sharing the time with Lisa and the Garcias. Gabe and Kari were thrilled with the response of NCC Oakland to the event, which spilled over into Sunday with Becky speaking at their church. You can check out the sermon at nccoakland.com. Go to Sundays and scroll down to sermons, May 4th, you’ll be glad you did!

An early morning flight from Oakland to San Diego ushered in the next week, which was spent at Rancho Abierto, the YWAM base southeast of Ensenada which is run by our dear friends, Brian and Sue McCoy. For the fifth year in a row, we spent a week teaching on marriage and family at their Family Discipleship Training School (DTS). We love the McCoys and we love how God is using their vision-driven base for His kingdom purposes.

Families from Singapore, Norway, Canada, Mexico, and Germany answered the call to give up everything to learn how to impact the world for Jesus through the 3-month DTS and 2-month “outreach,” during which teams of families will “go into the world” and share Jesus.

Our time at Rancho Abierto is always full and by God’s grace, fruitful. Besides teaching for three hours every morning, we lead family devotions one morning, speak to the jr/sr high group on relationships one afternoon, put on a game show, and meet with each couple two-on-two.

Every year we’re amazed by how quickly we’re able to assimilate into the community and connect with the families. We so enjoyed interacting with everyone and were so thankful for all of the opportunities to invest in these precious lives.

Back to the USA on May 10th, where Lisa picked us up and we spent the next three days with her. Having breakfast with my sister Lucy, walking the beach at Coronado, hiking up Mt. Rubideau, celebrating Mother’s Day with Lisa, and spending an afternoon with our dear friends, Lorita and Jen Granger having tea at the Huntington Gardens all contributed to memorable and fun days. It would be hard to improve on the time spent.

After being on the road for two weeks, we were happy to fly home on the 13th. We had a full day of counseling on the 14th and on the 15th, we put Derek and Julie on a plane destined for Spain, where they would spend the next 12 days celebrating their milestone birthdays.

Back to the airport hours later, Paul picked up Lisa and she joined the “Childcare Team” with Papa and Gigi.

We all had a great time for the next 12 days. Nathan and Rachel were delightful and cooperative and when they weren’t in school, we were jumping at the trampoline park, thrifting at “Savers,” walking the dog, going to the zoo, swimming in our pool, siting in our hot tub, or playing games. We happily went to Rachel’s 3rd grade class “recorder” concert and to several of Nathan’s sporting events.

These times affirm our move to the state of Virginia. We’re truly so thankful for the increased time we have with these not-so-Littles.

Over Memorial Day weekend, we left the party briefly to attend two very special weddings of kids who grew up attending family camp with us in NE. Sadly, we had to divide and conquer in order to honor two families we love dearly, as one wedding was in MA and the other in PA.

Paul went north to celebrate the nuptials of Zach and Phoebe Brown and he was deeply moved by their God-honoring, Christ-centered ceremony. We’ve known Zach most of his life and have always been impressed with his servant-heartedness and his genuine pursuit of the Lord. Paul said it was obvious he had found a wife of like character, so the joy of the union was palpable.

I drove to the wedding of Logan Plosker and Matt Kraft, which was held just outside of Philadelphia. Logan’s parents, Ryan and Kelly Plosker, whose premarital counseling we did 26 years ago, are on our HIM board and are very dear friends. We’ve known Logan since her birth and it’s been such a joy to watch her grow into a woman with a deep heart for the Lord and character shaped by her convictions. Her now husband, Matt, is a strong man of God, and their friendship, which began when they served together at a children’s church camp when they were in middle school, has culminated in marriage. Their wedding was also very Christ-centered and beautiful and I was so happy to be there.

Paul flew into Philly after the Brown wedding to join me for the night, enabling us to attend the “morning after” family brunch with Kelly and Ryan and the rest of their families. We were so happy that worked out!

We drove from Philly to DC to meet up with Lisa and the kids at the National Zoo, and though it was very crowded on this beautiful Memorial Day weekend Sunday, we were entertained by many of the animals and all agreed it was well worth the effort.

Derek and Julie returned from Spain on May 26, refreshed and rejuvenated, and we celebrated their return with a Memorial Day cookout. It was a perfect ending to a fun and thankfully injury-free time with the Grands.

Lisa and I then focused on final preparations for our trip to Tanzania in the moments we weren’t counseling or doing HIM business. We’ve leaned heavily on her past experience, packing and preparing, and that’s raised the comfort and confidence level for both of us. We’re booked on a 7-day trek which will be led by the same tour guide she had in 2023. The company, Altezza, is the most highly-rated tour company in Tanzania and they place a very high value on keeping people healthy on the trip.

Now all that remains is actually hiking. I’d be less than honest if I didn’t admit that even as we fly to Tanzania, I’m 60% excited that this long-awaited plan has come to fruition, and still 40% terrified, most of that focused on the summit night. The plan is to hike the last four miles (which are the steepest and most rugged) starting at 10 pm (and under an almost full moon) and hopefully summiting at sunrise. This should happen June 7th-8th. The seven-day hike is 5 days up and 2 days down. We fly home the 12th.

All prayers will be appreciated. Seriously. For good, non-rainy weather. For no altitude sickness. For good health. For special strength on summit night.

Although I am experiencing a gamut of emotions regarding this adventure, from “I can’t believe we’re getting to do this!” to “Why did I ever think I could do this?” and everything in between, I am overwhelmed with gratitude that I have a fully supportive husband who has spent hours booking flights, doing research, and helping us gather everything needed and an amazing daughter who is not just willing, but truly joyful to do this with me.

Though I don’t really know what to expect, I have confidence that God will use this as much more than a challenging physical endeavor. I suspect it will have a lasting spiritual impact on me.

This trip reflects one of my life rules: “As you age, keep doing things that are beyond your comfort level to keep life from down-sizing around you.” I am so blessed to be healthy and active enough to even attempt this, and I’m absolutely sure this will stretch me and be uncomfortable at times. By His grace, I will march on.

All praise is His!

Six weeks ago today we returned from six weeks on the road . . . and these six weeks have been marked by a birthday, an anniversary, and a funeral, with a whole lot more in between each sacred event.

Our days at home after returning March 17 were brief, and included a day of counseling, haircuts, connecting with our kids/grandkids, and mowing the lawn.

And then we were off to California. Though it didn’t make logistical sense to have crossed the nation for three short days at home, it made heart sense.

So we did.

Our time in California was also very short. Speaking for the first ever marriage retreat for Windsor Christian Church (WCC), we spent the weekend in Hopland, CA, a tiny town just north of Santa Rosa. The quaint little town hosts a 100-year-old hotel, full of charming antiquity, and the surrounding wide open spaces seem a contradiction to the reality that Hwy 101 runs right through the town. We loved exploring the area by foot, taking extra caution when crossing to the other side of the highway.

Lance Wallace (senior pastor of WCC) and his wife Jill, along with Randy and Joy Hitchcock, worked together to make this event happen. Though conflicting schedules reduced the anticipated number of attendees, we had a wonderful time interacting with those who came and by all accounts, the Wallaces and the Hitchcocks were very pleased with the weekend. We were, too.

While there, we took advantage of being close to Santa Rosa and paid our dear, almost 101-year-old friend, Rosemary Dougan, a visit. She continues to amaze us!!

Back home from California, 4 days after departing—we spent only 3 days in Fairfax, before flying to Boston to speak for a marriage conference at Freedom Hill Church in Malden.

But first, the iconic DC cherry blossoms were inching towards peak, so after getting home on a late night flight Monday, we were up very early to drive in to DC for sunrise over the blossoms. Because rain was predicted the next two days, we made the “carpe diem” decision to win the sleep argument with our bodies, and proceeded at O-dark-30 to feed our souls.

And it was worth it. Even with an only partially visible sunrise and not fully opened blossoms, it was so worth it.

Back to the Freedom Hill Church marriage conference, we flew to Boston the 28th of March and were hosted by our dear friends, the Amicos, for our very brief stay. The conference was Friday night and Saturday until early afternoon, and we loved partnering with this church for the first time.

But though we were new to the church, we were not new to those planning the conference. The senior pastor and his wife, Anders and Christina Eliason, were in the Christian Marriage and Family class we taught at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary back in 1997, and Nick and Christine Saia, who organized the weekend, attended Engagement Matters over 20 years ago and have made a tradition of attending the HIM marriage conference annually.

Many of those who attended were connected with us in one way or another: engagement matters, marriage conferences, family camps, etc. It was a sweet reunion from decades of ministry and we were filled with gratitude and humbled by God’s faithfulness in producing fruit through the years. All praise is His!!

It just happened that the National Figure Skating Championships were being held in Boston that weekend, and Paul and Kate Wylie, longtime friends since attending Engagement Matters in 1999, asked for a meet up. We were so so happy to spend a bit of time with them and their daughter Emma.

March 30, we flew home from Boston (that still sounds strange) and spent the next week in Fairfax, largely to help Julie with the kids while Derek was on an international trip. We had some great jumps at “Flyzone,” enjoyed watching Nathan play football, and all around loved being home to catch our breath.

And then, back to Boston.

Yep!!

Friday night, the 11th, we spoke at Valley Chapel in Uxbridge on on a rainy-snowy early April night. The topic? Parenting! Though the group was small, they were interactive and very appreciative of our teaching. We love partnering with this church.

Engagement Matters was the main reason for this trip to Boston and though we shouldn’t have been surprised, we were all taken aback by the 5” of snow which fell during the night Friday and early into the day Saturday. Fortunately it didn’t stop the 12 couples from coming and we had a fabulous weekend interacting with these young, in-love couples. We were especially thankful for our serving team, starting with Matt and Beth Ide, who hosted the event, and Richard Hendricks, Carl and Cathy Blatchley, and Doug and Julie Macrae, who after an 11-year “sabbatical,” rejoined our teaching team. Their skit on marriage dynamics was very well received, as was the Ide’s presentation on finances.

We loved every minute of the weekend and are so thankful for HIM’s commitment to continuing to place a priority on this important ministry. We regularly hear from couples who even decades later affirm the value of their weekend experience.

Again by providential planning, we “happened” to be in town for the dedication of the memorial to fallen Massachusetts State Police Officer, Tommy Devlin, which happened on Tuesday the 15th. The Devlins have been in our lives since the early 90’s and were very involved in all aspects of HIM, so it was a devastating loss for all of us when in 2020, Tommy succumbed to injuries sustained when he was hit by a distracted driver in 2018. Paul was honored to do a benediction for the service and it was such a sorrowful joy to come alongside the Devlin family in this time of honor for their beloved father and husband.

While in Boston we received word that our very dear friend Don Hasselbeck had suffered a heart attack on April 10, and on the 14th, he was “walking with Jesus.”

Our grief has been profound, having developed a very deep relationship with Don and Betsy over the twenty years we partnered together, leading the NE Patriots’ Couples Study. We were honored to eulogize Don at his funeral on April 22. You can check that out here. It was so comforting to have time with our hosts, Grant and Emily Williams (who started the Patriots’ couples study in 1999), who live in the same neighborhood Don and Betsy moved in to in late Dec. 2024, as well as some very sweet time with Betsy. She is strong in the Lord and trusting Him in this time of unexpected grief.

Back from Nashville, it was a full court press to finish some Creative Memories albums in honor of Julie’s 40th birthday. If pictures paint a thousand words… sifting through hundreds of photos from the past 40 years filled my heart and mind with thousands of words, capturing delights too numerous to count. We have been so blessed.

Derek made a proper fuss in Julie’s honor, as my sister Laura and her husband David, Lisa, Paul and I joined the Johnson house for a 5-star dinner and festivities. It was a joyous evening.

And then, it was Easter!! A glorious spring day set the stage for the matchless glory of the resurrection and after a celebratory church service, we hosted Easter dinner at our home, followed by an energetic egg hunt in our backyard.

With Julie’s 40th, Easter Sunday, and Don’s funeral behind us, Paul and I turned our attention to celebrating our 49th anniversary on April 24. We’re both wondering how it is possible to be closing in on the half century mark of marriage, but calendars don’t lie. How grateful we are for the journey we’ve had together. In our wedding, Paul sang, “My Tribute” by Andre Crouch, which begins with, “How can I say thanks for the things you have done for me…Things so undeserved, yet you gave to prove your love for me…” We had no idea of how deeply true those words would reflect our life together back in 1976, but we do now. He is faithful!

A lot has been packed in to the past six weeks: a birthday, an anniversary, and a funeral…

As “My Tribute” continues, “To God be the glory for the things He has done.”

Amen!

We experienced the beauty of God both in the people and in the majestic redwood forest which hosts this great retreat center. A great start to a long journey!

The purpose of the trip to Oregon was two-fold: to spend some time with our dear friends and partners-in-ministry, Earl and Sandy Wilson, and to hang out with my sister Melissa and her crew . . . and happily, we were successful on both counts.

Earl and Sandy are co-authors with us and the Paulsons on the book Restoring the Fallen, which proposes the model of forming a “spiritual care team” around a couple whose marriage needs restoring after a major moral failure has happened. The book has been in circulation for almost 30 years now and continues to be a great tool for equipping those who would walk with those committed to redemption. Their marriage was the proving grounds for the concept of spiritual care teams and over thirty years later, their marriage continues to thrive and to be a beacon of hope for many.

Our visit with them didn’t turn out quite as we expected when Sandy received a call from her doctor soon after our arrival, directing her to go to the ER, based on lab work which revealed sodium levels out of range. It was a follow-up to her hospital stay earlier that week, so Paul immediately whisked her off to the hospital and I spent the next several hours visiting with Earl. In the end, we did get to catch up with them, very unconventionally. They both are experiencing health challenges not uncommon for 85-year-olds, but we’re so thankful they’re “still kicking” and God is still using them.

A two-hour drive after leaving the Wilsons, we joined my sister Melissa and her son and family in Otis, OR. Corey and Claire are the parents of 8 children, 7 of whom are at home (the oldest is married and mother of two). Corey serves as the pastor of Calvary Chapel of Lincoln City, and Claire is a full-time home-schooling mom. They all love and serve Jesus and it was a true joy to be with them. Our two days with Melissa went by far too quickly, but we managed to get a good walk in Depoe Bay, to visit Corey at his day job, and to visit with the whole family. We thoroughly enjoyed getting a peak into their lives and to fellowshipping with family with whom our hearts beat in sync.

We left chilly Oregon the 13th of February, and our next stop was Kona, HI. Bring on the palm trees!

Aaahh . . . the hypnotizing beauty of the sights and smells of this wonderful place washes over you the moment you step off the plane.

This was the beginning of 4.5 weeks in the Hawaiian islands, as we managed to string together speaking invitations on three islands.

I’m not exactly sure why I feel a need to affirm that we do a lot of work while we’re in the islands, but we do. :) Honest.

I’ll also admit that it would be hard to find a more lovely place in which to work, and the “non-working” times are very vacationesque.

Living Stones Church, Mokuaikaua Church, and Calvary Community Church collaborated and hosted a Valentine’s Marriage Conference, Feb. 14-15. The event started with dinner Friday night, followed by worship and a talk, and continued Saturday morning with breakfast and several talks. Calvary Community Church provided the space on their beautiful grounds and the sold-out, first-of-its-kind event was very successful on all levels. We were very thankful for the joint effort and hope there will be more in the future.

The next two weeks on Kona were filled with counseling (about 40 hours for Living Stones and another 10 for HIM), meeting up with friends who have become Ohana, hiking about 100 miles, and keeping our eyes glued to the ocean for humpback whale sightings. Unfortunately for us, when we were watching, they weren’t performing, but we were grateful to see some turtles, monk seals, and a few spouts.

Our time on Kona came to a close on March 1 and we flew over to Oahu to spend a week partnering with the Bible Institute of Hawaii. Rodney Wong is the director of BIH, and we’ve known him and his wife Miki since 1998 when they took our Christian Marriage and Family class at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. What a honor to continue this important relationship and to see how God is using them so powerfully on this island.

Our first evening in Oahu was spent at the Wongs’ home, where they hosted a group of about 30 to have an informal question and answer time on marriage issues. It was a great launch into our time on this island.

Sunday, March 2, we were privileged to speak at the Kalihi Union Church. Pastored by Jonathan Steeper, and assisted by Kendal Fong, pastor of connections, we loved being back at this church for the second year in a row. We spoke at all three morning services: a very traditional service at 7:15, an interactive service at 9 (we spoke for 20 minutes and then answered questions texted in for the next 20 minutes!), and a family service at 10:45. All three services were well attended and very responsive.

This church may be the most well-used facility we’ve seen. At least 13 different church bodies use the facility: a Tongan fellowship came in after our last service and a Japanese group at another time. A preschool, a Christian school, various Bible studies, recovery groups, etc., all use this place. On an average Sunday, 1500 people will come to a service at Kalihi Union Church. A very happening place.

We loved speaking on relationships to the Navigators group from U of H Manoa on Wednesday night. After we presented for about 45 minutes, this great group of students texted in thoughtful questions about this very important area. It was pure joy to be with them for the evening.

Friday night and Saturday we did a marriage conference at KUC. Though uncommon, 40% of those attending were single! Most encouraging to us was that of the singles, many of them were college students (invited by Rodney and Miki’s son Josiah!)…all stated they wanted to learn about how to prepare for a Christ-centered marriage. Yes!!

And off we were, for the 10th year in a row, to partner with the Kalaheo Missionary Church on Kauai. This annual event is underwritten by Global Algae Innovations (GAI), whose founder and CEO is Dr. Dave Hazlebeck, longtime friend through years of shared family camps. KMC generously hosts the event and invites us to fill the pulpit when we come.

We landed in Kauai Saturday night, March 8, and taught at church on Sunday morning. The congregation has truly become Ohana to us and we were warmly welcome by many familiar, friendly faces.

We were also greeted by our daughter Lisa, who was on spring break from her teaching schedule. The Hazlebecks graciously and generously included Lisa in our accommodations and events throughout the week.

This long six-week trip ended with this “lighter load” week, which included teaching at church, doing a day of counseling, putting on a “Game Show” event for Global Algae Innovations’ staff, and speaking for a marriage and parenting conference on the final Friday and Saturday.

In between, we did lots of hiking, turtle spotting, whale watching, and eating yummy food.

We wrapped up on Oahu Saturday the 15th at 1 pm and caught a flight back to Kona for one last hurrah. Kahu Kealoha Kaupua of Calvary Community Church invited us to teach at their Sunday service after we did the marriage conference at his church weeks before and we were delighted to accept the invitation.

And we’re so glad we did. It was a wonderful ending to an amazing 4.5 weeks in the islands, worshiping with a vibrant body of Christ at this church. The time of worship was alive and the time of teaching was as well. The congregation “talks back” and we love that.

At the end of that rich time with Calvary Community Church, we were off to the airport for our long flights home. Our tired bodies were lifted by the joy of having seen God work in ways only He can at every one of these opportunities we’ve had these past six weeks. Our hearts are full of gratitude for His faithfulness. We’ve met with a number of couples who, in the midst of struggling and seemingly hopeless marriages, have been met by God who has given them hope. We’ve had dozens of conversations with couples who were encouraged by the conference content and are committed to applying what they have heard. We have prayed with many, that God would give them the breakthrough they need.

From the majestic redwoods, to the swaying palm trees, we have experienced the power and beauty of God. How blessed we are. All praise is His.

Welcome to 2025!! We’re off and running in the new year and have so much to be thankful for as this quarter century year gets underway.

The first week of January found us in Oakland, CA, hanging out with our three grandchildren and daughter Lisa while Kari and Gabe attended a church planting pastors’ conference in Miami. Dog walking, bowling, walking to and from school, geocaching, and celebrating Lisa’s birthday filled our days and we delighted in having some extended time with the grands.

Before Gabe and Kari returned, we left the kids in Lisa’s care and flew to the Pacific NW for our annual date in Moses Lake and the now second annual conference at South Hills Church in Kennewick, WA.

It was such a joy to be back with Scott and Lisa Paulson, who lead this ministry in Kennewick. Scott served on our summer camp staff back in the 90’s and it is a testament to God’s faithfulness through the generations to partner with him now as a lead pastor. He and Lisa are being used mightily by the Lord in this dynamic church.

The marriage conference was Friday night, starting with dinner, and Saturday morning, ending just after noon. From newlyweds to couples married over 40 years, the spectrum of ages and stages was wide and we always feel that’s the sign of a healthy church. There was good interaction and the vibe was very positive.

After the conference ended, we had a yummy Thai food lunch with Scott and Lisa as well as with Scott’s brother Duke and his wife Amy. We’ve loved these guys since the early 90’s and are so happy for these moments of reconnection.

Paul preached at both Sunday morning services on “Thankfulness” and received many “that’s just what I needed to hear” comments following. It was so encouraging to be a part of this thriving congregation and to get even a small glimpse of how God is working there.

Sunday afternoon we left Kennewick in our rear view mirror and drove to Moses Lake, where we were welcomed in to the warm home of Mark and Sharon Blazer. Mark and Sharon have poured in to marriages for many years now, both at the Moses Lake Alliance Church and the Moses Lake Christian Church. With 53 years of marriage under their belts, their wisdom is real and impacting as they mentor a number of young couples, as well as help plan marriage events like the marriage conference.

Hosted by the Moses Lake Christian Church, and planned and executed by a team which included the Blazers, the Shucks, the Lawsons, and the Kernans, a church-wide “marriage night” was held Tuesday evening at the Moses Lake Christian Church. Lead pastor John Roberts emceed the evening and after a time of worship, we spoke on “Great Marriage: Harder than you thought; easer than you think.” The response was enthusiastic and thoughtful. We were so thankful for the evening.

A full counseling day, daily walks, dinner with Pastor John and his wife Sharlyn, and preparing for upcoming events filled Wednesday and Thursday, and then on Friday we headed to Camp Spaulding in Newport, WA, for the annual marriage retreat held at Clearwater Lodge. The facility is beautiful and offers both the comfort of a lovely hotel and the isolation of a retreat, complete with little internet and no TV’s.

This is the 18th year we’ve been honored to speak at this yearly event and our hearts have grown very deep for many of these dear folks. The weekend experience delivers on all levels: great fellowship, yummy food, and a marriage "booster shot.”

We flew home on Sunday, Jan 19, and were SO happy that the 12” of snow which fell Jan 6, the day after we left on this trip, was still around enough for a little sledding!! We sledded by ourselves one day (the kids were in school) and after school one day with Rachel.

We loved it! How fortunate we are to have a perfect sledding hill literally across the street from our house! Though we truly missed being home for the great snow fall, we were so happy that sub-freezing temps for the couple of weeks which followed preserved it . . . for us. :) We know we’re in the minority who feel that way.

We were home long enough to unpack, do laundry, begin baking cookies for the marriage conference, have a day of counseling, and then we were out the door for Sarasota, FL, on Thursday, Jan 23rd.

Before we got to work on Friday, we met up with our dear friend Yannette and caught up over lunch. It was a delight in every way, except missing her husband, Don, who was on a business trip.

For the fourth year in a row, we were honored to partner with the Sarasota Community Church. This Mennonite church has a 75-year history in Sarasota and is home to second-half of lifers. The ministry of discipleship and events is directed by a dear friend and former student from our days teaching at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Liz Baker Lane.

Friday evening, over 100 came out for a lovely dinner catered by “Der Dutchman Restaurant,” followed by us speaking on “Pursuing Unity in a Divided World.” Obviously there are challenges to unity from within our homes to the national and global levels, so there were many applications to the John 17 command: “that they may all be one, just as you Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

Several people related to us on Sunday that because of that talk, they had reached out to someone from whom they were estranged. So encouraging!!

We met with Dennis Bontrager, interim pastor, early Saturday morning, followed by meeting with the church board and the search committee. The time around the table was lively and honest and we helped them clarify what they’re looking for in their next pastor and how to find him. We thoroughly enjoyed our time together with this committed group and are praying with them as they continue the search.

Sunday morning we taught their adult Sunday School class on “Bearing Fruit during a Drought” and then taught at church on “Being Thankful.” It was so energizing to be in this full sanctuary, worshipping with just under 500, singing some of the great hymns of the faith. Definitely a throw-back feel.

After church, about two thirds of the congregation stayed for the “Carry-In” lunch which is their term for “Pot Luck”—which is also a “throw back” to church days gone by. It is so good for the soul to celebrate community together over a meal. Since studies tell us that loneliness is the most pervasive problem for most people, these events help to mitigate this very real issue, especially for this age and stage group.

When all was said and done, Liz drove us to the airport, but not until after having a DD (Dunkin’ Donuts) stop. And then, as we sat on the plane to take off, God painted the sky with an extraordinary kaleidoscope of color. A perfect ending to a great weekend!!

Home on the 26th, we wrapped up January with our annual HIM marriage conference. Monday through Wednesday, we baked like crazy people to fulfill our commitment to having 450 chocolate chip cookies ready to welcome our guests at registration (Paul’s job) and 850 cookies for our coffee house/concert “door prizes” Saturday night.

This is our idea. No one “makes” us do it and we both love baking to bless. We do have to strategically plan when we each get kitchen time since we share one single oven, one 6-qt Kitchen Aid mixer, and 3 Air Bake cookie sheets.

We manage quite well, and by the time we drove to Newport, RI, at 5 am on Thursday, the 30th, we had accomplished our task.

After 5 months of diligently planning, registering, and assembling a great team, the conference launched on Friday evening at 8 pm. We had 220 couples registered and 215 came (that’s 430 people!) and from the moment the first song was sung, the energy and vibe were electric.

Leading worship for us this year was a husband-wife team, Justin and Falon Unger, whom we had met at Forest Home last summer. We spoke on marriage and family and they (along with their 3 sons) led worship for the week. We were so impressed with their gift of leading us in worship, we wanted to share them with our New England village. Justin leads from the keyboard and together they sing from humble hearts. They upheld the tradition of the HIM marriage conference having great times of worship.

We also brought in, from Santa Barbara, CA, Davd Guzik, an amazing Bible teacher. We also met him at Forest Home last summer and were so impressed with his deep-dive teaching from scripture, we invited him to speak for the Saturday night plenary, as well as to offer two workshops. We were delighted to have him and his wife Inga-Lill with us.

Our remarkable team covered every base with excellence and competence. From decorations (thanks to Bill and Ann Fredericks who stepped in at the last minute and did a fabulous job), to registration, to workshop leaders, to tech people, to book table ministry, to packaging almost 1500 cookies, to emceeing, to liaising with the hotel, to worship, to teaching, the Lord met us at every turn and everyone used their gifts to the fullest—all to the glory of God. The team effort was palpable.

And what a great team it was!! Hailing from FL (the Metcalfs and the Watts), CA (the Ungers and the Guziks), PA (the Arnolds), MD (the Warrens), VA (us), NH (Becky Lecklider), MT (Jamie Phillips), and MA (pretty much everyone else). We were blessed by all of them, but it bears special mention to name Pat and Betsy Drumm, who at the end of last year’s conference, offered to help us out with tech stuff this year. They explained that they work in the industry and would love to volunteer themselves and their equipment for the conference.

And they did just that. They were both professional and excellent, and saved our ministry probably $1K by contributing the use of their equipment and running it. What a gift!!

So many did so much, but there were a few who did the lion's share of making this conference happen. Barbara and Guy Steele made sure that everything printed was done and collated for everyone; Richard Hendricks was “Johnny on the spot” for whatever was needed, pre-, post-, and during the conference. And Gabby Warren (and her wonderful husband Rob) worked tirelessly behind the scenes, registering, collecting, working with the hotel, interfacing with the conferees, and making sure that everything ran flawlessly.
And it did. We are so blessed beyond to have such amazing people in our lives.

Here are a few photos to fill-in the blanks:

A few comments from the evaluations:

"Thank you so much for putting all of this on. Being married only 5 months, we got a lot of tools to put in our tool box and are thankful to hear from such wise, godly voices throughout the weekend."

"Conference was great once again. Thank you for all the prayerful and purposeful planning. It really ministered to our lives and our marriage.”

"Our first time. Excellent. Exceeded our expectations."

"We are so thankful for this conference. We were invited several years ago and our son and daughter now come with us in addition to my husband’s team from work!"

"Well done! Paul and Virginia’s content is always current, thoughtful, loving, and comprehensive.”

"What a gift you have given married couples through the conference. Thank you!”

“David Guzic’s teaching was powerful and enlightening."

The worship team was fantastic. It's so rare to have a team actually lead worship and not fall into "performance-mode"; that is, the couples were led to the Lord and not to the team."

Thank you for the amazing, hard work that is poured into this event. It is incredible and has shaped the way we function as a team. We truly appreciate all that you do!!!”

As we’re “off and running in 2025,” we are bursting with joy and thanksgiving for all of the ways He moved among us and in us throughout this first month the new year. All praise is truly His and we are nothing but grateful.

A day after getting the Garcias off to return to CA, we drove north for HIM’s Engagement Matters Weekend, Dec. 7–8, and as is our pattern, we packed in as much as we could during those days in our beloved Northeast.

First stop, lunch with Gordon and Gail MacDonald. It was truly a joy to spend several hours with our now 40-year mentors and friends, and as is always true, we left inspired by their wisdom and life-on-life impact. How blessed we are to have such sages in our lives. As Gary Gaddini taught in a series years ago, we all need “pacers, racers, and tracers” in our lives: those ahead of us on the journey of life (racers), those running alongside us (pacers), and those following us (tracers). Gordon and Gail have been “racers” for us since 1985 and we are grateful for the gift of their “fingerprints” on our lives.

Friday night, the 6th, we had the privilege of partnering with the Arabic Evangelical Baptist Church again, continuing in their “Adam and Eve” series which focuses on strengthening marriages. It was our first introduction to their new pastor and his wife, Hady and Mary Hanna, and we are thrilled that the Hannas will lead this very important church in the next season. The evening was well attended and good interaction was had. We love this partnership and are always thankful when our schedules align.

Engagement Matters hosted 11 couples, most of whom were not yet engaged (our favorite time to have them at this conference: before the cement has dried around their decision to marry), and it will go down in the books as one of the most encouraging and affirming EM weekends ever. All eleven couples were fully committed to honoring the Lord, first in their lives and then in their marriages, and they came with open hearts and open ears. They asked great questions which revealed their deep desire to make the best decision regarding this most important commitment. We, along with our amazing team of Carl and Cathy Blatchley, Matt and Beth Ide, and Steve and Janet Hathaway, were pumped up by sharing the weekend with such a great group of wise and surrendered young people.

Especially encouraging to us was having Peter Halvorsen and his girlfriend, Allie, in attendance. Peter’s parents, Mark and Julie, had attended EM 25 years earlier and said since it was still impacting their marriage positively, they wanted their son to experience it. Very humbling.

In between events, we met up with numerous friends, having meals, taking walks, catching up. Though there’s never enough time to connect with everyone we’d like to, we filled our quota and drove back to VA with full hearts on Dec. 10th.

Counseling filled the balance of that Tuesday and most of Wednesday before we welcomed our dear friend, Helen, for her annual December visit on the 12th.

We could never get enough of Helen! Since 1979, when she served on our summer camp staff, she has been part of our family and we love adding to the memory bank each year when we’re with her.

This year was different only in that, if you’re tracking at all, you’ll notice that since Oct. 1, our days at home have been few and those at home have been shared with family and friends. Hence, as most of you will relate to, we were far behind in preparation for Christmas, which was 13 days away from when Helen arrived.

So, except for daily walks, a productive thrift store run, a church service and a Christmas concert, we were mostly homebound: sewing, decorating, baking, mailing packages, etc. As is true with “chosen family friends,” it really doesn’t matter what you’re doing as long as you’re together, and that we were. We made great progress on several fronts preparation-wise, and were all happy to have the break afforded by the incredible Christmas concert produced at Immanuel Bible Church that Sunday afternoon. That was made even more special by being joined by our neighbors and their son.

During Helen’s weekend, we were delighted to have a surprise visit from Lars and Bethany Nielsen and their four precious children as they made their way from a quick trip to North Caroline back to MA. We were so happy to catch up with them!

And all too quickly, we put Helen on a plane back to Albany, NY, but not before donning our matching Christmas sweatshirts that I made us over 30 years ago. Some traditions just won’t die…or wear out. :)

The last two “official” weeks of 2024 were full of fun. Lisa and I took Rachel and Nathan to “Skyzone” (a trampoline park) 5 times during that period to maximize use of the month-long passes we bought at the end of our Thanksgiving reunion. We had a blast each time we went, opening the place up by arriving just prior to 9 am and leaving by 10:30 am when a critical mass had filled the place.

We also decorated our annual gingerbread houses, went to the National Zoo during the day and returned for the “Zoo Lights” after dark, played lots of games, and celebrated Christmas together. What a gift to share these days together!

Now in the 13th month of 2024, the 53rd week of 2024 has been full of crazy weather, deconstructing Christmas decorations, having Rob and Gabby Warren join us for brunch in our home, and flying to CA to hang with our grandkids in Oakland while their parents attend a pastors’ conference. On the 9th of January, we fly to the Pacific NW to begin a five-and-a-half-month non-stop speaking schedule, and we are thrilled to get back in the saddle after three weeks of holiday activities. We are refreshed, healthy, and excited to see how God will meet and use us in the ministry opportunities lined up.

And now, I can put 2024 to rest. Reflecting on the year we’ve now turned the calendar page for the last time, we have so much to be thankful for. Certainly there have been hard times mixed among the good, but God has been with us through it all. And He will continue to be.

We are very excited to see how.

Welcome 2025!

Seven weeks ago, we were in Kona, partnering with Living Stones Church and Mokuaikaua Church … and if time has wings, they flapped at an unprecedented rate, flying us right into 2025 before I made the time to bring closure to 2024.

I have therefore decided that we’re currently in the 13th month of 2024.

Does anyone else feel like they blinked and Thanksgiving and Christmas ran a footrace to the finish line?

I know that theoretically (and in reality), each day still has 24 hours and each week is comprised of 7 of those 24-hour periods, bur experientially, it sure feels like time has been downsized.

Be that as it may, Nov 12 we flew back to Kona and spent the next 11 days counseling, meeting up with dear friends, and speaking at the Mokuaikaua Church. Each day started with our 5-mile walk at 5:30 am, and a few days we managed to hike, snorkel, or swim. We also spied on the “Beaver Full Moon” at 3 am and we took in as many sunsets as possible. Our time was productive and gratifying and we continue to be so grateful for this opportunity to pour into this community, which has become “Ohana” for us.

As the sun set on our days in Kona, and we boarded our red-eye back to Fairfax, we left with hearts full of gratitude for the many ways we saw God working in and through us. Each time we’re back, our relationships with many grow deeper and more authentic. What a privilege to link arms with this wonderful community.

We arrived home Monday, the 25th, and the Garcia gang arrived Tuesday for our (sort of) annual Thanksgiving reunion.

Let the party begin!!

Our days were full of talking, playing, laughing, games (indoors and out), eating, playing and watching football, thrifting, jumping (trampoline park), walking, and worshiping together. The five cousins are besties and find endless ways to invent fun, so laughter and noise fill the airwaves and bring smiles to the faces of the older set. We couldn’t be more thankful for these times together.

All too quickly the days ran out and both Lisa and the Garcias boarded planes back to CA. Silence seeped in to the walls that had hosted (mostly) joyful strains for 8 days, left-behind articles were found and tucked away for our next trip west, beds were remade and laundry tended, and order was restored. As nice as it was for this ESFJ personality to have all things “back where they belong,” I’d rather have the happy chaos any day. A quiet well-ordered home doesn’t create the memories of a home filled with the lively interaction of those we love the most.