~Deputation in PA and TN~

This post is the last of our deputation pictures from Deputation 2009! We had 3 more services, but I have already posted about those before Christmas.
~In October, On the way to a service in York, PA...we were so glad that it worked out for us to get together with our friends the Doug Hoffmans. We had only met one time at IHC in April 2005, but we had kept in contact with each other through email, blogs, and phone calls. They are missionaries to Dominican Republic. Here are our kids and theirs.~
~Kim and I. We put together breakfast. Then they treated us to pizza for lunch (and wouldn't let us pay half=) and let us park our motorhome at their home, shower, and do some laundry. We really enjoyed getting to catch up on each other's lives.~
~Doug and Phillip sharing good ideas on ministry, teaching material, etc.~
~The Doug Hoffman family and ours at Penn View Bible Academy playground.~
~Next we went to Jeff and Rebecca Paulus' house and really enjoyed some time with them. On Wed. night, Nov. 18th, we had a service at their church. Here Jeffery is giving our kids and his brothers and sister a ride in their wagon.~
~Here is a picture of Rebecca Paulus and I. Some people have thought that Becca and I look a lot alike. When my Mother-in-law, Sherry Dickinson, first saw me at GBS, she asked me what in the world was I doing there? I told her I was coming to school. She said that I was supposed to be married and living in PA! She thought that I was Rebecca. =D Little did she know, that I would end up marrying her son. =) It was fun being with Rebecca. We played Christmas songs on the piano and keyboard together, had nice chats, and she is the one that gave me the adorable children's sled that I used to decorate with at Christmas time! ~
~Eating a yummy meal with the Pauluses.~
~Rebecca called me a few days before we got to their house and told me that on Thursday morning, there would be a reinactment of the Gettysburg Address. That date marked an Anniversary of the Gettysburg address in Gettysburg, PA. So, she and her kids and our family went to it and enjoyed it. Here is their Katie and our Elijah trying not to get wet.~
~Some ladies dressed up~
~"Abraham Lincoln" speaking.~
~"Abraham Lincoln" sitting in the middle with the tall hat.~
~The Paulus kids and ours.~

~After we left Gettysburg, PA, we were VERY EXCITED...for we were driving to Tennessee for a service and to spend time with my Grandmother (My Mom's Mom) who had nearly died back in June/July! We really enjoyed getting to spend time with her and Uncle Dan, Aunt Carole, the Hobbs, my cousin Esther, and others.~

~The Hobbs, Uncle Dan, Aunt Carole, and our family enjoyed a delcious meal and a fun time of fellowship at Cracker Barrell.~
~Mr. Jim and Mrs. Sheryl with Elijah.~
~Kimberly and Cody shooting checkers across the room with the Jack in the boxes. =)~
~Phillip got this precious picture of GG having her devotions! Thank the Lord that GG and Pop Pop found Jesus years ago...for it has made all the difference in all of our lives!~
~My cousin Esther, Myself and Elijah, Aunt Carole, and GG in GG's kitchen!~
~On Sunday morning November 22nd, we went to Uncle Carson and Aunt Linda's church for a service. Martha and Larry were in town so it was so fun to be with them as well as Uncle Carson, Aunt Linda, and Jeff and Susan and boys! Here is a picture of all of our kids except one who was sleeping!~
~Martha, Heather, and Susan.~
~Uncle Carson and Little Elijah.~
~Sunday night, we had a service at GG's church in Tenn. Were we ever SHOCKED when the Ryans walked into our service. They are the ministers of music at our Christian Nation Church in Ohio. They had been down in Tenn. for the weekend and thought it would be fun to surprise us. They did just that! =) Steff, (and Jessica), Heather, and Esther.~
~Phillip and Rob Ryan.~
~In May 2005 our family moved down to Costa Rica to study Spanish for one year! It was a very stressful year with having 3 children (Noah was 16 months), homeschooling Kimberly, and both Phillip and I going to school full time to learn Spanish. The Lord really helped us. We had been there about 4 months and had had our share of culture shock, and missing home, when we got the very exciting news that a couple that we had met were coming down to Costa Rica to study Spanish also. It was Zack and Sarah (Rundell) Robberts. Sarah, of course, had been raised speaking Spanish, but did take a few classes as well.) They and our family soon became fast friends and shared many a Sunday dinner, went on fun outings, went to church each Sunday together, and made wonderful memories spending Thanksgiving and Christmas together. (Neither Sarah nor I had ever cooked a turkey, so we learned together. =) Then in December, we all had to leave Costa Rica to renew our visas, so we made a very memorable trip to Bocas Del Torro, Panama. All that to say, that we parted ways in May 2006, when we came back to the USA to gather our things and move to Colombia, and they finished schooling and headed to Hondurus. We had not seen each other since then. So, it was a DELIGHT to get to be together again with "Uncle Zach and Aunt Sarah" at Daddy and Moma's house this past Thanksgiving time. We enjoyed many laughs...remembering that 8 months that we had spent together in Costa Rica. =D~
~On December 1st, we cleaned out and cleaned up the nice motorhome that the DeMints had graciously loaned us and took it back to them. Here is their Joanna and our children playing for a few minutes while we said our Thanks. Then since it was LATE, we said our goodbyes and headed back to Goshen, OH.~