~The Last of our travels before we got to AZ~

THANK YOU for your prayers!  We can tell y'all must be praying. 
Yesterday we pulled out of Dad and Mom's driveway in Phoenix, AZ, at 5:00 A.M. with the church van and we were pulling a trailer. Because of the trailer we had to go at a slower pace.  Our goal was Oklahoma City by that night.  We made our goal...only we arrived at 2:45 THIS MORNING!
So we were in the van for about 22 hours STRAIGHT!!!! =( WHEW! 
Were we ever HAPPY to go to bed. =)
After a nice but short night's rest, we met our dear friends Darrell and Liz Stetler for breakfast this morning.  We had a great time together...pics to come later. =)
As Phillip put our things in the van this morning, he was very concerned that the 2 front tires were so worn!
So, we spent most of our day today in Oklahoma City getting 2 new tires on the van and getting it aligned.
 We are VERY THANKFUL to Jesus for His protection yesterday, as He has done in all of our traveling!! 
A blow out with a trailer on the interstate could have been fatal! 
Now, we are heading back home to Ohio, though we won't get there as soon as we had planned. =(
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED PRAYERS!!!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~Obviously, after reading the above story, you realize that we travel some LONG hours in the van. So our kids are always THRILLED when we can stop and let them stretch their legs at a park.~

~Then we got to El Dorado Springs, MO and met our cousins, the Burleys, at a park. Their church was very gracious to let us stay in their mission house for a few days.~

~While in MO we got to spend some time with our friends the Rimas again!  They are the family who have adopted 14 Colombian children, and one from the USA.  Here we are in her nice kitchen.~

~We met this family back on our 2009 deputation and since then the Rimas have visited us twice in Colombia.  It was so fun to see them and all of these dear Colombian children again!

~Phillip snapped a picture of this picture of their children running across the field.
We had such a delightful time with them and a yummy meal.~

~Then our cousins the Burley invited us over for a yummy meal and lots of fun!~

~We were so happy that Mark's parents came to visit during that time.~

~Yours truly, Jana, and Aunt Alberta.~

~Uncle Nate and Aunt Alberta.~

~Mark and Phillip.~

~On Sunday morning, June 2, we had a mission service at Mark and Jana's church.
Jana led the kids in some children's choruses and I played the piano.
When she asked Elijah what chorus he wanted to sing he piped up and said, "JINGLE BELLS!!"  =D~

~Sis. Rima (Mother who adopted all of those precious Colombian children) and I.~

~The Colombian children and some of our children and Mark and Jana's girls.~

~Jana and I.  We love Mark and Jana so much and had a very enjoyable time with them and their family.  They were a HUGE blessing in helping us load up the van. (The Rimas had given us some FUN antiques, so those made loading the van more complicated. =) ~

~Kelsey, Sarah, Kimberly, and Kara.~

~Our boys and theirs.~

~Then we went to Ft. Scott, Kansas for the Sunday evening service to be with our dear friends Mark and Kathyrn Stetler.  Mark asked Phillip to preach for him that night and we sang a couple specials. We really enjoyed getting to see them and their kids and spend Sunday night and Monday with them.~

~Kathyrn served us some very delicious food!~

~On Monday we just took some time to hang out with them and play games and ride horses.~

~My sweet and hilarious friend Kathyrn and I.  Kathyrn and I (along with Esther) worked for Bro. Wolf in the GBS music department.  Here's a funny story/memory that Kathyrn and I ENJOY!!!
The first G.B.S. picnic that Mark asked Kathyrn to, they and Phillip and I hung out together the whole day.  Mark and Phillip decided to rent a row boat for the 4 of us.  
Phillip was rowing...when I whispered to Kathyrn that we should sneak the anchor down.  So, we slipped the anchor over the side and down WITHOUT BEING NOTICED!  
Then Mark began to notice that even though Phillip was rowing...we were going NOWHERE!!  
So, Mark said something like, "Phillip, you don't even know how to row...for we aren't even MOVING, give me those oars!" 
Mark grabbed the oars and began to FURIOUSLY row....only to discover that we STILL weren't going anywhere.  
Kathyrn and I were about to fall off the back of the boat laughing and finally confessed that we had put the anchor down.  =) =) =)~

~Sarah and her new friend.~

~We have fun memories of our time with the Stetlers!!~

~Then on Tuesday morning we headed to Witchita, KS area and stayed with our dear friends the Reilenders.~

~They let our kids ride their 4-wheeler and go-carts. =) ~

~On Wednesday, Jodie surprised us by wanting to take us to a hands on type zoo called, "Tanganyika."  It was so fun for our kids to get to pet and feed the giraffes.~

~Jodie and her kids and Me and ours.~

~Feed some birds.~

~And pet the kangaroos.~

~And some kangaroos even had baby joeys in their pouches.~

~And they got to feed a ring-tailed Lemur.~

~Then that night we had a pot-luck dinner and a house service at their house and had a very nice time together.  Before the people left that night they gathered around our family and had a sweet season of prayer.~

~Then on Thursday we drove toward New Mexico where we would have a mission service on Friday night and stay over Sunday with our good friends Darrell and Missy Underwood. 
This day was our 18th wedding anniversary.  Here we were holding hands and listening to an old Steve Green song, "Cherish the Treasure."  We were unaware that Sarah snapped this fun picture of us holding hands.  =) ~

~I'd CHOOSE Phillip ALL OVER AGAIN!  He's WONDERFUL!!!  We have such a fun time in life...praying together, laughing together, talking together, raising our family together, ministering together, etc.~

~Here are the kids singing in our mission service on Friday night in Darrell and Missy's new church they just opened in New Mexico.~

~This was a tough weekend for me, for that it when I learned that my sweet Moma had just had her light stroke!!  I cried a lot that weekend!
The Underwoods had a cute chalkboard sign welcoming our family to their house.  ~

~I think Missy and I are kindered spirits.  We both LOVE to make our own bread and bake TONS, love antiques and got to go antique shopping together, love being a wife and Mommy, etc. I really enjoyed getting to visit with her that weekend.~

~Then Darrell and Missy loaned us their fun convertible to go out on a date for our 18th.~

~Phillip took me to a fun Mexican restaurant.  It was a yummy time.  =) ~

~Then for dessert, he took me to get a homemade shake at one of the family owned old drive-in diners there in Clovis, NM.  ~

~On Sunday morning we got to join Darrell and Missy for their first official service in their new church that Jesus has helped them to open.  ~

~It was a very special service and Jesus helped Darrell as he preached.~

~Missy and I again.~

~A friend, and Cheyanna, and Sarah.  Sarah and Darrell and Missy's Cheyanna are twins separated at birth.  =) ~

~Darrell took Phillip, and our 3 youngest kids on a fun ride in his car too.~

~Darrell and Phillip attended Kindergarten together at Gospel Center church school in Phoenix, AZ.  They later attended GBS together too.~

~One last fun picture of Cheyanna and Sarah.  We had a super fun weekend with Darrell and Missy and their family!!  Thank you, Underwoods, for the very nice time, yummy food, great place to stay, etc. =) ~