Church, Family and Medical

The past couple of weeks have been full. On Sunday, July 22, we decided to visit the House of Faith Open Bible Church here in Des Moines.  When Pastor Sheila saw us walk in, she welcomed us and asked us to share a few words during the service.  We did so and then to our surprise, they took an offering for us!  It happened to be that Pastor Sheila's birthday was the week before, so we were invited to join the congregation and celebrate with cupcakes after church.  Thanks House of Faith!

Mike sharing at House of Faith

 Last Wednesday, we were invited to share a little bit about our ministry at the First Church of the Open Bible prayer meeting here in Des Moines.  It was a joy to be able to share with these prayer warriors who not only faithfully ask God to help and bless us but also give generously to our ministry. They also surprised us by taking an offering for our ministry. Thank you, First Church!

The next day, as Nancy was taking her power walk, she tripped over a crack in the sidewalk and fell, breaking off her front tooth and scraping her face.  Thanks to her sister and brother-in-law, Nick and Leona Venditti, she was able to see a dentist right away who repaired the damage with two root canals and two crowns.  She is doing much better now and is healing quickly. Praise God!

Shawn and Sammy

Friday evening, we were surprised when our son Mark, his wife Nadine and their youngest child Elysha arrived.  They live in Montana, but decided to come to Des Moines for the wedding reception of our great-niece Sammy and her new husband Shawn.  They didn't let us know they were coming so it would be a surprise.  It was so wonderful to see them and spend a little time over the weekend with them.

Saturday was the above-mentioned wedding reception of Sammy and Shawn. When we greeted Sammy, she introduced us to her new husband and told him about the two weeks she had spent with us in Hungary as a teenager, a time we remember fondly also. Paul and Kate and Levi, our son and his family from Minnesota, came down for the day and so we had a great time visiting with them and with all of the family who came for the reception.

Paul and his family returned to Minnesota on Saturday, but on Sunday we again gathered with the family who remained in Des Moines for more food and conversation.  Then later that afternoon, Mark and Nadine flew back to Montana.

The extended family ate together at Pizza Ranch

 Monday afternoon, Mike went to the dermatologist who removed a section of skin from his right arm due to basal cell cancer.  The procedure was successful with the only downside being the doctor's orders that Mike not play golf for a week or so to allow it to heal.

We thank God for his goodness to us this week, for generous, loving church family, for allowing us to see our extended family, and for the healing and protection he has given us.

More Family Visits

The last couple of weeks we have attended the US Inste Conference, visited our son and his family in Michigan, visited the Ark Encounter in Tennessee, and been given a car to use while we are in the US.
On June 29 and 30 we attended the US Inste Conference and Graduation.  Many people saw the conference online, but we were able to attend in person and had a wonderful time connecting with old and new friends.

Drs. Nick and Leona Venditti with the Inste Level 2 graduates who were able to attend the ceremony.

The following Monday, we drove to Ypsilanti, Michigan to spend a few days with our son Matt, his wife Mandy and their two-year-old daughter Lucy.  It was so good to give them all hugs and kisses.

We went to the Detroit zoo and watched as Lucy was enthralled by the animals.

On our way back to Des Moines, we drove four hours out of our way to spend a day at the Ark Encounter, an amazing attraction in Tennessee.  They have built a life-size Noah's Ark according to the description given in the Bible.  Inside are displays explaining how all the necessary animals could have been housed and fed in the ark, how eight people could have cared for them, and what life was like before and after the Flood.  It was fascinating.

Mike at the Ark Encounter

When we returned to Des Moines, we continued to prepare for itineration. We were very blessed when Nancy's sister and brother-in-law, Nick and Leona Venditti, sold us their older car for $1.  We will be putting many miles on it in the coming months visiting churches.  Thank you, Nick and Leona! 

Mike putting the new license plates on our car.