Goodbyes

Goodbyes are not easy.

Our good friends, Rich and Carolyn, were leaving Kansas to go to California.

We had just said goodbye to our dear friend, Helen, and now Carolyn too?

Our Bible study decided to throw a farewell party.  We had thought at first to just go out to eat like we had with Helen, but then realized we had to include Rich and our husbands also.

So a potluck was planned at church with our Bible study, their small group and a few others.

I suggested we do a sunflower theme since they were leaving our fine state and the Kansas flower is the sunflower.

I found this cute idea on Pinterest.

I took an atlas that I had, and copied all the states they will drive through from Kansas to California.

 The mailbox was used to place our cards in.

 Another Pinterest idea.  Rich and Carolyn have spent hours packing up their house.  Selling furniture and giving much away in order to down size.

One dish I brought was from things I raided from Carolyn's pantry.  She called us over to help her clean it out.  When I found the exact ingredients I needed for this recipe, I knew I would have to make it!  I modified it a little, by cutting up the cake into squares, and making it more like a dump cake.

Pig Pickin' Cake (by Donna Swart, a missionary friend from Ethiopia)

1 yellow cake mix

1/2 cup oil

1 small can mandarin oranges with juice

4 eggs

Mix above ingredients well with beater for 3 min.  Bake in round greased and floured cake pans for 20 min. at 350.  Once cooled, cut each layer in half.  

1 large container coolwhip

1 large can crushed pineapple with juice

1 3oz. box instant vanilla pudding

1 cup coconut

Stir until well mixed and ice cake with it.  Keep refrigerated.  Makes a 4 layer cake.

Once the guests of honor arrived we began to fill our plates with delicious food! 

 Jaxon knows just what he wants to eat!

 When people had their fill of food, Rich was asked to share about their upcoming plans.

And of course we had to have music!!

 We were so happy that their daughter-in-law from California flew out to help them this last week.

 Rich is an excellent pianist and we will miss his playing so much!  He honored us with a selection.

 Several shared some thoughts and memories.  I knew I just couldn't without breaking down.  (And Carolyn will tell you that later on I broke down sobbing!)  We closed with laying hands on them and praying for them as they go onto their new adventure.  This farewell is an answer to a few years of prayer but now that God has answered that prayer, we are all sad.  Yet rejoice also, because they get to go live with their sons and families!!

We were sad that several were not able to come.  It took 25 e-mails to finally nail down this one date that worked for most.  And we probably left out some people who would have loved to have also shared this farewell.  We're sorry if that is the case.  

Farewell, Rich and Carolyn!  You have been such an inspiration to us!!

 

Remember our trip to Gypsum Hills and Sun City?

God's richest blessings to you!

Assos, Turkey, part 2

On Paul's final missionary journey, he walked from Alexandria Troas to Assos, about a 20 mile walk (see Acts 20).  Here he met his companions, who had gone ahead of him by sea.  How very neat to spend the night where Paul sailed from.  

As we were leaving the harbour of Assos, peddlar women came to sell us various things.

We took the shuttle busses to our regular bus and it took us to the top of the hill to the town of Assos, overlooking the Aegean Sea.


 On the way up, we stopped to see an ancient theatre.

Aristotle, the great philosopher taught in Assos for 3-4 years.  Alexander the Great conquered this area.  There is so much history here!

The necropolis, or cemetary, was placed by the road that led into a city.  This paved road dates to the 6th century.  Paul likely entered through the gates up ahead.

   

These walls were constructed by the Greeks in the 4th century

There are numerous Roman tombs. The earlier tombs from the Persian era are unadorned, unlike the Roman tombs.

We continued on up.  More peddlars met us as we came off the bus.

 Shops lined the road as we climbed to the top of the hill.

 It began to drizzle and the steep stone road was becoming quite slick.

Here is a model of the temple of Athena that used to sit on this hilltop.  You can just imagine coming into the harbour and seeing this huge, impressive temple at the top.  It doesn't say that Paul spoke to the people here, but often he did speak about their worship of false gods.  He was beaten and chased out of many of those towns.

 Windy!

 The harbour of Assos below

 We began our descent down, slipping and sliding all the way.

 

We came upon this little shop.  I loved it!