Connections

I have found so many connections recently.  It is truly a small world!  Here are a few.

Our friends, Loren and Lynn went with us to see Allen's first cousin in Missouri. 

 

Side note:  We traveled "Mennonite style".  Perhaps you've not heard that term.  In the old days, in our Mennonite churches, the men would sit on one side of the church and the women on the other.  I guess it isn't too long ago as Al remembers it when he was growing up.  So, when we sit men in the front and women in the back, we call that "Mennonite style".

There are probably many churches that still do that.  The gypsy church we attended in Romania did.

Back to connections:  When Loren and Lynn moved from Colorado to Kansas, they ended up in our church.  And also in our small group.  We can't recall how we figured out the connection they had with Al's cousin, Howard Wayne.

Perhaps it was when we heard they were from Castle Rock and we mentioned that Allen's cousin was from there.  Or it could be that they heard Allen was from Pretty Prairie and they knew that Howard Wayne was also from Pretty Prairie.  At any rate, we found out that Al's cousin just happened to be very dear friends of Loren and Lynn!!  

We drove through the Flint Hills across the state.

We made a stop at Fort Scott to stretch our legs.   Established in 1842, it played a role in keeping Missouri settlers and native American tribes separated.  After Kansas became a state in 1861, the fort played as a critical base of support for Union soldiers fighting around the area and also played a major role in patrolling the Missouri-Kansas border.  

"The blood that flowed in Kansas before and during the Civil War nourished the twin trees of liberty and union."

We met Cousin Howard Wayne and his wife Mary Ann in Nevada, Missouri.  They met us at a Chinese restaurant called Chinese Chef.  It was really good and filling!

After we checked in to our hotel in Lamar, we drove to the country to their beautiful home.  They moved here in 2008.  They were tired of Colorado traffic.  The Denver area has grown so much over the years.

Howard Wayne told us that this was his buggy when he was a little boy.  And that Allen's mother used it for Allen's siblings too.

I think this is it?

I tend to be afraid of dogs in general, but I also tend to attract them!  This one didn't scare me.

What a good time visiting and catching up!  When they lived in Colorado, they went on many trips together including Hawaii and an Alaskan cruise where they shared a cabin!  And they even started a church together.  Their kids played together a lot!  Loren and Lynn knew them more than Allen knew his own cousin.  Howard Wayne was enough older.  He still remembers when Allen's mother still lived at home, before she was married.

The next day we spent the day together.  Mary Ann fixed a delicious home-cooked meal for lunch!

She took us to a Horse and Buggy Mennonite store.

Lynn taught us a new game called Qwirkle.

Their son and his family came to visit.

We told stories and family lore.  Howard Wayne had not heard the story about Grandma suing Fidel Castro.  Mennonites do NOT sue!  You should have seen his jaw drop when we told him of the papers we discovered.  It was a class action law suit against Fidel for taking over the sugar plantations when he took over Cuba.  Grandma had stock in them.  Of course, nothing came of it.  And hopefully, as a Christian, she forgave and didn't become bitter.

Jason shared a story about Loren and Lynn's son inviting a neighbor kid to Awana Clubs.  The little boy ran home to ask his mommy if he could go to the "Marijuana Clubs."

On Sunday, we visited their church.  Such a very friendly church!

"Sunday is the beginning of a fresh new week.  How good to start it with worship!"

After church we had lunch (pot roast!) back at the house.  Jason didn't know if he could make it, but he got off work in time.

I asked him "If everyone on the highway is going 80, do I go the speed limit, or stay with the group."  He said it was safer to stay with the group.  A slow vehicle can cause an accident.  Of course, that doesn't translate spiritually, does it.  If everyone is sinning in some fashion (stealing, etc), it is not okay to think we can sin too.

We took off for home after a nice visit.

A stop at Braums for supper.

Some more connections:

The next day, we housed a couple who were missionaries in Japan. We were asked by someone if we could put them up as our basement is often used as a sort of B&B for people.  

And here is a connection.  She had gone to the same school I had, but I didn't know her as she was much younger.  We were even at our school reunion in San Diego in February, but don't recall visiting.  

A few weeks earlier, we were asked to house a couple who'd been imissionaries in Nepal.  When this couple learned that I grew up in Japan, they told me they knew of one couple who were missionaries there.  They asked if we happened to know the Mays (the couple from Japan pictured above).  They went to missions school together!  Another connection!

I also had lunch in Hutch that week with a group of us with Japan connections!  So many interwoven stories!

I attended a funeral this week of a man in our church.  His son gave the sermon and I found out he is an uncle to our nephew's wife.  And another connection, he performed the wedding ceremony for our friend in Japan!  WHAT?  

"To think that God has predestined my days,

        that He has planned my life in advance,

    that He has chosen me from before the creation of the world

             to be His child,

        that He is in control of all that happens,

and that He is working out everything in conformity

        with the purpose of His will -

what a truth and what an encouragement!"

                        "The Promise", Robert Morgan

                                    Acts 17:26,27