The week in between East and West

It was good to get home!  

(One of my room-mates from highschool in Japan painted our home for us.)

My shoulders were pretty sore.  It was a long drive from Virginia!   But it was good to get Ruth moved into her new place.  I had one week at home before it would be time to go to the west coast!

There were guests in our home.  They had come while I was away.  They had stayed with us before so knew what to expect.  We often use our home to house ministry workers or parents/relatives of those from our church.  We have a comfortable, finished basement with kitchenette.  They come and go as they will.  They stayed for several days, although I didn't see them until they were ready to leave for their next speaking engagement.  It was good to hear how God was using them.

I attended our women's conference at church on Friday evening and Saturday.  It was called Hold Fast and our speaker was Teasi Cannon.  She had a part in the book "Mama Bear Apologetics".

Allen and I attended the funeral of the mother of our friend Steve.  Our parents were both missionaries in Japan.  Two of Steve's sisters went to school with me in Tokyo and I would see them again in less than a week when I went to my Christian Academy in Japan all-school reunion (and our 50th class reunion) in San Diego.  It was a very inspiring celebration.  She had a big impact of many lives!

Sunday morning we watched our son-in-law's church service.  We usually do that first service and go to our church for 2nd service.

Our grandddaughter was on the worship team.

At church I met someone new and found out that I know her sister who is a missionary in Japan!  I love making connections.

Jack spoke on Luke 7.  I LOVE how he brings out 1st century culture to explain the passage!

After church, we had small group which is so special!  We took afternoon naps and went back to church for Worship Night.  So good!!  

I love this song.  Am I willing to praise Him when things are not going well?

The eagle visited our neighborhood again!  

In the evenings, I took walks with Allen and also with my neighbor Francesca.  We walked over to see the new development.

I had Bible study with our young moms on Wednesday and we watched a video on marriage.  In Genesis 2:18, "The Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper suitable for him.'"  The word "helper" is the word "ezer."  It is a strong word.  Also used as military term of reinforcement without which the battle would be lost.  "Come under, defender, supporter."  I love that!

We packed for our trip to San Diego.  We always do carry-on only.  Sometimes it is a challenge to pack it all in!  I needed enough for our reunion and also I would be spending several days with my daughter and granddaughters in Denver!  This is why I love to drive!  I can STUFF the car full!!  

West coast, here we come!!

Bookin' it home

After leaving Lewisburg, West Virginia, we headed toward Beckley where we stopped for the night.  I discovered that my wallet was missing!  A call to the coffee house back in Louisburg confirmed that I left it there.  Oh man.  That meant we would need to backtrack the next day.  At least only an hour.  If we hadn't been too tired, we could have continued on another couple of hours.  Then we would have had to backtrack 3 hours!!!

"All things work together for good..." Romans 8:28   The Lord allowed it for some purpose.  Maybe one day we will know why.

The next morning we got back on the road and headed back EAST to Lewisburg.  At least it is a really is a pretty drive through the Allegheny mountains!  We had a sweet time of devotions and prayer on the way.

When we got to Lewisburg, we went to the coffeeshop and the workers gave me my wallet.  All money intact and so far no charges on cards.  Thank you, guys!!!

 

It was real tempting for me to want to stick around for the antique shop to open so I could pick up that one sweet doll whose eyes are weighted and close when she lays down.  She looked similar to the one above, except she had a bonnet.  BUT we were going to need to skedattle!

Infact, a look at the weather app showed that snow was headed to Wichita and we would need to book it going back home!!

We drove back the way we came and on to some road that took us by a river.  Allen texted and asked me if we were swimming.  Life360 had us IN the river.

Charleston, capitol of West Virginia.

Our GPS told us to get off of Highway 64 at Milton.  We weren't sure why.

This motorcycle guy talked to us at a gas station.  He saw us looking at our atlas.  "Are you lost?"  We told him we wondered why our GPS wanted us to get off.  He told us there was a very bad accident.  He said we could follow him. 

Then  GPS had us getting off on another road.  So we decided to trust it.

Should we have trusted her?

Sometimes the road was not wide enough for 2 cars to pass.

We drove through Daniel Boone National Forest. The day before we'd been through George Washington & Jefferson National Forest. And later on we'd go through the Mark Twain National Forest.  Too bad we wouldn't be able to explore and camp out!

At Barbourville, it had us getting back on 64.  There was no traffic coming from the east, which meant that the traffic was still tied up with the accident.  Guess we did the right thing.  AND, we saw some country we will never see again ever, probably!  It was real back woods.  

I was driving when Ruth took this picture.  Looks like a castle!  She didn't mention it.  I just saw it when I loaded pictures up!

We made it all the way to Paduka, KY that evening!  It got dark right before we got there.  I am not supposed to drive after dark (blind eye messes with depth perception) so Ruth drove for 45 minutes until we got to the hotel.  I'd picked one out that had a pool so I could do laps!  I was the only one in the pool.  It was soooo nice to swim!

The next morning, we were up early and on the road by 7.  

Allen and I had come this way last year on our way home from Anna Maria Island.  You drive from Kentucky over the bridge into the tip of Illinois, then onto another bridge into Missouri.  All in a matter of minutes!

We made a stop at a historical marker to read about a civil war battle here.  I had been driving and we switched places.

Ruth was thirsty for a Sonic limeaid drink so we pulled off at some town along the way.

I can now officially say I've had ice-cream for breakfast.

At Mountain Grove we pulled off to switch drivers again and to stop for lunch.  An EXCELLANT choice!!!

They will be moving into another building soon.  There was no seating but they told us if we went to the coffee shop, we could use the tables there.

We drove through Springfield and on to 44 towards Joplin.

I accidently took the first exit toward Carthage instead of the 2nd one toward Webb City, so we kind of got lost.  We "upset" our GPS.  She was constantly trying to get me to turn this way, then that.   We were on historic 66 for awhile.

This is north of Webb City.

I finally found the road to Pittsburg and on to Wichita.  I took Ruth to her new "home" where she will be for awhile.  Allen came to pick me up and that was my trip to Virginia and home!  What a wonderful trip!!!

And the snow storm didn't happen after all.