That’s what I like about Sundays (March 19)

In general today was a quiet restful day.

We had a great church service this a.m. with well over 200 in attendance . There was a large contingent from churches in Kansas and Arkansas and from a Christian church in Missouri along with some folks from other faith groups in Georgia and the regular group from Pascagoula. John Dobbs had invited me to lead the Lord’s table and even though I’ve done that lots of times at home for some reason I was very nervous – I’m not really sure why but probably it had to do with the size of the crowd and the fact there were so many people I didn’t know anything about . See John's blog for a pictureofmedoing this http://remains.blogspot.com/

I used a comparison with marriage to illustrate the need to avoid becoming “comfortable”, taking our relationship for granted and becoming selfish in thinking that we deserve to have our partner serve us. To avoid this we need to remember what it was like without the relationship and what the other person has given to make the relationship possible.

We invited David and Elaine Kilburn to go out to lunch with us and that was a good time. Their son David Jr. also joined us. David actually shut off his phone and it was a really good visit. For the 2nd Sunday in a row we ate at a Chinese buffet – obviously popular wit h the church folks here since we saw several other families there as well. I guess it is there equivalent of the Swiss Chalet!!

I spent the rest of the afternoon working on some backlogged email and looking at MAPQUEST for distances to sort out when we needed to leave and where we would be going next. John (Dobbs) said in services this a.m. that they weren’t going to let us go- they’d take the wheels of the BBB or something. It is humbling to have people wanting us to stay when it seems like so little that we have done. This afternoon he had parked his van behind the motor home so I was kidding him by saying that the van wouldn’t stop us from going – we could just push it aside.

We need to be in San Antonio on the 29th to meet Chris & Tammye. We want to visit Mark & Nancy Klym in Bastrop. Mark & Nancy were part of the Pinehill congregation for many years before they moved to Texas about 5 years ago. We want to visit my cousin Alma Bunting in Belton TX – Bastrop is very near Austin and Belton is about 60 miles north. . We want to do some touring on the Gulf coast in Texas.

We were also hoping to get to Houston to see my nephew Craig Ford & his wife Jerri and their baby Hannah. but the timing hasn’t worked. They are going to Papua New Guinea as missionaries leaving in June, Before then they are leaving this week for a farewell tour to visit her parents in Colorado? and then Craig’s parents (Art & Ruby Ford – Ruby is my next younger sister) in Ontario For more about them and their plans see http://webmail.vianet.ca/webmail.cgi?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.championschurch.org%2Fmissions%2Fford_newsletter%2FFeb2006.htm&timestamp=1142831317&md5=a4p7obXMX8D7P75qoiA6tA%3D%3D

(As a side note I received another big bunch of pictures from Megan’s wedding and a family dinner that was held the night before – I was good to see the 4 generation picture of my Dad, my brother John, my nephew Brian and his son “little” John . This is my Dad’s latest great-grandchild – I think it makes 33 or 34. He also has several “great--great grandchildren as well -- I believe that the whole crew with “in-laws” totals over 90 so when my Dad turns 90 next year he may be able to claim at least one descendent for each year.

Still not sure when we will leave Pascagoula but it will be this week probably Thursday or Friday. -- Lord willing (and John doesn’t disable our vehicle)

To-night they opened the new “cafeteria”.—what a change – They had been feeding everyone (over 125 people for last 2 weeks) 3 meals a day in a small “annex” beside the church building. David Kilbern found a n old Pizza parlor 2 blocks away that had been wrecked by the storm. The owner agreed to let the church use it rent free for 3 years in return for fixing it up. Geoff and a number of other workers have put in long hours often after a days work on other projects in the community to get this facility ready. Geoff – adapting a military tradition – had asked the volunteers who are coming from other places to decorate a ceiling tile so Linda did a very nice one with Canadian flag and passage from Colossians that says whatever we do we work as if for the Lord. See John's blog for apicture of us with Geoffand the tile http://remains.blogspot.com/

We made our weeklycalls to our family – Melissa and Chris yesterday & Kevin on Saturday – Had several emails from other family and friends that kept us up to date on things in their lives. Thank you all for doing that.

That’s what I like about Sunday’s – a time to build and renew our relationships – with God and with others – a time to reflect and think about what has been done and what is next and a time to doze off while looking at maps --