So I actually don't have any pictures from the Proclaim and Serve Conference, but I really enjoyed it.
Nicole and I drove up to Tucson the Tuesday evening before the conference, stayed over night at the Wulfs and flew out the next morning. It was a long day. We arrived at the airport around 5 AM. Our original flight through Dallas was canceled, so we chose what seemed like the next best option, a flight through Los Angeles and Chicago. Our first flight to LA was smooth. Then leaving LA we were delayed for maintenance. Just as we were certain we wouldn't make our connection in Chicago, that flight was delayed as well because they were waiting for the plane to arrive. So we not only arrived in time, but ended up waiting about 3 hours until 10 PM to take off from Chicago. We arrived in Peoria around 11 PM and my mom and Megan picked me up from the airport. This was one of my first trips in a long time that I stayed at my mom's the whole trip, although I guess it was only 6 nights! It was nice.
Thursday morning I headed to my sister's to see my nephew!
And helped take his 8 month photos.
Here he is. So precious.
Carson overload...
I really enjoyed my day with Em and Carson. In the afternoon, we headed to mom's house. Carson actually spent the weekend with Grammy, Pops, Aunt Laura, Aunt Megan, and Uncle Tim because Em and Mitch went on a bike ride trip.
In the evening I had supper with Philip at a Chinese restaurant and we went for a walk in a park nearby. So good to connect!
Friday morning, the Leman's came for a visit which was super special. I felt so honored that they made the effort to visit me while I was in the U.S. It was amazing to see Tadeo and I'm excited that he is starting his therapy sessions in Bluffton, IN where they live.
Carson hanging out with Grammy.
Friday afternoon I enjoyed a picnic supper and great conversation with my mentor Bonnie by the waterfall in my mom's pasture.
Saturday, I spent at the conference.
It was encouraging to see lots of people I know and hadn't seen in years. It was encouraging to see so many people enthusiastic about missions and growing in their understanding of the gospel, culture, and what it means live out God's mission on this earth. Friday evening, I enjoyed participating in the COPE experience, a simulation where you are assigned a profile and have to live out a month as a low-income person, paying your bills and facing the obstacles that come up. I enjoyed the talks and the break-out seasons. I went to two about sharing the gospel, one about the dairy in Haiti, and one about culture in Japan. All of them were really interesting.
Sunday I went to church in Peoria and then drove to Forrest with Mom and Gary and Tim for a family reunion. I enjoyed seeing and talking with a lot more people that I hadn't seen in years. There were a number of old yearbooks and an old, German pulpit Bible which I found very interesting. In one of the yearbooks, I found my grandpa in the 2nd or 3rd grade I believe. If you know him, see if you can find him in the second row, "Nicky Ricketts."
Monday morning I spent some quality time with Tim, going on a treasure hunt and creating a story, using a bunch of random characters, places, and things that we wrote on slips of paper and chose randomly. It was quite interesting as Tom Swift, Captain Flint, Nancy and Peggy Blackstone, and Bob the Builder traveled to Mars to build a McDonald's, taking along an assortment of strange objects.
Monday evening I went with Justin to eat supper with Matt and Anni. It was the first I'd seen them, since they also went on the bike trip over the weekend. Anni made some delicious baked salmon along with asparagus and ice-cream. Delicious!
I returned home on Tuesday to a very green Mexico!
Thankfully our return flight went well. Instead of waiting for hours in airports and on planes, we were sprinting to catch our flight in Dallas! It's been a good first week back. Summer is sailing along. Balto is training with Cristal on the obstacle course in the picture and Expo Esperanza 2021 is on the horizon!
This Saturday, the volunteers are organizing the 2021 Color Run. It's going to be a 3 K. Stay tuned!
P.S. It's been awhile since I left a poem here. Here's one from my first summer at CVE in 2014.
I Have a Dream
Dedicated to Shelby Payne
I have a dream; through misty skies
The splendid picture meets my eyes
And in my heart the joys arise
When dreams come true.
I have a dream; a gold-paved street
A gate of pearls where you I’ll meet
And with you walk to Jesus feet,
A dream come true.
I have a dream to see your face,
Your eyes that shine like stars in space,
Features alive with happiness
Of dreams come true.
I have a dream that on that day
We’ll link our arms and laugh and sway
Dancing to know that here we’ll stay
Where dreams come true.
