Sweet Boga :)

Just a few pictures of my amazing trip to a little town in Louisiana called Bogalusa. My THIRD trip to this awesome little town! ... Pastor Marcus, sweet scent of the papermill (right ...), Westside Emmanuel Baptist Church, people still struggling from Hurricane Katrina, amazing team members .... a home away from home. An amazing trip! Amazing people! Amazing place! Amazing God at work!!!!

We did work projects around homes in Bogalusa every summer we were there (2006, 2007, and 2009). One year, my group had to move a pile of house ... yes, it wasn't a house; it was a PILE of house. Hurricane Katrina had completely collapsed the house 2 years earlier, and the town clean up crew won't move "trash" unless it is by the side of the road. So believe it or not, my team picked up an entire house and moved it 20 feet to the side of the road.

In 2009, our entire trip team went to the "home" of Mr. Barry ... a Bogalusa man who wandered the streets in search of whatever he could find. We were supposed to help him "tidy things up" a bit. When we arrived, we drove our vans back onto a dirt trail ... all kinds of weeds and trees growing up over everywhere and everything. We eventually parked and walked to Mr. Barry's "house." ... He lived on a concrete slab. He owned two fold out chairs - one for his clothes and one for sleeping in. He had a collection of Starbucks bottles, a plastic light saber, a bunch of tin cans, and a few other knick knacks he found during his travels around town. He wasn't home, so we picked up all the trash we saw laying around, being careful not to throw away anything that he might cherish. We took brooms and swept off his concrete slab. We set up a tent for him and left him a new pair of shoes. ... At one point during the clean up, I was overcome with emotion. I couldn't believe someone actually lived like this. No real possessions. No roof over his head, much less a house! No food. And the heat?! How unbearable! I tried to hold back the tears and keep working. But by the time, we got to the vans to head back, I was sobbing. I took away a great lesson in thankfulness that day, and I still pray for Mr. Barry every time I think about him.

Bogalusa is an incredible place, and I was so privileged to share it with such incredible people - Pastor Mike and Shelley and Jeremy and the teenagers at Calvary and Grace Fellowship and Hendricks Community Bible Church and Fellowship Church ... and Pastor Marcus and his family! Such sweet memories!

Dogs and Bears, oh my!

When I was about 6 years old, my dad, mom, Wes, and I went to Colorado for a family vacation. We used to go on family vacations a lot more regularly when I was growing up. They were always a ton of fun. Most of the time, we went to Florida ... but that year, we went to the mountains of Colorado. We stayed at a camp of some sort ... cabins, dining hall, huge dogs the size of bears, and actual bears ... ya know ... Colorado stuff.

I don't remember much about the trip. But the two things I do remember were the huge dogs and the bears.
When you're 6, a big dog is practically a bear. And I was scared to death of these dogs! This camp had to have nearly a dozen dogs runnin' around all the time. And they were huge! I was scared every time I walked out of our cabin. Maybe that's why I'm so afraid of dogs (and really any animal) to this day. Actually, I doubt it. I'm just a big baby.
And the bears ... I didn't actually see a bear, mind you. But I could have! Hahaha! Actually, I only vividly remember my mom and I sleeping in our big van one night during the trip because the other families staying in our cabin were loud and obnoxious ... and I tossed and turned all night, afraid a bear would push in the button on the door handle, open the door, and eat us alive! It's one of those memories that you recall so easily - it's like it happened yesterday.

I think I rode my first and only horse at that camp too, but I don't remember that ... just have a picture around the house somewhere proving the fact.

Trip to Cutter Gap

These pictures are from my trip to "Cutter Gap", TN ... the place where Leonora Whitacker Wood served as a teacher in a backwoods mission ... she taught and ministered to the children of the Appalachian Mountains in the early 1900s. Her story is depicted in Catherine Marshall's book, Christy. I LOVE the story and service that Christy (Leanora) did then - I would LOVE to do something similar. So I traveled to the Appalachian Mountains to find the site where she worked and lived. I found it! I talked to a man related to one of the characters in the book. I walked on the same ground that Leonora did! I saw and drove through the same incredible mountains she got to see everyday she woke up to serve her kids. It was an awesome trip ... and a little scary in parts. I knocked off a few of my bucket list items too. Yes!!!! :D

Ohio Thanksgivings

I'm sure I've been to Ohio several times ... for a variety of reasons. Book conventions ... just passing through on my way to another state ... but I think my favorite memories were family Thanksgivings at Wayne and Kathy's house. Those were always my favorite family get-togethers too. I'm not sure why. It was probably because I liked traveling a bit to get there - made it feel more special. And Wayne and Kathy live on a farm ... so we'd always get to see the farm animals. And I'd get to watch my uncles and second cousins shoot their guns. Haha! That sounds funny to me for some reason. They'd shoot discs into the air and then shoot 'em with their big guns. Makes me laugh. And we'd go on hayrides and sometimes play football in the yard. And there were pretty sunsets. Lots of good times. I wish we still had our family Thanksgiving there every year. It always felt more like a family ... there was a closeness there. I miss that ...

Sweet Missouri Memories :)

Missouri Memories ... *big sigh*

I've been to Missouri a handful of times, but the only two things I've done in Missouri are eat at Lambert's Cafe' in Sikeston and visit Pastor Mike and Shelley in Poplar Bluff ... while they still lived there.

Lambert's is a pretty cool place. They have giant mugs that they serve their drinks in ... I bought one, and I use it all the time. But I think my brother stole it and took it to Evansville with him ... he is always stealing my stuff. *Rolling of the eyes* I sure hope he didn't lose it! Man. Lambert's is also cool because they throw rolls at you from across the room! So fun! You just raise your hand or yell "roll over here" or something, and they throw one to you. And they have pretty good aim too. They have yummy sweet tea and chicken and dumplings.

And going to Pastor Mike and Shelley's was always fun. Now that they live 27 hours away, I don't get to see them as often, but the 6-hour drive to Poplar Bluff was a trek I made a couple times a year. Such good times! It was always good to see my second family. Shelley and I would always go out just the two of us at least once every time I saw them. She'd often make me one of my favorites - her yummy chocolate caramel cake ... and she'd always have lots of sweet tea for me! And her red beans and rice ... gosh, I miss that meal. I'd always play princesses or color princesses and watch princess movies with Anna. I'd get to talk with the boys. Pastor Mike and I would always talk about SoZo. And I'd usually get to see the beautiful Tori. And visit Fellowship ... and sometimes, go to their youth group meetings. I miss those guys so much. I can't wait to visit them in Arizona someday ... see their new home and church and hear Pastor Mike preach from the pulpit. Yeah, man. That's gonna be great.

I sure am thankful for my trips to Missouri. :)