We our home in Kirkland on April 8. After 2 months we are finally heading home. No more visits, only gas stations and WalMarts.
Yesterday we returned our borrowed car to our son in Sturgis. On the way there we stopped at a Camping World to dump our tanks, take fresh water and propane.
Last night we parked at the Greycliff Rest Area. It was a relatively quiet night parked between semis.
We had planned to move from the hotel to an RV park that we usually stay at when in Rapid City, and we would do this after Church. We went to a church an hour's drive from the hotel. Our eldest son strongly recommended it to us. It turned out to be just as he said. Nisland Community Church is in a little town called Nisland, a half hour north of Sturgis, SD. Village Missions restarted this old German Lutheran church 50 years ago. Today it is a Bible teaching fellowship of believers reaching their rural community.
Well, the change in plans happened after got back to the hotel where we'd left our RV and found out the swimming pool at the RV Park was not open...not a good thing when grandkids are "swimaholics".
We ended up at a hotel right around the corner from our last hotel. It met the requirements of having a pool with a waterside and a hot tub. (& it was a new challenge!)
We been staying in the AmericInn hotel in Rapid City, SD since Thursday. It's Saturday evening and we plan to attend the Nisland Community Church, about an hours drive from our hotel. Our oldest son recommended it to us and plans to meet us there.
The past few days have been mostly keeping watch over our grandkids swimming in the pool.
Last Wednesday we stopped in at Wall Drug. You see their road signs all over the region. We occasionally stop. Heather really wanted to taste their buffalo burger. (Not much different from beef!)
While there, Roger had a run-in with a local bad guy.
It's a great place to give tracts to kids from all over the world. They come here on short term work visas.
We are at the end of the conference. It will be four years until the next one.
It has been a wonderful week of teaching, preaching, singing and fellowship with CEF people from around the world.
This is just a brief mention of things we have done in addition to attending the conference. Our goal is to always help if help is needed.
Heather has made nine airport runs to pick up or deliver folks. We had to get up at 4 a.m. one morning for an airport run.
Roger took several of the vehicles for fuel getting them ready for travel.
The conference ended with a concert by Phillips, Craig & Dean.
Here are a few miscellaneous images in the main meeting hall.
Tuesday morning started with a 7am prayer meeting. The room was packed with at least a hundred attendees seated and standing around all four sides of a giant floor may of the world.
The food service at Ridgecrest is great. After breakfast we went to the morning general sessions.
We attended the aftermath breakout sessions. The first session was led by a missionary who works in a "sensitive area" in the middle east. The second session was on the pros and cons using AI tools in ministry.
The evening general session featured an international choir from African nations.
The conference officially starts this evening. Many people have been arriving all day from airports. Heather made three airport pickup runs to the Asheville airport.
They are expecting around a thousand attendees.
We have enjoyed reconnecting with our CEF friends today. Some from Washington and others from around the world.
This morning, after checking out of the motel, we drove to a nearby church, The New Bridge Baptist Church. We enjoyed worship and fellowship with other Christians for Sunday School and church. They are a welcoming (and growing) congregation. The pastor is an excellent preacher.
After church we went to a Cracker Barrel restaurant and enjoyed their chicken pot pie dinner.
After lunch we drove to the Ridgecrest Convention Center where we will be this coming week. We settled into a large room with 2 bunk beds and a queen. Don't think we'll be sharing the room - we'll see!! lol
