Friends

Last weekend we had some good times with friends:

The Nolans came over for breakfast on Friday...

Bill organized a Lord of the Rings marathon with fellow fans from our church...

Jon dressed for the occasion...

Eleven Years Ago...

I don't have the picture from our Biola days, but here is the last time we were all together in the same place!

You also asked to see the rest of the family members...

Roommate Reunion

During my last year at Biola I shared an on-campus apartment with three friends. Last Sunday was the first time since Dana's wedding in 1995 that we've all been together! It was neat to catch up and see how God has worked in each of our lives.

Becky, me, Dana and Jennie (seated)

(We posed to match a "before" picture that was taken about a month before graduation.)

Summer Fun

Yesterday we had a day off from work and spent the day visiting several L.A. beaches with Julian, Diana & Viviana...

Venice Beach... it was very "tame" today as we walked along the boardwalk.

Hermosa Beach... picnic lunch.

The guys went for a long swim... doing battle with the waves!

We drove around the Palos Verdes Peninsula and ended up at the Korean Friendship Bell overlooking the Los Angeles Port.

Dad's latest milestone...

Dad's Birthday Party

STEP article

A couple of the team members wrote an article about their experience here in Los Angeles. Here is the link, if you would like to read it:

Sony's STEP Article

STEP: Week 2

We joined Bethel Gospel Chapel for a week of outreach in their neighborhood:

Spent a day going to downtown L.A. on the metro:

Afternoons in the park inviting children to Vacation Bible School:
Nikita & Jaye:
Game time at Vacation Bible School:

Ian: Aaron:Mornings spent in training classes:
Cultural day celebration:

(most of the believers at Bethel are from the Caribbean)
A few relaxing moments at the end of the week:

STEP: Week 1

STEP team at Westminster

Here are a few snapshots of our first week with the team from Wisconsin.
We've had...

...opportunities to experience open air evangelism at the beach...

...and had some fun there too...

...many hours of classroom instruction on varies aspects of ministry here in So. CA...

...good interaction with neighborhood children at the two vacation Bible school locations...

(Note: You can click on a picture to see a larger image)

STEP

Summer Team Evangelism Participation
We are embarking on a new venture today... the team from Wisconsin flies in and we beginning a two week Missions training course with practical efforts among the Latin & Caribbean cultures of L.A. More later on how it all goes... in the meantime please pray for us all!
http://www.latinoministries.org/
http://step.wauwatosabiblechapel.org/

World Travelers

One of my old students had this map on his blogspot and I thought it was cool... the website listed below allows you to enter the countries you have been to and then creates your own unique map. You can see that I need to spend some time over in Europe, Asia and Africa... maybe one day?




create your own visited country map

A Day with Jen

Jennifer and I visited the Huntington Library & Gardens last Thursday. It was a beautiful warm day and we enjoyed the calm walk through the landscape.

Graduation

Several Talbot friends graduated this past weekend... we enjoyed sharing the celebration with them and rejoicing over the completion of their Master degrees. Bill is about halfway through his double major, so being at the graduation was a good way to be encouraged in persevering toward that goal!

Anne & Angela

Dawnita & Shawn

Spring Blossoms

Let me show you how my garden has grown...

Before (February):

After (May):

My very first rose:
It's been neat to watch my little flower beds grow - all I've done is water and weed; the sun, soil and plants have done the rest. Many spiritual lessons can be gleaned from gardening!

Sunday Afternoon Fellowship

We spent the afternoon with a couple of families from our church... it was a blessing to us and fun to get to fellowship.

Friends & Holidays

The past month has been a full one, you can tell as there haven't been the spare minutes necessary to blog!
I've been blessed to spend time with friends... Alexa visited during the last weekend in March:
Bill and I have enjoyed the past week off from work and studies. We had free tickets to the Wild Animal park in San Diego, so we went down there for a day with my parents:
We also added a pet to our home and would like to introduce you to the cat we "rescued", her name is Spotsie:

Today four dear friends came over for Tea with me. I enjoyed catching up with Sheela, Maricel, Jennifer and Tricia:

Snow in California

Last weekend I was able to go away for a night with the Talbot Wives Fellowship for a restful retreat. We drove to Idyllwild (Elev. 6000 ft) and discovered at least a couple of feet of snow with more on the way. For those of us who really don't get a winter here in So. California it was a very nice change to enjoy the cold, wet and white snow. I was able to spend several hours in solitude just reading and watching the snow fall with an occasional bird flying by my window. Sunday morning dawned clear and bright, several of us went out for a walk to appreciate a side of nature we don't normally get.

... in Sickness, in Health... and Insomnia?

Bill and I have been under the weather in some form or another for the past month. Mostly it has been Bill ill with a bad cold or flu - he finally visited the Biola Student Health Center last week and was given a good check up and some antiobiotics to help kill whatever is distressing his body. I was doing fine until last Tuesday when insomnia moved in on my side of the bed. Thursday night it moved in on Bill's side of the bed. If we weren't so tired we could have crossed a lot of things off of our "to do" lists! Over the weekend we both managed to get some good sleep, so are feeling slightly more rested. Bill's cold is mostly gone, but mine has just begun! Oh the joys of "winter" germs- at least we take turns being sick and looking after one another!

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I forgot to include this family picture taken last month when we celebrated Mum's 60th birthday!

Comments

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Reflections on Israel

Two months ago today (this was written on Feb 28th) we were arriving in Israel for what would be an unforgettable experience. This was definitely the trip of a lifetime, changing forever the way we read the Bible and understanding what life was like for our fathers in the faith. Some of our favorite memories include:

Bill and Angela in front of the Shrine of the Dome of the Rock (Place where temple would have been standing.)

1. Visiting Jerusalem and seeing the remains of the Temple Mount that Jesus had visited many times. To actually stand upon the main steps that led up to the temple court, knowing that He would have walked up those same stairs on His way to teach, heal and cleanse the temple was amazing.

Angela on the temple steps.

2. Archeological sites like Megiddo, Hazor, Gezer, Aphek, Beth-Shan, Capernaum, Bethsaida, and the list goes on. From these places we learned things about how Solomon built his gates, what New Testament times were like, how cities were fortified and invaded. These sites encouraged our faith in confirming events listed in the Bible. They were also sober reminders of the consequences of idolatry and rebellion toward God.

(Left) Angela with Jen in a "temple" at BeerSheba. (Above) The ruins of Arad in the Negev. (Below) The fortified gates at Gezer.

(Below left) Bill at Qumran cave. (Middle) The Spring at En Gedi - "fountain in the desert". (Right) The Dead Sea. (Bottom) Masada.

3. The Dead Sea and some of the amazing places along its edge. One of those places was Masada. We hiked up there early one morning and watched the sun rise. What an amazing fortified place that is. Up on the top there are the remains of a luxurious palace along with a city boasting cisterns, homes, baths, storehouses, places of worship – all you would need to live there permanently. Another very meaningful spot along the edge of the Dead Sea was Qumran where the scrolls were found. We later visited the Israel museum and saw the scrolls containing God’s words to His people from a couple millennia back.

With our trust in God strengthened and our knowledge of how He worked in times past within the confines of that part of the world greatly increased we have returned to life in the USA. We pray that the lessons we learned of His total control over history in bringing about His will in His time through His chosen One will be remembered and shared with those we influence.