It's Good to be Home

Well we made it back from IYC and our general assembly. It was just Joleesa and I that went to IYC and then we picked Jenna up at the airport on Tuesday night for the assembly. It was really great to spend time with my youngest daughter. She is usually a daddy's girl. It's not unusual for me to spend time with Jessa or Jenna but Joleesa is usually with friends or her dad. I really cherished the time with her. Though she's 18 I found her being my little girl at this time. We took the red eye flight to the assembly and she would usually have her teddy bear dad to lean on but had her short mom instead ~smile. We have a new appreciation for those that have flown these long distance for years. It is really tough. I thought the long drives were, but you can pull off and get out and eat or even lay over for a night as to split it up but ugh, it doesn't work that way flying. The long hours in the air in a cramped, crammed airplane coupled with long hours in the airport are really tough. BUT I PTL! We flew standby to Chicago and then back from Chicago and had absolutely no problems getting on and none of our flights were late. Joleesa got sick to her stomach towards the end of our Anchorage to Chicago flight, I got nauseated on the landing of our Memphis to Chattanooga flight (both of us actually having to use the barf bags ~ ick) and then we both got a little nauseated on the Chattanooga to Memphis flights. But I cannot thank the Lord for how smoothly everything went.

IYC was great. There were a lot of new people and such a sweet calming spirit in the services. BUT IT WAS HOT! Averaged about 103 degrees and one day one of the units went out in our main dining facility which is also where we had class and services...even Joleesa, who loves the heat, was saying giving me our Alaska weather. But they got it working and we really had a great time with our precious people from around the world.

Then the assembly. Oh how we LOVED the new facilities. Parking was great, everything about it was great (except we froze with the air conditioning just like in the old facilities). The message were so full of meat right from the start with Brother Michael Jernigan's message, followed by Brother Kevin Werkheiser (I think their messages along with Brother Brian O'Dell's and Brother Hawkins were my ultimate favorites). Every part of the assembly was awesome. I did have one major problem...I was sooooo missing Jody. It just wasn't right him not being there. I don't know if I could do a WHOLE assembly without him again. Joleesa (and Jenna) were great to be with me although Joleesa got really sick with her sinuses and cough that she missed several sessions. I truly feel it was the enemy keeping her from getting what she needed. There were so many that were so sweet in helping me out with Jody not being there and just precious just because. Isaiah Peter was awesome for me and Joleesa at both IYC and the assembly. A new young man that I just met for the first time at IYC, Tim Cox of Virginia was great fun and helped in several ways. Then there were our precious brothers and sisters the Adams (Ray and Tammi), the Williams (Jimmy and Georgia), the Thompson family from Minnesota Johnny and Connie Wilson, and the Griffins (Tim and Sharon) such precious, precious people God has brought into our lives overthe years for some reason I found them so dear to me this year. I spent Saturday evening visiting with two of our dear sisters from Iowa. There were others as well that would stop and ask about Jody and Jessa. This really gave me a taste of what that last assembly over on the shining shore will be like some day as sooooo much love abounded.

We arrived about 11 pm Alaska time (which would be 3 am Tennessee time) ready to not be on another flight for some time and glad to be home. We had Brother Bobby Sutton and Isaiah (and all their luggag ~ grin) at our place as they didn't fly out to Bethel until Monday late morning. So after visiting for a short time with them and Jeremy we went to bed only to get up by 8 am this morning so I could get them breakfast and Jody could get them off to the airport. AND I started on the piles of laundry I had (it's still going now) plust unpacked everything and clean the house.

Now tomorrow it's back to work and back to routine (oh yeah I haven't found a "routine" yet and that's one of my goals ~smile). But I've got a major bummer. Joleesa shared her cold with me and once again I have what I had before I left. Scratchy throat, draining sinuses and coughing, coughing, coughing. NO! NO! NO! I can't be sick. Please,once again pray for me. And by the way, anyone that's a firm believer in Emergen "C" or Airborne; I've been taking them both for weeks...ugh.

Well I think I'm going to check some blogs.