This will really be a quick synopsis of weeks 5 and 6 of our
2015 furlough. I’m sorry that I haven’t
taken more time to stay caught up on events as we travel as it is so easy to
lose the memories that make each place special.
Week 5 took us from my dear Aunt Helen’s house in Reno through some of
the most desolate country I’ve ever seen on into Las Vegas. Wow!
It is amazing to be able to see 150 or 200 miles in every direction and
not see another living soul. I had no
idea how remote some of those places in NV and CA were. Mariah got a little bit of drive time in as
she gets ready to take her driving test and Benny had plenty of issues with car
sickness as we weaved and bobbed over the uneven terrain. Las Vegas was special because of the place
that we stayed at. The Bellagio, you
ask? Maybe he Oasis? Na, we stayed at a Christian family’s home
who, even though they didn’t know us, was kind enough to put a candle in the
window and give us travelers rest on our journey. They were a dear family of biological and
adopted children who were essentially running their own stripped down version
of our children’s home at Loma de Luz.
The patriarch was an absolutely joyful man with one of the most generous
hearts that you will ever find. The
family was just wonderful to be around.
The wife was struggling with back issues and yet, was so gracious. We were really blessed to be able to stay
with them. We went in that night around
11pm for a very quick tour up and down the strip and a look at the Bellagio
fountains and the inside atrium. We
enjoyed our time, but were quickly off to Flagstaff the next morning.
We left Las Vegas and took a very brief stop at Hoover dam
(a place that I have always wanted to see) and then drove on into
Flagstaff. After several consecutive
days of driving 250-300 miles per day and then staying with someone, it was a
wonderful blessing to have a VRBO home provided for us in Flagstaff to stay in
for three days. It was a true oasis of
rest for us. One day, our dear friends
Greg and Deborah Levine from - CSU College Days - drove all the way up from Tucson
to see us. It was just such a blessing
to see them after probably 25 years or so.
I can honestly say that we picked up right where we left off and just
felt so close to them. God is so good
and the fellowship of His kingdom has really been evident to us on this
trip. The next day we toured the Grand
Canyon. Wow. What can you say, except “How Great Though
Art”? Benny mentioned several times that
he “felt small” at Hoover dam and that he felt “even smaller” at the Grand
Canyon. Yep. I agree.
After Flagstaff, we were on for an overnight at Albuquerque and a quick,
but wonderful overnight with the parents of some friends that had come down to
visit us in Honduras. We so enjoyed
getting to meet Ben and Emily’s parents as they just took us into their home
and blessed us with tons of hospitality.
Once again, the KINGDOM is such a beautiful place. One very special treat for me (and for Benny
also) was that Ben’s father was an Air Traffic Controller with the FAA for many
years. Well, when he found out how
fascinated we were with ATC, he arranged a TOUR for us of a ground based
control center. Benny and I got to sit
with an actual ATC and watch over his shoulder as he worked! It was beyond fascinating for me and I gained
a whole new level of respect for the people and the system!
Week 7 will have us in Colorado enjoying family, and home cooked meals, and I’m guessing a few struggles as we cope with a new reality of life after the passing of Marinajo’s father last year. Stay tuned.
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