My Trip to Arizona
I took a few vacation days and went to Arizona last week to visit with family and friends. Steve couldn’t come because does corporate tax work and tax returns are due on September 15. Despite the fact that Steve couldn’t join me, I had a wonderful time! Here’s my report. Greg, I'm warning you there are alot of links!
Part I – Visiting with my immediate family
I arrived in Phoenix on Wednesday at about 1:00 Phoenix time and my parents, sister and brother’s family were waiting for me at the airport in a rented Ford Expedition that seated 6 adults and 2 car seats so we could take off for Sedona and the Grand Canyon. We stopped at Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well on the way to Sedona and my 4 year old nephew, Nathan, prided himself in becoming a Junior Park Ranger. He was so cute! He pointed to his badge in every picture we took from that point forward. We spent the night in Sedona and went to Slide Rock for a bit the next morning. Greg and the boys changed into their swimsuits and Greg got to experience Slide Rock while the rest of us watched. I wish we would’ve had more time there because it would’ve been fun for all of us to get in. Then we had lunch in Flagstaff and spent a few hours looking around Grand Canyon before we had to head back to my grandparent’s house in Phoenix.
Part II – Visiting with my extended family
Greg, Emily and the boys left early the next morning to head back to Texas (sniffle, sniffle). I spent the first night on my grandparent's couch (until I crawled in bed with my mom after my dad left at 3:30 a.m. to take Greg’s family to the airport). We went out to lunch and dinner Friday with my extended family in Phoenix. The balance of the day was spent swimming with my sister, playing Head and Foot with my grandparents and watching TV with Uncle Steve, Aunt Jean and my cousin Tammy. Kim and I roomed together that night at Uncle Steve and Aunt Jean’s house. We got up earlier than Kim would’ve liked Saturday morning and went back over to my grandparents to spend some more quality time with them. We finished up some pending games of Head and Foot and taught them to play Oh, Heck. We took some quick pictures with Grandma and Grandpa and said our goodbyes.
Part III – Visiting with my family in Christ
My parents and Kim drove to Phoenix so they were heading back to Joplin on Saturday. I had made plans for us to meet an old friend from Chile for lunch before they headed out of town. We met Ely and her husband, Ricardo at On The Border in Mesa so that we could eat the closest thing we have here to Chilean "empanadas de queso". Ely and I were really good friends when I lived in Chile, but I hadn’t seen her in over 12 years! They just moved to Arizona a few months back when Ricardo took a job as the Hispanic minister at Chandler Christian Church. We have talked on the phone and emailed each other some since April, but I was so glad to get to visit with her in person. We went back to her place after lunch and we talked nonstop from 3:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.! It’s amazing how some friends can just pick right back up where they left off. I am looking forward to developing a closer friendship with this awesome woman of God. We were just kids when we knew each other in Chile. Thank God we have both grown emotionally and spiritually (physically too, but I’m not thankful for that!) since we last saw each other in 1994. I have a feeling our friendship is going to become stronger than it has ever been in the coming years. We certainly laid the groundwork for that with this initial visit. Ely, si estas leyendo, estoy tan emocionada de tenerte de vuelta en mi vida. Eres una gran bendicion de Dios!
When Ely’s husband, Ricardo, came home from the Saturday night service, we talked on Skype with another Chilean friend, Ricky Olivares, who is serving along with his wife, Tracie, as a missionary in Cusco, Peru. They are in the beginning stages of their ministry in Cusco and still need to raise 40% of their budget. I just learned that they’ve started blogging so I hope you will take some time to read their blogs and consider how you can help support them, whether it be financially or with your prayers. They are being sponsored by Iberoamerican Ministries out of Washington and are doing an awesome work there from what I can tell. Stay tuned in at www.rickyandtracie.blogspot.com.
On Sunday, I attended Chandler Christian Church with Ely and Ricardo and thoroughly enjoyed the service. They had several go forward to be baptized after the service, one of them a member of the Hispanic group. While I love College Heights Christian Church in Joplin and regret having missed Jaime Jamgochian lead worship on Sunday, I feel privileged to have been able to visit an even bigger, dynamic, progressive church. I’ll steal a line from CHCC’s building campaign song—"God’s at work here!" I will be anxious to see how God will use Ricardo and Ely to reach Hispanics in the greater Phoenix area.
Part I – Visiting with my immediate family
I arrived in Phoenix on Wednesday at about 1:00 Phoenix time and my parents, sister and brother’s family were waiting for me at the airport in a rented Ford Expedition that seated 6 adults and 2 car seats so we could take off for Sedona and the Grand Canyon. We stopped at Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well on the way to Sedona and my 4 year old nephew, Nathan, prided himself in becoming a Junior Park Ranger. He was so cute! He pointed to his badge in every picture we took from that point forward. We spent the night in Sedona and went to Slide Rock for a bit the next morning. Greg and the boys changed into their swimsuits and Greg got to experience Slide Rock while the rest of us watched. I wish we would’ve had more time there because it would’ve been fun for all of us to get in. Then we had lunch in Flagstaff and spent a few hours looking around Grand Canyon before we had to head back to my grandparent’s house in Phoenix.
Part II – Visiting with my extended family
Greg, Emily and the boys left early the next morning to head back to Texas (sniffle, sniffle). I spent the first night on my grandparent's couch (until I crawled in bed with my mom after my dad left at 3:30 a.m. to take Greg’s family to the airport). We went out to lunch and dinner Friday with my extended family in Phoenix. The balance of the day was spent swimming with my sister, playing Head and Foot with my grandparents and watching TV with Uncle Steve, Aunt Jean and my cousin Tammy. Kim and I roomed together that night at Uncle Steve and Aunt Jean’s house. We got up earlier than Kim would’ve liked Saturday morning and went back over to my grandparents to spend some more quality time with them. We finished up some pending games of Head and Foot and taught them to play Oh, Heck. We took some quick pictures with Grandma and Grandpa and said our goodbyes.
Part III – Visiting with my family in Christ
My parents and Kim drove to Phoenix so they were heading back to Joplin on Saturday. I had made plans for us to meet an old friend from Chile for lunch before they headed out of town. We met Ely and her husband, Ricardo at On The Border in Mesa so that we could eat the closest thing we have here to Chilean "empanadas de queso". Ely and I were really good friends when I lived in Chile, but I hadn’t seen her in over 12 years! They just moved to Arizona a few months back when Ricardo took a job as the Hispanic minister at Chandler Christian Church. We have talked on the phone and emailed each other some since April, but I was so glad to get to visit with her in person. We went back to her place after lunch and we talked nonstop from 3:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.! It’s amazing how some friends can just pick right back up where they left off. I am looking forward to developing a closer friendship with this awesome woman of God. We were just kids when we knew each other in Chile. Thank God we have both grown emotionally and spiritually (physically too, but I’m not thankful for that!) since we last saw each other in 1994. I have a feeling our friendship is going to become stronger than it has ever been in the coming years. We certainly laid the groundwork for that with this initial visit. Ely, si estas leyendo, estoy tan emocionada de tenerte de vuelta en mi vida. Eres una gran bendicion de Dios!
When Ely’s husband, Ricardo, came home from the Saturday night service, we talked on Skype with another Chilean friend, Ricky Olivares, who is serving along with his wife, Tracie, as a missionary in Cusco, Peru. They are in the beginning stages of their ministry in Cusco and still need to raise 40% of their budget. I just learned that they’ve started blogging so I hope you will take some time to read their blogs and consider how you can help support them, whether it be financially or with your prayers. They are being sponsored by Iberoamerican Ministries out of Washington and are doing an awesome work there from what I can tell. Stay tuned in at www.rickyandtracie.blogspot.com.
On Sunday, I attended Chandler Christian Church with Ely and Ricardo and thoroughly enjoyed the service. They had several go forward to be baptized after the service, one of them a member of the Hispanic group. While I love College Heights Christian Church in Joplin and regret having missed Jaime Jamgochian lead worship on Sunday, I feel privileged to have been able to visit an even bigger, dynamic, progressive church. I’ll steal a line from CHCC’s building campaign song—"God’s at work here!" I will be anxious to see how God will use Ricardo and Ely to reach Hispanics in the greater Phoenix area.
posted by Charissa | 4:53 PM
5 Comments:
It was a wonderful time. We saw so much of God's beautiful creation and made lasting memories. Wish Steve could have been with us too.
Mom
Good links-- I followed several of them.
We want pictures! Download Kodak Easy Share Gallery at Kodak.com. It's super easy. We had lots of fun!
Greg, did you expect anything less from the linkmaster?
Emily, we posted at the same time. How funny! I tried to upload some pictures onto this post, but for some strange reason it didn't work. I do plan on setting up an account on kodak gallery, but haven't had a chance to yet. I did load them all on my computer and showed them to Steve on the TV and they are wonderful. I'll send you a link soon.
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