Summer Vacation at Last!

We took a week away before things geared up again for the fall. We were able to head to Kentucky to visit Steve's family for a few days and then finished out the week in Pigeon Forge, TN. We had a great time in Kentucky even though we had a car accident on Wednesday morning on the way back from grabbing some Starbucks coffee and ended up in the hospital for several hours while the baby was monitored. Everything turned out to be fine except for the car which will go to the shop next week for repairs which will take several weeks.

Steve was ordained the Sunday evening before we left on vacation and the church surprised us with a two night stay at the Blue Mountain Mist Bed and Breakfast and Cottages in Sevierville, TN. The church had also lined up to have my parents come and pick up Ian for those days as well. It was nice because we were in a separate cottage where they delivered breakfast to our door every morning. We had a wonderful time and it was so relaxing.

Steve and his brother, Andrew, in front of a 1974 Corvette at the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY.

Classic Johns "Man Outing" (also Ian's first car show)

Blue Mountain Mist B & B

Our cottage called Morning Glory

Guatemala Missions Trip

Steve left Wednesday, August 8, for a missions trip to San Antonio La Paz, Guatemala. For a week he joined other people from our church in building the second floor to Iglesia Bautista Independente Peniel (Jacob's Ladder Independent Baptist Church). He also had the opportunity to preach there on two Wednesday nights and a Sunday evening. He preached Sunday morning at a different church in Guatemala City. The highlight of the trip for Steve was the last night they were there when the mother of the deacon in the church prayed to accept Christ. He got back safe on Thursday, August 16 after leaving San Antonio La Paz at 3 am, spending 30 minutes completely stopped in traffic, having his flight cancelled in Houston due to a tropical storm, getting the last seat on a flight into Greenville, and finally arriving at 7 pm with no luggage. Typical Steve story!

Jesus Christ Saves Baptist Church in Guatemala City

Bus kids from Guatemala City

Indian girl in traditional dress in Agua Caliente

Helping lay block at the church

Putting on the tin roof

Bartering at the market

Deacons family in San Antonio La Paz (The lady next to Steve is the one who got saved.)

Fountains at Reedy River

While Steve is in Guatemala for the next week, Ian and I are spending some time with my family. We took Ian downtown to the fountains at Reedy River. He loved playing in the water and running through the fountains. It is a great place to take kids!

Summer Fun

Ian at 16 months old

Cutting the grass with Granddaddy Fed

Ian loves Nanny and just learned to say her name. She just turned 80 this week. Happy Birthday, Nanny!

The beautiful Bontanical Gardens here in Columbia.

Fun with Grandmommy Fed at the children's park in Greenville

The Peter Rabbit Garden

Penix/Trach Wedding

We had a great time getting to be at Phil Trach and Rachel Penix's wedding in Greenville, SC. The wedding was beautiful and God-glorifying. Steve had the opportunity to do the 'charge' to Phil and Rachel. They are dear friends and it has been exciting to see the Lord at work in both of their lives and how He brought them together.

The beautiful bride
Catching a laugh before the ceremony

Charge to the bride and groom

Baptism of a new believer

A young man from our church accepted Christ about a month ago. He wanted to make a public profession of this through baptism and it just so happened to fall on the same day as his 15th birthday. Steve had the opportunity to baptize him at the YMCA this past Sunday afternoon. It was a first for Steve. (Just in case there had been a problem, the YMCA had a lifeguard on duty for us - no, I'm not kidding.)

The Anchorage

We had a great week at the Anchorage Camp in Lake Waccamaw, NC. Steve preached to the junior campers and we also took along a few boys from our church. There were about 100 kids there for the week which was close to the maximum that they could house in their facilities. The Lord blessed and it was exciting to see Him work in the hearts of the boys and girls. Steve and Ian especially enjoyed some time on the lake during the week. That is the main activity for all the kids during free time and Steve and Ian even got to ride out on the ski boat one afternoon. We are thankful for the fruit from the week and pray that it will be 'fruit that remains.'

The boys from our church

Teaching the kids motions to Proverbs 1:10

The main building

A ride in the ski boat

Teaching the kids to water ski

Lake Waccamaw