Texas & New Mexico

After our time in Oklahoma, we travelled to Fort Worth to spend 3 days with our friends the Freemans. We really enjoy visiting with them - talking until late and then getting up the next day to hit thrift stores, Jo-Ann's, and this year Ardis took us to the Fort Worth Museum of science and history. We liked the Cattlemen's exhibit complete with long-horn cattle. We sat through a stampede and then tried to round up strays. I really liked the challenge of managing a ranch (budget and all).

Jaynie learning how to ride and round up stray cattle at the Fort Worth Musuem Science and History. She did better than either Jose Luis or me. We'll see if she wants to ride a real horse here in Creel!

We also went to the exhibit on Egypt. It was great - with pottery shards puzzles, pyramid blocks, a mummy, and a camel. Siam & Jaynie travelling through the Egyptian desert - looks pretty real, no?

We had so much fun with James, Ardis, and Siam - worship services, daughter dates, shopping, great food, and great conversation. Thank you all so much for everything!

From Fort Worth we drove down to the Rio Grande Valley to visit Fanny & Buddy Ross. When we served with Oklahoma VIM, Fanny became and great friend and support. Six years have passed since we last visited them, and we were glad that we could get down to Mercedes for a quick visit.

Leaving Mercedes, we drove across Texas and into New Mexico. We stopped at the Living Desert Museum to see more animals. I think our favorite place to stop anywhere we go is the local zoo. We don't get tired of seeing the different animals and we are always amazed at God's imagination and creation (sorry no photos of anything more than animals, plants, and trees).

We continued on to Cloudcroft/High Rolls where we spent the weekend with the Kimball family. We went bowling (the second time ever for Jaynie and Jose Luis), sledding at White Sands, shopping at local thrift stores, but most of all we enjoyed visiting with Scott, Lynn, and their family as well as with old and new friends from the First Baptist Church of Cloudcroft. We hope to see them in the spring here in Creel!

We enjoyed the sun (and great cool weather) at the White Sands National Monument. We all went sledding down the dunes and then trudged back up to do it all over again.

Scott shows Jose Luis the cockpit of one of the drones used to test weapon systems. We've never been so close to a fighter jet - it was really cool!

We spent over 4 weeks in the States and the Lord blessed us so much with great friends, family, and church families. We were refreshed and now feel very pampered. Nevertheless, I was so happy to return home to Creel and to the work the Lord has entrusted us with - Thank you, God, for your love, care, and grace expressed through so many wonderful people throughout Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. I only pray that You, Lord, will use us to bless others.