"I could get used to living this way!" After saying this, Jesse flopped back onto his bed in our temporary home -- a beach house on Folly Beach, "The Edge of America."
What a way to live indeed! After a full, warm welcome from the Gaillard family of six at the Charleston Airport, and a quick stop at Chick-Fil-A (paid for by that same family), we drove about 30 minutes to the above mentioned beach house.
Out front, the Atlantic Ocean.
Out back, beautiful marshland.
Inside, a grandkids' paradise of age-appropriate toys, hard wood floors, pool table, comfy beds, fire place, and a refrigerator and counter full of food provided by a hospitality committee from Church of the Good Shepherd. A day did not go by without spontaneous praises being shouted out -- and we're not normally a family who does that. God's goodness and love was so abundantly evident to us in his creation and in the hospitality and care of his people, our South Carolina family.
Needless to say, the trip turned out to be a wonderful time for our family. Lots of walks on the beach, games of pool, playing in the ocean on cold, windy days (who cares? we're at the beach!), a few fun restaurants (Jesse discovered a love for crab legs), play dates with new friends, and a visit to historic Charleston.
Even better, my (Travis') mom joined us to help with the kids, which not only made it easier to make the several meetings we had scheduled, but gave Leslie and me more time together as a couple than we've had in months!
Our Partner Development time went well also. In addition to preaching at two churches and meeting with their folks, we connected with groups and individuals from other communities within the diocese. There is for us a growing sense of connectedness with the people in the Diocese of South Carolina. There is a growing heart, interest, and commitment to East Africa there, and the vision God has given us of raising up a generation of Ugandans to reach the world for Christ interweaves with so much of what he is already doing in South Carolina.
There were also several moments of encouragement. People visiting for the first time the churches where we were preaching deciding to partner with us, reconnections with old seminary friends, unexpected generosity from our host parishes (Good Shepherd and Saint John's Parish), genuine excitement in the welcome given by new friends....
One exciting development in particular. We're asking the churches that support us to connect us with an individual, family, or small group who will act as our liaison to that community, and through them we'll weave together the communities of that church, our family, and the people of Kabale. We've begun this with Trinity Beaver in PA with a wonderful woman named Ruth. In South Carolina, another woman of great graciousness and care named Kits from Good Shepherd is taking on that role. Already in getting to know these women there is a greater of sense of actually being a part of these communities, and we see the potential for the relationship to grow and deepen. We look forward to more!
There is much more I could write about this visit, but I'm supposed to be packing boxes as we prepare to move to Texas in just a few days. More will come after this move!
Until then, catch a glimpse of the glory and gratefulness we experienced in South Carolina with this short clip:
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