Larry and I have been busy in our home office preparing for our upcoming tour to Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. We are leaving next week so Larry is busy working on the motorhome and I'm working on getting the ministry stock, office items, and supplies for "on the road living" gathered and packed, as the motorhome won't be back here in South Dakota until next May! At my age, that kind of packing messes up my mind...but at this stage it doesn't take much - ha!
Whew...let me catch my breath! We've just returned from our action-packed Fun & Fellowship tour to the National Quartet Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. Thirty-four friends joined us on this exciting journey in a beautiful motorcoach - what fun! Some say seniors are quiet and boring...not this group...they were amped and energized from the moment we boarded the motorcoach.
Say hi! We're back from an exciting Labor Day weekend at Twin Lakes Christian Center with Pastor Percy and Debbie Kallevig in Elk River, MN. Since it was a holiday weekend, we were so pleased that several partners from the surrounding Minneapolis area were able to join us for the morning service. It may have been Labor Day by name - but it was Freedom Day for those who responded to the altar call. It's wonderful to see all ages looking for peace and joy in a troubled world.
Ahh... let me catch my breath - the last month has felt like the infamous Indy 500 race - so much going on at a neck-breaking pace! Larry and I decided to make a quick trip to Nashville, Tennessee to be with our daughters LaDawn, LaShawn and granddaughter, Myanna for a few days. LaShawn had to have eye surgery and we wanted to be there for her and to be able to drive her back and forth for doctor appointments, etc. LaDawn had a business trip to South Carolina for a couple days, so we were able to be with our granddaughter, Myanna, while her mom was gone. We get to see them so seldom - that it has been so wonderful to be able to help them a bit and enjoy them. We took these two weeks to minister to our own family, and it has been so good.
Hope your August is off to a great start! We are reflecting over the events in the last couple of weeks and wanted to share more testimonies and photos from our latest rallies.
Adventure land...yes, that's how I would describe the past 12 days. Only, it had one ride, the rollercoaster! One moment there was joy, and the next, tears of loss. Larry's brother Lowell Lundstrom passed away on July 20th from complications of Parkinson's. Yes, we knew he was weak and struggling, and was also heartbroken and lonely since his wife and sweetheart, Connie, passed away in December. Whichever way you look at it, it was still a shock when we got that early morning phone call.
It is with deep sadness that we share with you that Larry's brother and my brother-in-law, Lowell Lundstrom, passed away last Friday, July 20th. However, it is also with great joy and celebration that we know he is in heaven with his sweetheart and wife, Connie, who passed away just last December.
"Who are you..." an immediate puzzled response, "Who are you"? We stared each other down like two cats meeting in an alley, "Gloria Brooks-Lundstrom". I almost chuckled at the look of disbelief and shock painted across his face, "I haven't seen you since high school graduation in 1962." I gave him that certain stare, "Ya, and you are who?" He told me and I gave him the same response...shock! This uncomfortable, embarrassing moment happened over and over and over. You see, it was my 50thclass reunion. There were 77 in my graduating class and over 40 of us attended.
I was reminded of an article that I wrote many years ago that is in my Heartprints book that I'd like to share with you: Firecracker Christians - The Fourth of July is one of our children's favorite holidays, and they make the most of it. For a few hours during the day, LaShawn, LaDawn and Lee Donovan laugh excitedly as they play with bright sparklers. At sundown, they ooh and aah over the brilliant fireworks display at the park. But by morning, the only signs of the holiday celebration are burned wrappers and smoke marks on the sidewalks.
Happy 69th Birthday to my husband and best friend... Larry! We were sitting here over our morning D&D (date and devotion time) and was sharing with him how wonderful it's been and how blessed I have been to have spent every one of his birthdays together since we were married - which totals 46.