The best of 5 flights!
It is five days since I got back from the US and I think I am almost over jetlag. It is a strange thing and I don’t remember feeling it so much in the past. But my children who have watched me drift off to sleep will laugh and tell you about its effects!
I flew to Portland a couple of weeks ago, landing late Friday night. We had had Melanie’s parents with us for a week and I left while they were still here. This meant I could pick up their car in the car park and drive back to their house. Friday night I slept well and then Saturday I enjoyed lunch with a friend. Somehow I didn’t sleep at all on Saturday night, which meant I went into Sunday feeling very groggy, but thankfully God helped and I was able to preach and then enjoy lunch with an old friend.
Mt.Jefferson from 8,500ft
The Intensive went well. We had had to move venue and dates, but this didn’t stop a full house of participants coming and hopefully enjoying the week. Almost 80% were from Westside, our sending church, which was great. We were hosted so well at Westside and really enjoyed the hospitality, lunches, etc.
I enjoyed visiting the Care Group that we are assigned to. On the Thursday morning I had to slip out for a few hours in order to do a Webinar that was scheduled for me. Webinars are a strange thing. Basically I get to teach into my computer and then take questions. No eye contact, no real interaction, but for some folks a real blessing. The one big disappointment of the week was not being able to spend time with my brother/sister-in-law because they got a sickness bug (bad timing!)
The river where I met Melanie!
Friday evening I was blown away by the turn out at a Q&A session at church, followed by another chance to talk about our ministry at a missions event in Portland on the Saturday. I left from there and drove down to Sunriver with good friend, Terry Hickman – so good to see their next home and situation. Sunday I preached in Sunriver (felt my temperature jumping up in the second service and was really hoping that I hadn’t also gone down with the sickness bug). Enjoyed a good lunch with the kind folks at CBC and then had the treat of the trip: a single-engine plane ride back up to Portland! It was a great experience and I loved flying into Portland International Airport in a tiny plane. (Thanks Terry!)
Then I got to fly home. Walking groggily through Newark airport I found myself stood next to Bill Cosby, but was not awake enough to do an annoying selfie with him. Arrived home Monday night, tired but thankful to be back with family and to get the chance to recover from jetlag once again!
Thanks so much for praying for us during this busy trip (and busy life at home without Dad). I am home now for a few months, except for a flying two-day visit to Rome in December.
