Getting back into the swing of things

We have been back a few weeks and feel like we are getting back into the swing of things. We have focused on getting caught up on things around the house, meeting with people and "easing" back into our ministry night. Our time back in the States was wonderful - busy - but wonderful. The sad thing is I (Cathy) took several pictures. I was a crazy snapping woman, but sadly I have nothing to show for it. At some stage, I wanted to download the pictures and realized that I had left my memory card in Germany. So, I have nothing to share with you from this trip -- at least visually.

We spent two weeks in Colorado reconnecting with friends and family. We had lunches, coffees and dinners planned almost every day we were there. As I have already reported, we enjoyed celebrating a milestone anniversary with my parents. This allowed us to see extended family and friends that we hadn't seen in years.

We then moved onto Wisconsin for the Cadence conference. I must admit I wasn't sure what to expect. We have attended work conferences in the past: some good, some not so good. Frankly, we really weren't too excited about it. Our experience is that conferences pull you away from work, usually aren't to beneficial and then we have a ton of stuff to get caught up on when you go back to work.

We were pleasantly surprised! There was a good balance of meetings, free time, fellowship and connecting with our co-workers. We have a deeper appreciation for the Cadence leadership team and are excited to see the direction the mission is going. David Schroeder, our president, accomplished all the goals of the conference: Honor our staff, connect the team, celebrate the vision and refresh our hearts. It truly was an amazing time and we are thrilled - more than ever - to be a part of Cadence.

As we finish the summer, we have some fun things planned. Our biggest deal is our Hungary Mission trip. We are taking 11 folks to Miskolc and Debrecen Hungary in mid-August. We will be working at a local orphanage and refugee camp. We will conduct a VBS for younger children, host sports camp for middle/high schoolers and spend some time assisting the staff with disabled children. We are really looking forward to this opportunity to serve, but to also see what God teaches us through this time. Pray for team unity, sensitive hearts, and safe travels. We hope you have a good summer...we will be in touch again soon!