LeMars and Grundy Center, Iowa

Thought I better finish off my pictures from our June trip before midnight, when we officially move into August! 

The kids were soooo excited to be able to stay with Bill and Jodee again.  Melissa and I were thrilled, too.  Nobody needed any more entertainment than to sit around the kitchen table, playing cards.  Here it looks like The Princess and Bill are both a bit tired though...

The following day, our good friend, Elaine, had put together plans for an ice cream social at her church.  We had some of the best hot fudge over ice cream I had ever had and a chance to share about Haiti - what could be better than that?

After the ice cream social, we still had enough time to slip down to Foster Park for a bit of music from the community band.  A perfectly pleasant Midwest evening.  Aren't Bill and Jodee just the cutest couple? 

The next day, the kids got to go swimming at the LeMars community pool, where I used to teach swim lessons years ago.  It was a windy, cool day, but the kids hadn't gotten to do much swimming so far, so they toughed it out while I shivered.

Bill models a new hat we brought to add to his collection.  He has a variety of hats to suit the day as he drives groups cross-country in his bus.  We thought this one might be appropriate for those days he feels like growling.

We had to say goodbye to Bill the night before our own departure since he had to make a bus trip.

The next day, we dragged out our goodbye to Jodee...

Either Jodee is really short, or my ten year old is getting really tall!

Next stop was Grundy Center - where our good friend, Pastor Phil, had arrange a cookout for his church members and an opportunity for us to speak about our plans to move to Haiti.  Phil has turned into a blue-ribbon winning cook over the last few years.  Ask him about his bacon cookies!  Or the banana fritters he made me deep fry...

Apparently Connie had kept him up late the night before, cleaning house, so after the last guests left, Phil crashed.

The next day, though, he was rejuvenated.  Here Phil is harvesting some kale from his garden to make into kale chips.

The kids got to do a bit more swimming during the day on Saturday.  Ida (age 8) had no hesitation in jumping off the high dive.

Saturday night and Sunday morning were extra special because we got to meet these fine folks - Phil and Pam Morgan (here with their daughter Kayla).  Pam, the woman standing in the center of the photo, was declared a complete quadriplegic twelve years ago after a horrific vehicle accident.  At the accident scene, the paramedics first assumed she was dead.  When she spoke, they worked to transport her to a hospital but figured she had about a 2% chance of still being alive by the time she got there.  Pam has written a book about her experience of miraculous survival and healing, called "I Stand".  Here's an abbreviated version of the story from Woman's World magazine.  The Morgans travel around the country and perform gospel music and share Pam's testimony to God's grace and power.