Le Martians

Although it's becoming "old news" at this point, I still want to post some pictures of our Iowa trip - specifically, pictures of some of the fantastic people who made it such a wonderful week for us.

I think Elaine and Daryl were the first people I met in Le Mars when I arrived in March of 1991 - they housed me during my interview.  Sweet, kind, generous folks!  Daryl is not in this picture because he was laid flat with a back injury during our visit.  Praying he is feeling much better now.

Did I mention that Bill has a bus tour business?  He also has a limo and one afternoon he gave our family a ride around Le Mars in style.  We stopped and picked up Jodee for a couple of laps around the block.

Jo and Lisa bought us all some ice cream at the parlor downtown.  We reminisced about various VBS programs we did together and I got updates on various family members.

Here's Jodee with a couple of her brats - Jason with his wife Mindi and little sister Jonalee.

The kids LOVED playing card games with Bill and Jodee.  So fun to have my whole family gathered around this same table where I have enjoyed so many good conversations and laughs over the years.

Bill and The Princess helped each other out. 

Jean Ann is the matriarch of another one of my favorite Le Martian families.  She now works at the ice cream parlor and she provided "The Goliath" for our kids one afternoon.

Connie has apparently discovered the fountain of youth since I left Le Mars.  She doesn't look a day older!

What can I say about Amy?  She definitely made my rookie years of youth ministry interesting.  Now she's all grown up and has a family of her own.  Congrats to her on the birth of Aidan about a week after this picture was taken!

John and Julie, Barb and Dean met with us the last evening we were in Le Mars.  Great couples!  John is the current pastor of the United Methodist Church where I served as youth pastor so many years ago.  Good to see the church is in capable, Godly hands!

Cookout in Bill and Jodee's back yard.

Melissa and I with Bill and Jodee's middle child, Jennica, and her husband Aaron.

Calvin and Dixie got back from an extended roadtrip to California just in time to meet up for breakfast at McDonalds before we headed out to Grundy Center, Iowa.  Another great couple.  During my stint in Le Mars, Calvin was my part-time boss ... in the bridge demolition and construction business.  It was like working for your favorite uncle!

It's frustrating to wrap up this post without sharing some specific stories about any or all of these people.  They are all so special to me that it about kills me to be as brief as I need to be here.  Thankfully, we are convinced that Le Mars will be a regular stop for us in the future, so we will have a chance to develop further stories - and to catch up with many others that we missed this time.

God bless you, Le Martians!  I am privileged to have known you!

One last picture.  This creepy thing was sprawled on a chair in Bill and Jodee's basement - an old art project that Jonalee had posed for.  Dats confessed early in the week that "That thing freaks me out", so, of course, I brought it upstairs where he could see it more often.  It got moved all over the house ... and even spooked Jonalee a few times.