Summer Travels

Summertime.  

Road trips, sun hats, bare feet.

Butterflies, flower gardens, sandy toes, homemade ice cream.  

Porch swings, playground swings, long walks, campfires.

Baby pools, cousins, hammocks.

Our summer was a lovely collection of memories wrapped up in family, friends, and travels.  



First Stop.  Pennsylvania.

We were blessed to travel to Pennsylvania to see our dear friends Dan and Lauren, introduce our children, speak at their church, and see their ministry to the city of Reading.

  

Dan and Lauren are a powerhouse of talent and vision.  Over the years we have known them, we have seen the impact of their faith and their many strengths and skills.  We're now excited to see how God is weaving together their passion to serve and their gift of music into ministry through The Revive Project.  

We also happen to be in talks about arranging a marriage between their sweet son Andy and Lily, and now we have the iconic bathtub pictures to prove it.  

We are so thankful to have a friendship with their family that thrives despite the separation of distance and time.  It is funny to think that Dan and Andy met over seven years ago already.  Visits tend to be few and far between, but we are so blessed by the opportunities when they come.  Dan has been a photographer for a while now and was kind enough to give us a little family portrait session in Lancaster.  You can find more of his fantastic work at Dan Smith Photography.

Next Stop.

Virginia Beach is home to the Jeter family.  To be more accurate, it is home to a portion of the Jeter family, at the moment.  Some members of the Jeter family are currently making documentaries in Nepal, working with international students between trips to Southeast Asia, photographing Jerusalem, and preparing for ministry to refugees and victims of human trafficking in Europe.  They know a thing or two about international missions and world affairs.  Here are Laura's Aunt Rhoda and Uncle Stan.

     

At the coast, somebody took her first dip in the Atlantic Ocean.

And caught a few waves.

It was great to be with Laura's family, as well as present about HCJB Global to the "7 Ms"... The "Monday Morning Missions Minded Mobilization & Munch Meeting."  It was a gift to share with individuals from many different churches and ministries in the area.  It's a beautiful rarity to see a group gather at 7 AM at the start of the work week to pray for the lost, equip and send workers, strategically meet needs, and seek the Lord.  What a godly group of people with such a global mindset and passion for God's work around the world!  Here are the members of the Jeter family in Virginia Beach at the moment - Laura's cousin Daniel, who stopped in to meet Lily on his way from Ecuador to South Africa.

And Michelle, who has been a part of serving God in all manner of amazing ways and places, and currently works with Fresh Start, helping people live in the forgiveness and freedom of Christ.

The last stop on our East Coast tour was to visit Andy's cousin and our dear friend Karl just outside of Washington D.C. and catch up over brunch.  We considered sticking around a little longer to watch the 4th of July fireworks at the Capital, but the 106 degree temperature and lack of parking encouraged us to hit the road and head home.

In all, we covered over 2,000 miles and spent 35 hours in the car.  
Our Lily handled it like a champ.  

A few weeks later we headed off to Michigan!  

The Olson Family Reunion was full of cousin fun and cuteness.

We had a wonderful time with four generations of the Olson family represented, joining all the way from Nebraska, Michigan, and Oregon.  

Each of the cousins participated in the Orchard Olympics, swam at the beach, went blueberry picking, and took on Andy and Grandpa in a water fight.  It was a time of rest and conversation and a flurry of fun activity all at the same time.  



This picture of the grandchildren won't stay current for long.  We look forward to the arrival of two more cousins come January!




Such a full and happy summer!