Day 2176. Once again it was a rather rough night with the kids. And my alarm went off nearly an hour earlier, at 8:15 am. The boys were already up at that point. I hit snooze a few times then I forced myself up. We had breakfast and got ready to leave the house which we did at 9:15 am.
We drove half an hour into the town of Augusta and parked right outside the church that I've been in relationship with for the past 17 years or so. Their pastor actually did marriage preparation with Randy and me. However, they've made changes and don't support overseas missions any more. And that was the reason I was not speaking this morning.
We went inside and got seats in the sanctuary, then we went into the lobby. The Sunday school class had just ended so we said hello to a few people coming out, and some of them were leaving. At 10 am the service was starting so we went into the sanctuary.
It's not a church like most churches we go to; it's very unique in every way. They started with a song, then there were announcements and the pastor was teaching. Sammy was saying "amen" all the time which was just the cutest. We were also pointed out and greeted. Then they played several songs. The kids were starting to get bored. After the songs were over, the pastor started speaking again for the offering, and our friends we're staying with and Randy left with the kids to take them to the kids' room. The kids had fun there, playing hide and seek and other games. The wife returned to the sanctuary and stayed with me.
Just after 12 pm the service was over. I went to the lobby and talked to a few more people, and soon Randy and the kids also joined me there. After a while we left, got into the car and drove back to the house where we arrived at 1:15 pm. Our friends were already there and making a quick meal, and soon we were able to sit down and eat. We greatly enjoyed the meal and fellowship. After we were done, the kids got on their tablets, and then Sammy got to talk to his friend in California for a while. And Tammy helped our friend make brownies for the guest coming at 2:30 pm. As for me, I lay down for a short nap even though time was short. It was already 2:15 pm.
The kids were loud and kept me up for a while. At 3 pm a couple arrived to meet us so I got up. They were friends of our friends that they hadn't seen in a while so they had some catching up to do. We also got to tell them about Mali and what God is doing there. We were having a good time together. Randy was gone with Sammy for a while as he needed a nap. Tammy and Emmy wanted to see the man do a magic trick as he shares the gospel with magic and stories, so he gave us a little taste of what he does. Just after 5 pm they said their good-byes.
Emmy wanted to go play soccer with our friend, and Tammy joined them. They played for quite some time. In the meantime the rest of us were taking a break. Then Sammy said that he was hungry so I made a package soup for him and the others who ate it after they had come back inside. Then our friend made hamburgers for dinner. We had a good time eating and talking together. After dinner, Emmy still wanted to go on a boat ride but it was too late. They took the dog for a walk, we took a picture all together, then they got ready for bed. Then we sat down in the living room together where I read them a Bible story. Normally in German but this time in English as our friends were there as well and listening. I then prayed for them and put them to bed. Randy stayed with them until they were asleep.
I talked with my friends for a while, then I went to my computer to start working on my pictures while Randy talked with them. They actually ended up talking until midnight. Now it's 12:30 am, and it's probably gonna be 1:30 am again before I make it to bed.
