So many exciting things happening! We very much enjoyed our time in Connecticut. One of our favorite things was all the time with the grandkids, and we noticed that the older they get the more connective they get. Their personalities are so unique and crazy fun!
Of course the MOST exciting thing was the arrival of our 10th grandchild! Baby Ezra made his entrance into the world smoothly and quickly. He and Brianna did great! We give thanks to God for how it all worked out and the safety and health of both mom and baby.
While in Connecticut we painted our bus! I say “we” and that is true, because we all helped. But really Matt did most of it- he definitely did all that required a ladder! The paint was pretty chipped and faded and we weren’t sure if that would be a deterrent to finding places to stay while on the road. Either way, we think it looks pretty good with its new coat!
We left Connecticut with plans to head to Indiana for the Christianity Arising conference. On the way there we stopped in Pennsylvania to see the family we bought the bus from. It was a quick stop, but we had a great time of fellowship over breakfast with our friends. They live on a beautiful farm and it was a really peaceful place to spend the night!
Leaving Pennsylvania we stopped once in Ohio and then made it to Indiana the afternoon before the conference began. It went from Monday-Friday. Prayer was at 6am and we were usually back in the bus by 9pm. (However, the kids sometimes didn’t get back until anytime between 10:30pm and 1:00am due to the volleyball games they played!)
It is really hard to describe what took place in all of us over the course of the week. Marc Carrier’s book is available for free as a pdf on his website and is what he used as the basis for all of the sessions. Every session taught was followed by a one and a half hour breakout session in groups of three (one facilitator and two others). During that time we went through the questions that were at the end of the chapter he had just taught on. I am convinced that no one who is unwilling to be humble can go through this conference. But also, without humility I don’t believe breakthrough can come. Micah was with a group of teens and did not attend the classes, but Leah, Matt, and I all took part in the classes and breakout sessions. We all experienced breakthrough and freedom in areas that we didn’t even know we needed it. AND, we all were able to minister to the others in the group. It was made clear from the beginning that with God there are no “levels”- facilitator and others were all on the same plane, there with humble hearts and open to what the Holy Spirit wanted to do. There were some incredibly radical transformations that took place and we were super excited to be able to witness the truly transformative power of Jesus! By the time the conference was over we all felt like family.
This is the table of contents from the book.
There was absolutely no cost for the conference and it included food, lodging, a book, and of course all the classes! At this one there were a little over 100 people. The camp it was hosted at was beautiful and serene, and the food was next level. Every meal was home cooked and both nutritious and delicious! We were so spoiled and the love that was felt was like nothing we had ever experienced before. We highly recommend this conference! (2026 Schedule: January 26-30, May 4-8, July 13-17 and October 5-9)
After it was over we accepted the invitation to spend some time in Kentucky with Marc and family. That is where we are currently and we feel that God will give us our next steps from here. The kids are having the time of their life!
We are so grateful for all that God has allowed for us to be a part of over the last few weeks- from CT to IN to KY. There is never a dull moment with our God!