PEOPLE!

Dick & Shirley Baxter preparing to catch catfish

We managed some more zero dollar campground fees by parking in the yard of Dick & Shirley Baxter in Gaffney SC for a few days. Fun to spend time with them! We visited a historic revolutionary war battleground (Cow Pens) and museum, took in part of a rehearsal of the play Harvey in which Shirley had a role, saw the play Nunsense at Limestone College where my nephew Tim is a professor of theater arts. Tim's wife, Susan was directing the Harvey play.

I think it was the biggest catfish caught that day!

I also added an 8 foot vinyl fence post to the bottom of the motorhome. The task was made much easier with brother Dick's help. I gave the motorhome its first bath since we left Oregon. It was not just dirty but coated with yellow pollen. Within minutes of washing it was again coated with pollen :-( We picked up an air compressor that we had previously ordered to be shipped to Gaffney. Now all I need to do is figure out how to access those inner dual valve stems!

While in Gaffney we enjoyed fishing at a private pond belonging to one of Dick's golfing buddies. Dick cleaned and filleted the catfish and Pearl later cooked it with a delicious coating of a pear relish and pecans.

with Gary Nuss

Myrtle Beach SC was our next destination to meet up with Gary Nuss and Kim Zegelien. Gary recently moved to a condominium with his dad, Ike. Gary is an educator working with special needs students in the area. He had served with us at ICA in Africa. We had enjoyed many trips together in Africa and Europe during school breaks. It was great to see him again and meet his dad and Latte.

with Kim Zegelien

Kim Zegelien is an administrator, teacher,and coach at a private Christian school in North Carolina. She was in the Myrtle Beach area for a coaching workshop at the same time we were there. Kim also served at ICA with us and Gary. It was not only fun to see her again but to learn some new things about her, like her love for her Harley.

While at Myrtle Beach we enjoyed the atmosphere of this seaside resort area during spring break, seeing some of the sights, worshiping with Gary, his dad, and Kim at the United Methodist church on Palm Sunday, and enjoying again Gary's gifts and skills as a host and cook. Of course we checked out the beach and Pearl dipped her toes in the U.S. side of the Atlantic having already experienced the Africa side.

Pearl testing the Atlantic Ocean at Myrtle Beach SC

We moved on a bit north to Carolina Beach in North Carolina just south of Wilmington. We had opportunity to visit another civil war museum and battleground area at Fort Fisher just north of our campground. Interesting to see some of the Intracoastal Waterways that were so important in avoiding the Union blockades during the Civil War and still allow passage of large ships today.

While their we enjoyed a visit from another former student. Helen (Gibbons) White was one of our students at Dalat School in Malaysia. She and her husband Doug have been missionaries in Brazil for many years and are currently between church pastorates here in the U.S. Sorry we left you out of the picture, Doug! Helen and Doug had to cut their visit short as the Carolina Beach State Park campground locked its gates at 8 PM and doesn't open them again until 8 PM the next morning.

with Helen (Gibbons) White

Now we are at Arrowhead Campground on Badin Lake in North Carolina. Dick and Shirley are due to join us this afternoon and after a couple of days we will move on to Rudd's Creek Campground on Kerr Reservoir straddling the North Carolina - Virginia border. After a few days there we go to Oakridge Campground in Prince William National Forest just south of Washington DC.

On Easter Sunday we worshiped with the Atlanta First Baptist Church, enjoying a beautiful mass choir and orchestra presentation and the preaching of Charles Stanley. Unfortunately it was too far to drive to Atlanta so we participated via TV.

But we did have the opportunity later in the day to visit with a family we knew from our very first year at ICA, the Byerly's.  We had been invited to join them for a family Easter dinner. Thank you so much. Great fellowship, delicious meal, and especially enjoyed making interconnecting webs again. We were greeted by Ben Mickelson who is married to Brenda (Byerly). They have served overseas and are now in the Greensboro area. Ben is an ESL educator. Brenda is a nurse in an ER facility. They are expecting twin boys in June. We won't comment on prospective names.

L to R in back: Pearl, Bonnie Byerly, Brenda (Byerly) & Ben Mickelson, Elmer
kneeling: Becky Byerly

Becky is a math and science teacher in a public school in the Greensboro area. Bonnie works with a veterinarian and had a dog and two rabbits at the house suggesting its more than just a job. Missing were oldest son Ben, son Billy, and daughter Beth. It had been our privilege to teach all of the Byerly kids plus some of their spouses, including Ben Mickelson and to coach most if not all of the girls in basketball at ICA.

People! Definitely one of the most important benefits of this trip is getting to reconnect with people that have been such an important part of our lives.