As we drove into the church parking lot, our coordinator and her son came out with a “Welcome, Maxwell Family” sign. It was a true labor of love. How special! Set up went fast, since we had a lot of help. We were also grateful to have the bus back again.

Dinner was provided by the coordinator and two other ladies. The tables were decorated in an autumn theme. Baked ziti, salad, bread, and dessert—all were delicious.

We were also given several gifts: the coordinator’s family gave individual gift bags to each of us, including Nathan and Christopher’s family. The items included were so sweet! Another family gave us a “Columbia dinner in a box” (more on that later). The Australian family gifted us with two items from their country, and another family gave us an attractive jar of layered cookie ingredients. A young lady gave Anna, Mary, and I tatted bookmarks–so pretty. You all were very thoughtful.

Once again, it was the perfect size crowd for the facility the Lord gave us. This time, there were two families who drove more the the customary longest distance for each conference. We had a family from Australia and another from California, although they were both on trips, so they didn’t come directly from those places. To make it more interesting, the Australian family told the Californian family about the conference when they happened to meet in Williamsburg. The CA family had not been aware of our ministry before that. Friday night, there were three RVs in the lot: ours and the Australia and California families’.

The young ladies were an attentive group, and several of them gathered around Anna to talk to her after the first session. It was really sweet! Parents seemed especially engaged during the courtship session. I love hearing Dad talk–he shares in such a captivating and practical way.

A number of families had attended at least one other conference. A special joy for Mom was to meet one of her test moms for Sweet Journey.

We are grateful for each one of our coordinators who set up their conference and invested in it with their time. I think of Philippians 4:17. “Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.” The labor of love they have given bears eternal fruit in the lives of those who come.

Love,
Sarah

Set up.

Joseph and John

The contents of my bag.

Jesse and Mom Saturday morning. I love going into a church early, when all is quiet, and putting the finishing touches on set up. One thing I do is hang signs to direct people for where to go.

Eden and Gracie--sweet sisters!

Another set of sweet sisters! Thank y'all for letting me take your picture. We enjoyed seeing you again!

The Australian Family

The Californian Family

We had great pack out help! Thank you to all the young people who lent their aid.

Praying before we left the area.

“And it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that ye may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go” (1 Corinthians 16:6).

We’re back, arriving before 8 p.m. We covered a lot of miles today, and we’re grateful for the safety.

More later!

Love,
Sarah

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” (Ephesians 4:1).

It has been a beautiful day for a drive. The autumn leaves are pretty, the temperatures pleasant, and the company in the bus delightful.

After we passed St. Louis, we saw a reader board that said there was an accident on the interstate we would soon be on, and the left lane was closed, west bound.

As traffic slowed to a crawl, we observed a helicopter, and we guessed it was Lifeflight. A little later, an ambulance went by with lights and sirens. We prayed for those affected by the accident. It looked to be a serious one.

We will be home about 8 p.m. tonight, unless we hit another slow down. Thank you for praying!

Love,
Sarah

We left about 8:15 EDT, and Lord willing, we are planning to be home tonight. It looks like we currently have 608 miles left.

We’re outside of Nashville at the moment.

Love,
Sarah

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psalms 19:1).

It is a cool evening, and I’m in the back of the bus, typing this post as we drive. It’s dark, and there has been a fair amount of traffic, but we made it safely through Atlanta. We wanted to get several hours down the road tonight.

Our hearts are full of gratefulness to the Lord for all He has done these past four weeks. It has been a journey, but the fruit in the lives of families has been worth it.

We will likely be home, Lord willing, late Sunday evening.

Thank you all for praying for us. Truly, we have needed each of your prayers and have felt them too!

I’ll leave you with a few pictures from the weekend, but we’ll do a full report later.

Love,
Sarah

Dinner Friday evening.

We arrived here in the Savannah area Wednesday afternoon. As we drove up from Florida, we could feel the temperatures were dropping. By the evening, it felt cool. Ahhh. Autumn weather again!

We parked at a family’s house, who had invited us to stay with them for a few days. It’s been a blessing to fellowship. The L. family has attended many conferences throughout the last few years, and it is a joy to see them each time. In addition, we have been able to catch up on things we’ve needed to do.

We are looking forward to our final conference for this trip: Savannah!

Blessings,
Sarah

Helping in the kitchen.

Bible time

Some of us exercised with their family.

We've had delicious meals and fellowship.

Joseph gave guitar lesson to several of the children.

Another family joined us last night for Bible time and s'mores.

Young and "old" alike enjoy s'mores.

In Uriah, that is! When we pulled up to the bus this morning, our hearts were full of gratefulness. There is truly no place like home, and I hadn’t realized how much Uriah felt like home until we were “on-the-road-away-from-him” for a week. Wow!

This morning, Joseph and John left the hotel at 6:45 to make it to the shop and unload the truck before we came. We left at 7:30, and as we neared Ocala, we found out that the shop was waiting on a final part (for those technically minded, it was the transmission fill tube) to arrive via UPS. Thus ensued an interesting time as we tried to flag down a UPS driver, who ended up not having the package, and then we found a UPS distribution center. Anyway, I’ll spare you the story. Good news? We ended up getting the package. Bad news? It was the wrong part. They sent the dipstick and not the fill tube. They were able to temporarily get the old fill tube to work (we will replace it once we get home), so a little after noon, we took the bus on a test drive. We were so grateful that it drove well. It now shifts so smooth we can hardly tell it is shifting.

We were excited to be on our way again! We are stopped at an RV park near Lake City, Florida. It was a short night last night, and we are looking forward to getting caught up on rest and being refreshed for the final conference in Savannah this weekend.

Love,
Sarah

We did an unload "blitz"--long story, but we had to unload quickly.

BTW - those aren't Jesse's pillows.

Because we had to do a quick unload, the cabin was quite full initially.

We had a delicious dinner of chicken fajitas tonight.

We packed out of the river house yesterday morning. We were so grateful for the use of it this past week. What a blessing.

Last night’s conference went well. We’ll have a report later. We’re headed to Ocala now for the bus, praising the Lord that the transmission came in yesterday and looked really good. We’re also praying that as it’s finished this morning, everything will be running properly.

Love,
Sarah

When I was working on yesterday's blog post, two sets of manatees floated down the river, and I got distracted.

Temporarily back to the days of hotels and carts. It just creates an even greater appreciation for Uriah.

Mailing postcards.

I am sitting at the dining room table in the river house marveling at all the Lord has done this past week. Only one week ago, we were motoring along the interstate, hitting heavy traffic, slow downs, and rain. The Lord used those tire alarms to get us off the busy interstate and direct us to the repair shop. The transmission is to arrive at the shop tomorrow (likely morning), and then we should be able to pick up the bus on Tuesday, Lord willing.

We spent the weekend in Orlando with the conference and came back to the river house last night.

We clearly saw the Lord’s hand working throughout the conference. Set up went just fine, considering the unloading process was different with the van and truck. A sweet widow from the church made us a delicious dinner of lasagna—and it was an extra special blessing since we’re without a “kitchen.” Friday night’s music and the Building a Vision session ran smoothly. A highlight for me was meeting Annie, a sweet young lady who gave me a bookmark she had cross-stitched. It was precious.

When the sessions were through and after we had talked with several families, we headed for our hotel. Since we were going back to the river house after the conference on Saturday, we had packed light in order to make it easier to load in and out of the hotel for just one night. We were grateful for God’s provision of the rooms.

When we began Friday evening, hearts didn’t seem too open. But as each session progressed, hearts were softened, and the Lord was doing a mighty work! It was exciting to see.

Young people also told us that they were blessed by their sessions. I think the newest one, A Necessary Skill for Life, is having a big impact in young people’s lives.

Lunch was catered in for only $5 per person by Chick-Fil-A and was very tasty. Eat mor chikin! Right?!

We truly are grateful for those of you who are standing by us in prayer. We need your prayers, and we feel them. Thank you!

We look forward to Palm Coast Monday night. Palm Coast is outside of St. Augustine.

Love,
Sarah

Practicing Friday afternoon.

The sweet ladies who made our dinner.

It was different preparing for the conference without the bus.

Annie and I.

At the hotel.

The guys

Talking after a session.

A little girl gave Anna a picture.

Talking.

Little two-year-old Anna helped with the pack out process.

Mom

Emily helped too.

“For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth forever. Praise ye the LORD.” Psalms 117:2

This morning, we worked on packing things we would need, but we packed light, since this is just an overnight stay. We’ll be going back to the river house tomorrow night through Monday.

It was a pleasant, two-hour drive, and the temperatures seem to be a little less warm today. Things are a bit more challenging without the bus, but it makes us all the more grateful for Uriah.

We have been lifting up this conference in prayer, and we look forward to what the Lord will do. We would be grateful for your prayers as well.

Love,
Sarah

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God” (Psalms 20:7).

We headed out for the gulf again this morning. The water was choppier, which made it a little more interesting. We opted for going out a little further, but there were some really shallow areas, and we didn’t want to get our boats stuck, so we turned around. Dad and Mom were leading, and Dad saw a manatee surface about 10 feet in front of Mom. It’s a little bit of a helpless feeling as one tries to get their boat off the course the manatee might be on, because one really doesn’t want to get dumped if the manatee were to try to surface again under your boat. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. We saw another manatee off to the side also surfacing.

We continued back, enjoying our time together. This afternoon, most of us have been inside, catching up on things. John and Jesse went in the kayaks to explore, and when I saw them coming home, I stepped out to the porch, and John called to me that I should go look for a manatee. I grabbed my camera, rushing upstairs to the second story. SURE ENOUGH! There he was. I was praising the Lord for being able to grab pictures to share with you all. John and Jesse had been following him downstream for a ways. Manatees are such amazing, gentle creatures.

We have been in prayer for this weekend’s conference in Orlando. We’ll be headed there tomorrow!

Love,
Sarah

The manatee!

“As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: So the Lord alone did lead him…” (Deuteronomy 32:11-12.)

We continue to see the Lord’s Hand on every aspect of this transmission replacement. We received a call from the shop. Upon pulling the transmission, they found that it was actually the new style of transmission. So, the good news is, instead of sending the transmission up to Grand Rapids and waiting while it was rebuilt, they were able to order one right away. They should have it “in hand” Friday or Monday. Lord willing, Uriah should be repaired and ready for us to re-inhabit early next week.

We had a nice evening last night. A sweet family has treated us to Chick-Fil-A. What a blessing! Thank you!

This morning, we set out in kayaks. A neighbor had previously allowed us to use two of their kayaks so we could all go out together. Dad talked with them, and they happily said we could use the kayaks again.

It took awhile to get settled in our kayaks, but then we headed for the Gulf. The inlet in our back “yard” takes you out to the Gulf if you go far enough. It was easy going since we were flowing with the tide. Reminds me of a spiritual analogy. As Christians, we are to go against the tide (the world). If we go with the tide, life can sail along pretty smoothly, because doing what the world wants is easy. It doesn’t require “hard decisions”. “… know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4

Anyway, after we got out to the Gulf, we turned around, and that’s when the going become hard. But, with consistent, steady strokes, we made progress.

We look forward to church tonight .

Love,
Sarah

This is the main area we saw manatees last time, so we went there this morning after going to the Gulf, but no manatees. Joseph spotted one from the river house, though!

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High” (Psalms 92:1).

After vehicles were rented, most of the family went for a W-M trip late morning, and bags were purchased. Within an hour of the arrival back at the bus, we were loaded out and on our way.

So, now, we will be staying until Friday at “the river house.” We had originally planned to stay there for a few days, based upon a gracious family’s offer. When the bus needed a new transmission, we thought it wasn’t going to work out. But, with how long it’s going to take to get the bus fixed, it ended up being perfect, because now we have housing for a few nights.

We are looking forward to the weekend conference in Orlando (Kissimmee) Friday night and Saturday.

Thank you all for praying. We would be grateful for your continued prayers.

Love,
Sarah

While some of them were out shopping, Uriah got pulled into the bay, and work began!

We don't have a clothes bar, so girls' outfits go over the back seat.

“For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:14).

We are grateful for the Lord Jesus’ protection and care. We are grateful for all of our friends and family who have been praying for us. We are grateful for the love and concern many have expressed.

This morning has already been interesting. We woke up a little after 5:30, as there was a lot to do. After personal Bible/prayer, we began trying to pack personal belongings for the next two weeks. Eight people working on it. Trying to decide what is important to have and what can be left. And, folks? How does one pack without luggage? We could have brought some if we had known! For now, we are using plastic storage tubs and misc bags. The rental place sent someone out to pick Dad and John up so they could get the vehicles. A Wal-Mart run will be in order. We need some travel bags to pack our stuff into, cooler to bring food, etc.

We are heading to the river house after we get packed up. More later! Packing out will be a job as all the books and everything are coming!

Love,
Sarah

Some people do have tote bags and backpacks, but not enough to pack all of one's belongings in.

"Which clothes do you think I should bring?"

Pausing for a picture.

“That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:10-11).

After a number of hours troubleshooting, replacing sensors, and the transmission fluid, it was decided the transmission is bad. Second, third and fourth gears are totally nonoperational. There is no way to get it fixed. God is good all the time!

It has to be rebuilt versus just ordering in a new or rebuilt one because they don’t stock this old of a model. Uriah’s transmission will be shipped up to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where it will be rebuilt. We are guessing that this will be a two week long process if all goes well.

Dad and John are working on details for transportation in the meantime. The shop will begin pulling the transmission tomorrow morning.

The good thing about problems is that our faith is built as we see how the Lord is faithful in working things out. We are excited to see how the Lord will work everything out. We aren’t worried at all. Nothing is too big for the Lord, and He knows exactly what will happen.

Our conferences are still on schedule. We will have alternate transportation to get us there.

So, the adventure begins.

Love,
Sarah
PS – We have been rejoicing about the baby news, and we’re all excited about having another niece/nephew/granddaughter/grandson.

“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

Our tire alarm began going off as we drove through rain, and it was indicating our tire pressure was quite low on one of the tires. There was not any good place to pull off, so we had to find an exit we could stop and check. Then, as we pulled into the Petro, a transmission alarm suddenly appeared. Dad made the comment that the bus was falling apart . Well, we found that the tires are fine, so that was a praise the Lord. But, we’re not sure about the transmission. It appears to be stuck in third gear. Life is always an adventure.

We would appreciate prayer for trouble shooting, help, and that it’s nothing serious. I think we’ll be missing the church service tonight.

Love,
Sarah

“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night” (Exodus 13:21).

Since we didn’t have any conferences scheduled between the Charlotte and Pigeon Forge weekends, we spent the time parked at the church. Last Sunday, after we pulled in, the church fellowship offered to loan us their van, which made it possible to easily run errands and even go up to the Smokies twice: once for hiking and the other to Cade’s Cove. The van was such a blessing! The rest of the time we spent in the bus or outside of the bus working, doing school, and studying (Anna is doing an ITonRamp class).

Friday afternoon, we set up for the conference. We knew we faced a bit more of a challenge than normal due to the fact that several of the family had colds. A normal cold takes on another twist when you are speaking. The conference is quite voice-taxing, but the Lord has always carried us through. I think back to the time we were giving a concert at the Alberta Home School Convention. Anna is our lead singer, and she had lost her voice. That day, we prayed, and in the evening, you should have heard her sing. I thought she had never sounded better. The Lord had truly given her a voice for the concert.

There were quite a few people praying for us this weekend. Music went well–and voices held strong! It was a lighter crowd Friday evening, but that is quite normal for Friday evenings. We enjoyed talking to the families who came. Several were from out-of-state: Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky. On Saturday, we met at least two families who had come from northern Georgia.

Saturday morning, John’s voice was struggling. Again, we asked some friends and family for prayer, and at his most crucial session, Unity, right after lunch, you should have heard him. Anna said he sounded NORMAL! What a blessing.

It was a delight to see a number of families who had been to previous conferences. It was a joy to be able to visit and fellowship with them. In fact, one of the family’s girls helped us pack out. Truly, that help was a blessing. Thanks, Elizabeth, Amanda, and Rachel.

Anna loves to meet industrious young ladies. In this case, the girl was only nine-years-old and could knit, crochet, and sew! She told Anna she makes all of the Christmas and birthday gifts she gives. Wow! I’d love to see the skills she’ll know by the time she is eighteen. Her mom has taught her well!

Hearts were very open to the message shared. We continue to pray for fruit to abound after the conference is through.

We are now driving in Florida. Even with the slow down, it appears we will still be able to attend the 5:30 p.m. church service tonight.

Love,
Sarah

Friday evening.

A family blessed us with bread, jam, and a special monogrammed towel. Another family gave us some sweet bread yesterday as well. Thank you all!

Mom talking with two ladies before her session.

Dad gave a bonus session to close out the day.

A family who came to the Knoxville conference (2009) as well.

This morning we woke up ready to get on the road to make our way down to Florida. We were hoping to get to Florida so that we could attend church tonight, but a ways outside of Atlanta we hit a slowdown where traffic is basically stopped. We found out that there was an accident two miles ahead, and all three lanes of traffic were blocked. We’re now moving a little so it’s likely that a lane or two are cleared. Now, we’ll inch along for the next few miles!

Anna

“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night” (Exodus 13:21).

I’ll tell you more about the conference later, but I’ll use that one word to describe it for the moment. We decided to drive down the road a bit, so we’re in northern Georgia. We are aiming to get to Florida Sunday night.

Love,
Sarah

Dad and Mom Friday evening

“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16).

Guest poster today. This is John to give Sarah a bit of a break from conference reports.

We only had a two hour drive on Friday, so we didn’t leave until close to noon. So far this trip has been the slow down trip. Going into Charlotte proved to be no exception. At one point traffic slowed to a crawl. We finally made it through the slow down, and arrived at the church driveway just before 2.

As you all saw in the previous post, the driveway to the church was very tight. It wouldn’t have been such a problem if there was not a deep ditch on either side of the driveway. Later we found out that firetrucks have a tough time getting into that church. Firetrucks are usually shorter than we are and have a better turning radius. Oh well, we made it in okay, and had a good place to park for the night.

After set up, we ate dinner. Some of the ladies from the local homeschool group made the meal. I don’t know if North Carolina qualifies as the south (in my book it does), but that southern cooking was fantastic. Personally, I would rank it as one of the best on-the-road meals, that we have had.

The conference itself was a blessing. We had a good group of folks show up. I admit, although a bit stoic in the beginning, they warmed up in the end. The young people were attentive, and we had a good time.

Overall hearts seemed to be open to the message, and the Lord blessed.

For dinner on Saturday, we went out with a family that we have known for several years. Don’t ask me where we ate, because I don’t remember. The important part was, I liked the food, and the fellowship.

That is all for this time, folks.

John for the rest.

Joseph on Friday.

Some ladies had prepared a delicious dinner Friday evening.

Thank you all. It was wonderful.

Talking before the conference started.

Friday evening.

Sharing a testimony.

Mom talking with a couple before the afternoon session.

Moody reader

Sarah with Rachel and Hannah.

Packing up.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

We arrived at the church Monday about 3:15. We saw some tornado damage as we neared the area, and our hearts were sad for those who have gone through much loss of property and life over the recent months.

Our memories from the prior year, of the same church, included Christopher. We miss him (since he got married last October), but we are thrilled with the wife the Lord has given him (love ya, Anna Marie!). Christopher lost his Thermos at this same place the prior year. It was his trusted cold water bottle at home and on trips. No other Thermos could quite replace it. He asked us to check if the church had a lost and found, if possibly that Thermos could be there. As I was walking through the gym, my eye caught sight of his Thermos, on an obvious lost and found shelving section. I couldn’t believe it. It still has water in it, and the top was dusty. So, Christopher, you have your Thermos back. Well, when we get home in four weeks!

Our coordinators had also arranged the conference last year, and they have been friends of ours for a number of years. We were able to spend some time fellowshipping with them beforehand and also at dinner. They provided a delicious dinner of BBQ venison, mashed potatoes, rolls, salad, and dessert. It was great!

We gave some different sessions than we normally would on an evening conference. We saw several families who have attended in prior years, so that was wonderful. The parents were especially attentive and interested in what was shared. The young people seemed to enjoy their sessions as well.

Time and time again, we see the Lord answer prayers. For example, we’ve had several close calls accident wise. Monday, a truck pulling a camper, strayed into our lane, and nearly hit us. Sometimes, those situations feel like slow motion as Dad brakes hard, honks to try to alert the other driver, and as everyone watches the vehicle come within a few inches of the bus. Oh yes, you also hold onto your computer and brace yourself (for an impact or a hard stop?!). After that, you’re left feeling shaky, but praising the Lord for His protection! Dad is so amazing in knowing what to do with tough situations. We often tell Dad what an incredible job he does.

We are so grateful for you all standing with us prayer. We need the support as it truly is a spiritual battle.

Love,
Sarah

Tornado damage

Christopher's Thermos that was found.

Mary

A girl photo

Dinner

Courtship session

With some Moody readers.

Sisters

Pack up help.

Mom and our coordinator's wife.