October 3 & 4, 2009

My dad came to Tennessee to visit. His first visit in many months. He arrived on Friday evening from Michigan and we left on Saturday morning for Ohio. For the first time since we've been traveling together as a family in ministry, we finally sang in Ohio.

Saturday evening we found our hotel in a town we had a lot of trouble pronouncing...Gallipolis. Once we heard someone pronounce it for us, we remembered hearing the name before. A beautiful town on the Ohio River, Gallipolis had a Holiday Inn directly across the road from the church we were ministering in. Conveniently we girls could have a few extra minutes to get ready while the guys went across the road to the church and set up.

New Life Church of God meets in a building that was formerly a restaurant. Pastor Rick Towe and his wife, Ginny, warmly greeted us and made us feel right at home. We had a great service with some snacks following. While we were enjoying fellowship over hotdogs and chili, a gentleman at my table told me I attend church with his son and daughter-in-law. I was so surprised when he told me he was the father of Jonathan McClanahan. Jonathan, his wife, Essie and their curly-headed, handsome sons have attended Cornerstone Church for as long as I can remember. Jonathan also ministers in the local prisons. Mr. McClanahan applauded our pastor, calling him a "gem," and spoke fondly of how his family so appreciates the ministry they have received over the years.

I was thankful that we didn't have far to go from the church and we were able to get to bed pretty quickly only to rise early, taking the children in their pajamas out to the warming van at 5:00 a.m. (4:00 a.m. our time) so we could hit the road and make it from the south end of Ohio up to the north end, very near Toledo, by 9:00.

We arrived at Trinity Temple in Milan, Ohio by 9:00, just a few minutes before the pastor and his wife and I was able to get everyone dressed and ready for Sunday School on time. We had a few minutes to visit with Pastor Jack Kiskaden before church and quickly developed an appreciation for him and his wife, Diana, as he told us of their experience raising foster children who's father returned to their lives and wanted them back. Pastor Jack and Diana's hearts were broken when they gave up the children they had poured their heart and soul into. Another heartbreak came when one of the boys they had raised was found dead at what appeared to be a suicide but in Jack and Diana's hearts they know not only by the physical evidence but by the fact that they knew their son, that he was, indeed, murdered. The case remains a mystery that Pastor Jack hopes to solve one day.

We really enjoyed the music at Trinity. They had a full band and a worship team and Pastor Jack helped lead the singing. I forgot I was in northern Ohio because it sounded like we were in Kentucky...which is where Jack is from, by the way.

Bobby was told he could take as long as he needed and I was even allowed to speak a bit and then Pastor Jack preached a great 10-minute sermon. Diana was so sweet as she allowed the kids to choose some toys from a box to take home with them and then helped Grace and I out to the van and stood by the van until we drove away.

We found our way to the Interstate and headed west toward Cleveland. The kids got just a glimpse of Lake Erie as we drove through the east side of town and made our way toward Conneaut (pr. Conyo). We stopped an hour shy of Conneaut to reserve a hotel room. Bobby checked us in and took a load of luggage to the room while the rest of us waited in the van. We continued on to Conneaut and arrived at Family Fellowship Church just as it started to rain softly. I surprised the pastor's wife as I entered a side door near the kitchen and asked where the nursery was. Not knowing who I was she tried to think of a tactful way to find who in the heck I was before telling me where things were. Suddenly I realized how discourteous I was by not introducing myself and giving an appropriate greeting. You'd think by now I would know how to make a proper introduction and practice good manners. Even though Mrs. Tarasiak and I began with a rough start we soon got things turned around and got better acquainted while we waited for church to start.

Pastor Robert Tarasiak had such an interesting story as he, himself is a musician who formerly played guitar as a long-haired, drug-addict from Boston touring with a band in Europe. He and his wife found Jesus and moved to Honduras to minister to the lost. They've lived and ministered all over the world and have a sincere desire to see people find Jesus as their Savior.

One more good service for the weekend as 3 people came forward for prayer. God touched people and I'm thankful that once again He proved Himself to be faithful in blessing us.

We left by 8:00 Monday morning to get back home as we were in very near the northwest corner of Pennsylvania. We knew it would take us all day to get home but what we didn't know was that Dad would have leftover soup warmed up for us upon our arrival. Yes, I think I'd like to have a butler.