Cathy's 28 days with Family and Friends in USA

"The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. Psalm 121:8"

I arrived home safely returning to my dear husband and the ministry here on March 8. I am thankful for the visit with my mother.

I also had some time with my only brother, Dave.

Dave and our middle daughter, Clare, are presently living with my mother. On Clare's weekend off from the ER, she kindly took me to Greenville, SC for 3 days to visit our oldest daughter, Amy (below, Clare with her niece, Noelle).

Our son-in-law, Rob, has been reading to his family from Ephesians. Three year old Jake, quoted the verse, "Children, obey your parents."

Amy and Rob had planned to travel to see me in NC, but a complication in her pregnancy presently has her restricted to home. Pray for her and Rob during this time.

While I was in SC, I didn't JUST help Amy with housework! I PLAYED with our granddaughter, Noelle, and

with our grandson, Jake (below, in his South African Springbok rugby jersey!)

On February 25, I flew to Wisconsin to have two brief, but very special days with our youngest daughter, Emily. Just two weeks before I visited Emily, Ethan Crowley had flown to Wisconsin to ask Emily to marry him! Ethan, also an MK (Missionary Kid), grew up in Cambodia, where his parents, J.D. and Kim, serve the Lord. Ethan and Emily are planning to marry on August 13.

During my visit with Emily, it was a special joy to be with her at her first visit to a bridal shop.

Three of my mother's special friends joined us for dinner one evening. Johnie and Margaret Lassiter kindly provide Mama a ride to church three times a week. At the far end of the table is Mama's former pastor's wife, Ruth Evans. She has been a dear friend for over 50 years!

One afternoon, Mama and I visited a friend with cancer. We also got to visit Tony's first cousin's wife, Jennifer, and daugther, Hailey, to meet the new baby, Daniel Wade!

A few days before my departure, I met our friends, David and Ellie Luethy (also a pastor and pastor's wife of a supporting church) for a visit over lunch at Cracker Barrel. David snapped this photo of Ellie and me. The two of us NEVER got finished talking that afternoon!!

Mama and I had lunch with my oldest niece, Amber, and her family the day before I left.

Amber and her husband, Justin, live a few blocks from Mama. They have two adorable children, Jace, 3, and Ava, 1 1/2.

In Afrikaans, we say: "Oos, wes, tuis bes." (East, west, home best!) Although we miss our loved ones, it is good to be home! Tony had a very profitable, but busy time while I was away. The Lord brought visitors every Sunday. God especially helped Tony with the course he is teaching on Revelation. This term, he is writing the syllabus in both Afrikaans and English for his 15 students at Oostenberg Bybel Instituut.