This morning was not quite such an amazing view out of the hotel window but it was a nice field, as fields go (not sure why there was a light pole in the middle of the field...)
We had breakfast provided by the hotel.
then loaded up the bus
Allison with her brother in law Darryl (our bus driver for most of the trip).
We bid goodbye to our hotel, a Fairfield in Marion, AR, which is close to Memphis.
Art (in a group of three) went back to look for his water bottle, a very special water bottle as it was a gift from Kendra. He had already dropped it multiple times on this trip, but it appears to be sturdy. When we saw him walking back without it, we thought he had maybe left it at a previous stop, but in fact it was by his seat on the bus!
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
We sang some songs ("Every Move I Make I Make in You, Jesus" and "You are My All in All")
then a cartoons video went in (NAPTIME).
Then each of us individually took some time responding to reflection questions in our trip book. We shared with each other some of our reflections (speed meeting style).
Then we passed our trip books around the bus and wrote affirmations for each other.
I'm sure there were also several rounds of snacks in between all those things. At some point, we reached Fortel's Pizza in St. Louis (a must - REALLY good pizza). Here we are coming in, waiting to fill up our cups with pop/soda/whatever.
Upon re-boarding the bus, we watched Fried Green Tomatoes and/or finished writing affirmations. Some of us received tickets for the States game and/or the Gathering Bingo game. (The States game is played at the Convention Center. You get a sheet of paper with a map of the US on it, and as you meet people, you ask where they are from, and if they are from a state you don't "have" already, then you ask them if they would initial that state on your map for you. The Gathering Bingo game is just like a typical Bingo game in terms of the arrangement of the board, but instead of things like "B27" and "G35", the squares have things like "Share you confirmation verse with 5 people", "Record a dance video to a Rend Collective song", "give greetings from our church to someone from another country", etc.) The top 6 or so people in each game received tickets, with more tickets given to the ones who completed the most. After all the tickets were given out, Pastor did the Grand Prize drawing of one ticket for the $50 Amazon Gift Card, and the winner was........KENDRA!
At some point we had a bathroom stop at a gas station. There were some cute squishmallows that we thought would work well to bat around the bus (kind of like the giant inflatable duck in duck duck goose at the Superdome)
A little further down the road, we changed bus drivers and said goodbye to Darryl.
One of the things that had been done at one of the mass events at the superdome was to play "would you rather" (with the intensity of the roar of the crowd deciding the winner). The questions were in brackets (like the NCAA tournament). So, for example, in round one it might be would you rather take a road trip or a plane ride? PLANE RIDE. The next one might be would you rather have a dog or a cat? DOG, then in the subsequent round, the winners from the previous rounds got mixed in ways that don't really make sense, for example, do you prefer a plane ride or a dog? Well, this exact question was the final question at the Gathering and the overwhelming winner was DOG!
So on the bus home, Pastor said he had a special surprise for us. Did we remember that game that asked about the road trip or the plane ride? People were saying to each other "yeah! What's the surprise - are we going on a plane ride?" Pastor said no, No plane ride. BUUUUT, the number one choice from that game was DOG after all....Then people speculated as to whether we were going to stop at a humane society or maybe even if we were going to adopt a dog (to live at Our Redeemer and accompany youth on trips??, I don't know). Pastor said no, nothing like that, BUUT we did get to PET a dog and TAKE THE DOG WITH US ON THE BUS! And not just any dog, but HOPE, the Hartwig's dog who had spent the week at Louise's house (which was near our route), so she brought the dog to a designated meeting place and we all gave Hope a pat.
Then she rode back to Our Redeemer with us on the bus.
Upon arrival, it felt good to just chug a carbonated beverage
We gathered our luggage, received a blessing, and went our separate ways.
Dabbing goodbye to all of you.
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At the Gathering we were required to wear wristbands for entrance to the venues.
Now we take them off. The Gathering is over.
We return to our everyday lives, our everyday struggles.
We return to the mission field.
At the Gathering, we made many memories.
We have grown as individuals and as a group.
We have been strengthened.
No matter what life throws at us, we have learned that:
We endure in Jesus.
We endure together as a church
We endure to the end.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. (Hebrews 12:1-3)
Lord, we know that life can be exhausting, complicated, and confusing. When we feel lost or overwhelmed, remind us that we are not alone - You have given us such a great cloud of witnesses and You have given us your Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide us. Remind us that our worth is not determined by what we do or by how strong we feel, but rather our worth is determined by You. You endured the cross for us. You are the author and perfecter of our faith, the One who makes all things new. When we feel sin entangling us and trying to slow us down, remind us that You endured the cross, died, and rose again FOR US so that in repentance we can throw off every sin and every weight that pulls us down, and receive instead Your forgiveness. After all, endurance doesn't come from our own strength, it comes from fixing our eyes on You.
Lord, may I run with endurance the race set before me. Amen.
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