Last Tuesday, November 2, we began our trip to Dallas by driving to Dexter, MO for the night. My Grammy and family live there and for some of my cousins, it was their first time meeting Cavin. Plus, we got to eat some Dexter BBQ Ribs, some of the best ribs out there. It was good to spend time with family and it really helped to break up our trip.
Wednesday morning we got up and left pretty early so we could meet DK in Conway, AR for lunch. DK was a student at Vienna Christian School, we coached him in basketball, he spent over a month with us the summer of 2007, and he spent a good amount of time at our apartment in Vienna eating cookies and playing playstation with Matt and other boys from VCS! It had been way to long since we had seen DK so it was great to catch up. DK loves little kiddos and it was also his first time to meet and love on Cavin. A perfect stop to break up our 8 hour drive!
Our primary reason for travelling to Dallas was to attend the Right Now conference at Irving Bible Church, although friends and food were both close seconds! The conference was amazing. Kari Jobe led worship. It has been a long time since I have been a part of such powerful worship, since I have been brought to humbling tears before the presence of my Savior.
Francis Chan, George Barna, Kay Warren, Matt Chandler and Donald Miller were the main speakers. We were excited to hear Matt Chandler again. While in college in Dallas we attended a Dallas/Fort Worth event on Monday nights for college age students where Matt was the speaker. We were both truly encouraged and challenged as all the speakers bodly spoke about leadership as God had put on their hearts.
Matt Chandler hasn't changed at all, I love the way he preaches the Scriptures. He doesn't water them down, he's passionate, and he speaks boldly. He is the pastor of The Village Church in Highland Village, Texas, a church of around 8,000 people, primarily made up of 20 something year olds. Here's the website, I challenge you to check it out, podcast his sermons, listen to him preach. I guarantee you will be challenged and encouraged in your faith.
We were also able to attend worship services at The Branch, the church I used to work with and that Matt and I were children's ministry leaders at. It is a church that averages 1,500 people each weekend. It was great to walk in the church after being going for over two years and the preaching minister, Chris still remembered us. Granted he didn't remember our first names, but he knew our faces and knew we had been children's ministry leaders in his church. We had a nice visit with Chris and were able to see some of our good friends from our old small group as well as catch up with some people who supported us financially while in Vienna. Chris is also a gifted preacher, and it was his sermon series on Joshua that really challenged us to ACT on our call to be missionaries.
Matt's mom was able to drive down from Oklahoma City to babysit Cavin while we attended the conference on Friday and Saturday, which was nice for us, and Grandma as well! Cavin got to be spoiled! We also stopped on our way home on Sunday in Oklahoma City to eat a late breakfast with Uncle Mitch at IHOP!
This is why Cavin knows how to make so many funny faces!
A few other highlights from the trip...
-Cavin chuckled for the first time!! Its so cute!
-Only in Texas....a waffle iron that produces waffles shaped like Texas. No joke! Here's a picture for proof!
-Freebirds and Snuffers! (Restaurants)
Daddy and Cavin at Snuffers and yes, we are sitting outside!!
-Fresca at Pei Wei! (I LOVE Fresca, but its never a fountain drink, but they had it!)
-Upper 70's and even 80 and 81 degree weather!!
All in all, it was good to visit what is still to us, our home Stateside.
On the Ground Before Takeoff!
We're up in the air!
