Double Decker Decks in Denver

Larry and Marc have spent the week working on a deck for downstairs and then decided to go ahead and build one for an upstairs bedroom. The flooring is down, but the railings come tomorrow. They have worked long days doing this. Laura and I have been cooks, cleaners, organizers, scrap and garbage collectors, and generally do-ers of whatever needed doing.

Tonight we take the night off and have a birthday party for her. Today is also Marc and Laura's 5th wedding anniversary, so we are having a potluck Denver style. Lots of Mexican food, some Southern fare and who knows what else.

I visited a church today where no one spoke to me before the service and only two people did after it. Interesting how a stranger is received. I picked this church by their webpage welcome, but didn't find it to be so welcoming. I don't think anyone could get in the door at St. James without speaking to a handful of people. I certainly hope not.

We will be back in town at the end of the week, ready to see our own house and stuff. This has been an incredible trip and I have much to tell you about it.

Pastor Louise & Larry

Denver Week

North Presbyaterian Church called itself radically hospitable on the web so I decided to drop by on a weekday morning. The pastor was on vacation, but the sexton and jack of all trades was there. We had a wonderful visit as he told me about their ministries in the community. I hope to talk to the pastor before we leave, but if not, Joseph was a wonderful witness to a church that tries to live out Jesus command to love one another.

This mural is outside their church, painted by a friend of the congregation.

Look closely at the painting depicting in modern images the reality of loving your neighbor. You can see symbols of agents of hatred, but the love is overcoming all of that.

Yellowstone photos

Here are some shots from Yellowstone National Park which give you an idea of what we have seen the last two days.

Bison rule the roads in Yellowstone.

Old Faithful still goes off on schedule.

Bears entertain.

Mountain trees and valleys in the Park.

Oh, yeah, snow is good when it is 60' at the same time.

Dinosaur Fossils

Yesterday we saw the dinosaur museum in Dickinson, North Dakota. I discovered too late that I could have gone on a dinosaur dig for only $100. Larry was not interested and we will just have to come back someday.

Here are two photos from the museum. In one you see that mosquitoes have been around forever and in the other you see the actual skull of a dinosaur found in North Dakota.

Miles and Miles of Big Sky

Today we continued to drive through Big Sky country - North Dakota, Montana and finally arrived at our destination outside Yellowstone Park. We had a detour to the town of Miles City when our water pump died and took out a belt driving everything in the car. Fortunately we have AAA and we had just left a town only 8 miles back. It had both a tow truck and a repair shop, so after four hours in this very friendly Montana town, we were on the road again.

We got our first glimpse of the Rockies as we drove into Livingston, MT tonight to get ready for our adventure tomorrow.

Wide Open Spaces

This is what we have seen for two days from the car windows - wide open spaces in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana. Very different from North Carolina.

Great News from the Kuhlmanns

Larry and I called Elaine Kuhlmann while we were driving through Wisconsin today and discovered that we were 30 minutes away from the hospital where Ron was doing very well 48 hours after a liver transplant. We met them at the hospital and went up to see Ron. He is alert and talks about the miracle that occurred just when he needed it. We all prayed together giving thanks to God for this gift of life. Ron appreciates all your prayers and asks that you continue because he still needs them.

We are now in Minnesota, about 100 miles from where our own Marsha Anderson will be a pastor on staff in her first call at Trinity Lutheran, Moorhead. We also saw a sign to the Lake Wobegon Trail, but didn't get off the interstate to see where it led.

Dinosaur fossils tomorrow - yeah!

New York Tourists

We toured the Statue of Liberty, saw Ground Zero, Times Square, and tried to see the Empire State Building but the rain made the visibility zero, so we stayed on the ground.

With all the languages spoken on the streets in NYC, we thought we might have gone to the Day of Pentecost except that we only understood English.

If you want to see the wonderful diversity of the human family, this is the place to go.

Miles Dostert and Pastor Manisha

Pastor Manisha who was our associate pastor five years ago and her son, Miles age 3 1/2 with Larry in their apartment in Bloomfield Hills, outside of Detroit. Miles' daddy, Troy, was at work with his students. Pastor Manisha is a pastor on staff at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in nearby Troy, Michigan. She sends her love to all the people at St. James.

New York City Sights

This is the Cathedral where the Bishop of the Episcopal Church in New York City worships. We heard a high school choir sing there and toured the building which is being rebuilt after a fire destroyed much of it in 2001.

Family Time

For the past four days we have been with Larry's mother in Boyertown, PA. During that time we visited Longwood Gardens (see the photos) went to a Reading Phillies baseball game, fixed misc things in his mother's house, ate, slept, and enjoyed our time together.

Tomorrow we go to the Big Apple to visit with Trinity Lutheran Church of Manhattan. We will be staying at Union Seminary guest housing and hope to get some sight-seeing in as well.

After celebrating Pentecost with Pastor Heidi Neumark, we will begin our westward journey to see Pastor Manisha Dostert, Frank Lloyd Wright's house, Falling Waters, and then go west even further to see dinosaur fossils, Yellowstone Park, and end in Denver to visit our daughter Laura and son-in-law Marc and three granddogs. We will keep you posted.

Here is the chancel of The Church of the Redeemer (Episcopal) in Morristown, New Jersey where we worshiped. On Sunday I celebrated Holy Communion sharing a teaching moment for this congregation since Lutherans and Episcopalians are in full communion with each other. There were 24 worship assistants involved with worship leadership. I look forward to sharing with you all that we have learned from them and from the other places we have visited.

Redeemer supports a school and Sister Jane who runs it in Africa.

The AIDS walk gathered at Redeemer on the Sunday we were there and the money raised is used to support the Eric Johnson House where 7 persons with HIVAIDS live and receive care and counseling.

Episcopal and Lutheran Sisters and Brothers

We are in Morristown, New Jersey for the weekend. This morning I attended a confirmation service for confirmands from six churches in this district of the diocese. That is like a conference in our synod. In the Episcopal Church the bishop is the one to confirm and receive adults into the Episcopal communion. In the Lutheran Church pastors in the parish confirm and receive members.

Our services are very much alike and I was right at home. Tomorrow I will help celebrate communion at Redeemer and we will try to have some pictures. I am including a picture of the cathedral where we worshipped and a link to Redeemer so you can learn about the church we are visiting.