Campmeeting 06

We returned last night from our annual trip to Bloys Campmeeting in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. There aren't many places in the world I enjoy being more than I enjoy being there. My family has been going since my great-grandparents went in a covered wagon in the early 1900's. You can read more about the history of the campmeeting here.

The days at campmeeting are filled with worship, beef, and lots of sitting on porches. (Sounds like glory to me.) It's special because it's a place where my family and others have gone for 5 generations now to reconnect with the Lord and with friends. This year was really meaningful to us since we know we're heading to Guatemala this week and that we may not get to be there again for a while.

So it meant a lot that we could be there, sing some of the same great old hymns that my great-grandparents sang there nearly a century ago, hear some good preaching, and visit with family and friends. I loved getting to see my brother, Adam, and his family. It was especially fun getting to know his baby boy, Jack, who just celebrated his first birthday last Friday.

This year also meant a lot because Kara's parents came for the first time. They flew into Midland on Friday evening, so we were able to spend four days together at the ranch before going to campmeeting. On their first morning at the ranch, they were welcomed to West Texas by a 6 ft. rattlesnake that my dad killed right outside the house. I think that they enjoyed their time here, especially at campmeeting. I know that we enjoyed having them there with us.

The night before Kara's parents left we had a special time of prayer with them and my mom in the prayer chapel at campmeeting. I can't imagine doing what we're about to do without the support of Christian parents. They certainly don't want to see us go, but they absolutely want God's will for us. Hearing our parents pray for God's blessing on us during our time in Guatemala will be a memory that we carry with us while we're there.