Connecting and Catching Up

Among the 7000+ of us are here, April and I have run into some I expected and some I was surprised (pleasantly!) to run into.

I am not sure how to list them, because I am sure I have them out of chronological order in my head, so I’ll just make the list as best I can…

We met up with Bucky and Stacy Kennedy in the Atlanta Airport between flights. Great to see them. Bucky is doing great, even though he has recently given up an aggravating gall bladder.

We spent a good deal of time with Chris and Tiffany Griggs on Monday evening. It was fun to catch up and fun to laugh with each other again. We met up at the Lottie Moon banquet. While the four of us were visiting, we got to meet up with Guy Hipp. Guy is administrative pastor at Chris’ home church, and years ago, Guy was Chris’ youth pastor. Guy and I knew each other from Reach Out ministries, and we, along with some other churches, did several Christmas retreats together. Chris was a camper on some of those trips.

We ran into Kevin and Mary Anne Steele. Kevin pastors National Hills BC in Augusta, and got back very early Saturday morning from a mission trip to Siberia. He preached Sunday morning, and then was leaving Augusta at nearly the same time April and I were. (They were going through Charlotte, us through Atlanta.)

We have run into John Bryan, Mark Harris, and Rusty Newman – all former pastors. Great to have a chance to catch up a bit. All are doing well.

We saw Bill Marlette briefly during one of the sessions. He says VBS is going well at home. Good job, all of you at home!

As we were heading out to go have supper with Joyce and Roy Scarborough, we ran into Chuck and Dawn Ward. I met Chuck when I was a youth ministry intern in his home church. He was away at college most of the time I was there, and his younger brother was in the youth group. Chuck headed for student ministry, and we roomed together our first year in seminary. Well, actually, we garage-apartment-ed in a place that was, shall we say, small but adequate. We spent some good time after tonight’s session catching up.

We greeted a few others in the hallways, but I won’t name drop any more than I already have. It is fun to catch up with some of these folks.

Mo' later.