After packing, rearranging, and squeezing two large trailers and six vehicles with construction equipment, VBS supplies (the easy part) and kids (the hard part), the trailers and trunks were closed, the team threw down a few donuts and kolaches, then circled up for a send-off prayer led by Chris. Each of the kids then received a travel activity pack (thank-you Amy!) and we departed a little before 8 am, agreeing to meet at Woody's in Centerville In a couple of hours.
Today five vehicles are in route to Anadarko including Chris, Amy, Becca, and John Mitcham, Eric and Wynter Japp, Gary, Terri, Emiliann and Eli Brenner, Nancy Stout, Cindy and Hannah Frisch, and Rob, Rhonda, Ryan, and Jenna Bourgeois. Richard, Kim, Austin and Lauren Luchack, Blake Bentley, and Gabriel Golden will drive up separately to join us tomorrow, rounding out the team with twelve adults, one Teen, one Tween, and nine kids.
Mid-morning we met at Woody's in Centerville for a bathroom and snack break, which included the sampling and purchase of some awesome locally made jerky, then traveled until lunch time when we stopped at the Cotton Patch in Waxahachie for lunch. After a couple of non-eventful hours, the gas began running very low (OK empty in one case), so we took a caravan tour through Lawton looking for a gas station. After a half-hour or so of cruising and losing a few cars along the way, we reassembled our lost flock and headed north toward Apache . After one final bathroom stop at the Apache Methodist Church, and a few more directions/wrong turns/directions, we all arrived safely at the Indian Mission Conference Camp Ground in Anadarko a little before 6 pm.
The next couple of hours was spent unloading and setting up our very own 'tent city' inside the conference center. The families tents were put up and positioned around the outside of the room, and tables were set up in the middle of the room for eating, devotional time, and games. When our 'homes' were complete, we headed to Mazzio's Pizza in Anadarko for dinner, a few of us stopped by Walmart for some groceries. A lightning storm lit up the sky and threatened rain, so Eric and Chris hurried back to the church to cover the shingle-less roof (much to our dismay as the lightning storm ensued), but God watched over them as they got the tarp up, and made it back to the Conference Center. The kids finished their game of Life and the adults got a chance to talk. Nancy, Rob, Cindy, and Hannah enjoyed finding out that they lived only a few blocks from each other in Mereaux, Louisiana, and shared many common memories and acquaintances. We finally decided it was time to shut down, with lights out around 11pm. Wow, God certainly is good.