Fall Travels and Activities 2: Indiana, Michigan

On Sunday, I preached and presented our ministry to a new church in Indiana.  On Monday, we went to Ft. Wayne, Indiana for some history.  We stopped at the replica 1815 fort which was a safe haven against Indian attacks for the settlers in the area.  It was here at this fort that in 1820 Isaac McCoy and his family arrived for their work of reaching the Indian tribes for Christ. McCoy started preaching the gospel here and soon had baptized several starting the First Baptist Church of Ft. Wayne.  He baptized them on the banks of the river that we saw that still flows by the fort and through the town.  We went to the current building and meeting place of the church and saw a monument that my friend from the Baptist History Preservation Society put up in memory of Isaac McCoy, his family, and his ministry.  Take some time to read the monument in the pictures below.  

We are now in Michigan, and you can see some of the things going on here in this post and in others to follow. 

 A Peterson moment simulating an Indian attack (Chloe is my favorite actress here).  We can do this since we have Cherokee blood!

 This was the chief of the Miami tribe...

It is good to connect with our Baptist heritage lest we forget where we came from, what we are doing, and where we are going!  Isaac McCoy is a Baptist worth learning about as he is also a big part of American frontier history as well as home missions.  He was indeed a "friend of the Indian!"  

Back in Michigan!  I took Philip and Elias flying on Tuesday.

Uncle Adam building a fort for the girls.

Aunt Katie playing with the kids!

Yuta and his brother playing for a group of friends.  

Fall Travels and Activities 1

When we came back from Florida, the Fall beauty was definitely gone, but we have sure been enjoying the mild temperatures.  There was one winter day in Wisconsin last week, but the persistent warm weather has been great for our travels and activities with family and friends. 

Our supporting church in Florida also has a Christian school.  The founder of those ministries was the inventor of T-ball, and they gave us the stand and a box of balls.  I plan to take them to Cameroon, so my kids can grow up with baseball.  Definitely a difficult sport to transport!  Thanks Adam and Pastor Brainard!

 Elena has a great left swing!  Switch hitting runs in her genes.

 We had a great missions conference in Wisconsin.  I had the chance to preach to some bus kids and workers from Milwaukee!  

 Stephen and Tina came to a night of the conference.

Missionary Christmas and banquet at Falls Baptist.

I don't have a hunting license, so on opening day we shot skeet with the Andersons at my mom and dad's farm in IL instead!

Emily used my new gun...it was all loads of fun :)  

Florida

We really enjoyed our trip to Florida to report to our only supporting church there.  We also visited Mary and Suzy (Abby's sister and cousin) as well as the Showers family.  Adam Watt (my friend and assistant pastor) went with us to see the homecoming airshow of the Blue Angels.  Since the Blue Angels are based in Pensacola they do their last show of the year for their hometown!  I think everyone really enjoyed it!!

Visiting PCC to see Mary and Suzy

 At the air show in Pensacola

 An Osprey!

 Team RV

 The only aerobatic helicopter...yes he is upside down!

 Fat Albert, the Blue Angels support plane!

 The Blue Angels getting ready to start their flight!

 Wow...lots of fun!

 Enjoying the ocean!

 Ready for church!

 Elias and I got to see Whiting Field (Navy) up close!  We got to see one of the main military helicopter training centers in action thanks to a friend who is a pilot there!

 They fly fixed-wing trainers there too!

 Showers family!

 Me and Adam!

On the way back north, we stopped by the Bill Rice Ranch and stayed the night and visited with Deborah!

Southern Tour part 1

We are sleeping in Tennessee tonight with Abby's cousin who works at the Bill Rice Ranch.  Since our last post, we have been in our supporting churches in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.  We also spoke in one new church in North Carolina.

Though we may be suffering from the decisions of the majority of voters yesterday, Abby read Psalm 43 this morning and shared it with me...look it up some time and be reminded of the source of our strength.  It was a very fitting passage of Scripture, and did I mention that you should look it up?!

Here are some pictures up through the end of October.  I'll try to post some from Florida soon. I didn't post pictures of everyone we saw or everywhere we went, but it was truly great seeing so many friends and churches after four years not seeing them!

My parents brought Emily to Indiana to meet up with us on our way down South...it has been great having her with us!

Of course we have been regularly supporting and enjoying this great restaurant since coming down South!

 The Manns in NC

We even visited Ambassador Baptist college in NC.

 The Selbys in SC

This was the view from the back deck of the house where we were able to get some rest and relaxation in South Carolina...kind of like a mid-furlough break.  It reminded me of the Akwaya region in Cameroon a bit, though the foliage is much more beautiful in America.

....reminded me of Isaiah 40:31

Hunters be jealous...though I guess its not a buck!  Anyway, she stopped by our back yard for a bite to eat.

Visiting the Battle of Cowpens museum...awesome!

 Jacquelynn from NC

 All the Roberts from NC