In the woods, in the city

We had a good visit with the COMINAD group last weekend in Silver Spring, MD at a huge African American church (see www.TPCBC.org ). At least seven of those who have made the pilgrimage to Kayes were there so it was a mini reunion, too. we attended the annual conference of COMINAD and tried to find ways to redynmize the organization so as to help the African American Christian community in its unique role of misions. I'm even suggesting to the director of COMINAD, Brian Johnson, to join UWM as a mobilizer of black churches; this would help UWM and also him in support purposes (like Tom Telford of ACMC), and thus free up his ministry of trying to find cash for his salary. He'd have to find support, of course, but I think it could work out.

Before that we spent few days helping the Christian community Center in West baltimore, known as the 'Mission' at their youth camp in the woods of Harford County. We enjoyed helping Tom & Cindy Homans in ministry to the 40 youth who came. I enjoyed swimming, hiking in the beautiful woods, and games with the kids. I was asked to speak so I focused on God who with amazing power created a diverse landscape and yet one who loves us. Even tho the 'awesome God,' as Muslims loves to say, He is reachable. I wanted the kids to also have some appreciation of the outdoors which so many rarely get to know. I used poison ivy and peanuts as my hook and then taught from Gen 18 and Ps 121.

Ruthanne has finally accepted a college in Ohio, Bluffton Univ., so we'll be taking her there soon for an orientation day and visit of some friends along the way. We'll go down to Roanoke before that to help Susanna visit Rachel Hall, her pen pal at the Calvary Memorial Ch. Benjie and Sus leave Aug 11th, so we're buying & planning for that and trying to do memorable things for them. We managed to get Ben connected with a school chum from his Parkville MS days that he's kept in contact with, too.