We are so blessed to have friends stop by and visit! A couple weeks ago, Curtis and Kathy traveled through our area and we enjoyed visiting and renewing our friendship. Jim and Curtis share memories from serving in the same church (at different times) and also studying at Seminary together. What fun we had--catching up on the changes in our families and work.
Last weekend we traveled to AZ for our regional church conference. We packed a picnic lunch and then tried to find a place to eat. Since there were no rest stops along the road, we pulled into this little town and found this church that seemed rather welcoming in nature, and unpacked our food.
We drove together with my cousin Cheryl and her husband. The men sat on a bench by the side of the church building and ate their lunch. Cheryl and I were cold, so we decided to warm up in the sunshine.
We found this old picnic table behind the church, and soon discovered that it had a rather "see-saw" quality that provided great entertainment during our lunch hour!
The church was located on the shores of Salton Sea, and close to huge fields of onions, beets, vineyards and groves of date palms. As we were eating our lunch, we looked up and saw this tree laden with dates. This area of the state used to be an arid desert, and now, through irrigation, it is one of the most fertile farming areas in the state and nation. 
The Salton Sea is a huge body of water in southern California. It was originally a salt-covered depression first known as the Salton Sink. In 1905, after a flood, the nearby Colorado River and run-off from the nearby Chocolate Mountains filled the depression and the Sea was formed. The size of the Salton Sea averages about 15 miles by 35miles and is over 200 feet below sea level.
The Sea is a wonderful place for migrating and wading birds. There are over 400 different species of birds that are located around the water, including huge flocks of American White Pelicans (seen in the background).
Stan and Cheryl
At one time, the Salton Sea hosted many varieties of fish and other creatures. But, due largely to the increasing salinity of the water--by almost 1% annually (it is saltier than the ocean, but not quite as salty as the Great Salt Lake), the habitat is no longer friendly to most kinds of fish. The Sea also has increasing bacterial levels and large algal blooms, and the run-off from irrigation ditches containing pesticides and chemicals, is polluting the water. There have been many efforts to change this situation, but all have been in vain or too costly to pursue. It is very sad.
All along the seashore, we walked on millions of tiny, dead sea crustaceans. But there, in the midst of all that death and decay, grew this tiny little plant- such a promise of new life, even in the face of death.
The Chocolate Mountain range, close to the Salton Sea
The conference this year was hosted by our church in Yuma. It was exciting to see their new building and hear about all the wonderful things that are happening in their church.
Chloe, our district women's president, shared some insights from Scripture and also news of the upcoming women's retreat.
Cheryl and Connie (wives of two of the regional pastors) encouraged the women
It is always so wonderful to see friends that we've not talked to for some time. Conferences are a great way to renew friendships and also to encourage one another in the work.
Jim and Roy, classmates both in high school and seminary, now serving in the same region.
The pastors from each of the five regions were able to share with us during our conference. Afterwards, they met for a short "board meeting." This is the new "look" of modern-day board meetings...
Along the road, we traveled through so many different kinds of areas: mountains and hills, large cities and small towns, rolling plains and vast farmlands, fruit orchards and vineyards, and even these sand dunes in the desert! Besides the wonderful conversations we had in the car, we also had beautiful and changing scenery to look at.
We drove back home with Andy and Rachelle, stopping for some delicious food at Grandma's Country Kitchen.
Hangin' out in Grandma's Country Kitchen
The weather was so cold, we even saw patches of snow still covering the ground from an earlier snowfall! All in all, it was a wonderful weekend, filled with many blessings!
