NOLA Church Plant Team in Little Rock

When I look back at the last several weeks, there is no wonder that my brain could only handle the details of mostly one day at a time. I am realizing that I need to make time to write here (for my own reflection and sanity), but am learning to be okay with the fact that I can't document everything. There are just some things that must be experienced first-hand, right? Let it be memorialized by our good ol' memories. Hopefully I document the stuff that would have forgotten.

Thanksgiving week was simply incredible, and I'm not sure I can understand the significance of it until the future. Doug returned from a quick trip to NOLA on Saturday. The Nelson family arrived in Little Rock on Sunday night after our boys were already in bed. Sam and Zach went to school half day on Monday, but the boys and I enjoyed the afternoon at the Little Rock Zoo with Allison, Athan and Aiden while Alf and Doug were doing FA stuff. That evening, we invited two of the other residents' families to our apt. to meet the Nelsons and have dinner. It's fun when two worlds collide a bit.

The Sisungs arrived late Monday night. Lawrence and Alf attended Doug's typical Tuesday resident meetings at FA, and the three of them had lunch with the two primary FA mentors. In the midst of Zach and Sam's Thanksgiving feasts at school (another post), the moms and kids headed downtown Little Rock for lunch and fun at the "tunnel park" near the Arkansas River. It was bitter cold and drizzling as we hit the Flying Fish for yummy fried seafood. With plans to "not stay long", we walked towards Peabody Park. The rain had stopped, but it was still super-cold. Within ten minutes of arriving, the sun came from behind the clouds, the air warmed up, and the rest of the afternoon's plans were right there. The dads came home to hang with the kids while Darlene, Allison and I met with Carolyn (the resident wives' mentor) for coffee. I knew it would be sweet to have her meet them and for them to experience a little of that part of the residency for me. Those moments at the Coffee Beanery may be some of my favorites ... I can't get enough of women authentically encouraging women. She didn't disappoint. Real issues. Real learnings. Fantastic stuff.

That evening, we hired a babysitter to watch all 9 kids at our house, while the couples enjoyed dinner at Izzy's with the other two resident couples. Since Lawrence and Alf went on the November I-40 trip with Doug where they met other church planters in different stages of this process, they had already met all the residents while "road trip-pin". It was a new dimension to have sit in on FA meetings and to be able to introduce their wives and meet the other guys' wives. None of these men would be where they are today without their wives, so it was all pretty neat-o from my perspective. I love the amazing differences in all of our stories and how God uses such different people to play a unique role in his big ol' redemptive plan for our world. I couldn't help but look around the table and simply smile knowing that God had designed so many paths to converge as we share this journey together.