Pastor's Sabbatical Journey

Home, Ready to go!

1st night stop. Penn.

Can you believe it? I'm happy with 10 mpg!

S. Carolina. Sure want to see this in NH!

Third night...S. Carolina

We made it to Florida!

Driving on the beach in St. Augustine, FL!

As we were coming into Orlando, FL we were greeted by a skywriter! He wrote U + GOD = Smiley Face! We watched this appear in the heavens! What a blessing as we received this as a message from the Lord to us! We laughed with joy!

Made it back to where we went to school way back in 1984-85

97 degrees out and I am enjoying a HOT cup of coffee! What can I say?

May 1st National Day of Prayer service at the Courthouse in downtown Bradenton, FL.

A Manatee County Sheriff at the National Day of Prayer service. What a blessing!

St. Petersburg Bridge

The old bridge turned into a fishing pier.

The view from the top of the bridge.

Sunday morning service at Christian Retreat Family Church.

The Manatee River next to Christian Retreat. Just like a jungle with the allegaters too!

Joseph Schroeder, a very dear friend of ours met us at the door of our Suburban with an umbrella! Southern hospitality!

Kathy and I were sitting by the Manatee River when I spotted what looked like a log flowing down the river. At first I thought it was an alligator but then we realized it was a Manatee!

Kathy prayed that the Lord would grant us to be able to see them up close. There were three Manatees and they immediately turned and entered the canal/moat that comes into Christian Retreat grounds!

We had the joy of watching them for the next 45 minutes and they got a close as 3 feet from us! What a joy!

You can see from my shadow how close they were!

Kathy and I were invited by Pastor Phil and Janette Derstine to spend the afternoon and evening on the Manatee River in their boat. There son, Steven came with us!

Someone actually lives on the boat full time! Imagine, no property tax!

Interstate 75

Going under Interstate 75 in Bradenton, FL.

Pastor Phil Derstine

An Osprey on her nest. the nest had two chicks.

A waterfront restaurant called a River Roo! We parked the boat in their slip and ate at the restaurant!

Pastor Phil, Jannette, Steven, Pastor Matthew and Kathy

Spending the late afternoon at Manatee Beach.

Matthew in the Gulf of Mexico

Kathy at the Gulf of Mexico

Key Lime snow cones!

The sunset begins

Looks like my hand got hot!

Romantic sunsets!

the sun is setting.....

So beautiful!

Going......

Gone!

This photo doen't show it, but there were a couple hundred people who came out to watch the sunset and all applauded when the sun disappeared!

And the heavens declare the glory of the Lord!

It is late. It has been a long but restful day. Good night!

Kathy and i went on the hunt to find Pelicans and here is the "greeting committee!"

What fun and rest Kathy and I are having! Even the Pelicans blessed us!

This is Pastor Nick Manassa and his wife, Becky. Pastor Nick was the youth pastor at Christian Retreat back when we went to school there. Great time of reconnection!

Pastor Nick pastor's The Resonate Life Chruch in Bradenton, FL. We came to their Wednesday night service and were treated with an outdoor concert by Johnny Rowlett, the Singing Cowboy!

Here is Johnny. He could sing and he could preach!

I gave him my card and invited him to Winchester, NH

Our good friend Joesph and myself as we were looking out at the junction of the Manatee River and Tampa Bay.

Another look at the Manatee river and Tampa Bay.

Snarly roots of the Mangrove trees.

From left to right: Lorraine and Joseph Schroeder, Kathy and Matthew Worrall

A close up of wild poinsettia.

A whole hedge of wild poinsettia! Beautiful!

We climbed a tower that was the highest point to see Tampa bay.

Rest, fun and friendship!

What? No cell phone service here? Ok, time to go! (Just kidding Joseph!)

Kathy was holding the sun like she holds my heart!

Joseph and me way back in 1985. He came up to visit us two months after we graduated from Pastoral Training School.

Sunday morning worship at Christian Retreat Family Church.

Bible Study on Wednesday night. Pastor Phil Derstine was teaching.

the founder of Gospel Crusade and Christian Retreat, Gerald Derstine and his wife Beula. A very dear sweet couple and precious in the eyes of the Lord!

Pastor Phil Derstine

This is a short video of the worship service at Christian Retreat Family Church. We attended this church every Sunday morning we were at Christian Retreat. This is the sanctuary Kathy and I spent hours and hours in while we went to school here in 1984-85. This place was used by our Lord to change our lives forever and Jesus is using it now to give us a time of rest, refreshing, and retooling! Thank you Jesus!

Here is a Florida grasshopper. to give you an idea as to how big he actually is, there is about six inches between the red iron posts so he is over four inches long!

Kathy and me with Gloria Musin, a very dear friend. Her husband, Don, was the Dean of the Pastoral Training School when I was there. I am honored to have been mentored by him. He has graduated from here and is now with our Lord!

We were just having fun!

this is Tom and Shirley Nafziger. Tom was in leadership of the Pastor's training School. What a wonderful time of reconnecting!

Hey Kathy! I vacuumed the whole house just for you!

This was sooo good but I don't think I can eat the whole thing! This is what southern hospitality called a "light lunch!"

Pastor Phil ordaining a Chaplain for a Christian Motorcycle ministry.

This is Kennon and Kathie Alderman. Kennon is a graduate from PTS.

Joseph and Lorraine Schroeder

the first time in thirty years the six of us have been together! What a blessing!

Below this photo you will see before and after photos. this is Fred who is a part of security for Christian Retreat. He took the photos for us!

Bless you you Fred! We will sorely miss you, O man of God!

These next eight photos are new poses. Stay tuned as we will recreate these poses in thirty years! Let's see, that will make me 91 years old! Yikes! Maybe we won't!

Here are three short videos of the worship service on our last Sunday here at Christian Retreat. We have been so blessed here as we have had great rest and refreshment and God has been faithful to "retool" us for the ministry He has ordained us to at Grace Christian Fellowship. We leave here, sad yet extremely expectant of what God has in store for the future!

On the morning of May 19th, we packed up and started on our three week road trip taking the LONG way home! Our route, up to this writing took us from Bradenton, FL, to the Panhandle to investigate the white, white beaches, to New Orleans, Jackson, MS, Arkansas, MO, and on to IL!!!

The pavilion at Christian Retreat next to the river. Kathy and I spent much time there, praying for all those we love!

Getting ready to leave after three weeks of refreshing love and joy!

Our first stop in the Florida panhandle.

White beaches just south of Fort Walton, Florida.

Camping in style at Miramar Beach, FL.

Never seen such white sand! We are bringing back some in a container!

Here we are at an RV park in the middle of New Orleans!

The Mississippi River

Bike cabs

This is Ivory! This guy we met on the streets of New Orleans and he shined my sandals. This guy loves the Lord and is filled with the Word of God! We had us a prayer meeting right there in the cannon park!

Jackson, MS State Park. One of the most beautiful camping areas we have ever been to!

Having lunch at a rest area on our way to Arkansas!

This is where we stayed in Arkansas!

This is a pinup board in a Kentucky Fried Chicken! Cool! We need more of this up in New England!

We have never seen land so FLAT! These photos were in Arkansas and MO.

Just rolling along, singing a song, side by side!

Mount Vernon, IL campground where we got off the road for Saturday and Sunday. Needed time to find a good church to go to Sunday Morning!

This is the church we went to called Faith Family Assembly of God church. We were very well received and went to Pastor Kent and Julie's home after for a cookout! We were blessed!

Get this! I found my long lost brother! Actually this is Greg. He waited on us in Walmart and we got to spend time with him in prayer...right in the store! God will always give you opportunities to minister in His Name if you look for them! Greg was blessed and so were we!

This was the IL Supreme Court building. Abe Lincoln argued cases here as an attorney before he became President.

We stopped in a rest area for a bit and saw this truck! PTL!!!

Our campsite in Petersburg, KY. This is town where The Creation Museum is located.

Kathy took this photo at our campsite. God truly does show us His handiwork!

From across the lake we were at.

The Creation Museum

We had the pleasure of seeing and listening to Ken Ham! What a teacher!

A stroll through the Garden of Eden!

This is a quilt donated to The Creation Museum. It is about 7 ft from side to side. Next are individual photos of each circle.

half zebra half donkey

the view outside the door of our camper. Ahhhh!!!!!!

Kathy and I always pray for the Lord to lead us as we did the morning we left Petersburg, KY. The campground we chose, 300 miles away, was Pine Cove Beach Club and RV Resort. We did not know it was owned by Christians. When we pulled in, this is what we saw!

This is the owner, Jim. He and his wife, Connie are sweet people who love the Lord and desire their business to glorify Jesus! Pray for them!

Our humble home on the road.

Having lunch at a rest area on our way to Kennett Square, PA

the Loose Caboose campground in Amish country!

KOA campground. The nearest campground to Kennett Square we could find.

Found my family burial plot in Union Cemetery in Kennett Square, PA My grand parents on my father's side, my father, mother and baby sister are all here. This was very moving for me to find them and spend time here. To me, this is holy ground.

I buried my mom here in 1991 and have never been back here until now. When we walked up to these graves, I was overwhelmed and, well, you know...

Kathy planted flowers on all the graves. I have no immediate family here but do have some cousins. Probably the first time flowers were planted next to these headstones in decades!

My mother and father

My grandmother on my father's side.

My grand father on my father's side.

My grand parents home. (I think)

The home we lived in when I was born and where we lived when my father passed away. He was 43 years old and died in 1956.

We went to The Power Church. this is a Spirit filled church in Kennett Square, PA. We were so blessed to experience our Lord moving in the place of my roots!

We went to Kennett Square, PA where my roots are. This is my cousin, Candy. She and I were very close in our growing up years!

Candy took Kathy and I on a day trip into Philly. The following photos are of that trip!

Independence Hall

The Liberty Bell

My family, on my mother's side were Quakers.

We were in this actual room!

Our Constitution was written in this room. This is the room where the painting above was done.

the original Senate House.

The original 13 colonies became states bound together by the new Constitution of the United States of America!

This is the actual balcony that President Washington and President Adams gave their Inaugural Speech. Washington, DC was not in existence yet and Philadelphia was where the "White House" existed at that time!

A statue of Pres. Washington. didn't get the front because we were driving by in a car.

Candy and Louis Penza, Steve and Kathy Pratt and their daughters. Candy and Steve are my cousins.

the Penza home.

On our way north. Here we are just south of Port Jervis, NY.

Camping in Sturbridge, MA

Practicing before we go into the Kissing Bridge!

Camping in Bernardston, MA

Yankee Candle

Bridge of Flowers

We came to Bernardston to attend our God Daughter's wedding.

It is now a done deal! Mr. and Mrs. Travis and Samantha Hacket!

When we left Bernardston, we went to spend time with Kathy's sister, Judy. On our way, we attended Faith Christian Church in Bellows Falls, VT. We were very well received and loved!

Here we are at Kathy's sisters home in Vershire, VT. This is a beautiful part of Vermont!

Judy says, "Hi!"

This is a stream on the back of their yard.

Here we are on our final night of our sabbatical. We camped at Hidden Acres in Dummerston, VT. The campsite we got was on the far side of the campground and there were no one camped within 200 yards of us!

Quiet......

Peaceful!!!!!!!

Our final campfire. No kids, just the two of us and we still had to have somores!

Home! We are standing on our back deck with the camper, our home for the past two months in the background.

God's grace! We spent the last two months together in that camper, traveled 5400 miles, went through 24 states, and came through with an even deeper love for each other than when we began! And....we are now home!

This Sabbatical was a real blessing to Kathy and me. We thank each and every one who spent time in prayer before our Lord for us to have the times of refreshment we needed. We spent much time in the Word of God and in prayer for all of you too! There were a few days we did not even come out of the camper as we just fellowshipped together in prayer and the Word. We received several prophetic words in regards to Grace Christian Fellowship and our part in this ministry. We received prophetic words of encouragement and expectation as God is on the move! It is our heart and prayer that we at Grace Christian Fellowship will move with the Spirit of the Lord!