"songs of joy"

Things are a buzzin here at the Moses house. David graduates next week. Sara's first year of college ends tomorrow. Hannah's classes end next week. She's taking an AP history exam on Friday and an AP English exam next Wednesday. If she does well, she'll earn some college credit. Martha and Jonathan will be finishing up their schoolwork next week.

A couple of months ago, we thought we were going to be homeless for a month as we waited for the Richland Hills mission house to become available. So, gathering all the gifts people have blessed us with since December, we planned a month long vacation with David, knowing it would be our last chance for an extended time with him before he starts his new job in Virginia on June 25.

Even though we don't have to move, we decided to continue on with the trip. So the day after David's graduation, we're heading for the Smokies for a couple of days, then to Bill and Judy's house outside Roanoke, VA. Hannah and I will visit Liberty University on the 23rd. On the 25th, we'll tour Gettysburg, PA. Hannah's on-line AP history class has a fellowship on the 26th outside of Pittsburg, then we head for the west coast, with overnight stops in Chicago, Iowa, and Utah.

We'll spend a day viewing waterfalls along the Columbia River basin. Four days of hiking in Olympic National Park should keep us healthy. Then we travel to Banff National Park in Canada for another four days of sightseeing and hiking. During the second week of June we'll spend a few days in Glacier National Park before heading back home by the 17th. Hope the van is ready for all of this.

In addition to seeing some beautiful places, we'll be learning history, geology, biology, and even some theology as we marvel and learn about God's creation. We realize how extremely privileged we are to have this opportunity. Jan would have loved it, and that's part of the reason we are doing it.

Psalm 65: "You answer us with awesome deeds...O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains... and stilled the seas... where morning dawns and evening fades, you call forth songs of joy!"