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posted by Donald on 12/24/09

When Rev. McEntire first moved to central Florida, he was asked which of two offices he would like for his own: the large one or the one with the view. He chose the one with the view and has never regretted it. True to it’s name, Lakeland is full of lakes and while visiting the McEntires and seeing their church, we enjoyed not only a diversity of birds and an excellent view of the lake, but also an evening of joyful music and nearly one full day of fellowship and sight-seeing. Thank you for having us, McEntires!  We were encouraged by your love for the Lord and for others.

For more great pictures from our visit to Lakeland, visit http://albums.staddonfamily.com

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posted by Robert on 12/23/09

It had been seven years since the last time we had seen Duong and Lisa. Our reunion was like a taste of heaven with one big series of hugs after another. The visit seemed way too short as we reminisced about past escapades together over a delicious lunch of  Japanese food, including calamari (squid), California sushi, and teriyaki chicken.

We were surprised that our visit had worked out in the middle of their busy schedule. School had just let out the day before. It was yet another instance of God’s blessing on this trip!

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posted by Esther on 12/22/09

What a delight to experience the hospitality of the Stelzl family over the past couple of days! It was beautifully demonstrated from the time we pulled up into their driveway. Inside awaited delicious soup selections, grilled chicken, terramazzu, and peanut butter pie, just to mention a few of the fabulous wonders brought forth in the Stelzl kitchen. And then there was the exciting games of football and Catan, the thrills of the mile-long biking trail the archery competitions, and the new experience of carving every step of a wooden bowl from a log to a smooth masterpiece!

But Monday morning topped it all as we gathered in  the living room by the Christmas tree and shared testimonies with each other. What an encouragement to hear stories of how the Lord is doing great things to expand discipleship opportunities and reveal His faithfulness in our daily lives.

It ended all too soon, but we left encouraged and motivated by their warm, genuine, southern hospitality!

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posted by Robert on 12/21/09

A beautifully-decorated house, a delicious lunch, an exciting game of “Tarheels UNO,” a dynamic piano duet, and lots of good conversation made our next stop in North Carolina fun and memorable. We spent the afternoon with cousin Julie, her husband Derek, and their three children, Ryan, Michael, and Anna.

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posted by Staddon Family on 12/21/09

The huge snow storm turned our original 6-hour trip to North Carolina into an exhausting 20 hours on the road. What a joy and refreshment it was to finally reach our destination, the Altizers! It was 10:00 in the morning and Karen had a feast prepared for us, which energized us for an exciting snowball fight. Their boys, Joshua, Caleb, Jonathan, and David had lots of creative ideas for a snowman: upside down with two noses, a tail, and a bow tie!

We spent the afternoon boxing up pictures, books, and canned goods. When we had first contacted Karen about the possibility of visiting, she had written back, “Your visit is of God!” and explained how perfectly timed it would be to help with the preparations for their move. We were very much grateful for their kind hospitality, even amidst all the busyness of this big transition.

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