Summer of Travel, Part 7

What is a trip to Orlando without a stop by DisneyWorld!

The only times I have been to DisneyWorld have been as a student in a youth group (read about that here), as a Youth Pastor chaperoning a youth group, or with family members. Each time was very enjoyable and left lasting memories! However, this time, I was able to experience DisneyWorld as a party of ONE! By midday, I had been through almost every single ride in the Magic Kingdom. Space mountain, check! Buzz Lightyear, check! Winnie the Pooh, check! Tea Cups, check! And so on, and so forth!  By early afternoon, I was having a volcano roll in Japan and exploring Epcot! After a week of standing in a booth, my endurance was waning, and by four o'clock, I was ready to call it a day. On the way back to the monorail, Spaceship Earth had NO line. It was the first time I had ridden inside the big golf ball and it was fantastic....well, except getting stuck in the pitch dark for 20 minutes!

After a great day at DisneyWorld, AGB squared had one more night together...to celebrate friendship and Emily choosing Jef-with-one-f on the Bachelorette Finale! It was truly a day made JUST for Ashley! :) Before heading home, I made a quick road trip to Tampa to catch up with the Jones family! What a blast from the past, as Carl was my own former youth pastor. Amazing how student-pastor relationships can turn into friendships.

I am so very thankful for a family who allows me to travel, for friends to have fun with along the way, and for those who travel with me in spirit so I never have to be alone!

Summer of Travel, Part 6

SUTS Booth with Susan Rose

With families and birthdays celebrated, it was time to hit the road again! Off to the Presbyterian Women's Churchwide Gathering in Orlando, Florida. I was dually excited about this trip due to spending the week with fellow Solar Under The Sun Board Member and "bestie in the midwestie" Susan Rose AND catching up with former "youth" from northern Virginia, the other "AGB", Anne Block!

Back in September 2011, Presbyterian Women informed Solar Under The Sun it would be the 2012 recipient of the PW Birthday Offering! (You can read about that here.) What a huge honor and privilege it is to receive this award.

Sportin' the new stolls with CeCe

Upon arrival in Orlando, we waited many hours in Anne's apartment for the UPS man to deliver 7 special packages. Unfortunately, due to a shipping misunderstanding, the packages had yet to arrive! Thankfully, we were able to spend much time with Anne and wait in the comfort of a brand new apartment for the boxes. They arrived within minutes of the Convention Center closing, but we made it just in the knick of time to set up the booth.

Not only did we stay in a beautiful home with our pals from Living Waters For The World, but we made many new contacts and connections while standing in the booth for hours! We bought books, studied the book of Psalms, and met Anne at the Hoop-de-Doo Revue, one of my personal favorite DisneyWorld attractions.

One particularly slow day, I was reading my Twitter feed and noticed newly installed PCUSA Moderator, Neal Presa, would be making an appearance in Orlando. I tweeted for him to stop by to say hello, and sure enough, he did!

To end the trip, I did indeed stop at DisneyWorld, but it deserves a post of its own. However, please enjoy these two pictures of AGB squared being reunited! :)

Summer of Travel, Part 5

Actually, before we move on to the next trip, we must celebrate family!

John celebrated a birthday! What better thing to do on a hot July Sunday in Las Vegas? Have a pool party! Yes, there is never a dull moment in the Broadhurst House!

Summer of Travel, Part 4

Did you read about the latest adventure-filled trip to Haiti? If not, go back and do so here!

June 27 rolled around and it was time to fly to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for PCUSA General Assembly. I, for one, was stoked knowing many of my colleagues from across the country would be stopping by the Solar Under The Sun booth in the exhibit hall. However, once I arrived in Pittsburgh, to be greeted by the illustrious members of Bower Hill Community Church, I realized this trip would be filled with life-long memories.

Let's take a stroll down memory lane through pictures and videos:

Claire Sparks, former youth, former intern, current friend, made the trip to Pittsburgh to stand with me for hours in the Solar Under the Sun exhibit hall booth. Over the course of 7 days, I am certain we meet 1000 people from all over the country. What a great opportunity to share with the greater Community of the wonderful ministry that Solar Under The Sun is!

.....To celebrating friendship! (With Jen Reiff James & Claire Sparks)
At one point during GA, there were four members in the SUTS booth - one from the church I served in Houston, a colleague from northern Virginia, a pastor I served with on a mission to Haiti, and a pastor I have partnered with in Las Vegas. Can anyone say connections? Whoever said christianity is not a relational, connectional faith needs to come visit a Solar Under The Sun booth! 

 Jimmy Buffet rocks Pittsburgh upon the night on my arrival! Darenda Lease and I took our seats on the lawn and sang along for 90 minutes! Fins to the left, fins to the right!! 

The Boys of Sun Tour hit Pittsburgh on Saturday, June 30. Claire, the Youngs and I walked the five miles to Heinz Field after working all day in the Hall, and we rocked out for 7 hours to Jake Owen, Grace Potter, Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney. That's Tim McGraw in all white. Yes, it was heavenly. As I said repeatedly over the week, if one must stand in an exhibit hall for 8-10 hours a day, one must also have FUN! I am thankful my friends & co-workers agreed!

Kenny & Tim closed down the show with Feel Like A Rock Star!

Though I didn't make it to a game, the Pirates were in town playing none other than the Houston Astros. At least we had a great view of the park everyday. 

Summer of Travel, Part 3

Only home for a few short days to work ahead on school assignments, do laundry, and pack up for Les Cayes, Haiti! Read about of one of the most exciting and Spirit-filled trips to Haiti here... Or just look at these few pictures:

Summer of Travel, Part 2

What better way to end a trip in San Francisco than driving down the Pacific Coast Highway!

The first stop was 17-mile drive and a loop around Pebble Beach and Carmel-by-the-Sea:

Next was a stop in Big Sur for a coffee break. Sitting beside a couple from England made the one hour stopover very worthwhile and memorable. Of course, who would not want to spend an hour with a view like this!! --->

After spending the night in Malibu, and dropping off a resume to Malibu Presbyterian Church (who wouldn't want to work there??!), it was onto Los Angeles. Traffic, as most know, is comparable to a nightmare in LA. Thus, when one gets off the beaten path, you never know what you'll run into! Trying to find a coffee shop to meet my "Uncle" David, I ran into this sign:

Welcome to Hollywood! What's your dream? 

That evening, I indulged in my favorite pastime yet again...watching a Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners game. What a beautiful stadium! Don't tell the Giants fans, but the Angels' Stadium is MUCh nicer! Even better, a friend from Appalachian State joined me in the outfield! It was great to see Amanda Privette Roberson!!

No better way to end a trip to Los Angeles that spending time with another old friend, one that has known me my entire life, dear Becky Rees Memmelaar. How lucky am I to be surrounded by such wonderful, encouraging members of God's family?!

Summer of Travel, Part 1

The Summer of 2012 will go down in history as a trip around the country! If you know me at all, you know how much I enjoy exploring new sites and taking adventures! This summer as filled my heart with joy!

The first segment began in California. Dear friends, Anita Wotiz and Ted Meeker, are Solar School graduates and members ofValley Presbyterian Church in Portola Valley, CA. They invited me to speak about Solar Under the Sun, Living Waters for the World, and my spiritual pilgrimage! It was a wonderful opportunity to take a road trip and enjoy the scenery!

The road trip began on Friday, June 1. Champ and I loaded up, and the route took us through Death Valley, up through Inyo National Forest, a detour to Mammouth Lake, and in to Yosemite National Park. After a nice rest right outside of Yosemite, it was onward to San Francisco and Portola Valley. Ted and Anita were the perfect tour guides. From the Golden Gate Bridge to views of Alcatraz to sushi in Sausalito, the scenery was magnificent. Only a game at AT&T Field to see the Chicago Cubs take on the San Francisco Giants could top off the trip.

Ted is a great photographer, and these are just a few of the great shots from the visit:

And so begins the drive through Death Valley. Champ the Xterra loved the rugged landscape and the dirt roads. We were below sea level and then began slowly climbing. True story... For two hours, not a single car passed us. It was a little eery, but perfect for stopping in the middle of the road and taking pictures.

Climbing out of Death Valley, the scenery changed dramatically. The mountains were awe-inspiring and still snow-covered in June. Trees finally started to grow again!

Pretty soon, we were in the middle of Inyo National Forest.  

Words truly cannot describe the beauty of Mammouth Lake. The snow was melting, the trees were in full bloom, and the water was crystal clear. Though a ski resort for most of the year, this day was perfect.

Upon arrival in Portola Valley, Ted and Anita greeted me warmly. Here we are having a lobster roll and chowder at Half Moon Bay.

San Francisco doesn't get many clear days, but the sun was shining down on us while 

we toured downtown. 

The only thing I love more than traveling is baseball. I am so thankful God created baseball players and baseball parks.

Tree hugger? :)

As the trip ended, God provided a beautiful moon over San Francisco Bay. Wow. What an amazing creation. 

A special thanks to Ted and Anita! They were the perfect hosts for a perfect few days.