our retreat to OHIO!!!

A little background here to catch some of you up.

We were stationed in Ohio before Nebraska.

For the majority of the time we were there, it was just Jake and me.

Lydia was born in Ohio but we moved when she was two months old.

(you read that right ;-)

And when I say it was just Jake and me I mean it was Jake, me and about 30-40 high school/college kids.

We landed at a church we could literally throw a rock at from our front porch if we threw hard enough.

It was 1 block away.

They had a very active and alive youth group and you know Jake and me...we love us some youth!

So, we jumped on board!!!

The youth group went through three youth pastors while we were there and that is typically a nasty time in any group (not always, just most times!). But we loved those kids.

They were our kids.

We started to see them graduate and then have nothing solid at the church to come back to.....we were losing them and all we'd invested in them.

And that was a NO GO for Jake and me.

God laid it heavy heavy on our hearts to start a college aged group at the church

and we named it The Fight (after a verse in 1 Cor)

That group started with 3-4 regulars on a Wednesday

(Azia, Savannah, Amanda and Stitch, right guys?...wow ;-)

Word spread and all our kids came trickling back in with friends in tow.

By the time we left Ohio we were booming at about 50-6o attending our weekly studies and activities.

(and for a small Southern Baptist church...this was HUGE!)

Many of them had keys to our house, I used to wake up on Saturday mornings to Jake making pancakes for whoever crashed on our living room floor Friday night.

One morning I tripped over a bean bag and thought to myself, 'wow, that bean bag is hard!'...only to realize there was a person under there ;-)

I had a girls discipleship group that was hard core and we talked marriage, purity, God's purpose for your life, etc....

Now those girls are youth pastor's wives, music minister's wives, ministering to young kids full time, etc.

I'm serious. These. were. our. kids.

We had them in high school AND in college.

We stuck with them no matter how many potato chips they set on fire in my living room, M&M fights they started in my living room, boys they duck taped at camp, no matter how many times they saran wrapped our Jeep or t.p'd our yard, or how many times they screwed up in their relationships, or how many times they.....whatever, they couldn't shake our love for them.

(and I pray a lot that my girls have a "Jake and Holly" one day.

Not that I think we're 'all that' but I just know how much I love these kids/adults now! and I want people that are not their parents to love them like that!

I had people like that in my life too and I am indebted to them for eternity.)

We've kept in touch, obviously ;-)

And when we saw that Ohio was on the way to DC from NE....it was a no brainer!

It was our second visit back and it gets sweeter every time.

With Jake being consumed by his job this past year, ministry outside of work, has been almost non-existent. He's tried, but he hasn't been able to use his gifts like he had been using them in Ohio.

It was like God scheduled this time to remind us what ministry meant before we headed on to our next place of ministry. Ya know?

Josh and Savannah were our hosts.

We watched them date through high school and college and then attended their wedding a few years ago:

(their house took over for what our house used to be for everyone so it was perfect that we got to stay there!!!)

and I didn't see Josh that weekend one time withOUT Nora or Sophie in his lap.

silly girls.

we played games from the good 'ol days (Mafia), stayed up until at least 2 am every night! (there was just a lot to talk about ;-)

"our kids" played with our kids constantly.

I LOVED that part the most.

(See, I figured I poured into them, now they can pour into my kids...k?)

Amanda...our photographer - she took all but this picture!

Celeste -

Jake got his story telling groove on ;-)

(it's a good groove!!!)

the blond dude (Zack) in the background of this picture would be who I found under that bean bag!:

No, that is not me...that is my twin Amy....well, that's what people say anyway!

We used to get asked about each other by complete strangers around town whether we were together OR NOT!

Sami and Erika

yes, that is the Erika that comments on the blog...she's like amazing, or something!

Sami and Josh (the potato chip burner) now have two amazing little kids.

and seeing them be parents is a tiny little glimpse into what grandparenting might be for Jake and me....wow....

they are AWESOME parents.

we never doubted they would be and it's fun to see it be true!

Kelli.

Who I wish lived much closer by.

I feel she is a kindred spirit to my girls for some reason.

I can't explain it, it just is.

Me, being just like Kia :-)

Samantha, I know, Paul IS awesome, but Paul is taken.

It's ok though. Just find someone identical to Paul and marry him instead.

I'd be cool with that!

Paul is taken and we love Lisa - precious people, those two.

I cried on their wedding day.

It was Feb 4th.

So close to our move, we couldn't make it and it was hard for me.

I have cried like that a few times -

Josh (the potato burner ;-) and his adorable children!

remember 'that' kid in highschool or your youth group who ALL the stories of crazy/stupid things generated from?

that was Josh.

and so this picture just makes me shiver inside.

There IS a God ;-)

I know because first of all, Josh is alive (because I didn't kill him) and because he is now one SOLID man of God who is on fire for Jesus, loves his wife, works hard and is an amazing father to his babies...I'm just sayin'.

Jake drank his fill of Ale 8 One (a drink you can only get in that region - it's kinda like a nasty ginger ale, unless you ask Jake!)

is a 20 year age difference really THAT big of a deal???

kidding. I'm totally kidding.

but we do love our Nate.

This kid came to know Jesus because Erika and another gal (Sarah!) brought him to church....so cool.

Amber.

One powerful lady.

WE LOVE OUR AMBER!!!

It warmed our hearts to just see her and talk with her and love on her!

and I think there will be more pictures posted as soon as I get Erkia my address ;-)

so, until next time.

THAT was our stay in Ohio.

Three amazing, spiritually refreshing and energizing days.

thanks guys.

you have no idea what you did for us.