The Temmesfelds were in town! Art and Barbara are good friends who moved to Ohio 19 years ago! 19 years! Their four kids have grown, married, and are supplying grand-babies. They were our neighbors when we lived across the street from our former church, Faith Bible Church. Tom and I were married at Faith Bible may years before, but moved away for many years and then moved back and right across the street.
All of these friends are Faith Bible friends. We still marvel at how that church impacted our lives in the 1980s an how we have kept in touch with so many friends.
On Friday night we had a "welcome home" (for 3 days) party at the Townsend's home.
This is just the first wave. Couples kept coming.
Most of us women keep in touch, but here we are all clustered together to share what's going on in our lives for those who don't. In the background, you can see the men visiting. They said, "Well, what will we men talk about?" But they kept up a lively conversation. At one point one said, "We're discussing if we have chosen a grave site yet, and our Last Wills." We laughed and I said, "Tom's got that covered, but if you want to add me to your wills, go ahead."
They laughed.
Eventually our pastor went to pastor a church in Washington, and the church just wasn't the same without them. Campus Crusade moved to Florida and many CCC staff families moved there. Almost all of us moved on to other states or other churches--several of us go to Trinity together--and we only get together now for an occasional reunion, and weddings and funerals. We are all so thankful for this unique friendship that we share.
Here is Jack and Jean Teachout, our pastor during those years together. They were missionaries in Africa, with the Temmesfelds, before they came to pastor our church. I really think they were the catalyst for the deep connections we made with each other.
