"In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." –John 16:33

Day: September 24, 2008

Demorest

Demorest was absolutely wonderful! I made a million new friends, I heard some really nice things, the macaroni and cheese was spectacular (that’s the most important part you know, the quality of the convention food), and I was thankfully sitting next to some strong Georgia singers during the hymn sings so my harmonizing skills just got 100 times better. Here are just a few of the pictures that I took while I was there:

Kelly, Andi, Danielle

Kelly, Andi, Danielle

Picture of most of the young people at Demorest

Picture of most of the young people at Demorest

All of the kids after the hymn sing

All of the kids after the hymn sing

A picture of the younger young people

A picture of the younger young people

Andi, Danielle, Rachel

Andi, Danielle, Rachel

Wooden flower... all the guys were whittling these between meetings

Wooden flower... all the guys were whittling these between meetings

Jorge from Cuba

When Lorena and I first got married, we lived in Boynton Beach, Florida because I had a job there with Motorola. We went to our annual church convention at Apopka the first year we were there and met an older couple who had come over from Cuba in the early sixties a few years after Fidel Castro’s bloody takeover. The older couple had son named Jorge who I had previously met, I think mostly just at gospel meetings when I lived in Atlanta in 1988. Jorge and his parents spoke Spanish with a beautiful Cuban accent. Both Jorge and his folks had been down to Mexico to the convention that is just a few blocks away from Lorena’s parent’s home in Monterrey. Lorena talked to Conchita last night on Skype. She says she remembers Jorge very well and that he ran around with Lorena’s uncle Valentin when he was down there.

Last week, I had a chance to visit a little with both Jorge and his beautiful daughter, Lydia. Jorge maintains a wonderful blog here.  There is a lot to commend the blog.  I was amazed with a beautiful picture of one of my favorite small cities in the world, Las Cruces, New Mexico on a post he made about the meanings of a bunch of places in America with Spanish names.  You can find that here.  My favorite post though, by far, is this one.  It is a speech Jorge has given a number of times as a guest speaker at naturalization ceremonies for new American citizens.  It is very inspiring.

July 13, 2004 – Marion County Fair
July 14, 2004 – Kelly wins the talent show

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