And we're Hoff

Our dear friends, and partners in the ministry at Trinity, Johan and Sonja Hinderlie joined us in San Pedro on Saturday, June 26th. Johan and Sonja are not only dear friends, they are Gospel Godparents to Trinity. You know those figures who share a devotion to the Lord and devotion to the beloved of God? The kind that make baptismal promises to pray for, support, remind, love, and point to Jesus. JoSo fill that role and more. It feels like we are blessing Trinity by leaving them in God's and the Hinderlie hands for this month. 

After worship at Trinity on June 27th, we packed up our Ford, and left around 6 PM. Through the night, we drove through the desert, and stopped for a quick nap in Southern Utah and a cup of coffee in Salt Lake City. From there we decided to take the slow drive through the Tetons and Yellowstone, arriving in our cheap hotel in Billings 24 hours after we left LA! Christian and Molly and Samuel went to Minnesota a week earlier, so the road trip was just me, Joy, Annika, and Peter. 

Last time we got to Yellowstone, we waited for about 1 minute for Old Faithful to blow. This time we waited 10 seconds. We have good timing with Old Faithful. 

The next day we made the beautiful drive from Billings to Lake Carlos near Alexandria, MN. We got in for most of the week with Christian leading worship, Ted Hill teaching (program director from Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute), and my friend Russ Lackey preaching (Campus Pastor at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa). 

Here is Ted on the pontoon for a sunset run on Lake Carlos.

Also Joy, David, Steven, and Alicia, and Sam and Peter.

Dave Wollan and I teamed up for the 5th year in a row. Usually I am the teacher and he, the preacher. This year we flipped. I ate up his teaching on Abraham in the morning sessions. They would be worth listening to when they are available on the Mount Carmel Podcast.

Our dear friends, the Gundermanns led us in music and worship all week. When I was studying at Luther Seminary, Tom was preparing for ministry in the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod. Joy and Amy went to college at Concordia University in St. Paul. We hit it off then, and we hit if off again. What a dynamic family and ministry they share. Tom is the Campus Pastor at Concordia St Paul and Amy is a leader in their local community.

Here we are with the Gundermanns, the Wollan, and the Hoff. We are all missing a few kids :).

Usually our family eats up the daily devotional times. With older kids and varying schedules, we only accomplished it once this year. In fact we did Tuesday's devotions on Thursday, because we couldn't even get that right :). Thankfully Dave Wollan took our picture, so we can remember ourselves as more pious than we really were. 

Did I say that we had the privilege of being the first inhabitants in Cabin 41, the new duplex! There is beautiful construction and improvements happening all over Mount Carmel.

It was appropriate for Annika to make an important life discernment at the old Summer Campus of LBI. She decided to take the next year of study at the Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute. We couldn't be more supportive!

It was good to preach to such a thirsty congregation. The gospel quenches!

Sam and his buddy did a very heart rending rendition of 2 Kings 2.23-24. I wish you could have been there.

We may have tied with the Wollan for winning the Family Olympics. It is weird, because we are not competitive with them usually, but casually tied with them. It was fun to choose Counselor (and former Intern) Emma to pie in the face. 

It was a highlight to be at Mount Carmel with my parents, Herb and Gail, and my beloved brother David. He seems like a very happy David at Mount Carmel.

It was also so fun to meet our dear friends the Rasmussens from Fergus Falls. Time with this family is balm!

We were joined one day by Jordan Fernandez and Elly Gustafson. We had to take a "former intern" photo that also included Emma and Kierra! We were all hot and sweaty from Family Dance Night.

After a fond farewell from Mount Carmel, the Hoff drove to Chicago and stayed in a gorgeous brownstone in the Woodlawn neighborhood, just a few blocks south of the University of Chicago, and a mile from Lakeshore Drive. 

We were staying just a few blocks from where the Obama's shared their first kiss. He wrote, “On our first date, I treated her to the finest ice cream Baskin-Robbins had to offer, our dinner table doubling as the curb. I kissed her, and it tasted like chocolate.”

We drove a lot and walked a lot, and took an architectural tour cruise. What a gorgeous city. Because of the great fire, a tragedy that opened up an opportunity, it is a city that asked, "What could we become?" 

We worshipped at Immanuel Anglican near Lincoln Park on Sunday. What a faithful, generously orthodox, and neighborhood-embedded community! I would go there if I lived anywhere nearby.

Annika flew home that night so she could return to work. It is fun traveling with her :)

Sam toured, well we all toured three colleges: U Chicago, Wheaton, and Northwestern. Wow, what impressive programs each of them has!

Sam at Wheaton

Sam at Northwestern.

After our time came to an end in Chicago, we returned just across the border to Bayport, MN, to the home of Johan and Sonja. Not only are they caring for the Trinity Congregation, they opened their home to us for a time of rest and renewal. 

Sam and Peter went on a college tour of the U of M. 

We went to the sculpture garden. I decided not to take a picture of the Cherry Spoon. Sorry.

We went mini-golfing on the roof of the Walker Art Center. Hole 7 was the Hot Dog Hole. Joy loves frankness, and looked so cute in her pink get up, including a pink ball, I needed a picture.

We walked up to World Mission Prayer League and walked around their campus for a while. This is a ministry we believe in strongly. Joy was recently elected to the board of this mission. 

We laughed and cheered and had a ball (Sam actually caught one from one flipped to him from the outfielder) at the Saint Paul Saints game. They play in the smallest AAA stadium in the country, right downtown St Paul. And this year because the AAA affiliate of the MN Twins. That makes them the closest AAA affiliate to their mother club. FUN!

Today, we sent Sam and Peter on a mission trip with Faith Lutheran in Hutchinson, MN, where our friends, the Wollan serve. We pray that they are a blessing to their team and to the people they are going to serve in Georgia. In the meantime, it is just Joy and me left. We used JoSo's bikes and went to explore Stillwater this afternoon after a long nap. I like our kids, and camp, and exploring new cities, and games. I miss our daily vocations and blessed Trinity. 

But for these days, I like just being with Joy. We celebrate 25 years on August 10th. That day we will be traveling to celebrate Christian and Molly's wedding on August 14th. So, it is good to take some days to just enjoy us.