Moving Day Tour of the District

It's late but I really wanted to get this on tonight. I visited most of those who have moved in so far this week, new pastors that is. Personally, this is a very heartwarming and a gleefully Methodist thing for me. We have a fine group of incoming pastors; all the parsonages had been cleaned well; and it made me remember that feeling of starting something new, believing that God was in the process and indeed!

First stop, about 3 pm, was Holt. The new pastor Gene Cole is not exactly an OLD pastor, but certainly an experienced one. The parsonage was really in great shape---they actually moved yesterday. He would not let me take a picture of him (I don't know Gene really well, but he had on shorts and a tee shirt, which I know is not how he likes to present himself to a ds) but I kept telling he and his wife Diane that it was fine. I did get a picture of their aquarium. Gene's hobby is working on this aquarium, educating himself about exotic fish, and watching them, I would guess. Here's the aquarium at the Holt parsonage:

Next it was off to Buckner, where Rev. Mamie Pero moved in today. I found Mamie at the church, having just picked up the keys, coming out on her way home to get changed for choir practice tonight. Yes, she moved in today. As we were talking out on the sidewalk, a woman came by who introduced herself as a member of the church. She told Mamie that she did not come often because it made her cry. Mamie told it was just fine to cry in church, we all have, and listened while the woman told her part of her story. The love and kindness in Mamie's voice and the arm around the shoulder made me again think how blessed Buckner is to have Mamie. Here is a picture of Mary Kay and Mamie, and of course, the sign.




















Then it was on to Waverly where Mike Dunlap is the new pastor. He will also serve at Norborne. At Annual Conference at the end of the Fixing of Appointments service, Mike was greeted back to the district with hoots and hollers. Unfortunately this evening, Mike was just like the "p" in the sign below in front of the church---he was missing. Not really missing. He and his folks got him in and unpacked this morning, and he was able to go buy the new car he has his eye on. More on the car later. He was going to be back this evening, rarin' to go and get going.I did get the picture of the sign, and the picture of what you see when you turn off of 24 Highway going toward the church at Waverly. It is a very impressive sight and sometimes, as it did today, made me so grateful for the UMC presence in these small towns, and represents the church's pride in its heritage and care for its building. And I teared up a bit (ok, ok, a dyed in the wool United Methodist, I am).
















































Then it wasa on to Marshall, first to greet Kathleen and Scott Schmidtke. I found Kathleen our new pastor at First: Marshall, at the church, getting to know some of the folks working in VBS, this after having just been at camp with her young granddaughter, driving back and forth from Wilderness Camp to Plattsburg, making sure the movers got it all on the truck, and then driving over to Marshall. She was tired but delighted. Here is a picture of Kathleen amongst the VBS set up:






















I then stopped on my way out of Marshall to visit a bit with Matt Arni and his wife. Matt is the new lay pastor at the First: Slater; Gillam and Abbott's Chapel charge. I am just thrilled that Matt is doing this; he is extremely gifted, as a very strong church background, and loves the people. They were a little embarrassed, but did let me take a picture in front of their home.






















And then, last but not least, I stopped on the way back west at Sweet Springs, where Rev. Norma Mooney and her husband Clayton moved in to a house they are renting in there. She also will serve Concordia. They are thrilled to be serving these churches, and don't really want to do this moving thing again any time soon. This is them among the boxes:

Thanks to these, and the others whom I would name except I would be doing it from memory and I do not trust it right now, who will bring such dedication and gifts to our district churches. Tis a grand thing to be in this vocation together.