Our 2015 Vacation, What a Joyous Experience
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The summer was hot
and humid and when we were blessed with an invitation to
attend the graduation ceremony of Eric Walter in Ionia,
Michigan, we jumped at the chance. Thinking it might be
even 5 degrees cooler in that location than it would be
here in Happy Holler was more than adequate for me to
begin praying that God would permit our attendance at the
event, scheduled for Tuesday, August 25, 2015.
Because I have reached the point that driving long distances in a single setting is not to my liking, we would begin our trip after church on Sunday, stay the night in Danville, and arrive in Ionia on Monday afternoon.
On a trip we made a few years back, I failed to get photo's to share with family, and was reminded of that error, so this time, we were careful to capture some of our experience, as follows:
Sunday - Day 1
Monday - Day 2 ...... in northern Indiana
Because I have reached the point that driving long distances in a single setting is not to my liking, we would begin our trip after church on Sunday, stay the night in Danville, and arrive in Ionia on Monday afternoon.
On a trip we made a few years back, I failed to get photo's to share with family, and was reminded of that error, so this time, we were careful to capture some of our experience, as follows:
Sunday - Day 1
"Bella, when we checked in at
the motel in Danville, Susie asked for a room with
a view, and we got it! I had to keep the volume up
on the T V in order to drown out the roars of the
wild animals in the jungle. Can you believe it?"
Monday - Day 2 ...... in northern Indiana
"Grammy and I still discuss these
gigantic windmills. I am certain they would pump a
lot of water, if that is their purpose? I guess I
need to 'Google' it sometime? The sun shone
beautifully this day and the temperature was
perfect. I guess these BIG fans were not needed on
this day for cooling the local Hoosiers, so that
might account for their being stilled? Susie says
they generate electricity, and she is generally
right, but I am certain they need to turn,
especially if they pump water, or to do whatever"!
467 Welcome to Ionia, Michigan
468
470
469
Tuesday - Day 3 @ 11:00 A M 482 - Eric & Hannah
467 Welcome to Ionia, Michigan
468
On
arrival we booked into the motel (back
right), which is located nearby the
fairgrounds.
470
It is
easy to appreciate a community when this is
your first impression.
469
We arrived a month late for
kettle corn and candied apples at the fair.
Tuesday - Day 3 @ 11:00 A M 482 - Eric & Hannah
After a nights rest we
were welcomed, along with others, into the
home of our host, the celebrity himself, Eric
Walters and his delightful wife, Hannah
Walters.
New-found friends, grand fellowship, great food!
With
these new friends we enjoyed a wonderful
lunch, prepared by Hannah with the able
assistance of her guests. Following lunch we
moved to The Historical Downtown Theater to
enjoy the graduation ceremony.
461
SMAT Graduation, August 25, 2015
"School of Missionary Aviation Technology"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A pictorial account of
the gathering for fellowship & lunch
at their home can be seen at:
New-found friends, grand fellowship, great food!
461
Eric
being awarded his certification as
Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic. A
pictorial account of this event is
available also. This photo was captured
from a 'Walters' update.
To
see the pictorial account of the
Commencement Program, go to:SMAT Graduation, August 25, 2015
"School of Missionary Aviation Technology"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On
completion of the graduation
ceremony we adjourned to the Ionia
Airport and were shown the
Maintenance Building where Eric
spent the previous year in training
and also the Flight Hangar where he
will spend next year teaching
students and adding Pilot In Command
time to his resume'.
438
472
Walters family photo
..... , and his immediate family,
140-EHBSS
..... and some of her family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Training Center
located at the Ionia Airport. This
archived photo was captured from a Hannah
memo.
5-It Runs!
Of course it runs!
This photo was also captured from one of
Hannah & Eric's memos.
472
Here they were able to
celebrate with friends from school
.....
Walters family photo
..... , and his immediate family,
140-EHBSS
..... and some of her family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All this celebratin'
and socializin' makes a person mighty
hungry, and Hannah had already prepared
for this as well. We regrouped at a wooded
community park and enjoyed a delightful
dinner, again prepared by Hannah and
helpers. It was so good that I wanted to
bring home some left-overs, but we had way
too many shopping stops to make for that
(Barbee dolls, you know). It would have
been extremely overcooked, or whatever
happens to food left in a hot auto for
part of two days.
499
499
Normally,
the guest show their appreciation to
the host but, in this case, the guest
were surprised by receiving this well
crafted Thank You note. My most
sincere thought for Eric & Hannah
is: "Thank you for including us
in this celebration, we will continue
in prayer that God's blessing will be
evident as you strive to follow His
leading"!
The last item on the days agenda was a short trip to "Eric's favorite spot" for dessert. Dessert!!!! Who can eat dessert on top of this feast? But the "short trip" took the correct amount of time to make an ice cream cone at "Moo-ville" the perfect sweet course to complete a meal and a well planned day!
424 - grandpa/grandma Walters, the "ice cream donors".
The last item on the days agenda was a short trip to "Eric's favorite spot" for dessert. Dessert!!!! Who can eat dessert on top of this feast? But the "short trip" took the correct amount of time to make an ice cream cone at "Moo-ville" the perfect sweet course to complete a meal and a well planned day!
424 - grandpa/grandma Walters, the "ice cream donors".
We said our goodbyes to
our host and the several new
friends we met during this
occasion. Among these friends is
this gentleman, Eric's
grandfather, the provider of
"dessert at Moo-ville's".
This unique outlet is located
5875 S. M-66, Nashville,
Michigan, 49073 at the
intersection of State Rte. M-66
& M-79.
Goodbye's at MooVille, Tuesday evening.
Goodbye's at MooVille, Tuesday evening.
We returned to our
motel for a nights rest and
began the return trip
Wednesday morning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our
congratulation goes out to
Eric for his achievement in
the field of aeronautics as
both an accomplished pilot and
a certified aircraft mechanic.
Our thanks go out to Hannah
for including us and being
such a gracious hostess. This
prayer goes out to God on
behalf of them both: taken from
- Colossians 1:3-4
& 9-14
(ERV)
3 We always pray
for you, and we give thanks to
God, …. . 4 For we have
heard of your faith in Christ
Jesus ….., 9 Since the
day we heard these things
about you, we have continued
praying this for you: that God
will make you completely sure
of what He wants by giving you
all the wisdom and spiritual
understanding you need; 10
that this will help you live
in a way that brings honor to
the Lord and pleases him in
every way; that your life will
produce good works of every
kind and that you will grow in
your knowledge of God; 11 that
God will strengthen you with
his own great power, so that
you will be patient and not
give up when troubles come.
Then you will be happy 12 and
give thanks to the Father. He
has made you able to have what
he has promised to give all
his holy people, who live in
the light. 13 God made us free
from the power of darkness.
And he brought us into the
kingdom of his dear Son.
14 The Son paid the price to
make us free. In him we have
forgiveness of our sins.
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