In Late June we went on a 2200 trip to Chicago (our pictures & friends pictures) and back. It was a great time of fun and fellowship. We enjoyed seeing some of C-4’s old friends from the orphanage for this reunion three years after we returned from China. They have all grown up so much. God also allowed us to strengthen the relationships we have with their parents.

We all stayed in an apartment “brownstone” next to Wrigley Field and we hob nobbed around on the “EL” trains to see world class sights like Lincoln Park Zoo, Millenium Park, the Chicago Blues Festival and the Field Museum. We topped it off with a wonderful dinner in China town. It was a fun time for the kids and a great sharing time for the parents. It was also nice for Lisa and the kids to see some of the places that meant so much to me (Roy) in my year at Moody Bible Institute (one of the best years of my life)

On the same trip we had the privilege of visiting Willow Creek Church, one of the more unique churches in America and we visited with some old friends and supporters of our ministry.

On the way home, we stopped in two very rural places where ISI staff live, near Branson and in the Ozarks and the kids had a blast spending time on “the farm.” God really worked on all of them in building their confidence in different ways. Jonathan, T-7 and I (Roy) got to jump from the top of a waterfall into a swimming hole and C-4 even rode a horse. T-7 was allowed to wear a harness on one of our friends’ trampolines and I think he did 18 summersaults on one jump… I think we really are closer as a family after this 2200 mile journey.