Tito, we're not in Kansas anymore....

I guess traveling through Kansas includes a 3-4 day stay at Sheree's grandparent's lake-house near Branson, Missouri. We arrived around 9:30 last night. George thought it would be a decent 2.5-3 hour drive, and it was definitely 7.5-8. We are on a mini-vacation now. Geovanni woke me up this morning at 9:30 and after breakfast and a shower, we went swimming off the
dock. After lunch Daniel and Jael took naps, and the five of us (Geovanni, Christine, George, Sheree, and myself) went out on the boat with Sheree's grandpa and the two babies (Nathan and Kiara). The lake is something like 13km long, and the water was beautiful and a perfect temperature. George taught me how to water ski, and eventually I was pretty decent! They tell me I will be sore tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure I'm stronger than they think. In the pictures to the right you will see baby Nathan on the boat, a view of the lake, and in the third, George is attempting to to assist Geovanni with his skis - a job that took both men.
Sheree's grandparents are very amusing. They say the darndest things.. really. Everytime Sheree's grandpa speaks he follows his sentence with "tell him" and points to Geovanni. Geo really does understand a decent amount of English, but doesn't speak any because he is afraid of making mistakes. The house is also interesting. There are huge mirrors (like 7 ft in width) in almost every room. The basement is full of interesting things that I will definitely be taking pictures of (expect that post very soon! haha). I'm sharing a room with Daniel in the basement. I slept two nights with Jael at the hotel and they were two miserable nights. That girl is 3-years-old, but she took up more room than I think Sun Ming Ming would have.  Se mueve mucho! (She moves alot!)  At one point I think we were sharing a pillow, I know I found her foot in my eyes and/or back alot, or her head was on my stomach.  So needless to say, I prefer Daniel.  He woke up around 7:00 this morning and I played with him until 7:30 when George woke up to relieve me, and I went back to bed.

Here is what our itinerary looks like.  There is alot of traveling between distant cities to speak in churches and reconnect with supporters of the ministry in Ecuador. 

July 23: Travel from Guayaquil to Kansas City
July 24: Rest at Nick & Stephanie’s house
July 25: Travel to Hutchinson
July 25-27: District conference
July 27-29: Vacation at lake house with Wuertz’s (Table Rock Lake, MO)
Aug 1: Day to reconnect with Conley family in Kansas City
Aug 2: Celebrate Daniel’s 2nd birthday with Wuertz’s and meet George and Sheree’s families
Aug 3: Visit Heartland Christian Fellowship for the morning service then to Manhattan in the afternoon for a special Sunday evening service at Westview Community Church
Aug 4: Someone drives us to Colby, KS
Aug 4-6: Spend time in Colby with Gene and Joy and do a special mid week service at Colby Wesleyan
Aug 7-8: Travel Thursday morning to Philipsburg, KS and do a special service
Aug 9-10: Travel Sat morning to Concordia for the Sunday service
Aug 11: Return to Kansas City - Jewel flys to Indiana, Geo & Chris fly to Arizona

It should be interesting...