SoulShine Alaska Mission Trip Video Recap

Below is a video we put together following our mission trip to Anchorage, Alaska, from June 26 to July 4, 2015.  It was a wonderful experience that none of us will ever forget.  "SoulShine" was the theme  of our mission team:  Scott, Kathy, Patrick, Judy, Gene, Tracy, Logan, Melissa, Austin, Hanna, & John

Catching My Breath

It has been about three weeks since we returned from Anchorage.  We were there for nine glorious days!  Unfortunately, I was a little under the weather before, during, and after the trip.  Before the trip I somehow got into some poison ivy and was taking prednisone, which really helped with the rash, but it lowers your immunity and can have some adverse side effects.  I had to make a trip to the ER in Anchorage to get treated for oral thrush and the Nystatin mouthwash really helped.  I was blessed to be “transported” to the ER by one of FBCS’ & “Greenville County's finest.”  God clearly put this team of people together.

My mouth started feeling better but then a post nasal drip and cough began to develop toward the end of the trip and I had to go see my family physician once we got home.  One dose of a prescription cough and antihistamine syrup really helped with that, but in all honesty, it still took me a solid week to recover from the trip.  With 19 hours of daylight in Alaska and a 9-day, 19-hour-a-day schedule and a return flight that departed Anchorage Saturday night at 7:45 p.m. and arrived in Atlanta Sunday morning at 6:45 a.m. we were all wore out.  We still had to caravan two car loads from the Atlanta airport to Simpsonville, despite one dead car battery and a couple of pieces of lost luggage, we arrived safely at FBCS around 10:30 a.m.

Julie was waiting for us and after some hugs I went to wait for Samantha outside her Sunday school classroom.  I was happy to see my girls!  We got home around 11:00 a.m. and I was happy to see my oldest son, Alex.  They had done a great job of taking care of one another while Austin and I were in Alaska.  Thank you God for my family, the time on mission in Alaska, and for safe travel.

Since returning home, I spent the first week simply trying to recover.  I needed time to get over that cough and catch up on my sleep.  Between Austin and me we captured about 78 GB of pictures and video.  I didn’t even look at any of it for a week, as much as I wanted to, I just didn’t have the energy.  I started trying to organize the pictures and video the second week because we needed to put a video together for the church and have been working on that off and on for the last two weeks.  We present that video to the church on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the chapel.

The next thing I need to do is begin working on a longer video for the mission team that includes more pictures and video footage from our morning devotion times and free time outings, all of which were awesome!  We'll be shooting to have that video done for our mission team luncheon at church on August 9th.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone and their families again and sharing memories of our time in Alaska.

Departure Day & Time

June 26th is the day we departed on our mission trip to Alaska.  We drove from Greenville, SC, to Atlanta, GA, then flew directly to Anchorage, AK.

Three years ago to that day, I received a call from my Step-Mom.  My Dad had passed away.  It was not expected.  His soul has departed this Earth, but his memory remains strong in our hearts and minds.

My Dad's obituary:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sanantonio/obituary.aspx?pid=158282840

My Dad did not know his departure time.  Neither do you.  None of us do.  

Do not depart Earth without first knowing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Here are a couple of pictures of the last time I got to see my Dad:

I miss him!

He was a great man!

Love you Pop!

We flew back from Anchorage on July 4th, the same day we flew back from his funeral in San Antonio three years earlier.