For now we were excited to get on the way with our visits. First stop: Aunt Betty in Newburgh, New York. As mentioned, the last time Scott was here was over 40 years ago. And yet the house is still standing and looks pretty much as it did then. Aunt Betty saw the car driving up and stood at the door to welcome us - a bit grayer than she had been then, but we are all a day (or more) older, a few shades grayer.
We spent a wonderful time sharing stories from the past, catching up on where the kids have all landed in their lives, and talking about what life looks like now in the present. Scott recognized pictures of cousins and we shared some pictures of our life. An hour goes by quickly when you are digging in the past and sharing the present. But that was about all we had. Still, it was wonderful to be reacquainted with someone that, without knowing it, had been a major influence on Scott’s life in many ways.
When we left Aunt Betty, we headed off for what was to be a 5 hour drive to Rochester. The rain was drizzling down, just enough to make it and interesting morning. Driving away from Newburgh we headed up into the hills and valleys of New York. If you did not know that it was Spring, you might be tempted to think that it was Fall, as the hills were covered in a haze of light orange and the trees were not yet completely blooming. But it was a nice backdrop to some country music on the radio and the sun starting to peek through the clouds.
By the time we finally reached Rochester, after a few short stops along the way, the sun was starting its slow descent for the evening. We got to our hotel and were able to call ;Scott’s mom who came to pick us up. She and Paul took us out to an asian restaurant where we could also share some conversation before heading back to the hotel.
Another slightly restless night brought us to a new day when we could visit Scott’s mom at Paul’s house. She had prepared all sorts of good things for breakfast and we took our time getting to know Paul, looking around the house and sharing stories. Paul’s son, David came over for a short visit so that we could get to know him. We have both heard of each other for years, but this was the first time for us to meet.
In the afternoon we drove out to Lake Ontario and walked out on the pier to the gray churning lake. Seagulls screamed at us along the way and Scott’s mom screamed back. Scott and she laughed, since this was typical behavior for Scott as well. He is definitely his mother’s son. After a brisk walk, though not too cold, we headed out for another meal together at a local hamburger joint before saying goodnight for the evening and heading back top the hotel.
The next day began as part one of three parts. Part one started the day with breakfast at Patty and Paul’s and left with hugs and smiling hearts for part two driving 6 hours to our next destination. This trip was much grayer than the drive up. It rained all day and made for some beautiful misty scenes and challenging, busy roads. But we made it safely to our next stop. part three of the day, the home of Mark and Oneta Tornij in Connecticut.
We have known Mark and Oneta for some time. When we first came to The Netherlands to start the church, Oneta and her family were meeting with the church in Aken, Germany. They began meeting with us from the beginning in Maastricht. Years later, when Oneta met Mark, Scott baptized Mark and officiated Mark and Oneta’s wedding, sharing this beginning moments with them. As the Tornij family started taking shape, their faith led them to touch lives everywhere they went and they wanted to support this effort in any way they could - so they have helped with Bible camp, in various church needs and with regular financial support for us.
We were met at the door with a hug from Ezra, the youngest, followed by warm greetings from Boaz and Fayah. Fayah is soon to graduate from high school and start another chapter in her life. We enjoyed this last section of a long day, sharing a meal and getting reacquainted with one another.
On Sunday we joined the family to worship in another city in Connecticut - it amazes us to see how much traffic can clog a road even on a Sunday - and then went out for lunch with Mark and Oneta. After lunch we drove out to Long Island Sound as the rain beat down and the wind blew the sea and rain around us. It was exciting, rough and exhilarating, but it was also very wet!
Back at the Tornij’s Scott played some chess with young Ezra, we shared a pizza meal and some good conversation and wound up the day planning what the Monday would look like. Should we take the George Washington bridge or the Mario Cuomo bridge? How long would it take to get into Newark? Our flight would leave at 11:40, so we shouldn’t have to leave too early.
And suddenly, we would be moving on. It seems like we have already been away from home for weeks and it has only been 5 days. But some of those days have at least three parts, making it feel like we have had various days. But we are so very thankful to be blessed to share these moments with so many people we truly love and who love us.
You can find the pictures from this first leg of the trip here.
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