Mid-Missouri

This post was longer in coming than I had hoped, but I'm here to say...my first ever home service road trip is in the books: mid-Missouri. 

Sedalia, home of the Missouri State Fair (which I'd later visit) and proud of it, is an easy < 3 hr. jaunt from St. Louis. My connection is with Our Savior, one of two LCMS congregations in town; I went to high school with the pastor's wife. I rolled in Saturday in time for pulled pork and Ticket to Ride at their house, with another family from church so I'd have at least a few other familiar faces in the morning. 

We commemorated Mary, mother of our Lord, in Sunday's worship service and sang an Advent hymn! I debuted my presentation during the Bible class that followed. It occurred to me that Sedalia was also the first stop on my pre-deployment network-building adventure but not on a Sunday, so I simply met with the pastor. Still - they're #1!

Rev. Andrew & Elisabeth Tessone and Levi & I. 

The Tessones treated me to lunch after church at a local BBQ joint. My debate over what to get ended when they told me Sedalia was home to the Guberburger, a hamburger with peanut butter on it!

I relaxed on the couch back at their place for a bit before hitting the road to Columbia for an evening gig at Campus Lutheran Church. I first got to know the congregation there during my GEO term at Ysleta Lutheran Mission in El Paso, TX; they sent a servant event team in 2011. There was a great turnout for pizza + an update from the field in a beautiful, highly technological, brand new space that probably didn't even exist when I presented at Campus prior to deployment!

I was blessed to stay with Grandma T for the night. She belongs to my best friend but adopted me way back as a freshman in college when I didn't have a car; she and her late husband were my ride to church and pew buddies. 

With nothing scheduled for Monday except making my way to my next stop, I started my day with a run on the MKT trail. 

Grandma T gave me a short tour of town and took me to lunch at a favorite café of hers before I took off for Warsaw...via Jefferson City, to spontaneously pop in on a high school friend who graciously received me and chatted for a few hours at the drop of a hat!

Another first...and more about the dam good time I had in Warsaw soon :) Until next time, blessings!