The Manor Event

I'm tearing myself away from Olympic coverage (currently: equestrian) to catch up on blogging. It's been an eventful couple weeks; I've got at least three more posts queued up. 

Tirzah and I went to a wedding last weekend! Our mutual friend and former missionary Courtney married former short-term individual volunteer, Grant. They never overlapped on the field, but another former missionary family, the Warrens, overlapped with both of them and set them up on Courtney's return to the US in November 2022. 

We Ubered to the airport Thursday afternoon, since the wedding was at Courtney's home church in...St. Louis! I packed seriously light with just a backpack. 

Introducing Tirzah to the airport lounge high life. 

Not funny, United, not funny. 

OK, seriously? 

Despite my track record, let it be known that I MADE IT TO A WEDDING IN ST. LOUIS IN LESS THAN A DAY! The dashboard clock in my dad's car said 11:40 pm as we pulled out.

We maximized our full bonus day as best we could, starting by representing LAC at a Service of Celebration recognizing outgoing missionaries. Though the honorees were all from other regions, current missionaries were asked to stand for applause at the conclusion of the service and included in a large group photo. A lunch and presentation by OIM's new Executive Director, Rev. Dr. Cory Rajek, followed. 

I found another new Synod employee (Rev. Stephen Heimer, Manager of All Nations Ministry, whom I know well from my Ysleta Lutheran Mission days)!

Dr. Rajek encouraged the outgoing missionaries to remain engaged in OIM's work internationally by getting involved with FOROs and by funneling missionary candidate names to the Manager and/or Director of Recruitment. 

Wedding Crashers, the sequel: Rehearsal Crashers. 

The day I bought my ticket to the wedding, I learned Friday was the opening night of "Fiddler on the Roof" at the Muny, an outdoor theater that stages seven original musicals every summer and offers 1,500 free seats for each performance. Besides people, it's what I miss most about my city. I joke that I had "season tickets" throughout my late high school and college years. Tirzah had little say in the matter; we were going, like it or not. Things continued looking up when I later learned my best friend would be in town from Williamsburg, VA, for a different wedding the same weekend. My heart was so full. 

Tirzah, me, and another former missionary friend, Deac. Kate Phillips, also in town for the wedding. 

From right, Marie's dad, brother, sister-in-law, and cousin joined us, as well. 

The LAC contingent grew when the Krey family and Ashley rolled in late Friday night. Ashley joined me, Kate, and Tirzah for some downtown Kirkwood wanderings (did someone say farmer's market peach festival?) the morning of the wedding. 

We clean up good. 

I meeeeeean, we had ~2 1/2 hours between the ceremony and reception...

Courtney & Grant's first dance as the Manors (pronounced with a long "a"). 

Once a missionary family, always a missionary family. 

Sometime around when I caught Courtney's bouquet (commence everyone in the above photo planning my imaginary wedding), my phone buzzed with a notification from American Airlines that my early morning flight to Miami had been delayed. Normally it'd be nothing but a thing, but my return trip was very purposefully booked so as to give me exactly eight hours' prep before receiving a volunteer team of nine from the Kansas City (MO) area. It goes without saying that there was a backup plan I could trigger at a moment's notice, but I began seriously questioning my life choices and grew far too anxious to fully enjoy myself. 

There was no way I'd make my 10:15 am connecting flight to Santiago...right? Is it mean to leave you hanging? Because I'm going to :)

Until next time, blessings in Christ!