We pulled back up our lane last night around 10:30, hearts full after an incredible two days at the Minnesota Association of Christian Homeschool Educators (MACHE) conference. Rory was invited to speak with Jared Dodd to the teenagers that attend. Rory also spoke two times to the parents and we left with many new kindred friends. A gift that never grows old.
Rory had six workshops he taught- each an hour long. That is a lot of content! But we got really encouraging feedback and felt his words resonate with many.
And while Rory spoke we worked the booth. Or more accurately, Lynne (our Gather&Grow assistant), Ivar and Elsie worked the booth. I took Abel to the bathroom frequently and oversaw the sugar consumption of my younger kids who were basically trick-or-treating from booth to booth, collecting all sorts of freebies and candy. And I had many, many soulful conversations with other moms. Another real gift.
Our family works hard at these events, but they are so full of great people, and friendships that grow and deepen each time we are together. We are really grateful for the Dodd family, friends who have a similar calling. It’s fun to be in mission together.
Then we packed it all back up and hit the road home. Rory said as we pulled out of the parking lot that he always hates the leaving part. These gathering have such a feeling of fullness, meeting new families, sharing our mission. It’s always sad to depart.
I have two favorite memories from the three days we were there that have nothing to do with the conference, and everything to do with being a family.
The first was on Friday night, driving around tired, figuring out where to have dinner. I was gunning for Grandma’s in Canal Park and dreaming of Scenic Cafe. But we passed a Taco Johns and that sounded awesome to everyone. We got the group taco deal for twenty bucks and in that moment I just thought how there was nowhere in the world I would have rather been than seated at that table, eating a crunchy taco and tator tots, rehashing the day with my people.
The next memory was the next morning. The girls wanted to walk the skyways from the hotel to the convention center, so the three of us walked above the highway and just as we were to arrive, we looked down and saw our boys below, waving at us. They had brought the van over with all our gear.
I don’t know why that window reunion was so special, but our hearts positively overflowed, so excited to see each other.
And I suppose that is the whole point. Our ministry encourages families to work together, to have a vision, each member working towards a shared mission. And that’s what our family is doing all the while. And enjoying each other very much along the way.
