And So We Gathered....

A tiring yet spiritually satisfying weekend has passed as we gathered in Fairfield for our annual District Convention. This years' theme is all about the Kingdom of God, what is means, what to expect from it and when it will come to be. There's also a great emphasis on the strengthening the spirituality of families and how that will help especially the young ones in these very challenging times.

It is the first without our dear Mailyn and already there were changes to our usual routine which made us miss her even more. For once, we drove back and forth daily this year.  This change was more due to financial reasons and it made it more tiring for everyone especially the girls.  But it was necessary for our budget and thankfully we made it through with just enough money for gas and toll for all 3 days. The spiritual feast we enjoyed was of course worth all the sacrifice and the time spent with friends, old and new made it all the more memorable. The girls are growing up fast and this year they wanted to spend more and more time with their friends from all over the circuit.  

Ickey even got in trouble on Saturday since she disappeared one time with her friends when they apparently left to go outside of the assembly hall, a big no-no for safety reason of course.  But after getting her much needed time out at home, she did good the day after and still enjoyed her friends while staying close to cousin Jam and/or Mommy. 

Sunday was the drama that we've been preparing for.  I did not get to help as much as I wanted to since I had the girls to look after but we did get to spend some time with them when they were getting ready for their performance.  Everyone did very well and the costumes were colorful and very visible on stage even when you're far away.  I'm glad I had the privilege to be a part of it!

Lunchtime was always something to look forward to. Most in our congregation usually park close to each other so we could gather together and share our dishes with everyone.  I wanted to stick to our healthy foods even when on the go so I usually bring salad, fruits and sandwiches with as limited processed stuff as possible.  My husband and I were mindful of the reminders about food kept in unsafe temperatures and used our discretion when eating everyone's prepared foods since we could not use any heating equipment and the like while sorta "picnicking" in the parking lot.  Of course, we don't want to be dogmatic about it either. We want to make sure we enjoyed eating with our friends in our time together.

It was, as usual, a wonderful weekend filled to the brim with spiritual and physical goodness.  It will be a few months before everyone gathers again for our next spiritual get together.  So for now, we'll have plenty to think about and memories to enjoy looking back at.  Till next time everyone!!!