With Wil and Amy

Ok, when it rains it pours...another post! After our time at CCMI we made a dash down to Annapolis, MD to see Wil and Amy and Amy's parents. We seldom get to see the Hendricks so that was a real treat. Amy's Mom was having a baby shower for her so it was great to get to be there for that. Amy's Grandmother and Aunt were there so it was nice to see them again since I don't think we have since Wil and Amy's wedding seven years ago. We basically just hung out and talked (did a little shopping), a well worth it quick trip down from NYC. Plus it is always nice to go to my home town and think about past years spent there.

Cross-Cultural Ministy Internship

From the sisters' reunion (Paul was in Chattanooga visiting Anna) we went to New York City. This is our third year to help with CCMI (formerly known as pre-field training). We stayed in the same little apartment in Upper Manhattan (Washington Heights) in a very Dominican neighborhood. I wish so much I knew Spanish since that is what we heard in the grocery stores, laundry mat, on the street, etc. There were 20 participants in the training, going to Australia, Colombia, Japan, India, Mexican Border, Cambodia, Honduas, and Spain and one couple with Enterprise. Paul and I each had a group of new candidates to mentor through the program. We helped in different churches with things like VBS, teaching SS, and other children's programs. The new candidates had some assignments to do that we would read and help them with, all geared towards giving them better eyes and ears for the culture they would be going too.
So we spent the mornings working in our churches when they needed us and the afternoons at another church for training classes. We spent time with the folks we were mentoring, over meals, fun outings, or just hanging out at their apartments. It was such a privilege to get to know these folks and see their heart for missions.

Below are some random shots from our time...Paul leading one of the sessions, Heather and I on the Brooklyn Bridge, Paul and Peter talking, Paul and I in Strawberry Fields...

Margie's Birthday Bash/Sisters' Reunion

The end of June my sister-in-law, Mary Lou, me, my three sisters, Sally, Louise, Margie and our cousin, Ceecy (order of photo) gathered in Quarryville, PA to celebrated Margie's 60th birthday and to see our Mom. It was a really fun time of just being together talking, laughing, remembering, and according to Mahlow tradition, crying. Our brother also came at the beginning and end. I think one of the most special times was reading Mom's letters to her Mom about Margie's birth and the story of her polio. Mom's faith was so strong, despite the challenges of what the polio was doing to Margie. I drove down with Margie from her home in Prospect Park, NJ and her car broke down twice. It was really God's gift to us since it allowed us to stay an extra day and for Margie to have an extra day off work to spend with me! She is my just older sister and we have been dearest friends since birth.

We did some fun stuff like go to Longwood Gardens, but also enjoyed a visit with my Mom and got to see our Aunt and Uncle and another cousin as well.