The AHQ Tour Update #1
6-15-02
Written by Tom Troyer
Well here we are again on another tour. It's about time if you ask us! It's been a long time since I compiled one of these updates. A lot of water has gone under the bridge so to speak, I hope I can remember how to do it.
New to this incarnation of the Update is of course the web version. If you'd rather not get them in your email, you can just view them on our website. Otherwise things are about the same. I retain a dictator-like grasp on the position of editor, while usually recruiting someone else to do the writing for the body of the update (this first update being an exception). Captions and snide remarks in italics are usually mine though.
I do have a special surprise in store for the last few updates! I hope to have one of my favorite writers (a famous newspaper columnist) writing some updates for me. We'll see if I can convince her to do it. I may have to raise the update subscription price in order to afford her though. She is scheduled to join us for the last half of this tour. She may be on the brink of syndication with her newspaper column, if she isn't she should be.
You really should visit our website, there is some good stuff on there. Well, that probably depends on your definition of "good." Maybe "interesting" would be a better word, but in any case you should at least visit once. www.ahqt.com is the place to go.
While on the plane trying to get some work accomplished for the benefit of my loyal subscribership, I was repeatedly distracted by the unruly passenger sitting in front of me.
We're horrible when it comes to thinking up names. Trying to come up with a name for this trip was no exception. Our efforts this time ran along the lines of alliterative nonsense. Some of the finalists:
Singing, Sermonizing, and the South
People, Passion, and Paul
Mighty Masculine Men Motivating Mennonites for Mexico Missions with Moving Messages and Marginal Music
This being our third BMF mission trip with Paul, his wife Dorcas suggested we call it "Paul's Third Missionary Journey."
We left this morning at a pretty early hour, though not as early as we intended to because of a late arriving quartet member. (Editor's note: It wasn't me this time. It was Kon.) But I probably should let bygones be bygones and not mention who it was. We were supposed to leave at 9:30. As bad as that is, we've had to leave earlier for stuff before. I try to avoid anything before noon if at all possible.
We got to the airport in plenty of time to stand in line for eternity. They made us pull out our laptops and made Konrad take off his shoes. They must have been steel-toed, I'm not sure. I was tempted to go vouch for him that he wasn't smart enough to be another shoe bomber, but I didn't and they eventually let him go anyway.
Paul got tired of the quartet always leaving him so far behind technologically, so this time he brought along a pocket computer. He likes to remind us that it boots up a lot faster than our laptops.
Brilliant but bumbling Byran boldly brandishes a backhand while bravely babysitting our bundled baggage.
David left for Florida earlier this week for familial reasons, so we met up with him at the Orlando airport.
Our official reunion photo.
It was probably a little after midnight by the time we got our rental minivan and left town. It is so hot here. We headed out for our destination in Sarasota, Rick and Connie Beachy's house, stopping first at one of our official quartet restaurants--Denny's. Tomorrow morning we have a service at Palm Grove, then in the evening at Sarasota Mennonite. Right now it's 2:30am, Paul just said we'd get there at 3 so maybe we'll just stay up and party all night instead of going to bed for just a few minutes. That's my vote.
6-16-02
Rick and Connie (Byran's aunt and uncle) are not home this weekend, but have very graciously and courageously offered to let us stay in their house until we leave for Georgia Monday morning.
Some of the wildlife in Florida. We haven't seen any alligators yet, I'm expecting to at any time.
I got up very early this morning (quarter after 9) and we went to Palm Grove Mennonite for our service there. It went very well and we had a great service. We went to Pete Weaver's (one of their preachers) for a fantastic lunch. There were a couple other people there as well, along with several children that were friends of theirs.
Mr. and Mrs. Weaver.
Konrad helped with the dishes. I would have, but somebody had to take the picture.
And now a contest for all update subscribers! The first person to email me with the answer wins a copy of our new CD, "Lookin' Up." You must be a subscriber to qualify.
Here's the question, taken from Paul's sermon for this trip: Who was Bezaleel and what did he do?
By does some more babysitting.
Tonight we had another great service at Sarasota Mennonite Church. One of my old buds Loyal Stutzman was there, it was good to see him again.
It is so hot here. Tonight it was raining and still hot. Tomorrow no matter what happens I'm sure it will be very hot. The AC in our minivan can barely keep up. We're heading out at 11 in the morning for Jessup, GA. I don't know why we always have to leave early, but I'm not in charge so I just make the sacrifice and get up early.