Tuesday, May 11, 2010

This morning, Matthew, Joe and I drove to Dulles Airport so we could fly out to LAX and then go to West Coast. Our early morning flight was on time on Virgin America; the first time I've flown that airline and I do like it. We landed at LAX about 10:30 a.m. Henry and Sara were due in from Narita about 11:00 a.m., and the Leonards were already there from Chattanooga. They rented a car. Stephen came out on Monday and got a hotel room in Palmdale, the John Jay Inn and Suites, where we are staying. Steve and the boys will room together.

Stephen met us at the airport. The deal was he and the Leonards would drive us all back to Lancaster. However, someone got a call from Henry saying that their Delta plane was delayed from Narita for five hours and would not arrive until about 2:00 p.m. The Leonards called from the car rental place. We decided to let Matthew and Joe ride with them out to the college and Steve and I would wait. And we did. Their plane got in later in the afternoon and we found each other. Steve rented a car called Focus, pretty nice, new and spiffy. We loaded everything and drove out to the college first as there was a dinner at 5:00 p.m. for the parents and grads.

           

We met the Leonards for the first time and they are really nice folks. Johanna and her sister, Amanda, were there, as well as Peter. I think Peter had to do some work, so he did not eat dinner with us. The meal was great, the preaching was great also and we met some folks from our home church and other grads from IBC.

 
The Baccalaureate service was preached by Tim Ruhl, a California pastor. It was really good; we laughed, we cried. We sat in the third row center and could see Peter and Johanna in the choir with the rest of the grads behind the speaker. After the service I met Rebecca who answers the phones when I call the college to pay the bill. Always nice to put a face to a name. I also met Rose and David Chovan. Her mom is Becky Mullinex my high school friend. Rose and Stephen shared a class at BJU and I met her when I visited in 2005. Her husband was graduating also.


We took photos of the families then headed for the hotel and checked in. The boys were on another floor and the three of us in a different room.