writing assignment: “What was the happiest experience in your life”

What a hard assignment!

This is hard. My life has been immeasurably happy. I have always been positive. The miracle of each of you makes me exuberant with thankfulness.

Soon after Carol and I were married, though she had never been out of California, I discovered I had married a girl who dreamed of traveling and exploring the Earth. While our four children were still in Grade School, Carol engineered a trip to Germany, Egypt and The Holy Land.

We also went to Puerto Rica and Haiti. When I went to a Convention in Chicago, Carol with our 4 in a trailer, made possible a trip through the Western States New England Washington DC, We had breakfast with our Friend Henry Jackson in the House of Representatives dining room. We really had FAMILY TOGETHERNESS.

My memory is rich with our camping and exploring; museums games & play.

After it was apparent that our children were going to graduate from college. Carol and Irene Davis arranged 17 stops through Pan American Airline to go “Around the World on 80 days.”

Letters from our Denver Mayor, Missionary and political leaders, etc. opened doors for us to speak, dialogue and see this marvelous Planet in amazing experiences. I had friends in Japan, India, Russia, and Europe. Sue was teaching in Maryland, David was in Vietnam, Janet in Bangkok, Preaching in Hong Kong, affirming our American Baptist Missionaries, learning so much about our brothers and sisters of different training and color was life-changing for me. In those traveling days I could feel the faith and love of my soul mate, the rich heritage of being an American; and the weight of our lives counting for the Christ we served. We are eternally indebted to our friends who opened doors for us.

Carol and I spoke to 1400 in our Church in Moscow, saw the wounded American soldiers in Vietnam, rode in nearly every form of transportation, lived in people’s homes, and returned as more knowledgeable world citizens. 35 years ago we returned to share our faith and experiences at our son’s Jim and John’s graduation at College. I ended with these words:

“To be alive in such an age...Give thanks and grasp your heritage.”

Thanks for scrolling1/9/2001