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The Great California Tour of 2017
Sleepovers with Supporters
Do you remember going to slumber parties as a kid? Those were unforgettable times, staying up till all hours of the night talking to dear friends. Does your job require you to have sleepovers? Our job does, and we're so thankful for it!
On Saturday January 28, the Thornton Tribe set off on a seventeen-day road trip. Our first leg of the journey took us to Orange County, where longtime supporters hosted an open house for us. An overnight stay in Santa Maria was followed by three nights in the Sacramento area. Next, in the San Francisco Bay Area, faithful partners hosted another open house for us. Great Asian cuisine, bargain shopping, and museum exploring in the city followed, as did more visiting with old friends. Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, and Camarillo were all pit stops for these "professional visitors" as we made our way back to Southern California. We returned to home base in Oceanside on Monday February 13, exhausted but grateful for the relationships we'd deepened over the many miles on the road together.
Wherever we went, our objective was to use our gifts to be a blessing. Although Dan did preach at one church, we served in far more mundane ways. Armed with an Instant Pot (electic pressure cooker) and a passion for cooking, Angie prepared massive amounts of freezer meals at nearly every home we visited (click here for the recipes). Dan's eye for photography allowed him to take beautiful family portraits. And we stayed up till way past our bedtime lending a listening ear and noting fresh prayer requests for our faithful senders. We also enjoyed lots of laughs as we discovered much that we share in common with other couples. Who is the morning person? Who is the cleanly pants and who is the dirty bird? Who is the slower processor and who is quick? All this wouldn't be possible while meeting up for lunch for a couple hours. So, thank the Lord for grown-up sleepovers!
Clockwise from top left: Angie and Jennie cooking up a storm; the Thorntons and the Dares; Dan and Eugene, old friends from seminary; Angie and Amy, old college roommates
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Homeschooling: Not for the Faint at Heart
The Sanctifying Process
Between the two of us, we have 18 years of higher education. We both have the spiritual gift of teaching. Unfortunately, that doesn't translate into knowing how to teach a seven year-old and a four year-old. In French. Because our girls need to keep up with their peers when they return to École Française in Thiès. We're going to be honest here: It has been really tough. One lesson the Lord's been teaching us through the process is from Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 12:9, "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Please pray for wisdom and patience for us as we try to figure out this whole homeschooling thing for the first time (but probably not the last) in our lives.
Clockwise from top left: Evangeline giving her cousin a good squeeze; new buddies; sweet smiles, cousin cuteness
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Save the Date
We'd Love to See You!
Once again, we'd like to share our schedule for the next few months. After all, you never know who you might bump into.
- California: January 1-March 17, 2017
- Chicago: March 18-April 27, 2017
- Canada: April 28-Middle of August, 2017
We are thankful for friends in California who have offered to host open houses for us. The first two went great! If you'd like to attend the following, please let us know and we can send you the details:
- Sunday, March 5, 2-5 PM Simi Valley (Ventura County)
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