On the way home

[Ed Pettibone]

The Missions conference was very good for the most part but much of the music preceding the worship sessions was too LOUD !

BTW, Hauro the Japanese Baptist Church of Seattle got a lot of positive mention.

We have not had a decent Wi Fi connection until today. Have stopped in Franklin WI to visit a cousin. will report more when I have a chance.

[Ed Pettibone]

Ed: We arrived home around 8:30 PM yesterday. Have spent the day unpacking and relaxing after 12 days of being on the go. We took the Scenic (slower) route south of Chicago, east through Illinois, Indiana and Ohio and Back to the interstate heading north to Erie PA and into NY, state. Again we stayed in independent Motels, one in southern Wisconsin and one in mid Ohio The one in Wi was $65.00 and the one in Ohio $50.00. At the one in Wi we got the last room (we had stopped at two that where filled} the where several large events going on in the area. However the Midwest still have a lot of independent motels on highways that where major routs before the day of Interstate H'ways. The Same is true of Restaurants. The only chain eatery that we patronized was a Steak and Shake in Illinois ( we don't have then in upstate NY. But In Indy and Cinci we frequented them Frequently.

At Green Lake we had our evening meals at the house where we and 6 others from ABC-NYS where staying. Our Ex Minister Dr. Jim Kelsey abd his wife joined us for two evenings. We Had lunch in the Kraft Center Dinning Room each of the three serving lines had foods related to different countries represented by the conference attendees. I am not sure what all we had, but I enjoyed it. The Dinning room seats about 500 and they offered 2 settings each noon we where in the second group and they frequently ran out of coffee, so I usualy had Capochino.

Participants where asked to join folk from other nations during meal time. That was interesting. Fortunately but somewhat embarrassing, in that most every one spoke some English and I speak no other. On Friday we sat at a table with two Gentlemen one, Mathew Lafertty is Chaplin and Executive Director, Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy.

Tim will be interested in knowing that Mathew is technically a United Methodist but his present ministry is very ecumenical and he recently served as the UMC Delegate to the General Assembly of the Wold Council of Churches.

The other was Merab Gaprindashvilli Archbishop of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia (The Country not the state). that parenthetical statement was heard frequently last week. He was "raise in a nominal Orthodox church" and his family did not attend church. Wen he entered the University in 1990 the started going to the
Orthodox church to pray for academic success before Saint George's icon. at the University he played Soccer, One day a team mate shared the Goo News with him. He was fascinated with the salvation story and startedd attending a local Baptist community and then attended a Bible college before serving the Apeni BAptist Church in eastern Georgia as a lay preacher In May of this year he was elected to serve as Archbishop of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia. They did the Friday Evening Worship Service and served communion. A Very liturgical pattern which includes a great deal of Orthodox imagery including doing the sign of the cross when administering both the Bread and wine.

More latter

[Haruo]

An Evangelical Archbishop. What will the Baptists think of next?

[Haruo]

Do you have any idea what hymnal the Georgian evangelicals use, if any? I have a Russian UM hymnal, , but would dearly love to get my hands on one in ქართული!

[Ed Pettibone]