Today we took a little field trip to the Wellnessmart, a doctor’s office for people who aren’t sick. Ironically enough, I am sick. I have been fighting a cold since last Friday and have no voice today, so I felt like I was defiling the Wellnessmart! But we weren’t there for the cold – we went to talk with them about vaccines and medicines and living in Africa.

These guys are great! They run a little store front in Thousand Oaks, and their happy hour special is a flu shot. In addition to that, they do lots of education – from the basics about keeping yourself well, to what to know when you travel to any number of countries, to how to best utilize your health insurance and the services offered in the medical field. It’s the first logical approach to health care that I think I’ve ever seen and, more importantly, understood! If you’re interested, I hyperlinked the picture below so that you can check them out.

The other thing they do – and the reason we went to see them – is vaccinations. There are a few nasty bugs and viruses in Malawi that we aren’t really interested in getting to know or experience, and we were due for a few updates on the basics. All in all, we have a line up of about 4-5 shots waiting for each of us as soon as I can shake this cold. While that won’t protect us from every nasty bug or virus, we feel it’s a good, reasonable step in stewarding our health. Now if I could just find a good, reasonable step to not being afraid of needles…

Our last days on the road took us from Colorado Springs through Tucson before we headed for the Los Angeles area. We didn’t have any churches to see along the way, only Matt’s grandmother, so we got to spend quite a bit of time with her in Tucson, and really got a chance to see the true southwest!

This would be a random dirt road that we took to get around some major road construction that had closed off a significant portion of the road we were supposed to be on. The official detour didn’t really go the direction we needed to go, so we off-roaded a bit in the middle of nowhere! Matt’s pretty good with directions and maps though, and we soon ended up back on a paved road. =)

While in Tucson, Grandma Marty took us to the Desert Museum. It’s kind of like a southwest zoo, spread out over a large amount of land that has been beautifully landscaped and labeled. It was really amazing, and we’d highly recommend it!

A close of up a saguaro, which will always remind me of Snoopy.

Seriously, this is an amazing park, and you can get right up next to the animals. We spent almost 5 hours at the Desert Museum, and really enjoyed that opportunity to spend time with Grandma Marty!

After the museum, Grandma Marty took us to the mission – San Xavier del Bac.

And then we took a little walk from Grandma Marty’s house to see the sunset. It started out beautiful…

And quickly became beautifully surreal!

Thanks Grandma Marty for a great full day in Tucson! It was so good to spend time with you, and we’re so thankful for your hospitality and fun spirit!

Back on the road the next morning, we had about a 7 hour drive to get back to Santa Clarita. We started out by driving through part of the Saguaro National Park. We were just fascinated by these tall cacti!

We laughed really hard when we passed this sign, and went back to take a picture. “There is no outlet – this is Wong Way!”

Ah, finally! Los Angeles shows up on the road signs!

What would you say if your salsa packet asked to drive?

This is my dear friend and wonderful husband. Thank you, Matt, for making deputation and support-raising so much fun! I love your cheerful heart and your enjoyment of sharing with so many people what the Lord is doing in our lives and in the ministry in Malawi. I’m so very thankful that the Lord has put us together on this journey. You have encouraged my faith when I’ve been discouraged, challenged me to grow in my love for the Lord, and you’ve brought a smile to my face every day. You’re my best friend, and I can’t wait to move to Malawi with you!

And we’re back. 6:15pm on Thursday, February 26th, just in time for Bible study. =)

I haven’t been keeping track of mileage for the last few posts, so this might come as somewhat of a shock. Our mileage total for this, the second Great Floreen Roadtrip, came in at exactly 4,432.3 miles. That makes me want to take a nice, long walk! Overall, both trips combined, we traveled 7,343.5 miles.

But it was worth it, every mile of it. We saw so many people and were able to make some good connections with individuals and churches. Our prayer now is that those whose hearts the Lord has burdened to partner with us in ministry would act on the Lord’s prompting and join us in this walk of faith. Please pray with us!

It’s time for an oil change for our car, but we don’t really have time to stop for one! We’ll add some more oil, a little antifreeze, and press on. At the point at which we took these pictures, we were at about 3,000 miles for this trip alone. We’re thankful for the safety that the Lord has given us in this great little car!

We got an inch or so of snow in northern Denver, so I took a picture before the sun melted it all. We were kind of hoping to get snowed in… just for a morning! =)

Our good friend, Josh Cook, recently moved to the Denver area, so we jumped at an opportunity to spend an evening with him. We talked C.S. Lewis, faith and sanctification, and our need for grace. It was wonderfully refreshing to be stretched in our thinking, and to walk away smiling at what God is doing in Josh’s life. And if you want to know how Josh and Matt have become such good friends, just check out Josh’s website.

Tim and Ruth Matlick are friends of mine from high school, and we’ve stayed in touch since then primarily by me being a wayward traveler and them being great hosts. =) It had been about 6 years since I was last through Denver, so we had a bit of catching up to do, and it was great to get to know their girls! Thanks Matlicks for a wonderfully relaxing weekend, and for letting us use your dining room as our office!

We headed back down to Colorado Springs to Austin Bluffs Evangelical Free Church on Sunday, and as we turned off the interstate, Matt commented: “Couldn’t they have put this intersection in a pretty location or something?!” Wow… nothing like Pike’s Peak welcoming you to Colorado Springs!

We were able to share with the Austin Bluffs church about the ministry in Malawi, and were so blessed by that great congregation! Their love for the Lord is so evident and we had some great conversations with people there. I just had to take a picture of their missionary wall through, as I found our good friends the VanderBijls on the wall! I already knew this was a great church, but I love them all the more because they love the VanderBijls! =)

After church we went out to lunch with a couple friends. Todd Faris had to leave right after lunch, as Noelle was home with sick kids, but we got to hang out with Amy Haddock for a couple hours through the afternoon. Amy has a hilarious sense of humor that Matt and I have loved for years, and we think it’s just the best thing in the world that she’s in marketing now. She’s thoughtful, kind, and always good for a word pun. It was so great to hang out with you, Amy! Thanks for a great time to catch up and hang out – you make our hearts happy!

That evening we got opportunity to spend the night at the home of Mitch and Angela Hopewell. Mitch and I studied abroad in Israel together while in college, but hadn’t kept in contact over the years. Matt and I quickly discovered in Mitch and Angela two very comfortable and fun friends. There is a sense of peace and calm both in their home and their demeanor, and we left the next morning so refreshed. Thanks Mitch and Angela for blessing us with your hospitality and peace!

From Colorado Springs, we traveled south and began to see more snow as we followed the Rockies.

There we are with the beautiful Colorado Rockies behind us!

All this traveling has been a little hard on the map. We’re big fans of maps anyway, so it was already a bit used, but it’s definitely not surviving past this trip!

Further south we found a large meadow covered in snow. Matt tromped off through the woods to get some pictures, so I’m sure those will show up on his blog… if our lives ever slow down enough to get to things like that!

Further south, another stop for a bit of photography.

Ok, one more mountain picture!

And from there, we traveled on to the true southwest – Tucson, AZ – coming up next!

We are seeing so many people on these trips! Here’s a quick look at three days on the road – from central Kansas, and up the eastern side of Colorado…

My very dear friend, Christi Kingsley! We were able to stay with the Kingsleys for a couple nights, and I had such a great time catching up with Christi. Her story is a beautiful testimony of God’s grace, peace, and joy. Thanks for a great stay in Andover, Christi and Robert!

As Matt had never been through Kansas, I took him on a little tour of the western side of the state. If you’ve ever been there, you know there’s not much to see! But we did stop in Greensburg to see a town recovering from a massive tornado. The whole town was flattened and is in process of rebuilding. It’s pretty amazing actually!

And then to Dodge City! We took a couple hours to enjoy a bit of Wyatt Earp, cattle drives, and the good old wild west!

And there we are, yep, the only people at Boot Hill. The three guys in period costume who worked there were REALLY excited to see us. =)

He did fire his lens a few times, but don’t tell anyone!

Further west in Kansas, we stopped to see the Santa Fe trail tracks, and found one of my favorite Kansas sights: the windmill.

Wow, they don’t make them like this anymore. And, you didn’t pay until AFTER you had filled up! Good old small town Kansas!

In Pueblo West, we stopped to spend the night with some friends of mine from high school, Jim and Linda Beauchamp. Their daughter, Michelle, came over the next morning to hang out, and brought her kids – Kimia, Karis, Alana, and Malachi. It was so fun to catch up with everyone and meet all the kids! Such good friends and great memories are a hugh blessing! Thanks Beauchamps and Brandfords for taking care of us and sharing your lives with us – we had a great time!

From Pueblo we headed north through Colorado Springs toward Denver. We couldn’t pass up an opportunity to stop by the Garden of the Gods though! These fascinating formations have been a favorite of mine for years, and it was fun to share it with Matt.

On our way out of Colorado Springs, we stopped for dinner at the home of Andrew and Abby Shearer. Andrew and Matt have been good friends for many years, so we got to spend a bit of time catching up. Matt’s last trip to Colorado was helping Andrew and Abby move, so it was fun to see them settled in this time, and to hear about the life and experiences the Lord has given them in the past couple years. Thanks Andrew and Abby for letting us drop by – it was so fun to hang out!

In the Denver area, we spent a night with Dave and Lorraine Bosworth. I had worked with Dave at The Master’s College until a couple years ago when they moved to Colorado. They have such a passion and heart for missions that we were so encouraged during our time with them! Thanks so much, Bosworths, for your encouragement, hospitality, and joy!

Lorraine had recommended Mount Falcon Park Open Space, so we ran up the mountain and took in some breath-taking views. Thanks for the recommendation, Lorraine! =)

And then for dinner that night, we got a chance to spend some time with Paul and Ruth Ortiz and their children. Ruth had been my admissions counselor in college… now who stays in touch with their admissions counselor?!? =) If that’s what you’re thinking, then you haven’t met Ruth! The Ortizes are also headed to the missions field in the next few months – to the Philippines – so we got a chance to talk prayer cards, support raising, international moves, and the faithfulness of God. Thanks Ortizes for a great evening of encouragement and mutual enjoyment of what God is doing!

Coming up next – snow, more snow, and the beginning of the homeward trek!

Days 6 and 7 of our road trip took us out of one old home town, to another, and gave us the opportunity to spend some time with my family.

On the way out of town, we stopped by my old house briefly.

Good old Girard, Kansas…

On the way to Wichita, we passed the ruins of an old church in Greenbush.

I had forgotten how many trains crisscross the mid-west.

No frowning here!

In Wichita, we were able to get together with some of my family. Aaron is my cousin, pictured here with his wife Becky, and…

Another cousin, Shawna, and my Aunt Sydney and Uncle Mike. It was so good to catch up with them and remember fun family times. Thanks for a wonderful meal and a great evening everyone!

Just south of Wichita is the little town where my dad was raised and where my family lived until I was 5 years old. We took a little time in the morning to go see the old farm where my grandparents lived.

My sister and I used to give concerts on the tornado shelter, so I gave a little concert for Matt.

And we used to ride the silver horse, so I took the horse out for a little trot!

This picture is for my Dad – Bluff Creek. =)

My dad’s Uncle John and Aunt Donna still live in the area, so we stopped by to visit them for a little bit. We were so encouraged by their testimony and their very evident walk with the Lord and love for him. Thanks John and Donna blessing us with your encouragement and example!

And last but not least, the final picture in the series of former homes – my home until we moved to Girard at age 5.

Western Kansas and Eastern Colorado coming up next!

Welcome to Kansas! We were able to be in Girard, my little hometown, for 3 full days, so I took some pictures just to remember. Here’s the tour…

Smallest town to have a Carnegie Library.

Many summers were spent working at the good old Girard National Bank.

My dad worked at Crawkan Telephone, so I feel like I grew up in that office. We stopped by and got a chance to catch up with Irene and Cheryl.

Matt liked the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on our town square.

I don’t think I’ve ever found a post office that measures up to the amazing Girard Post Office – it’s such a cool building!

February 13th was Matt’s birthday, so Randy and Kimbra Brunk invited us over for a wonderful meal. The steak was Randy’s own corn-fed beef, so it was of course the best meat we’ve ever tasted! Top that off with the fact that Kimbra is one of the best cooks in all of Kansas, if not the entire USA, and we ate very well! Their daughter, Josie, and her son Conner joined us for dinner (as did Kirby, Kerri, and Addison, but I was a little slow on the draw with the camera, and didn’t remember until after they left). Conner was sporting a nice shiner that he got helping Randy around the farm – everybody needs a good black eye at one point in their life!

Matt and I went for a walk early one morning, and he discovered that Kansas has a lot more hills and ponds than he had thought.

For lunch on Saturday, Jami and Jim Perona met us for lunch at the Mall Deli. Jami and I grew up together in Girard, but hadn’t seen one another for probably 10 years, and it was SO good to catch up with her! Thanks for taking the time to meet up with us Jami and Jim!

After lunch, we headed to a park that Jami and Jim had recommended. It had an old metal merry-go-round, and we got to be kids again for a few minutes.

This picture is for my sister – Erin, can you name this building?

On another tip from Jami and Jim, we headed to the Wilderness Park. This area used to be open coal mining, but has been stabilized and is full of trails, ponds, and creeks. If I had known about this place when I was growing up, I would have been here several times a week!

Matt, hanging out with his good friend…

Martin and Sandra Schifferdecker hosted us during our stay in Girard. They are a couple very dear to us, and we benefited not only from a great place to stay, but also from their counsel and encouragement. We love you Martin and Sandra!

Chicken Mary’s and Chicken Annie’s are right next door to each other, and it’s been a bit of a competition for years. People usually have favorites, but at lunch time on a Sunday, both parking lots are full! Southeast Kansas is famous for its chicken!

We were able to share about Malawi with Girard Bible Church, and after church, we got to go to Chicken Mary’s for lunch with Martin and Sandra, as well as Pastor Don and his wife Theresa. Good food, and great company!

Last but not least, you shouldn’t really visit Southeast Kansas without stopping to see the world’s largest steam-powered shovel, Big Brutus.

Over the next few days, we’re making our way across Kansas and through eastern Colorado, connecting with family and friends all along the way – more road trip updates coming soon!

For those of you who think we’ve been to some beautiful and interesting places on our road trips, you’re right, but don’t take don’t take my little point-and-shoot camera’s pictures as the best evidence. Matt has been documenting our travels as well, and for those of you who are already familiar with his photography, he loves travel and nature photography and is very, very good at it! He has posted his pictures from the last Roadtrip as the “Pacific Coast” collection.

So click here and take a look! Matt Floreen Travel Photography

Thank you for reading my unabashed advertisement of my husband’s work. =)

And now back to the Roadtrips! Day 3 was our final long run. We started in Amarillo, TX, and ended in my hometown – Girard, KS.

1188.5 miles: Hal Carpenter was one of my dad’s best friends growing up in Kansas, and he and his wife Rita graciously hosted us in their home overnight in Amarillo, TX. They have worked with Child Evangelism Fellowship for years, so we enjoyed talking with them about the ins and outs of ministry. Thanks so much Hal and Rita for your wonderful hospitality!

1200 miles: I love the Great Plains!

1200.2 miles: We had to backtrack a little bit, but visiting Cadillac Ranch – just west of Amarillo – was well worth an extra 10 minutes.

There’s a total of 10 Cadillacs, all different models, buried in a pasture. They’re all graffitied, and so bizarre!

1246.3 miles: The wide open spaces give me room to breathe. I don’t care what others say about the midwest, I still love flat land!

But let’s not get distracted! Back on the road.

1280.6 miles: The great state of Texas has great rest stops. And tornado shelters, because this is tornado country.

We tried so hard to take a good picture on the ground next to the Route 66 medallion. The sun was so bright that this is the best we could do!

1637.2 miles: Vinita Oklahoma is home to one of the world’s largest McDonalds. It is kind of odd that the only building for miles had to be built right over the freeway, but hey, it is interesting!

1704.9 miles: We had almost made it to Girard when the sun set. The cloud cover made the whole sky glow!

Coming in at just under 1725 miles, we had finished the 3-day mad dash to Kansas. Now we’ll get to catch up with people, and we’re looking forward to sharing about the ministry in Malawi with Girard Bible Church on Sunday morning!

Day #2 of the long drive to Kansas… the feeling of “I’m back in the car and I’m going to go insane!” had passed for the most part, and we were really able to enjoy the mad dash of Day 2.

572.4 miles: We had spent the night in Flagstaff, Arizona, with my good friend from college, Laura Vaughan. It was so good to hear about her life right now and how the Lord has stretched her and is blessing her immensely! Thanks for a great time to catch up, Laura, and for sharing all that the Lord is doing in your life!

Flagstaff is the desert, right?! Suffice it to say that I got a little practical lesson in geography, topography, and meteorology.

Our little car did some slip-sliding around on the streets, but we did manage to stop within reach of the gas pump.

659.3 miles: This picture is for my good friends Sam and Noah Keller. Holbrook, Arizona, and the Wigwam Motel made an appearance in the movie “Cars,” and as we drove by, I couldn’t help but notice that Mater had gotten a new paint job. I have another picture to prove that Luigi really is selling tires right across the street…

680.1 miles: As we headed east we were coming across fewer and fewer National Parks, so we decided to take a 30 mile detour to catch one last Park that included the Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert.

Quartz crystals grew in the logs throughout the park, turning them into stone, but maintaining their shape. Iron and magnesium mixed with the quartz to add reds, blues, yellows, and blacks to the wood/rocks. It’s really beautiful!

Aw!

The Painted Desert was fascinating too, with the reds, blacks, and tans of the park highlighted by the remaining snow and really cool cloud cover!

Still bothered by the jackrabbit experience of the night before, I noticed that the only evidence of the sad encounter were a couple smudges in the dirt on the bumper of the car. Poor bunny!

841.8 miles: A seemingly uninteresting picture, this is the first point in our trip at which we looked around and couldn’t see snow.

908.4 miles: Southwest architecture in Albuquerque…

And our final shot for the day: what in the world are they trying to tell me with this sign? I feel like I should cross-stitch this as a memento of our trip!

At this point, we’re over half way through the long days of driving! This is such an interesting country, and we’re having a great time seeing it fly by our car windows!

And we’re off again! We hit the road on Tuesday the 10th and began the mad dash to eastern Kansas. It’ll take us 3 days to get there, at 8-10 hours of driving every day, but we’re on our way!

Leaving the Tatlock’s house at 7am to get on the road early!

Roadtrip #2 – 0.0 miles: Here we go again!

As we left the Santa Clarita area, I noticed that the hills all around us were covered with snow. As we drove through the day, the snow stayed with us – for miles and miles and miles…

77.6 miles: A quick stop alongside of the road to see the Joshua trees of the California high desert.

Being back in the car brought on a mild form of insanity.

Somewhere around 200 miles: still seeing snow!

311.9 miles: Matt ordered a foot-long double stacked “Feast” sub, double stacked. That’s right, he double stacked a double stacked sub. And ate the whole thing.

Somewhere around 350 miles: Still seeing snow, and even more snow now!

382.3 miles: As we stopped to fill up on gas, we quickly learned that Route 66, Indian arts, and Restrooms are three big favorites on this route.

480.4 miles: Matt had never seen the Grand Canyon, so we spent about an hour and a half enjoying the view.

With snow on and in the canyon, it looked quite different from what I had seen before, but so very beautiful! Need I say that Matt got quite a few pictures?

509.9 miles: As we headed back to Flagstaff, we had an unfortunate experience – we hit a very large jackrabbit, almost the size of a medium-sized dog. You can see my reaction… Matt informed me that if he were on a road trip with a bunch of guys, they totally would have gone back and gotten a picture of the rabbit. Hmmm, no thanks.

More to come – we’re just getting started with Roadtrip #2!