The Maynards Visit! ~ Day 5

Everyone slowly made their way downstairs in the morning. All of us kids were usually the first down, as we were eager to start fellowshipping. We talked together and stamped tracts for street preaching in “mass production,” as Josiah said. We worked fast together. Man, that stamper was flying!!! Work is so much more fun when you’re doing it with friends! Then we practiced/sang a bunch of different songs the John Marshall family sings; that was a lot of fun!!! Meanwhile, Bro. Buddy snoozed on the couch and “harmonized” with us. (giggle) Next time the Maynards come to visit us they have to stay for two weeks so everyone can get over jet lag the first week and stay awake during the daytime for the second week.

Hey, I just realized that I haven’t actually “introduced” you to the Maynards. So, here’s a picture of their family. Left to right: Aaron (16), Mrs. Chrissy, Bro. Buddy, Clay (18), and Russell (19). To sum up their family, I would have to say that to know them is to love them!!!
Back to what I was saying…

At noon the guys left for street preaching in Amsterdam after eating some sandwiches Mom made. Dad told us girls to stay home. I was relieved because I really wanted to go with them, but I was not feeling up to it. I have not been well lately, and if I had gone I wouldn’t have been in church on Sunday.

After the guys left, the four of us girls--meaning Mrs. Chrissy, Mom, Lydia and me--ate yummy leftovers for lunch. We talked at the table for a while and then moved to the couches, where we lounged around and chatted. I brought my blanket and pillows down and tried to get some rest. I almost dozed off at one point, but I didn’t want to miss the conversation. I’m just like I was when I was a little girl; I can’t miss out on anything!!! (chuckle) At one point Mom asked Mrs. Chrissy something having to do with them leaving, and suddenly I felt tears running down my cheeks. I was not looking forward to Monday!!!

The guys got home at around 3 PM. They enjoyed their first train ride. (These are Dad’s pictures, as I wasn’t there to take them.) It was nice to have quietness while they were away but also nice to see them again once they got home. I missed them. We all sat around and talked for a while, then the six of us kids went into the kitchen and played several games of Pit. I won’t mention the name of the person winning. What a cheater!!! (grin) It seemed ironic that Russell was the one dealing the cards, and he was always the one winning… Hmmm! Just to be sure there was no foul play we had Clay deal the cards for a while. It seemed to me that it was a little more fair then. (chuckle) I’m just kidding. Really, even though Russell is a big brute (that’s what Lydia calls him), he was nice sometimes. At one point he took my pile and then Lydia’s pile of cards because he knew the bad bear and bull cards were in there. That proves that even brutes have their nice moments. (grin)

Soon it was dinnertime. Bro. Buddy insisted on taking our family out for dinner. We went to “a good La Place to eat,” as Bro. Buddy teasingly described it later. (chuckle) La Place is sorta like a buffet restaurant, where they make the food in front of you. They have yummy stir fries and pizza too.

Russell rode along with us in our van on the way to and from the restaurant. Clay opened the van door for me as we got out at the restaurant, and I was reminded of how nice it is to be treated like a lady. Bro. Buddy and Mrs. Chrissy have certainly trained their boys to be gentlemen, which is something I very much admire. You don’t see it too often these days.










Once inside the restaurant everyone looked around at what there was to eat. The pizza bar wasn’t open, and that’s usually where Josiah gets his food. Russell ended up taking both the boys across the parking lot to McDonald’s to pick up burgers, since they didn’t see anything on the La Place menu that really appealed to them. I got the cutest picture of the “Aaronites” together, both in their red sweat shirts with their McDonald’s food. Aren’t they cuuuuuuute? (grin) There’s that word again. Ha!

Finally we all got our food and made our way to the “bathroom floor” table, as we call it, because of the tiles that look like they could be on a bathroom floor, where the two younger boys were already eating. I ordered salmon and spinach with potatoes. It was delicious!!! I’m not big on seafood, but salmon is something I could eat and eat and eat.






Once we got home we needed to start thinking about getting ready for church. The boys got showers, Mom and Dad headed to the store to get some groceries, I started the spaghetti sauce for Sunday dinner, and the others sat in the living room and talked about school. This is where that good news comes in about school. We were amazed to find out that Lydia can graduate a lot sooner than we thought, as I could have, if we had known what Mrs. Chris told us then. You see, we have never had anyone guiding us through our schooling. My parents were both in public schools, so they had to feel their way around as far as our education goes. Here I was beating myself up thinking I was stupid because I was behind and it turns out I did above and beyond what I had to do to graduate!!! What a blessing!!! I felt VERY glad!

It was 7:30 PM when we decided it was time to start practicing our songs. Russell, Clay, Aaron, Lydia, Josiah, and I would be singing some specials on Sunday. We chose “I Am Not Ashamed,” “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be,” and then Clay started playing “I Can Go In.” It was awesome!!!!!!! Without even really talking about it, we decided that song was a MUST DO! I wanted to jump out of my skin with joy! Praise God, I can go in!!! I’ve been washed in the blood, everlasting life to win!!! Russell and I had to figure out some parts because we were overlapping each other, but it turned out okay. I just loved singing with the boys! We had the time of our lives. Mrs. Chris said the boys have sung with many different people, but they never blended so well as when the six of us sang together. That made me feel good. We joked about joining forces and touring the States as the “Huumayn Singers”--Huumayn, being Huussen and Maynard merged together into one name. (chuckle) What do you think? Ha! (Picture: Daddy and Bro. Buddy were both intently working on laptops...until I took my camera out to get a picture. =)

Mrs. Chris went to bed, Bro. Buddy sat at the living room table studying, and Russell built a card tower in the kitchen. Our new neighbors had a house warming party, and we could hear their music as it was nearing bedtime. Thankfully the music stopped a while after midnight. I fell asleep with great joy in my heart, praying for the Sunday service…for power!