As I said in the previous post one thing we like about Missions Conferences is that we like to visit with good friends. Our time in Pleasanton and who we stay with goes way back to the beginning of a great friendship with Ian Kirkup. I met Ian when he came down with his church and we seemed to hit right off. We soon visited his church (VCC) and our daughter Cassie feel and sprained her wrist and it was Ian that ran us off to the hospital and made sure all got looked after. Ian invited me to speak to his Sunday School class of 4th and 5th graders, and while he was at it in invited us to stay at his house, and at that time we got to meet his wonderful wife and good friend Wendy.
As Ian made his trip to Ensenada he always had his best Mate (Ian was from England) with him, his son Kevin. My fondest memories of Kevin was him always running off to fetch my In n’out T-shirt and gift certificate that they would bring down to me as they knew of my love for In n’ out Double Double Animal Cheese Burgers. Those were such great days working along side Ian and having Kevin there to ask the one Million Questions about Mexico.
The sad news did eventually come to us that Ian had contracted cancer and that he was fighting a very hard and brutal battle. I remember the one year that I headed on up and even though Ian was sick we headed off with me in my big white ugly white van to the movies. We just hung out like to guys with nothing to do,,,well that is except for being guys and going to the movies. That was the last time I got to hang out with Ian as cancer eventually took his life.
Kevin is now a grown man that his Dad would be proud of!
Going back to Pleasanton without Ian there was going to be a very weird thing, but as we prepare for another Mission’s Conference Wendy reached out and invited us to stay with her. So you see,,,,it is a very special time for us when we go there and I love it when Wendy puts me to work to help with what every she needs done at the house. This last trip I hung a mirror, helped Kevin with his LCD TV wall bracket and while the girls went shopping Kevin and I went to In n’ Out Burger,,,we just hung out like guys with nothing to do,,,well that is except eat Double Doubles.
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