Author: Nathan Bachert

We made it to Branson about 7:30pm on Saturday, the 22nd. The next day, we slept in and shopped for groceries and went to the outlet mall. We found a few good deals on shoes and clothes.

The first show we went to was the Dixie Stampede on the 24th. We got there early to see the opening show. They had a bluegrass band play while the audience enjoyed some snacks and drinks. Everyone then went to the arena for the main show. They had the process of getting a large group of people fed and out the door down to a science. The show was also very good. Most of the show had people riding horses and doing various tricks and dances. They also had audience participation.

On the 25th, we went to the Sight and Sound theatre. We went on the behind the scenes tour. We saw the animals that they use in the show and got to go on stage and see all the sets. That night we went to their performance of Moses. It was very well done. They had some neat special effects for the burning bush and parting the red sea.

On the 26th, we went to the celebrity car museum. They had a lot of neat cars from movies and TV shows. For an extra $10, you could have your picture taken inside the car. I got to sit inside the DeLorean from Back to the Future. It was very cool. That night, we went to the murder mystery dinner theatre. Several of the parts were played by audience members. I got to play the guy who gets poisoned and dies. I tried to do a dramatic death by falling to the floor. It was a lot of fun. After that, we went and played miniature golf.

On the 27th, we went on the Scenic Railroad. It was kind of a relaxing ride and had some neat views of the river and mountains. It was a little bit of a rough ride though. After lunch, we did the Ride the Ducks tour. It was neat to hear the history of Branson as we rode through town. They also took us to a military vehicle area with a tribute to the veterans. Then, we went into the water and got to see the Showboat Branson Belle, and the kids got to drive. In the evening, we had dinner and a show on the Showboat Branson Belle. The host was a comedian and magician. They also had a dance group and singing group.

On the 28th, we left to head to Joyce’s grandma’s house near Gilmer, TX. We spent the night and the next morning with her. We also went by where Joyce’s grandpa is buried. We then headed back to Abilene that afternoon on the 29th. We’ve spent the last couple days of the sabbatical resting and getting groceries.

Overall, my sabbatical has been a great experience. We got to see family and friends we don’t get to see very often. Joyce and I got to spend some needed quality time together. We got some rest and had some good devotional time with the Lord.

Clue 4: The answer relates to something he is carrying with him.

The original plan was to head down to Fabens, TX on Sunday afternoon, but we were too tired to make it all the way. We ended up staying the night at Joyce’s parents in Cuba, NM and left for Fabens at 5am the next morning.  We left that early, because we needed to get the rental car full of school supplies returned in El Paso by 11:30am on Monday.  We made it there in time and then had lunch with Joan and Elfi. They are the missionaries that oversee Crossing Borders Ministries. We ended up delivering a total of 220 school supply kits from my parent’s church. Later that evening, Joyce and I had a nice steak dinner at Cattleman’s Ranch in Fabens. It was one of the best steaks I’ve ever had.

Tuesday, we stayed and helped with their weekly beans and rice family pack assembly line. Each week they put together enough family packs to feed over 400 families, mostly on the Mexican side of the border. We tried not to slow them down too much. Then, they had a Spanish speaking worship service. It was neat even though I could not understand much. Later that afternoon, we started back to Abilene. We stopped at Joyce’s aunt and uncle’s house in Midland for a couple hours and got home about midnight. All of us, cats included, were all glad to be home.

We have spent some time resting over the last few days and caught up on some house and yard chores. We took the cats to the vet for their annual shots and Lil Bit’s first round. We also got ready for our trip to Branson. We finalized what we would be doing and purchased tickets to some shows and attractions. It should be a fun and relaxing time. We will head out tomorrow morning and spend about a week there.

Clue 3: The answer relates to how tall the man is.

This past week was mostly spent helping with Vacation Bible School at First Baptist Church Cuba, NM. We stayed with Joyce’s parents, and some of her brother’s family was also there to help with VBS. Joyce helped with the 1st and 2nd grade, and I helped with the 3rd grade, led the singing for the closing ceremony each day, and set up the slides for the opening and closing ceremonies. I also helped the church by setting up a way to live stream services from the main sanctuary to the back building. This will help to provide an overflow room during funerals, weddings, or special services.

In the afternoons, we rested and spent time with Joyce’s family. We would eat supper together and Thursday night we made s’mores over a camp fire. It is very beautiful in the mountains where Joyce’s parents live. The pictures below do not really do it justice.

Saturday, we came back to Bloomfield and spent some time with Joyce’s extended family that were in town. Most of them came from Wyoming, and we had lunch at Joyce’s grandparents’ house. After that, we went into Farmington to help my parents and their church assemble the school supply kits. We will be heading down to Fabens, TX tomorrow to deliver the kits and spend a couple days with the missionaries we know down there. They are with Crossing Borders Ministries, and they help pastors and needy families in Mexico. Here is a link to their website for more information about their ministry. www.crossingbordersministries.com

It has been a busy week, but a good week of ministering to kids and spending time with Joyce’s family.

Clue 1: It has nothing to do with needing to get exercise.
Clue 2: It has nothing to do with the building getting flooded.

This first week has gone by fast. Overall, it has been a good week of seeing family that we have not seen in a while.

It started out with somewhat of an adventurous trip to northwest New Mexico.  We were traveling with two cats and a kitten. The kitten, Lil Bit, decided it was time to use the bathroom in his cage not far after we got out of Lubbock.  We had to pull to the side of the road, and my wife, Joyce, cleaned off the cat bed on the shoulder of the road. The older two cats smelled it and stood up with a surprised look on their face as if saying, “It wasn’t me”. We then got stuck in a traffic jam between Santa Rosa and Clines Corners. It would normally take about 45 min to get from Santa Rosa and Clines Corners, but this time it took over 2 hours. We ended up staying the night with my in-laws in Cuba, NM.  We traveled the rest of the way to my parents in Bloomfield the next day.

Once we got to Bloomfield, it was a good time with my parents and siblings. We have not been all together since my younger brother got married in March 2016. My parents’ house was full. There were 11 people and 6 animals! My older brother, his wife, two of their kids and a dog came in from Las Vegas, NV. My younger sister and brother live in Grand Junction, CO. Both of them came along with my younger brother’s wife, and they each brought their dog. Our cats hid under the bed most of the week. It was a little crowded, but we had lots of fun playing cards and other board games.

My Parents, Siblings and family

Wednesday morning, my older brother went back home to Las Vegas.  For dinner, we went to one of my favorite restaurants, Si Senor. I got my usual stuffed sopapillas with ground beef in one and chicken in the other topped with green chili. It was good to have some real Mexican food. 🙂

Stuffed Sopapillas                                                      Dessert Sopapilla with honey
 

Thursday, one of my cousins and his family came to town for the day.  They are teachers in China and are here in the US for the next couple of months visiting various family and places.  I have not seen my cousin in about 11 years.  We went to see my Grandma who is in a rehab facility recovering from getting a pace-maker put in and some other health issues. My cousin’s wife and kids had never met Grandma. It was neat hearing all the stories about my grandparents and about my cousin’s experiences in China.

On Friday, Joyce and I went to Durango, CO, and my younger brother and his wife rode with us.  It is about an hour north of Bloomfield.  Joyce and I got a massage and spent some time at the hot springs relaxing.  Daniel and Melissa did some shopping and got lunch. After getting back from Durango, Joyce and I got some more good Mexican food at Taco Box. Later that evening, we all went to one of those escape rooms.  It was a lot of fun, and we figured out all the clues and escaped with over 3 min left on the clock.

Escape Room

Saturday, Joyce and I went and had breakfast with her grandparents who also live in Bloomfield. It was good to see them again. We don’t always get the chance to see them when we visit, so it was nice to have the extra time to spend catching up with them. Later this afternoon, we will head to Cuba, NM where we will help with VBS at my in-law’s church next week.

This week, I also started doing devotionals from the book, “The Man God Uses” by Henry and Tom Blackaby, and started reading the book, “The Divine Mentor” by Wayne Cordeiro.  They have both been very good. The common theme that has stuck out to me is the need to be teachable. Blackaby mentioned that the common thread in the people God used throughout the Bible was that they had a responsive heart ready to hear God and a life available to obey God.  Cordeiro talked about two ways of growing in wisdom. One way is through life experiences, which can be costly in the long run.  The other way is by learning from others’ experiences, which can cost some up front but better for you in the long run.  The whole book is about listening to the lessons of the various people in the Bible and allowing them to mentor you and learn from their mistakes.

It has been a good week spending time with lots of different family members.

A man lives on the top floor of a 12 story building. When it rains, he can ride the elevator all the way to the top floor to get to his apartment.
When it doesn’t rain, he can only ride the elevator up half way and has to use the stairs the rest of the way. Can you figure out why?