Today we said goodbye to our sweet church family in Maryneal. Maryneal is a small community about an hour from Abilene. Keith has had the opportunity to preach there for the past two and a half years. Keith preached his last sermon, we had a yummy potluck meal together, enjoyed a time of singing, and then Keith "handed the reins" to Ben, a new graduate student who is going to take over the preaching at Maryneal.
During our time at Maryneal we have been so blessed by these sweet people. They have loved us, welcomed us in their homes, encouraged us, been patient with us, laughed with us, and fed us lots of great meals. They've allowed Keith to practice and grow as a preacher and have helped us learn how to minister together. We've gotten to know them really well, since there are only about 25 members. After church, each Sunday afternoon, one of the families invites us into their home to have lunch and spend the afternoon together. We have thoroughly enjoyed this time with each of the families. They are wonderful cooks and have fed us well. They've shared lots of recipes and cooking tips with me! After lunch, we've enjoyed visiting, playing games, watching ballgames, doing crafts, grading papers, and taking naps. Then, we go back to church for the evening bible study and worship.
Today, we appreciated being able to have a time of transition as we're leaving and Ben is taking over. Everyone was really sweet and encouraging. We got lots of good hugs! We will miss them so much, but we're excited that someone else will have the opportunities that we've had. They let me have the quilt that I bundled up with every Sunday morning as a memento. They have a basket of quilts for cold-natured people to use during church--such a great idea in my opinion and something I will miss for sure!
We will always treasure the friendships that we've formed and the things that we've learned while we've been a part of this sweet church family.
