Friday, July 5, 2024

Higher Things Days 4 and 5

Sorry it took me so long to post about the final two days! 

For the final day this year, a slightly different schedule. Usually we have Matins, then a plenary session, lunch, packing time, and then the closing Divine Service in the afternoon - which means departure around 3 pm or so. This year, they did away with the final Matins and simply had the final plenary followed by the closing Divine Service and lunch. That meant we pulled out around 1 pm, which made the drive home a LOT easier! It was still a long drive - especially with a ONE HOUR back-up through Chicago! But we made it. :-)  We drove to just outside Youngstown, Ohio on Friday, and then the rest of the way home on Saturday, dropping folks off along the way.

Some pictures from the final day . . .


I didn't have any pictures of my daughter and I posted yet, so here's a picture from breakfast.


Paul Soulek, Cantor extraordinaire! I got to know Paul last year when I worked with him in San Antonio.


Deaconess student Paige and her service dog Mina. Again, I got to know Paige and Mina last year as she served as one of the chapel deaclets.

What would I do different for next year? Well, the 15 person passenger van didn't quite work out as expected. It was very difficult to hear from front to back. Depending on our numbers next year and the cost, it might be better to rent two smaller vans. Also what MIGHT help us next year is that one of the conferences is currently scheduled to be held in Massachusetts! That would be way easier for us to get to - a 7 or 8 hour drive instead of 12-14! Hopefully they will get enough registrations for that conference that they won't have to cancel it.

And the theme next year? All Things New. Conference Hymn #672, Jerusalem the Golden. Should be good!

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