Our Autumn Overview

Our fall season has held quite a variety of things. From weekly staff meetings, to meetings with volunteers and student leaders, to the weekly student meetings on our seven Cru high school and middle school campuses. Fall is always a very full season of Cru activity and energy!

Our month of September was maybe even extra full for us, as we were also preparing our volunteers and student leaders to cover for us while we would be gone on our vacation trip from Sept. 27 through Oct. 16. It was unusual for us to plan a vacation trip near the beginning of a school year! 

We prayed, planned, and saved up our vacation days, and our money, to visit our son in NYC, and he had suggested that we come in the fall instead of during the heat of summer! So ... that's what we did! We also planned our trip around the time of the beautiful autumn colors in New Hampshire and Vermont, as we drove up there after time with our son. 

The highlight of our trip was our 5-day stay in NYC ... we loved our time visiting our son, Lance! The first day we arrived in the city, we also got to see my (Cherry's) brother and sister-in-law, Steve & Beverly, and one of their daughters, Izzy. Meeting up in Chinatown was such fun!

After our days with Lance, we drove north of the city to spend the weekend with Steve & Beverly ... such a treat! Then we headed up through Connecticut, Massachusetts, and into New Hampshire for a few days, and than a few days in Vermont, before we started the journey home. We had planned and hoped to be in NH and VT during peak fall color season, and amazingly, we hit it just right! It was simply gorgeous, as you can see from the digital scrapbook page below!

Our route back home took us by Niagara Falls, and then a very special overnight visit in Michigan with one of my (Cherry's) dearest friends from my childhood years in Japan. Though Debby and I have only seen each other three times since our childhood, our friendship continues, and it is always such a blessing for us to spend time with Debby and her husband Dave.

Just five days after our return home, we hosted three visiting Cru staff leaders for three days.  Our amazing Cru leadership try to visit staff regularly, giving encouragement and support. Bill came from Orlando (representing the leadership at our Cru headquarters). Scott (from Denver), and Nicole (from Dallas), are our new regional leaders who oversee and give support for our Cru Omaha team.

You can read more about their visit, and see more photos, by clicking here.

The first weekend of November held our annual Cru Harvest Party, hosted by a sweet, generous couple from our church, Citylight. Some students from four of our seven campuses came together for a fun evening of hot dogs, smores, games, hayrides, and an inspirational time around the campfire.

You are invited to read more, and see more photos about this evening, by clicking here.

Thank you so much for your interest in Cru Omaha, and in our lives as a couple and with our family! We love to give you these little updates, and we are so grateful for your prayers and support!