The Neely Team

After a long six months of waiting, the Wilkes Team was finally able to make it   down to North Carolina! The meeting, after  so long, was, on a small scale, what our meeting in  Heaven will surely be like  when we meet all of  our loved ones, and most importantly, our dear Savior! We are thankful for such encouraging, uplifting friends with whom we can fellowship.

  One of the blessings of being around the Wilkes Team is their constant pointing  of everything back to the Lord. In our fast-paced world, it is very easy to take our eyes off Christ and become distracted with temporal cares. They are a living example of the  principle found in Proverbs 3:6 – the command to acknowledge God in everything we do. Even in games, at the table, or just simply laughing over a funny incident, when we are with the Wilkes Team there is almost always a   comment, story, analogy, or special insight that  turns everyone’s hearts and minds back to our all-mighty Creator. What a  desirable testimony to have!

Much of our time during the weekend was spent praying about and planning for NC Family Encouragement Weekend conference,  which will, Lord willing, be taking place near our home on March 26-27. What a blessing it was to give ideas, plan, organize,  and just work together to accomplish the common goal  of getting everything in order for this upcoming ministry opportunity.

One of the fun points of their visit happened rather unexpectedly on Saturday afternoon. Someone came down after looking out our upstairs window and announced that something had been caught in Herman’s live-trap. Several went and looked again, discovering that it  was a cat. Upon  closer observation, it was  realized that we had actually caught a young female bobcat!! We enjoyed looking at it, hearing it growl and snarl a gracious plenty for our liking. A little later, a trapper/friend who sells animal pelts  came and took care of it for us.

  Sunday evening all of the young people worked together to act out a silent  demonstration of Daniel and the Lion’s Den for the parents. Complete with  everything from  nobles, townspeople, a king, the king’s page, soldiers, and even lions, we had a blast and made quite a few side-splittingly-hilarious memories.

We love you, Wilkes Team, and pray God’s richest  blessings on you for your faithful service to Him and  others. Looking forward to many more such times  together!   

As an excellent conclusion to our week of blessings, the Barnes family came  for a wonderful time of fellowship! Target shooting, playing in the freezing outdoors, working jigsaw puzzles, looking at the amazing pictures from their  trip to Yellowstone this past summer,  playing PIT, making music with the guitars, etc., filled our time and brought great joy! They were able to stay for church on Sunday, and Wesley  helped us praise the Lord in song with his guitar. Our time together was exciting, encouraging, and lots of fun – we’re looking forward to next time!! Thank you, Barnes family!

About 28 hours after the Conns left, we had the joy of hosting the Staddon family for a few days!! While passing through on their way back to West  Virginia, they blessed us by spending their New Year’s Eve with us! It would take hours to tell about all of the JOYFUL activities that took  place; but we’ll spare you the time and just give a few highlights.

- watching “The Star of  Bethlehem” and then discussing the incredible power, sovereignty, majesty, and wisdom of our Creator

- playing many games, including Dutch Blitz, Occupation, Catan, Duck-Duck-Goose, Swap, Kings-and-Peasants, etc. 

- listening to the Staddon family practice beautiful family harmony – with voice (esp. the quintet ), piano, violin, and handbells

- getting to feed many large appetites

- spending quality times around the table, reading the Bible, relating our most embarrassing moments, sharing spiritual insights, singing, laughing, writing  lists of everything else we wanted to do, etc.

-gaining experience and knowledge regarding photography and operating a website and blog (special thanks to James and Robert!)

- staying up to a record time of 4:00 a.m. on New  Years  Eve

- blowing up our gingerbread house

  Well, needless to say, when the “Staddon  Wagon” pulled out of our driveway on Friday, we were left with a sense of loss but also one of having been wonderfully refreshed! One   particular thing we appreciate about the Staddon family is their constant JOY!! (That comes from having Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last.) Whether in helping prune our fruit trees, eating a peanut butter ball, helping  clear the table, or playing Catan, they constantly had smiles and words of encouragement!  Thank you, Staddons!

Note: For more stories and  pictures, please visit the Staddons’ blog!! (We promise, it’ll be worth it just to see the incredible gingerbread-house-explosion shots!!!)

The last week of December was an unbelievably BUSY week… but it was also one of the highlights of the year because it was filled to overflowing with something we love: having tons of people in our home! During the whole week, we had fantastic fellowship and magnificent memories! Let’s tell about the first part first… and maybe we’ll catch up on all the stories before another week goes by…

It started on December 26th. Actually, it was closer to December 27th. After a busy day of preparation, the younger ones had gone to bed and all of the rest of us were waiting with much anticipation for Mommy’s brother and his family to arrive! Though we have seen them several times this year at their home, Uncle Dan, Aunt Lisa, David, Brian, Rachel, and Samantha had not been to our house in over eight years!! (Way too long!!) Well, they finally arrived… and, for now, we’ll let the whole Team give you the highlights of our time together.

Hannah: “Playing games with David and Brian was fun.”

Kathryn: “One of my favorite memories of the weekend was lying out on our deck (in the freezing cold, that is ) looking at the stars, the brilliant moon, and Mars, exclaiming rather loudly about the funny shapes we saw in the passing clouds, and discussing the magnificent wisdom and goodness of our Creator! When we became so cold that we couldn’t stand it any longer, we came inside, prepared steaming cups of hot chocolate, and then went to the basement to spend some time in sharing prayer requests and praying together. What a blessing to have cousins that aren’t just relatives… but good friends and those with whom we can share what the Lord has been teaching us!! A few more highlights were showing Brian some things about the violin, as well as finding out that he is finally taller than me!:)” 

Dad: “It was just a blessing to have them here; it’s been a long time! We’ve been the recipients of their wonderful hospitality many times but they seldom give us the opportunity to return it. I have had a tremendous respect for and have admired big brother Dan for many years and consider myself blessed to be part of their family.  I especially enjoyed our time out with just Dan and Lisa.”

Bethany: “I liked playing with Brian! Herman was a cowboy and me and Brian were the bad guys. It was fun!”

Amanda: “We had a FANTASTIC time with the Conns!! It was such a blessing to have great fellowship with family, and we thoroughly enjoyed having them in our home again after eight too-long years! Without a doubt, my favorite part was the prayer meeting that David, Brian, Jessi, Kathryn, Victoria, and I had on Monday night! There was such a unity between us as we exchanged prayer requests and then lifted our prayers to God! To hear each other’s hearts and then to pray about it together was extremely uplifting, to say the least! Another one of my favorite things was the time that I had to talk one-on-one to Rachel, sharing with her, and her sharing with me. It was a very special time! I also thoroughly enjoyed the general time with everyone… playing games, talking to Uncle Dan and Aunt Lisa, getting up early to make breakfast with our cousins – it was all wonderful!”

Susanna: “One of my favorite times was getting to play in a little hideout with Rachel, Lauren, and Herman. We pretended that we were orphans and that that was a house that our pretend grandfather had once used as a hiding spot during a war. We even “found” some old things that he had hidden in secret places! That was so fun!”

Mom: “How exciting to have my brother and his family here for a visit!! I loved all the  one-on-one time chatting, and our couples night out was a definite favorite!!”

Lauren: “I really liked it when all the parents went out for supper and left all of the kids at home together. We played “Sardines” and “Hide-n-Seek” in the dark!! Then, when the parents called and told us that they were on their way home, we all hid in the basement shower together! It was really squished and kind of hot, but it was so fun! Then the parents had to find us when they came inside. How funny!”

Herman: “I thought it was fun to shoot David’s air-soft gun!”

Victoria: “Our whole weekend was a HUGE blessing! I really enjoyed all the time we got to spend playing games and getting to know all of our cousins better. Spending one-on-one time with Samantha playing the violin was also a  blast!”

Jessica: “Wow! I was told to write a brief summary of my favorite part, but what can you say when everything was buckets of fun! I didn’t used to think about the relationships that I have with our cousins, but the older I get, the more I realize what a treasure I have, not to just have cousins, but to consider them friends. This time that we had to make  memories with them was something that will not soon be forgotten. It is difficult to pick one thing that was my favorite because  everything was so much fun! Lots of memories were made playing “Sardines” and having thirteen people crowded into a small area, laying outside on the deck in freezing weather looking at the stars and talking about the greatness of our Creator, getting up early and making breakfast together, having meaningful discussions, and the list could go on! It was hard to let them leave, but we look forward to the next time we get together, whether it is at our house or theirs!”

 Two weeks ago, we had the immense pleasure of visiting with the Dalrymple family for 27 –too-short hours! It was a little spur of the moment, but our time together was full of fellowship, group games, music, and just plain fun! One of the greatest  blessings of the weekend was getting to listen as they practiced and performed music with  voice, violin, viola, cello, flute, and piano. Listening to them was a little taste of what  heaven must be like: continual praise and glory to our Heavenly Father!! Thank you, Dalrymples, for your willingness to be used to  encourage so many  around you with your music! Can’t wait till next time!!!!!

It was dark. It was loud – at times. There was lots of activity. We had to carry water from the spring. Washing dishes (of which there were not a few!) became a very interesting experience. There were nine children ages 10 and under . Eight young adults. Four adults. But most of all, there was abundant joy and enthusiasm in every heart!

Where were we and what was happening??? This last weekend, we had the joy to host the Stelzl family at our house! After their arrival on Thursday evening, we had an absolute blast getting to know this dear family better, even though we did go over 30 hours without electricity (caused by a rain storm )! We filled the precious time with playing games, talking, doing electrical work, talking, having a few picnics,  making music, talking, carrying water from the spring up to the house, enjoying delicious meals together (some of which were in the dark ), talking,  taking hundreds of pictures, talking, breathing deeply of the beautiful, crisp fall  air, fellowshipping around a bonfire, talking, and many other things. (Do you get the picture of  what we did the most of anything?? )

On Saturday morning, we left our without -electricity house and went to view the moving Vietnam Veterans Wall, which was passing  through our area at the time. How precious to see list after list of all the soldiers  that willingly gave up  home, family, and future to go to another world and fight so that we, a few generations later, could have those things that they sacrificed!! It was an excellent reminder that freedom is not free – many have fought and died for it on our behalf!

On Sunday evening, we loaded up and drove to Brasstown Bald, the highest mountain in GA, for a refreshing hike and time of fellowship around a picnic supper. When we got to the top, we were greeted by an exhilarating breeze and a clear view of the surrounding mountain ranges. At the excellent suggestion of Mrs. Stelzl, we did something we have never thought to do up there: we lifted our voices in one accord in  many a song of praise to our Creator! Songs like “How Great Thou Art,” “Amazing Grace,” “It Is Well With My Soul,” “Trust and Obey,” and many others filled the air and reminded us of the Almighty, Unchangeable, Loving God that we serve! That will stand out in the memories of all who participated for years! Thank you, Mrs. Stelzl, for  the great idea!!

After their departure, we were left with a too empty, too quiet house (though by then the lights were working again ) but we treasure the memories of all that was said and done! We praise the Lord for opportunities, like this, to be encouraged by sweet fellowship with like-minded believers!

A few weeks ago we were blessed by a visit from the Hynes family – what a joy to get to know this dear family in a deeper way! After their arrival on Friday night, we spent the evening talking, laughing, and playing some exciting games. On Saturday, after a late and scrumptious breakfast, we did a few prep things and then all loaded up and headed south – our destination: Brasstown Bald, Georgia’s highest mountain peak. We drove about half way up, and then enjoyed a wonderful picnic lunch. With energy restored, we began the hike. What a blessing to spend time talking, encouraging each other in the Lord, and learning more about each other while we climbed higher and higher! At last at the top, we were greeted by a gentle breeze and the breathtaking views of the surrounding mountain ranges and valleys. After a visit to the museum and many pictures, we descended and made our way back home.

On Sunday, the Hynes allowed us to “put them on the spot” in church, and they sang “Did You Think to Pray?” – an excellent reminder to take everything to God in prayer, knowing that He cares and will answer in His perfect timing! One particular highlight of their visit was Sunday night when the kids played Team Bible Charades! We divided into two teams and then separated to form our plans. We each decided on a Bible story to act out, dressed up, gathered props, etc., and then both teams met together for a Sword Drill to determine which team went first. After arriving at a conclusion, the first team made final preparations and then presented a thrilling, though silent, tale of Samson, when he set fire to the Philistines corn. The second team did an excellent job with the story of Hannah and her prayer for a son, and then we split up again to prepare a second round. Phase two presented the stories of Paul preaching, being stoned, and thrust out of the city, and finally we ended the night with a hilarious  show of the Philistines returning the Ark of the Covenant to Israel after God cast down their image of Dagon. The creativity that was displayed was unbelievable, and most of the stories ended  with a burst of laughter!

Suzy added many giggles to the weekend by, one night at supper, putting her  spoon up to her eye, holding it there, and then staring at all of us through it. Well, the power in influence was quickly realized, because once one or two people followed her example, almost the whole group was doing it! Absolutely hilarious!! (Maybe a little weird, too??? )

One particular blessing we received from the Hynes was their spirit of initiative. Whether is was in clearing the table, washing dishes, slicing fruit, carrying things from place to place, or Mr. Hynes decision to help us out tremendously by weed-eating our creek banks, there was always many willing hands extended to help share the load, which did indeed make light work!

Thank you, Hynes family! May God bless you as you continue to live for Him and shine His light to the world!