We had a great time in Ohio beginning with spending some time with our lifetime friends the Richardson's (I say "lifetime" because my parents have known them since before I was born!)  We don't hardly see them enough these days!  I guess that's the curse of a busy lifestyle...

The concert on Saturday (Winter Gospel Concert - or something to that effect) was a success (at least in the sense that the building was packed out).  The Welch's did a great job advertising it.  We were the last band at around 9:30 or 10 PM, so it went late, but we had a great time.  We met a few new bands, including the Welch Family and For His Glory (the Walker Family).  We had met a couple of the Welch's on a previous Athens trip, so it was nice to get a feel of the whole family.

We immensely enjoyed our fellowship after the concerts (until one in the morning I might add) with the Walker Family.  They have not been in the music industry that long, but they definitely have the feeling and the drive along with the family effect that makes poplularity invevitable!  The fact that they love Jesus is also very obvious, and we love to find family bands that have that as their primary focus!  Hopefully some more fellowship with them will be orchestrated in the near future...

As stated before, we had a late night on Saturday...and two concerts on Sunday (one on Sunday MORNING).  Ugh!  Not a nice way to start.  And we also had to say our goodbye's and do all our packing on Sunday morning.  On top of that, Ben came down with some horrible sickness on Thursday, so he was completely out of the loop.  And to add the cherry to the whipped topping, the first church we played at we couldn't get the sound working.  Talk about a set up!  But God uses what we think are incredibly difficult situations to show us that He is incredibly creative and completely unhindered by anything.  It was their first day with a new Pastor, who's message was awesome, and the fellowship with the sweet folks afterwards was really a blessing.

Then Grandpa Lindsey and Grandma Jeanie took us out to Golden Corral for lunch.  Oh my was that ever good!  Thanks Grandpa and Grandma!  I love being spoiled once in a while!  We were so stuffed that I was sick!  I think the bible says something about that doesn't it?  ...Eat so much as is SUFFICIENT for you...?  I offer no excuses...

The evening concert was again a blessing (though we struggled with the sound, but that happens frequently so we just try to move past it.  it wasn't anyone's fault at all!)

The weather had turned bitterly cold, so loading wasn't pleasant, and we had to do a lot of switching between our two vehicles due to the fact that Jared, Papa, Ben and I were leaving in the morning to go home while the others remained behind in Cincinnati with Mama's parents for a few days.  When we finally got on our way (Jared and me driving) it was another 2 hours before we reached Cincinnati, and by then Ben was in absolute agony (we had sort of diagnosed a double ear ache, plus a really bad sore throat).  We got settled in and one of Ben's ear drums burst...  Oh!  Ouch!  But the fluid behind it drained some, offering a temporary relief to what he called "knives hacking at his ear".

The four of us left at around noon the next day, and then Papa took Ben to our doctor friend on Tuesday who said Ben had major congestion, Strepthroat, double ear infection, and a nasel infection.  Wow!  What a list!  Well, some friends called on Tuesday and wanted a couple of us to come over and work on their computer, and Ben really couldn't go, so I stayed home with him.  You'd think by playing the sweet, sacrificial nurse that I'd be spared the contagious disease, but boy was I wrong!  I came down with the most horrible case of strepthroat and the achy stuff again that I have EVER in my life encountered!  Maybe that's due to the fact that I have not encountered much sickness in my life, but just the same, it was AWFUL!  Naomi and I were put on antibiotics for the first time in our lives, and that is helping.  But here's the good part...

THE LINDSEYS HAVE BEEN STRUCK DOWN WITH PLAGUE NUMBER (what was it again?) 5???  I think...  I hate to be a raincloud, but that leaves five to go, right?

Everyone's got bad stomach sickness, dehydration, and diarrhea, and a few have strepthroat.  Well, here we go again.  Ya'll pray for us!  This is nothing like we've experienced.  Lindseys have a bunch of tough immune systems, but they have met their match in Kentucky.  A friend, in an attempt at consolation, offered that perhaps the constant winter in NY froze all the bacteria...  She might have stumbled on to something there... :-)

And, as a side note, I would like to mention that we are in the process of the first of a collection of Hymns CD's.  The hope is that we can complete it and have it ready by June...  We'll see how many more plagues we can conquer in the process!

I'll be updating the pictures sometime later, so be sure to check that.

May the Lord bless you all!

Elisabeth