Jessica is leaving tomorrow morning, and we have to get up really early, so this post may be short, for now.
This morning we took our time getting ready and then went to eat lunch at a California chain, Koo Koo Roo. It was yummy. After that, we went to an outdoor mall near our hotel, and just walked around. There were so many different stores than what we have back home. Also, we had ice cream, which was one of our first desserts of the trip. We've noticed a ton of fitness centers, and hardly any ice cream places--shows where people's priorities here lie.
After the mall, we got ready for church. We were going to meet Mark Clark and his family at their church which is about an hour away from Santa Monica. Mark is a family friend of Dr. Ulus, who I taught Sunday school with in Columbia. So, we took the scenic route; we went up the coast on Highway 1. The weather was cold but sunny, and it was a beautiful drive through Malibu, by Pepperdine, and finally to the Thousand Oaks area. Church was great; it was the Calvary Community Church. They have a lot of creative people as members, so the artistic nature of it was awesome, as well as the message.
Then, the Mark, Karen, and their two daughters took us out to eat at Applebees, yum! It was the first time since I've been here that I felt a feeling of home. It was just nice to be with a family, and not in the city with a bunch of crazies like we have been. We were so grateful for the evening, and I know that I can always count on them in a time of need. Thanks Ulus, they're great people!!
We took a shorter way home, and could have been back in about 40 minutes...however, we took a slight wrong turn and ended up almost on the other side of LA!! LOL. Jessica and I were very giddy, and we safely got home, not even too late. But, now it's time for bed, since we have to get up so early. Tomorrow, I'll probably be checking out of the hotel, and relocating to Debbie's couch. Sigh...more later.
Glad you're feeling at home! Thanks for all the updates!