Chicago
June 19, 2003

Four thousand miles and many states ago, we began our travels along the highways and byways of southeastern USA. First was the culture shock of waves upon waves of eighteen-wheelers, solid walls of them both before and behind. America moves on trucks.

We celebrated as we whizzed through border after border: Indiana, Tennessee, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Florida, and back again to Chicago. New places, old friends, and many little children growing up safe and secure in the arms of tlc moms, dads, siblings and extended families.

We saw, albeit from a distance the NASA center at Cape Canaveral, passed by familiar place names: Daytona and Vero beaches, Nashville, Louisville, and a welter of other "villes". Images of the southland, roadside markers calling us to remember the War Between the States in terms of battlefield after battlefield. Nostalgia crossing the Swanee River, learning that the correct spelling is "Suwannee" with a "u". How many times had we sung about being way down on that river. Now we have seen it. America rememberd as we drove past Daniel Boone's final resting place and within a few miles of the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. Hearing that the interstate through Georgia was plugged with construction, we took a secondary road through the middle, passing through Jimmy Carter's Americus. Another place one would like to come back to.

Much of America has fallen on hard times. The bubble has burst and laid-off and overqualified are the words of the day. Thomas Paine wrote so many years ago, "These are the times that try men's souls" . The sentiment is still valid.

In the midst of this, are the faces of smiling and energetic children, growing up hale and hearty in cities, towns, farms, and hollers. Each tlc family we visited is a success story. Each child so cherished, so secure in the intentional love bestowed on them by family, friends, and community.

The travels so far have been glorious. We have not only been able to reconnect with many tlc families but also with old friends from Manila, many of whom we had thought we might never see again.

As we move on to the Virginias and more friends and those who help tlc home and Shiphrah to keep the lights on, we carry in our hearts Phoebe as she shows us her amazing skill as a gymnast, Bryan and Esther, avid Lord of the Rings fans and vibrant homeschoolers, tiny Rebekah as she sat at her very large keyboard playing her songs for us, John and his younger brother Jesse as they cannonballed into their swimming pool for the first swim of the season, Marci at a picnic marching around with the petting zoo rooster calmly perched on her head, little Connor barreling across the lawn at yet another picnic, Erika in her daddy's arms, and Christy biking over the holler in Tennessee with her myriad cousins and friends. It doesn't get much better than this!

Dennis will write of his visits in Wisconsin and Massachusetts and more cherished children.

These are my impressions. There will be more. In so many ways it is indeed America the Beautiful.

Jeri