Monday evening was the first barracks Bible study of the new year! We met in one of the Navy barracks on JBAB and walked through one of Jesus’ parables!

The highlight of the week was certainly the weekend. Every year, different Nav ministries gather in New York for a conference on MLK weekend to spend time with West Point cadets as they consider where they’ll commission.

This was my second year attending the conference. I really enjoy the fact that friends from coast-to-coast gather together under one roof and I get to reconnect and catch up with them all! It really is like a family reunion and it’s a blast.

The fun started Thursday evening when some gals from Fort Bragg broke up their drive by staying the night at the Bean’s!

It was a treat getting to touch base before the conference even started! They are such great ladies and it was wonderful getting to help host them!

I got to ride up to the conference with some peeps from the NCR (National Capitol Region) Navs, which was fun!

We arrived just as one of the speakers began their session! Once it was over, mayhem ensued as I was inundated with faces of people I haven’t seen in months, even a year! I was like a golden retriever, hopping from one familiar face to the other!

It was a special treat to stay with the Preckel’s once again during the weekend and to get to catch up with them and those involved with their efforts to know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same!

It was lovely to see a group of women gathered around El as she shared about her life with them! I know that El is a treasure, but to witness others seeing that as well is that much more of a joy!

A particularly valuable aspect to the weekend was seeing some peeps from Rio! While I love all my friends I’ve gotten to make through rubbing shoulders with the Navigators, these (and those who were left behind in Rio) are the people that feel like home.

Rio is where the Lord brought me to humble me and begin a work in me I’ve yet to recover from. It’s where I first began to understand vulnerability for the sake of accountability, learning from those who have centered their lives around the Lord, and intentionally seeking to pass on to other women what has been shared with me.

It was a fantastic weekend and while I’m utterly spent, I’m also utterly contented!