Carlsbad, NM
Five minutes from the San Angelo Hampton Inn I found Trinity Lutheran Church (LCMS). I was so warmly welcomed at the 8:00 service – Evelyn, the greeter, sat near me and offered me a lovely gift bag on my way out. I also met Adam, whose wife just finished basic training at Fort Jackson.
Pastor Allan Eckert’s sermon focused on Acts 2:42-47. He spoke about Biblical koinonia – that it’s not simply fellowship, but a shared common faith grounded in the Gospel. We should share each other’s blessings and burdens. We are not alone (where have I heard that before?).
The bulletin this morning included some terms that I haven’t seen in many years: collect, gradual, epistle, nunc dimittis.
In the gift bag was the Trinity Trumpet, their monthly equivalent to our Messenger. Trinity’s monthly calendar is full – two opportunities caught my eye: the book club is meeting to discuss Saving CeeCee Honeycutt (fiction by Beth Hoffman) and the Mahjong players meet weekly on Thursdays from 1:00 to 3:00. Yay!
(By the way, I cannot recommend that Hampton Inn – it’s well overdue for a facelift. My favorite Hilton property is the Tru Hotel, but I have not found but one on this trip. Hopefully I’ll find more on the return drive.)
The journey today through West Texas to New Mexico was, surprise, flat and wide open. I am fascinated by these large wind turbines, the enormous blades turning slowly counterclockwise. There are also a lot of oil pumps (pump jacks) and lots and lots of these interesting trucks up and down the highway. I passed several signs for potash, and passed large piles of some light brown material with a fleeting unpleasant odor.
I had a late lunch at Rose’s Mexican restaurant in Carlsbad – a mediocre quesadilla, but some amazing salsa. The parking lot was packed, so I thought it would be a good choice.
Did some laundry today – using a laundromat is expensive ($8 for to wash, slightly less than that to dry). So thankful for my washer and dryer and soft towels that smell good.
I took an early evening drive through Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It is breathtaking – such a unique landscape. The temperature is 91o (it’s a dry heat!) with gale force winds. Just a short walk around the park left me with a feeling of a mouth full of red dust.
Planning to tour the caverns tomorrow morning, then it’s a long drive to Tucson, AZ.
Travel audiobook: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (16 hours). My all-time favorite book, and this audio version includes English and French accents. I don’t want it to end, but I’ll finish it today and start another re-read, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (18 hours).
Road trip book recommendation: The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai.
Kelly's SC to CA Road Trip and Reflections 