Monday Adriana and I celebrated our 19th anniversary. We had lunch at Red Lobster in Times Square then visited The Hunger Games Exhibition, which was a really neat behind-the-scenes look at how the story was developed and filmed, and also included many of the costumes from the movie sets. In the evening we had the privilege of going to the very exclusive The Rainbow Room on the 65h floor of Rockefeller Center, thanks to the generosity of a friend. We very much enjoyed listening to Max Weinberg (longtime drummer for Bruce Springstein and the E Street Band, and former band leader on Late Night with Conan O’Brien) and his orchestra. He was kind enough to come over and chat with us a bit and wished us a Happy Anniversary. What a very nice gentleman. 
Nicaragua Mission Day 2
This morning we had devotions at 7:30am followed by breakfast at 8:30am. At 10:15am we met the girls from Villa Esperanza for the first time, and we were all partnered up with one of them whom we sat next to during the ride to church, conversing with them so they could work on their English and for us to work on our Spanish. At church we enjoyed some great worship followed by a message by an American interpreted into Spanish.
Insert Crazy Story Here: As the preacher was delivering his message I kept thinking he had a similar accent to where I grew up. After church I went over and introduced myself. He said he was from upstate New York, not far from where I grew up. I asked him if he knew of Elim, the Bible college Ady and I attended. He did and said he knew some people from there from way back. He asked if I knew the Larkins. I assured him that I did. (Keep reading!) He said he was friends with David Larkin and also knew his brother Dan, and that many years ago he and his wife had adopted Dan Larkin’s daughter Carmen’s daughter. “You are not going to believe this,” I told him, “But I am Dan Larkin’s eldest grandson. Your daughter Jena is my cousin!” It was just a few years ago when Jena and our family were reunited. I am friends with her on Facebook but have not met her in person yet. In fact, right now she is just across town here in Nicaragua on a separate mission trip. How crazy is that!
After a picture of our family with Ted Sandquist (Jena’s dad), our team headed back to Villa Esperanza and had lunch with the girls and the staff. We then had a tour of the facilities and heard the history and vision of the ministry. We then spent a few hours playing basketball and soccer with the girls. A lot of fun!
After dinner this evening we practiced some songs for our outreach tomorrow then watched A movie with the girls. We have an early start tomorrow. Thanks for keeping up with us and keeping us in your prayers. 
We Now Have 2 High Schoolers!
On Tuesday last week Natalia officially graduated from 8th grade and we now have a high school freshman and a senior in our home. Where does that time go? Proud of our girl!
Claudia Goes to Prom
Last Friday Claudia went to Jr. Prom at Roslyn High School.
Daddy-Daughter Date with Claudia
Today Claudia and I enjoyed a leisurely visit and stroll through Old Westbury Gardens. Afterward we went to one of Claudia’s favorite restaurants, Mac and Melts. Very much enjoyed the time with my girl!
Yankees vs. Mets … Got A Ball in the Bronx!
On Saturday Natalia and I went to the Yankees vs. Mets Subway Series game for a Daddy-Daughter Date. During batting practice I caught a ball! Natalia actually had one hit her glove, but she saw it at the last second and unfortunately it hit the palm of her glove and bounced out. (She did get one last season, though.) Although the Yankees lost, they did take 2 out of 3 in the series, so we retained bragging rights. 🙂
Claudia’s First College Visit
I can’t believe it! Our baby is growing up so fast! Today Adriana and I took Claudia to Nyack College on her very first college visit. She was really impressed by the friendly community atmosphere on campus. While there we also had the opportunity to take our friend Rebecca, one of our former Shelter Rock Church students, out for lunch. She is wrapping up her freshman year and is having a wonderful experience at Nyack. It was great re-connecting with her!
Surprise Birthday Blessing
Yesterday my friend Nick called and asked if our family wanted to go to the Mets game. Unbeknownst to Nick, it was also my birthday. We accepted and were completely surprised to find ourselves sitting in a suite just behind home plate. The Mets beat the Braves 7-1. It was an amazing time with my family, Nick, and meeting some new friends from Christ Tabernacle and Hillsong Church in NYC!
1 Day … 2 Dates
Yesterday I took the day off so Adriana and I spend some time together. We went on two dates. First we went for lunch in Port Jefferson at The Steam Room where we enjoyed a delicious clam bake over a scenic view of the Long Island Sound. Then this evening we went to Huntington and participated in our second Paint Nite. It was a wonderful day with my best friend!
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