SAICFF

We're back! Thanks to Vision Forum and staff, for once again inviting us to work with them. We always enjoy the opportunities to work and visit with the Vision Forum family and the various other friends we just happen to run into at their events!


We arrived safely at the Huber home on Saturday, October 22nd, after about 24 hours of driving (divided between two days).



We enjoyed relaxing with them that evening, and the next day.
Then came Monday. Between a funeral, various choir rehersals, visiting the Alamo, shopping, and trying to get "some" sleep, we were in and out and up and down for the next several days and saw quite a bit of each other in passing! We parted again with the determination that "someday" we're going to get together just to visit. Someday...

Joseph and Josiah enjoyed the opportunity to help out with the chores - including milking (and riding) the Huber's cow, Ruby.

Yeehaw!


Alamo

A la mode

But moving ahead to the event that brought us down to Texas: the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival. Once again, the SAICFF attracted a large crowd of Christian filmmakers from across the world. The collection of film shorts that made the semi-finalists list and were shown during the weekend included everything from hilarious, to thought provoking, to touching. Some were amateur films made by kids in their teens, some created by highly skilled professionals. Of course, there were also sessions given on various practical, philosophical and cultural issues behind filmmaking. We were there because Resounding Voice was hired to record the sessions during the festival - as well as the sessions given earlier in the week during the three day filmmakers academy.


The Huber family graciously planned and provided meals for us all to enjoy during the film festival. We smuggled the food through the convention center to a quiet area just outside the convention center along the famous Riverwalk. The weather was lovely, the meals delicious, and the company outstanding. :-)


Jeremy & Nathan Huber enjoy dinner together before the world premiere of 'League of Grateful Sons'


Just before viewing the League of Grateful Sons, the Sentimental Journey Orchestra entertained us with songs of the WWII generation. Lots of fun!


Hmm. Looks like a conspiracy to me...


Kaylianna Jane Huber and Caroline Joy Erber


Sunday October 30th, found a crowd of around 40 at the Huber home for dinner, from New Zealand, Oregon, Alabama, Illinois, Wisconsin, and, of course, Texas.

As you might imagine, we stayed up into the later evening hours laughing, talking, watching a few favorite films from the weekend, and generally enjoying each other's company.

Then came Monday. Our whirlwind visit to San Antonio was over. We bid adieu and were on the road around 10:30am. Around 10:30am on Tuesday, after sleeping through most of the 24 hour drive, we arrived back home. Now it's time to unpack, catch up, settle in, and look ahead! Having been out of town for most of the last two months has sort of put us behind on a few things around here!

Happy Birthday, Josh!

Today marks a very significant day in the life of Joshua David Erber.
Not only is it his birthday, it is his 21st birthday!

Happy Birthday, Josh! May God grant you many more!

Bound for the Lone Star State

For what should be the last time this year, we once again spent the day packing up the trailer for a Resounding Voice business trip. As usual, this business trip does not exclude pleasure. Our plan is to pull out for Texas tomorrow morning.

Our travels this time take us down to the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival and Film Academy. The Academy will be held during the first half of next week, the Festival taking place over the weekend. We are eagerly looking forward to both events, and, of course, to another opportunity to visit with our many San Antonio connections and Vision Forum friends, and attendees from around the world. Thanks to the Huber family for once again graciously opening their home to our crowd! It is sure to be a fun and informative week. Of course, we'll be sure to keep busy working, too.

Autumn!

Crisp air, blue skies, brilliant trees... all sights, sounds, and smells agree - Autumn is here in all of its beauty!

Today Mom, Joseph, Joanna and Josiah are heading to the apple orchard to get apples (surprise!), cider, and donuts! Then we'll really know for sure that fall is here! Fresh apple pie, anyone?

Happy Birthday, Mom!

To the matriarch of the Erber clan,
We join to give an applauding hand.

To you, mother, we wish to say,
Have a very happy day!

For all you've made our home to be,
For love poured on our family,

For all you are and all you do,
This happy birthday is for you.

Though two have flown our cozy nest,
Yet now there's more of us - not less,

And little babies to bring you joy,
(as we wonder again... girl or boy?!).

We all of us send love to you,
And birthday greetings send we, too.

Many more may God grant thee.
Years of love, and jubilee!

This simple poem was quickly writ,
But sincerity it lacks not a bit.

More heartfelt than our words can say:
We wish to you a Happy Birthday!

Faith & Freedom Tour Family & Fun

Yes, friends, we are back home! We've already reported part of our trip (The Alliance & HSLDA conferences) and you can check out Jonathan's Blog for info and pictures, too, but now we report the second half of our east coast travels: The Vision Forum Faith & Freedom Tour.

What a week it was! It began with tragedy and ended in triumph. Well, okay, so maybe that's dramatizing it a little bit. The 'tragedy' was that Jonathan's camera was stolen at the hotel on the first night of the tour. Thankfully, Josh, Nathan, & Jeremy also had cameras with them so we were still able to capture some pictures.

The triumph? Well, it had to do with a treasure hunt in historic Philadelphia on the final day of the tour...


The guys and the various other teams gave it their best shot, but in the end a few of us who formed a team of "non-competing" ladies actually found the treasure first! We had such a blast and really had no intention of getting there first, but after sitting on a park bench for awhile - as the other teams traipsed around Philadelphia in search of clues - we figured out the answers to enough of the clues to locate the final clue and then, using our Caesar spy cipher to read that final clue, found the location of the treasure!

But the treasure hunt was really just a peripheral part of the tour. During the course of the week we learned an amazing amount of the history of the Philadelphia area and got to visit many places of interest. One of the great delights of the trip is the wonderful people that we have the opportunity to visit with during the course of the tour. This year it was especially fun to have Nathan & Jeanine, Jeremy & Sara and their daughters with us.
Listening to a lecture at Christ Church in Philadelphia
Serving lunches at the hotel
Relaxing on the lawn at the Brandywine Battlefield (in the foreground, Joey Valenti takes a picture)

Faith & Freedom Tour Pictures

Independence Hall

The week was really too full to give a comprehensive summary of it here! Great friends, full days, educational and inspiring lectures, thoughtful discussions, laughter, encouragement, long hours, lots of walking, lots of fun! If you have never been to one, you can only guess at why this is annually a highlight of our year. Below is simply a smattering of pictures from the week with more or less detailed captions. Hopefully someone of us will find time in the next few days to write a more detailed and orderly report of what we learned, saw, felt, and did. But for now, pictures!


Whenever a bench and a few moments to rest presented themselves, we were quick to take advantage of them!


It is quite an experience to walk through Philadelphia with a group of 160+ people!


Bill Potter is an incredible historian with a wealth of knowledge from many eras that he is always eager to share with us. Here we are visiting Old Swede's church from the very early days of the settling of the nation.


When you're in charge of sound and recording for an event, the sound better be good. And in the event of losing a part, Josh proved himself committed to quality by borrowing various supplies and sewing together a makeshift part for his mic.


The Monument at Valley Forge. What an incredible day that was! The sermon preached that morning on perseverance, and the visit to Valley Forge were both a great encouragement to our family!

The Doug Phillips family (founder of Vision Forum) at Washington's headquarters at Valley Forge.


What would be a F&F Tour report without including the buses? They always prove to be the most adventurous part of the trip. And really, we didn't get lost too many times this year, and we were only pulled over once, and it was only one night that we almost got killed... Oh, and those of you who know a little bit about our family history may find it amusing that the bus that I, Jessica, was on encountered a couple of deer in the road shortly after this picture was taken. No, we didn't hit them, but we did have to brake for them!

Here our group gathers on the steps of the 2nd National Bank before viewing the historic art gallery inside.

The Zes ladies and I discuss Quaker "theology" between stops at the Arch Street Friends Meeting House and Carpenter's Hall.


Jeremy & Joanna listen to Mr. Potter lecture on George Washington's historic crossing of the Delaware. Sadly, Sara developed a bad cold over the week and was unable to join us for a few of the days!

Ah, yes. The rainy days! By God's grace the major rain held off during the day as we visited Princeton University and learned of the great men who were used of God during the college's early days and the influence the college had upon the founding of our nation. Our visit to Princeton focused largely on John Witherspoon, signer of the Declaration of Independence, who was also a pastor, professor, and president of the college.

After the lecture by the Witherspoon monument at Princeton, we had some free time...

On Saturday, our plans were rained out so we all headed over to the Franklin Institute to browse the museum. The flight simulator was very popular!


Of course, as one of our responsibilities during the F&F Tour is preparing and serving the lunches, I would be remiss to conclude this post without a couple of pictures addressing that aspect of our week! Vision Forum Intern and family friend, Phillip Bradrick, is pictured with us above as we fill the lunch bags with all the important goodies: cookies, napkins, chips, carrots, etc. Below, we have the food line set up and are waiting for the crowd to come through and pick up their lunches before boarding the buses.

Faith & Freedom Tour Girls

Caroline & Corrine enjoyed their first Faith & Freedom Tour, and we enjoyed having them there. In fact, a large percentage of our pictures are of them! Here are just a few: