Members from eleven Adventist congregations in central Iowa came together last Sunday for a day of fun, food and friendship. Represented were the Ankeny, Ames, Des Moines, Jordan Crossing, Marshalltown, Nevada, Philadelphia and Winterset churches; the Des Moines Karen and Mizo companies; and the Woodland Hills church plant.
One of the goals for the day was for people to spend time getting to know people they hadn’t met before. People were encouraged to pair up with members of other churches for games such as soccer, flag football, volleyball, balloon races and hula hoop. I got to know Noel from the Des Moines Mizo Company. We teamed up for the bean bag toss and won.
Throughout the day, we all learned how much alike we are despite being from different cultures or ethnic backgrounds. We also celebrated our diversity through a variety of delicious foods from all over the world. There were too many options to name!
One person said that this is what they think heaven is going to look like. All the different nationalities were a beautiful sight to see, young and old, moms and dads, brothers and sisters, friends and friends of friends. Over 200 people came out for at least part of the day.
I’d like to thank Emmanuel Saka and Doug Jensen for the work they did planning this event and each person who showed up to make the day such a memorable experience.
