Good friends

Steve and Wendy Morris, two of our session mates from Officer's Training School, smile at our reunion during the Southern Territorial Bible Conference.
Ellen Tidman and Anita chill out during a break at Bible Conference at Lake Junaluska.
Vic Tidman and Brad compare bellies. Brad grimaces as he tries to hold it in...

Grandparents!!

Born September 20th, Gracie Maye Caldwell already charms onlookers with her ready smile and stylish wardrobe. Our first grandchild...

Towering Figures

Riding the Staten Island Ferry, we briefly encountered Lady Liberty, looking good for her age.

The Chrysler Building's watery image reflects from another downtown New York behemoth.
Grand Central Station's above ground terminal entry point is dwarfed in the shadow of the Met Life building.

NY NY

Here's the New York Stock Exchange in all its economic glory.

















Central Park presents a surreal level green oasis amidst the artificial forest of concrete and steel surrounding it. Taken from atop the Eiffel Tower.

The sons of us

Jason and his wife Tracy took us on a tour of the Turkey Creek Nazarene Church in Eastern Kentucky where Jason serves as youth pastor while completing college. Tracy would give birth just a few weeks later.

Jaron and Brad relax on the Staten Island Ferry while passing the Statue of Liberty. Jaron is in his final year of college at SUNY at Purchase.
Justin and Jaron take in the huge expanse of Grand Central Station in NYC.
Justin tests the carpet in our cabin at the Salvation Army Southern Territorial Bible Conference.

Sisters all around...

Brad's sister Jonna, or Bear to him, poses in front of her Texas home.
Brad's sister Trish Mahler sees him for the first time in three years. She obviously received the more attractive genetic array.
Anita's sister Captain Luva Blakely took Anita and Brad on a cruise around Lake George in upper New York.

Sealed with a...seal

At least forty seals populated this small harbor, freely swimming to and fro in the open Pacific.

What a life! Aerobic sunbathing, anyone?

Brad and his Dad Barney Mahler hang out at the Beach in La Jolla, California.
Captains Vic and Ellen Tidman receive their new Russian trim prior to their departure to St. Petersburg for their new appointment there. You can see St. Basil's Cathedral at Red Square in Moscow on the projection screen in the background.

What fun it was to watch the parasailers glide of the cliffs and float out over the ocean.

Summer travels

Here are a few pics of our summer travels. I'll try to identify them without excessive and boring details... : ))

This first is Anita and Brad visiting Brad's dad in California. We are standing near the seal harbor in La Jolla.

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The Salvation Army International Headquarters paid a visit to Taganka Corps during a recent social projects seminar. The man praying has attended worship at Taganka Corps for several years, and many service clients shared advice on how to improve social services.

The Taganka Corps Home League meet to plan for future meetings. Captain Katya Yanchich, Brad's corps assistant, sits at the far right. Katya was recently appointed to Lublino Corps, in another sector of Moscow, with her husband Igor, who enters Cadet training in September.

Daniel Houston-Robb was dedicated by his parents Mark and Masha, with godparents Sergei an Natasha attending to the far right. Daniel is a fine little fellow who already exhibits bilingual talent, speaking in English and Russian--just like Mom and Dad!

Commissioner Barry Pobjie dedicates his own granddaughter, Nika Pobjie. Grandma Raemor smiles as she prays, while Mom and Dad (Kem and Lena) hold hands as they together give their daughter back to God.

Cross of fire

This beautiful image was realized during a sacred dance. It was inspiring to see this cross materialize in the darkened hall. Our youth practiced long and hard to produce this worship experience.

Cadet Ivan Gherman will become a captain in just a few weeks. This colorful portrait reflects his personality. All of our cadets are excited about their future assignments.

"Battle School" is a month-long residential discipleship program. Seven students travelled from Ukraine, Moldova, and South Russia to attend 120 hours of classes and prepare for a year of teaching in their own home corps.

Anita plays in the Moscow Orchestra, as new Officer and Cadet appointments are announced. These appointments tell where these folks will serve starting in July. Doesn't Anita look artistic?

One half of our current session of cadets receive their appointments. They will actually travel there in July, but need to know now so that travel and registration issues can be planned.

Sunday school kids sing and enact the Russian version of "Father Abraham." Sunday School has generated a good number of young people in the Corps! They look like they are having fun...

Bread and Brushing up

While in Moldova this past week we saw some of that tasty homemade bread we so loved when we used to live in Chisinau, the capital city. We were there to renew our Russian visa and to teach employees and lay leaders materials on community in mission. Here Anita shares her thoughts on Salvation Army history.

An old cathedral and old familiar faces

We toured Christ the Savior Cathedral during our time in the Brengle Institute--it has a colorful history, and was beautifully restored from total destruction during the 1990's.

Here are all the delegates, including our leaders Commissioners William and Marilyn Francis out of International Headquarters in London.