Pairing our Regional Assembly with our annual African American Convocation presented a unity that was articulated as being 'beautiful' by many people who usually attend Convocation OR Assembly.

Terri spoke twice about how deeply moved she was meeting people who came especially to greet the one who is a historic first among God's children. We Disciples too thirst for sharing God's love. Owens spoke at the beautifully renovated Rialto Ballroom not far from the River about how Jesus approached the woman at the well thirsty but ended up giving her living water. Terri Hord Owens preaching, many left Hannibal as happy as Tom and Huck floating on a raft down the Mississippi. From our Boundary Training at Oakwood CC, to our opening reception and tour at Jim's Journey Museum, to fantastic meal programs, valuable workshops for a church's ministry, energizing worship services, to a grand banquet with our General Minister and President, Rev. We packed every inch of space as about 250 joined us for this event. Is this world, with oversized creatures, wise Elders and a talking tree real? Is Willow Walker real? Or is it all part of a world where legends abound? Join Sarah, Mattie and Willow Walker on their journey as they discover stories rich in the culture and traditions of Cree, Icelandic and Ojibwe people.The weather in Hannibal was chilly and damp but inside our Regional Assembly venue, God's warmth, brightness and joy filled our wider church's time together. Similar to Alice in ALICE IN WONDERLAND the youth face real issues in a world that combines enchantment and fantasy with reality. CAVE OF JOURNEYS, a juvenile fiction novel, combines legend with fantasy. They have four days to accomplish their goal in a race against time. The youth rush to visit Elders entrusted to guard rock paintings at sites throughout the Canadian Shield. Their whirlwind adventure in a flying canoe takes them to four locations. Sarah, Mattie and Willow Walker meet an ancient oak tree who recruits them to retrieve original stories of Canadian history.

This magical place records the chapters of humankind through picture writing. The three adventurers stumble upon the CAVE OF JOURNEYS.

While exploring, they meet a fourteen-year-old Cree boy named Willow Walker and his First Nations family. They arrive in New Iceland, near Gimli, Manitoba. As they enter a magical cave Sarah, Mattie and their grandfather are mysteriously transported from Iceland in 2011. Join fourteen-year-old Sarah and her eleven-year-old brother Mattie as they journey one hundred years back in time.

Cave of Journeys by Penny Ross