Seven Guys and a Grill

For nine years my husband has been a part of a weekly accountability group.  It started the year we moved to Brazil with three guys--my husband the fledgling pastor, his childhood friend, and a basketball buddy.  It has now grown to seven guys, having gained and lost a few over the years.  These seven guys meet early Thursday mornings to ask each other tough questions, give honest answers, and pray intensely.  I'm so thankful for this group of guys, some of whom I barely know, and the influence they have on each other's life--on my husband's life.  They are godly men who desire to lead their families with integrity.

The Original Accountability Group:  (L to R) Joel, Scott, and Nathanael

These past few weeks have been tough on the group as two of its members say goodbye to Brazil for the foreseeable future. I can count on one hand the times I've seen my husband cry, but he's been choked up several times thinking about the empty space these men will leave behind. One of the men, Scott, has been in the group since it started nine years ago. Steven only joined the group a couple of years ago, but this pastor-friend and natural leader has had a big impact on the group. They and their families will both be missed.

A couple weeks ago, the men decided to grill out and have a special father/son evening as they blessed two of the sons--one who is entering his teens and one entering adulthood. So while our men were gathering for some manly grilling, the "Accountability Wives" decided to have a little party of our own along with the two daughters in the group of thirteen sons.

The Guys and 12 of 13 sons

The guys' dinner consisted of meat, meat, and more meat. Ours was a delicious eggplant rollatini on pasta with fresh salad and bread not to mention homemade apple dumplings with ice cream for dessert--yum! Good times were had by all.

The Gals (minus a couple) and the 2 daughters.

Our Italian feast!

Maybe this group isn't such a good influence!!!