The World's Shortest Reunion (for some of us)

Several of the Marshalls came together for the Global Independent Baptist Fellowship meeting held at the Cleveland Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio. Pete and Julia Montoro & family, Becky Mach & family (Bob was unable to attend, due to a prior commitment), Joanna Marshall, Jonathan & Jessica Marshall & family, and Matthew Marshall & family. You can see some of the photos taken here. There is never a lot of time to catch up on all that has happened since your last visit, but we enjoyed seeing all of the kids, especially the brand new ones - like Caden Marshall (Matt & Julie's 3rd) and Jason Montoro (Pete & Julia'a 12th). It was difficult to recognize some of them because of how much they've grown. We all came together around 4:00 on Monday afternoon to prepare for the service, which was to start at 7:00 that same night. In fact, we could barely say "Hello" and give out hugs and kisses before we had to strike up a tune. But, I don't think there is any way to feel closer to family than to sing with them, so it was for the best. We sang several songs together. The first was a group song, I Am Not Ashamed, written by Julia. Many of the nieces and nephews joined in along with their aunts and uncles. The second was "God has been so good to me", sung by Jonathan, Jessica, and Matthew. This one was sung especially for Bro. Larry Clayton, evangelist and long-time friend of the family, who was in attendance that night. The third song was an a cappella rendition of "Hallelujah, we shall rise", which is fast becoming a stand-by at these Marshall reunions. The offertory was played by Pete Montoro, who really did a great job. Matthew and Jonathan said, "He's still got it, after all these years!" The final song, sung by Matthew, Julie, and Joanna, was Deborah Wells' "Desire the Fire", which ended up fitting perfectly with the theme of the meeting: Fields White Unto Harvest. You can see the complete services here Check out our video page for some clips as well. After the service that night, we celebrated the birthdays of Luc Mach & Ben Marshall, who both turned 8 in September. Matthew, Jonathan, et co were unable to attend the rest of the week, but Julia, Becky, and Joanna stayed through the remainder and reported a great meeting.