Gainesville, part 1

We are on the road to Tampa, having just left Gainesville after a very nice pool party chez Joe and Eric with our hosts. Trinity MCC in Gainesville was unlike any other church I've ever seen. It.s several buildings set on six acres in the middle of a beautiful Florida forest (rainforest, maybe?) with moss hanging from the trees, lots of wildlife, hiking trails, and some pretty amazing giant yellow bananna spiders that Robert Miller befriended and photographed extensively. It felt like a very sacred, peaceful place. The sanctuary was also remarkable: the church building was made from a giant arch of corrugated steel, adding to the otherworldly appearance of the place, but it was very cozy inside. Rev. Joe McMurray told the us that he would be leaving Gainesville within a month, and since the congregation was going through a difficult transition, we might have a small audience. A lot of us were surprised and saddened to hear this news - not disheartened or discouraged, but sorry they were having a rough time.