We hope you have enjoyed reading about Covenant's most recent mission trip to Kentucky where the team prepared meals for youth teams who worked in impoverished areas.
In case you missed it, page down below this message and read KY1, then KY2, etc. You'll follow the adventures of the team for two weeks as they managed to get a key to the Dixie B&B which doesn't serve breakfast and whose new owner never did show up, dealt with a substitute minister because the first one cut a gas line while mowing his lawn which blew him into the air and set his house on fire...and...you get the idea! It reads like a novel!
Join us again in October when we'll give you news about a Murder Mystery fund raiser for scholarships for children in Mexico. Mexican families have to provide uniforms and school supplies for their children which costs $400 to $500 depending on the grade. Many families can't afford to send their children beyond 3rd grade which means they do not have the skills to escape a poverty level life. Covenant cares and hopes to support at least 4 chidlren next year.
Then, tune in mid-January for news about the next mission trip to Reynosa and Naranjito, Mexico.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
KY 19 - July 7 - Saturday Last Day
Breakfast on a travel day is at six am. When I arrive at five some are already up and packing vans. I let both Pat and Quintin sleep in this morning. We usually serve only cereal, juice and mixed fruit. But last night some were lobbying for cold pizza in the morning. I can’t eat cold pizza, so they had hot pizza to start them off.
They are on the road a few minutes after seven. It only takes me until eight to have the kitchen clear and my car loaded. Of course I know the women of the church will be in to re-clean the kitchen. All I can say is- – “You should have seen it BEFORE we cleaned it”.
They are on the road a few minutes after seven. It only takes me until eight to have the kitchen clear and my car loaded. Of course I know the women of the church will be in to re-clean the kitchen. All I can say is- – “You should have seen it BEFORE we cleaned it”.
THREE CHEERS
FOR THE COVENANT MISSION TEAM
FOR GRACE UNDER PRESSURE
THESE PAST TWO WEEKS!!
KY 18 - Friday, July 6
The menu for breakfast calls for whatever we have leftover. This means French toast from the lunch bread and shelled eggs. This is a morning that waffles become popular again. We offered waffles each day but Monday and Friday were the popular times.
In preparation for the funeral we moved every item in the kitchen we use to a storage room with our food. We then thoroughly clean the kitchen including sweeping and mopping.
The women of the church arrived and as expected thoroughly re-cleaned the kitchen. I wanted to say to them, “You should have seen it BEFORE we cleaned it”.
The funeral is at two o’clock. They again inform us they will not be done in the kitchen until after six. I delicately advised them that I had to feed my group at six o’clock and we would be back to the church at five-thirty. At that time we would do anything necessary to help them complete their activities.
This is where staying in the B&B pays off. Pat bakes the two cakes that will be desert tonight in the B&B kitchen oven. We later in the day brown the twenty-five pounds of hamburger used for the Tacos and keep it warm.
With this completed I am off to the IGA because my Tony’s cheese pizza is stored in the walk in freezer. The IGA has given me total access to the back areas including the freezers and coolers. All of my products are marked with a yellow label which is the route number of USFoods. During the past two weeks I have had to re-gather my items to keep them together because they kept getting moved around. When I found my pizza box it was opened and only contained 48 of the 90 slices. Since it is before five o’clock the full staff is in the store. The manager sends his assistant with me and I explain how we identified my products, etc. We proceed to the display to find the eight slice sections from my carton wrapped and offered for $5.95 a unit. There was enough left for me to recoup 70 slices for tonight.
We arrived at the kitchen at five-thirty to find the women within minutes of being done. We served dinner of salad bar, chili, Tacos, and pizza at two minutes after six. Everyone was done in time to maintain the seven o’clock schedule.
In preparation for the funeral we moved every item in the kitchen we use to a storage room with our food. We then thoroughly clean the kitchen including sweeping and mopping.
The women of the church arrived and as expected thoroughly re-cleaned the kitchen. I wanted to say to them, “You should have seen it BEFORE we cleaned it”.
The funeral is at two o’clock. They again inform us they will not be done in the kitchen until after six. I delicately advised them that I had to feed my group at six o’clock and we would be back to the church at five-thirty. At that time we would do anything necessary to help them complete their activities.
This is where staying in the B&B pays off. Pat bakes the two cakes that will be desert tonight in the B&B kitchen oven. We later in the day brown the twenty-five pounds of hamburger used for the Tacos and keep it warm.
With this completed I am off to the IGA because my Tony’s cheese pizza is stored in the walk in freezer. The IGA has given me total access to the back areas including the freezers and coolers. All of my products are marked with a yellow label which is the route number of USFoods. During the past two weeks I have had to re-gather my items to keep them together because they kept getting moved around. When I found my pizza box it was opened and only contained 48 of the 90 slices. Since it is before five o’clock the full staff is in the store. The manager sends his assistant with me and I explain how we identified my products, etc. We proceed to the display to find the eight slice sections from my carton wrapped and offered for $5.95 a unit. There was enough left for me to recoup 70 slices for tonight.
We arrived at the kitchen at five-thirty to find the women within minutes of being done. We served dinner of salad bar, chili, Tacos, and pizza at two minutes after six. Everyone was done in time to maintain the seven o’clock schedule.
KY - 17 - Thursday, July 5
This group of campers actually reads the menu we post. They already say they can’t wait to try the chili that replaces the soup on the salad bar. The only problem is I miscalculated last week. I bought one carton (four pouches) of the institutional chili and found we needed all four. I had planned on using two this week. I called the USFoods salesman to see what we could do. In order to have it delivered to Salyersville the order has to be fifteen items or three hundred dollars. OK plan B. He will deliver the one carton to a restaurant in Prestonburg for us. Only Prestonburg is eighteen miles away.
So after our morning nap, we head for Prestonburg. Have lunch in the restaurant while waiting for the delivery to arrive. I could not have asked more of the owner. When the truck arrived he had the driver offload this one carton for us ahead of everything else.
The chili was scheduled to go with the Tacos and Pizza that we serve on Thursdays. BUT due to the funeral on Friday we move spaghetti to Thursday because we will not have the time in the kitchen to cook 10 lbs of spaghetti.
It is an ill wind that doesn’t blow someone some good. As it turns out the chili is frozen hard as a rock and doesn’t thaw until Friday morning. We would have been hard pressed to serve it if there had been no change in the menu.
Unfortunately four of the campers were working cement during the day and did not get back for dinner. They had McDonalds and then joined us for our Thursday night ice cream.
And here we go again. In the past, the ice cream has been almost too soft. This church has a chest freezer. When I fish the ice cream out it is so hard we could not dip it. We sat for an additional fifteen minutes to let it soften and then dipped the scoops in boiling water. Even then it took a strong man to dip.
Did I tell you earlier how well we were doing?
So after our morning nap, we head for Prestonburg. Have lunch in the restaurant while waiting for the delivery to arrive. I could not have asked more of the owner. When the truck arrived he had the driver offload this one carton for us ahead of everything else.
The chili was scheduled to go with the Tacos and Pizza that we serve on Thursdays. BUT due to the funeral on Friday we move spaghetti to Thursday because we will not have the time in the kitchen to cook 10 lbs of spaghetti.
It is an ill wind that doesn’t blow someone some good. As it turns out the chili is frozen hard as a rock and doesn’t thaw until Friday morning. We would have been hard pressed to serve it if there had been no change in the menu.
Unfortunately four of the campers were working cement during the day and did not get back for dinner. They had McDonalds and then joined us for our Thursday night ice cream.
And here we go again. In the past, the ice cream has been almost too soft. This church has a chest freezer. When I fish the ice cream out it is so hard we could not dip it. We sat for an additional fifteen minutes to let it soften and then dipped the scoops in boiling water. Even then it took a strong man to dip.
Did I tell you earlier how well we were doing?
KY16 - Fourth of July - Evening
The Burning Forks Church has a big Fourth of July Picnic/Party. Eddie (that is how he introduces himself), the minister of the church, told me last week when we were cooking in his church that he calls for a collection on Sunday to buy fireworks. We should be sure to be there. We wouldn’t miss it. Apparently there is an open invitation to the surrounding area because when we arrive there are multitudes. Every church here seems to have a pavilion. The pavilion is crowded with the older crowd. The field has groups playing volleyball. And there has to be at least 20 teams lined up to egg toss. Eddie is trying to organize the egg toss but he is not too busy to greet Quintin and me when we arrive around eight o’clock. He grabs Quintin and pairs him up with a young girl to participate in the egg toss.
There are two men of retirement age standing on the edge of the parking lot near the pavilion somewhat by themselves. One of them is very tall. I gravitate toward them and they greet me as if they know me. We discuss many things while waiting for it to be dark enough to start fireworks. Most of the topics are answers to my questions.
I’ve heard of Burning Bush in the bible but where did Burning Forks come from? (The natural gas in the area that surfaces,) What is the philosophy of the Southern Baptist Church? What does “Free Will” Baptist mean? I’ve only seen two blacks in town, why is the black population so low? The area seems to be a hot bed for Pentecostal Churches. Are the Pentecostal Churches really as described by the Northern Media? And on and on.
Eddie apparently received almost $1000 in his collection on Sunday. He has a contact for fireworks in Paintsville that gives him “buy one get one free”. Not to mention sparklers and an item that pops when you throw it hard against the ground. The last mentioned items are distributed to every kid in attendance. For the next ten minutes there is total chaos while they chase each other around. The adults have to be on their toes.
At nine o’clock lightning appears in the sky to the North. Rain is eminent. The church members who coordinate the fireworks are good. The fireworks are as good as any professional I have seen. They lasted over twenty-five minutes. And then the rains came.
Salyersville has at least three stands selling fireworks. Not to mention that they are available in Walmart nearby. But as it turns out, fireworks that go off in the air are illegal just as they are in Pennsylvania.
There are two men of retirement age standing on the edge of the parking lot near the pavilion somewhat by themselves. One of them is very tall. I gravitate toward them and they greet me as if they know me. We discuss many things while waiting for it to be dark enough to start fireworks. Most of the topics are answers to my questions.
I’ve heard of Burning Bush in the bible but where did Burning Forks come from? (The natural gas in the area that surfaces,) What is the philosophy of the Southern Baptist Church? What does “Free Will” Baptist mean? I’ve only seen two blacks in town, why is the black population so low? The area seems to be a hot bed for Pentecostal Churches. Are the Pentecostal Churches really as described by the Northern Media? And on and on.
Eddie apparently received almost $1000 in his collection on Sunday. He has a contact for fireworks in Paintsville that gives him “buy one get one free”. Not to mention sparklers and an item that pops when you throw it hard against the ground. The last mentioned items are distributed to every kid in attendance. For the next ten minutes there is total chaos while they chase each other around. The adults have to be on their toes.
At nine o’clock lightning appears in the sky to the North. Rain is eminent. The church members who coordinate the fireworks are good. The fireworks are as good as any professional I have seen. They lasted over twenty-five minutes. And then the rains came.
Salyersville has at least three stands selling fireworks. Not to mention that they are available in Walmart nearby. But as it turns out, fireworks that go off in the air are illegal just as they are in Pennsylvania.
Friday, July 06, 2007
KY 15 - July 4 - Wednesday - A Visit to Loretta Lynn's Homestead
As I stated in last weeks narrative Wednesday is a half-day of work with the afternoon off. Pat and I have been going back to the B&B and napping from nine am to about eleven or so.
At noon however we set out for Paintsville to find Butcher Hollar (spelled hollow but pronounced here as Hollar). Have you ever paid attention to the song “Coal Miners Daughter” sung by Loretta Lynn? She was born in Butcher Hollow. Her homestead is still there perched on the side of the steep mountain.
What is so amazing about these mountains is the depth of some of the hollows. When you arrive at Van Lear, the old coal mining town that is down the road a piece toward Butcher Hollow, you think you should be there, but the road goes on for a couple of miles until you reach a country store in a dilapidated old building that was built by the coal company in 1920. However they have not mined coal here in the past forty years. The store is outfitted with Loretta Lynn memorabilia. That is because it is owned by one of Loretta Lynn’s brothers.
“My dad’s up at the homestead if you want to go up,” says the clerk. “He keeps some horses on the site.”
So we head on up—more miles of some of the narrowest winding road you will ever see.
So we are here. And of course it looks just like the building in the movie “Coal Miners’ Daughter.” The brother, in his seventies, is there with a grandson and another couple (friends) sitting on the front porch of the shack consisting of a living room, bedroom, kitchen, and dining area—none of them very large. Ten people. Eight children and parents. The kids slept upstairs in the unfinished attic.
The brother points out himself in many of the pictures displayed inside and is tells us what furniture was there during his boyhood. The walls are full of signatures of previous visitors.
Sitting on the railing of the front porch, which seems to be the only sturdy part of the building, I ply him with questions. About the area. About moon-shining….
Gee, his sister is a millionaire and here he sits. Wait a minute. He asks five dollars per person for the tour. He’s probably one, too.
At noon however we set out for Paintsville to find Butcher Hollar (spelled hollow but pronounced here as Hollar). Have you ever paid attention to the song “Coal Miners Daughter” sung by Loretta Lynn? She was born in Butcher Hollow. Her homestead is still there perched on the side of the steep mountain.
What is so amazing about these mountains is the depth of some of the hollows. When you arrive at Van Lear, the old coal mining town that is down the road a piece toward Butcher Hollow, you think you should be there, but the road goes on for a couple of miles until you reach a country store in a dilapidated old building that was built by the coal company in 1920. However they have not mined coal here in the past forty years. The store is outfitted with Loretta Lynn memorabilia. That is because it is owned by one of Loretta Lynn’s brothers.
“My dad’s up at the homestead if you want to go up,” says the clerk. “He keeps some horses on the site.”
So we head on up—more miles of some of the narrowest winding road you will ever see.
So we are here. And of course it looks just like the building in the movie “Coal Miners’ Daughter.” The brother, in his seventies, is there with a grandson and another couple (friends) sitting on the front porch of the shack consisting of a living room, bedroom, kitchen, and dining area—none of them very large. Ten people. Eight children and parents. The kids slept upstairs in the unfinished attic.
The brother points out himself in many of the pictures displayed inside and is tells us what furniture was there during his boyhood. The walls are full of signatures of previous visitors.
Sitting on the railing of the front porch, which seems to be the only sturdy part of the building, I ply him with questions. About the area. About moon-shining….
Gee, his sister is a millionaire and here he sits. Wait a minute. He asks five dollars per person for the tour. He’s probably one, too.
KY 14 - July 3 - Tuesday - Adapt. Adapt. Adapt
Quintin is getting tired and it shows on his face. Not entirely from helping us cook, but he is also going around during the day with Mark the work site project manager. And Monday night he went out with Jeff and some others getting in about 11:30. We said he could go only if he got up at 5:30 am without any nonsense—and low and behold he did. However when we got to the church to cook he sat down at one of the tables and went to sleep. When the other kids started coming in for breakfast he transferred to a mattress on the floor in one of the rooms. We (his grandparents) can’t complain. He met the requirement of getting up. We neglected to say, “and stay up.”
As we are finishing this morning we receive a visit from the woman who is more or less in charge of the kitchen here at the church. They have a member who died yesterday. The funeral is Friday and they always serve the meal following. We are being bumped from the kitchen. So we have a change of plans for Friday.
We switch the menu, serve spaghetti on Thursday, and plan to go with the nachos & pizza on Friday. One thing we have learned on this trip is to adapt.
Tuesday night is meatloaf night. Last week Mary and Molly baked extra loafs. We had three left over for this week. At fourteen slices each we had enough for today. But remember I stated earlier the teens were eating us out of house and home.
Pat made two additional loafs bringing the number to five. Unfortunately we overcooked one of the loaves from last week and it was crispy on the outside. When it came to seconds, crispy didn’t seem to matter. By the end of the meal we had two slices left.
I pride myself in making “real” mashed potatoes to go with the meatloaf. We buy potato chunks that are prepared for breakfast home fries in ten pound sealed bags. We cook them in water just as you would any potato you might prepare. However in the past we have been in schools that have large beaters for projects just like this. Once again, the dollar store to the rescue. Do you know they sell hand implements in the kitchen gadget department that are designed to mash potatoes? You’re not going to keep us down!
Tuesday night is Nacho night at ten o’clock. Quintin who has made it through the day now wants to experiment with quesadillas, a flour tortilla filled with cheese and cooked on the griddle. Served hot they were the hit of the evening. We definitely will be adding them into our menu for the future.
As we are finishing this morning we receive a visit from the woman who is more or less in charge of the kitchen here at the church. They have a member who died yesterday. The funeral is Friday and they always serve the meal following. We are being bumped from the kitchen. So we have a change of plans for Friday.
We switch the menu, serve spaghetti on Thursday, and plan to go with the nachos & pizza on Friday. One thing we have learned on this trip is to adapt.
Tuesday night is meatloaf night. Last week Mary and Molly baked extra loafs. We had three left over for this week. At fourteen slices each we had enough for today. But remember I stated earlier the teens were eating us out of house and home.
Pat made two additional loafs bringing the number to five. Unfortunately we overcooked one of the loaves from last week and it was crispy on the outside. When it came to seconds, crispy didn’t seem to matter. By the end of the meal we had two slices left.
I pride myself in making “real” mashed potatoes to go with the meatloaf. We buy potato chunks that are prepared for breakfast home fries in ten pound sealed bags. We cook them in water just as you would any potato you might prepare. However in the past we have been in schools that have large beaters for projects just like this. Once again, the dollar store to the rescue. Do you know they sell hand implements in the kitchen gadget department that are designed to mash potatoes? You’re not going to keep us down!
Tuesday night is Nacho night at ten o’clock. Quintin who has made it through the day now wants to experiment with quesadillas, a flour tortilla filled with cheese and cooked on the griddle. Served hot they were the hit of the evening. We definitely will be adding them into our menu for the future.
KY 13 - July 2 - Monday (continued)
The menu is the same for each week. That means we can purchase cases of items for economy. Being Monday we start preparing the salad bar, soup, chicken, carrots and rice, and since I overbought the number of watermelons last Thursday, we used them up tonight.
We have a few less campers this week compared to last week. But this week they are eating much more. Each week the groups have different personalities. It is one of the distinctions that make doing this so enjoyable.
Speaking of personalities, the teen speaker this week is a hoot. When I say teen, I mean he is the pastor for youth at a church just outside Reading. He’s an energetic person who is everywhere, everywhere!
Each evening at seven o’clock the group gathers for what you would call a Praise Service.
The program starts with video activities of the day produced by a company call Wrigley Video. Curt Wrigley and his son Critter (yes I said Critter) do an outstanding job in capturing the feel of the workday and the leisure time of these groups.
Go to youtube.com/ceinpa and you can experience some of the job site projects.
After the video we open with music supplied by one of the groups. And then Jeff speaks to teen problems and religion.
We have a few less campers this week compared to last week. But this week they are eating much more. Each week the groups have different personalities. It is one of the distinctions that make doing this so enjoyable.
Speaking of personalities, the teen speaker this week is a hoot. When I say teen, I mean he is the pastor for youth at a church just outside Reading. He’s an energetic person who is everywhere, everywhere!
Each evening at seven o’clock the group gathers for what you would call a Praise Service.
The program starts with video activities of the day produced by a company call Wrigley Video. Curt Wrigley and his son Critter (yes I said Critter) do an outstanding job in capturing the feel of the workday and the leisure time of these groups.
Go to youtube.com/ceinpa and you can experience some of the job site projects.
After the video we open with music supplied by one of the groups. And then Jeff speaks to teen problems and religion.
Ky 13 - July 3 - Monday - Start The Week
It is so amazing how much we were able to learn the first week and benefit from now. Our first breakfast of the week went very smoothly. We didn’t have the clean up help Mary and Molly gave us but we were still able to be out of the kitchen by 9:00. Pat and I pre-made the meat sandwiches Sunday night for the camper’s lunch. The Monday morning campers’ efforts to make the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches was a disaster. The three of us, Pat, Carl and Sandy decide to do them ourselves in the future. Stay tuned…
KY 12a - Back To Reality
We spend the afternoon setting up in our new location, the old First Baptist Church. The arrangement is just better. We actually feel enthusiastic. The only problem with church kitchens is the fact that they are not designed to feed large numbers of people. The two-bowl sink is not big enough for many of our implements.
All we have to do now is find all the items we moved here. So we go through our boxes and then see what is available by checking every drawer.
We know where everything is now and we are ready to start the week.
With potential new help, Pat makes up a schedule for every meal to follow from set up to what to take out of the freezer for tomorrow.
At the leaders meeting I announce that we are two people short in the kitchen and we will need help. Of all people, Sandy, a young lady with the video team, volunteers. She turns out to be the difference. A graduate from Penn State just last month, she worked in the food department of a nursing home. Experience!
All we have to do now is find all the items we moved here. So we go through our boxes and then see what is available by checking every drawer.
We know where everything is now and we are ready to start the week.
With potential new help, Pat makes up a schedule for every meal to follow from set up to what to take out of the freezer for tomorrow.
At the leaders meeting I announce that we are two people short in the kitchen and we will need help. Of all people, Sandy, a young lady with the video team, volunteers. She turns out to be the difference. A graduate from Penn State just last month, she worked in the food department of a nursing home. Experience!
Ky 12 - July 2 - Sunday Is For Fishing
Well, church and fishing. This county has over one hundred churches. Mostly Southern Baptists.
Quintin and I went to Paintsville to the state park, an Army Corps of Engineers flood control park located high in the hills. A beautiful day to be fishing, but not even a nibble.
Quintin and I went to Paintsville to the state park, an Army Corps of Engineers flood control park located high in the hills. A beautiful day to be fishing, but not even a nibble.
Ky 11 - July 1 - An Evening At The Outdoor Theater
We saw a billboard along the highway advertising a performance of “High School Musical”. This was of special interest to our grandson, Quintin, since the Great Valley Middle School did the show this year. However I have found that nothing is easy in KY. The phone number on the billboard did not say what the theater was—it just gave a phone number. However when you called the number you got The First National Bank in KY. All they said was they were receiving a lot of calls. So I went to the library in town. “That’s the Jenny Wiley Theater down in Prestonburg.” They knew all about it, picked up the phone and called to the box office for me to make reservations. So we had tickets for the Theater.
The twenty miles to Prestonburg took only a short time and we were early because we had no idea just where it was located.
“Jenny Wiley” is a KY state park. We found the theater and realized it was an outdoor amphitheater. The best part is the park has a hotel with a dining room so we were able to have dinner before the show. The show starred teenagers from the three surrounding counties and had a tremendous energy.
The twenty miles to Prestonburg took only a short time and we were early because we had no idea just where it was located.
“Jenny Wiley” is a KY state park. We found the theater and realized it was an outdoor amphitheater. The best part is the park has a hotel with a dining room so we were able to have dinner before the show. The show starred teenagers from the three surrounding counties and had a tremendous energy.
Ky 10 - June 30 - The Fourth Of July Comes Early
Saturday is exactly what we have been waiting for. All the groups leave for home Saturday morning. We moved breakfast up to 6 am so they could get an early start for home. We were finished and out of the kitchen by 7:30 am.
And all we wanted to do was go back to bed. And we did.
However June 30, 31 & July 1 are the Fourth of July activities here. We were on the street corner down town waiting for the parade to start at one. But it didn’t. A passer-by explained that although the newspaper listed the parade at one, it was postponed to two o’clock.
The ex-sheriff of Magoffin County died on Thursday, the day the newspaper is published. His funeral was this morning (Saturday) and all the police and firemen were attending, so they postponed the parade until they were free. Don’t you just love a small town?
The parade started promptly with the sirens of the lead fire trucks. Followed by an endless number of pickup trucks with the Mr. or Miss Firecracker. This was from a pageant held Thursday night in town. Only there were categories starting at six months in increments up to 18. With the runner-ups also in line you can just guess the number of vehicles. Then came the visiting fire trucks and County vehicles followed by off road four wheelers. Hundreds of them. The drivers kept getting younger and younger. With the mountains here they are used both on and off the roads. None of which are licensed.
Finally came the local horses and riders. Again literally hundreds.
The parade started on the East end of town to the West end. And since all the participants’ vehicles were still at the East end. The whole parade turned around in order and paraded back through town from west to east.
And all we wanted to do was go back to bed. And we did.
However June 30, 31 & July 1 are the Fourth of July activities here. We were on the street corner down town waiting for the parade to start at one. But it didn’t. A passer-by explained that although the newspaper listed the parade at one, it was postponed to two o’clock.
The ex-sheriff of Magoffin County died on Thursday, the day the newspaper is published. His funeral was this morning (Saturday) and all the police and firemen were attending, so they postponed the parade until they were free. Don’t you just love a small town?
The parade started promptly with the sirens of the lead fire trucks. Followed by an endless number of pickup trucks with the Mr. or Miss Firecracker. This was from a pageant held Thursday night in town. Only there were categories starting at six months in increments up to 18. With the runner-ups also in line you can just guess the number of vehicles. Then came the visiting fire trucks and County vehicles followed by off road four wheelers. Hundreds of them. The drivers kept getting younger and younger. With the mountains here they are used both on and off the roads. None of which are licensed.
Finally came the local horses and riders. Again literally hundreds.
The parade started on the East end of town to the West end. And since all the participants’ vehicles were still at the East end. The whole parade turned around in order and paraded back through town from west to east.
Ky 9 - June 29 - Friday Is Moving Day
The “Nail Benders” are finishing up and we can move everything we have at the Forks to First Baptist down town. This means the campers can walk to meals. It should make a big difference for all of us.
I grab the group that has the largest number to start moving supplies. We back up three vehicles to the door and the campers form a bucket line. I inventory items and hand them to the first person in line and the human conveyor belt activates. Ever hear “Many hands make light work?” We simply reversed the procedure at our destination and we had almost everything there. Molly and Mary did the same procedure at the B&B to load their car but without the conveyor belt.
However Saturday breakfast, mostly cereal was still at the Forks. Most of the groups were anxious to get on the road. Molly and Mary join us for breakfast and they also are on the road home.
Don’t leave us here alone…….
I grab the group that has the largest number to start moving supplies. We back up three vehicles to the door and the campers form a bucket line. I inventory items and hand them to the first person in line and the human conveyor belt activates. Ever hear “Many hands make light work?” We simply reversed the procedure at our destination and we had almost everything there. Molly and Mary did the same procedure at the B&B to load their car but without the conveyor belt.
However Saturday breakfast, mostly cereal was still at the Forks. Most of the groups were anxious to get on the road. Molly and Mary join us for breakfast and they also are on the road home.
Don’t leave us here alone…….
Ky 8 - June 28 - The First Week Counts Down
Our routine keeps us humming. Mary and Molly keep the kitchen rolling including the cleanup. Pat, Quintin and Carl handle the dining room. In the morning Pat sets up the cereal bar, Quintin cooks on the griddle and Carl make waffles. At dinner the same routine. Pat sets up the salad bar, Carl & Quintin serve portion control.
Today’s excitement is looking for my food order that is due in around 2:00. Quintin and I hang out at the New church where the Nail Benders are working because that is the delivery address. The time comes and goes and no food. Some of which is needed for tonight’s dinner. We start riding around trying to find the truck. We go to the Forks church just in case. The workers there say the driver called there and they told him to deliver there or to the Dixie B&B. No food either place. My cell phone has no connection here in the hills, so we find a phone and call the salesman. He calls back to say the driver dropped our order at the IGA because that is where he took our frozen items last week. As it turns out they accepted the order. Well at least we have our food.
While we are in the Forks kitchen preparing dinner the phone rings several times. All from local people telling us where our food order was delivered.
Today’s excitement is looking for my food order that is due in around 2:00. Quintin and I hang out at the New church where the Nail Benders are working because that is the delivery address. The time comes and goes and no food. Some of which is needed for tonight’s dinner. We start riding around trying to find the truck. We go to the Forks church just in case. The workers there say the driver called there and they told him to deliver there or to the Dixie B&B. No food either place. My cell phone has no connection here in the hills, so we find a phone and call the salesman. He calls back to say the driver dropped our order at the IGA because that is where he took our frozen items last week. As it turns out they accepted the order. Well at least we have our food.
While we are in the Forks kitchen preparing dinner the phone rings several times. All from local people telling us where our food order was delivered.
Monday, July 02, 2007
KY-7: Half Day, With Scrapple
PACE schedules Wednesdays for a half day of work and a half day of play. We no longer have the problem of everyone arriving as one group for breakfast. Even the teens are tired by Wednesday. They straggle in to breakfast over the full hour it is planned. But the scrapple we brought with us from home (courtesy of the King Street Grille) a great hit. Even though many teens did not know what scrapple is. “If you try it and like it then we’ll tell you what is in it.”
All of them have great plans for when they stop work at one o’clock and have the afternoon off. Almost all of them include swimming.
Wednesday gives us time to catch up on our sleep. Well most of us. Mary drove off to Lexington about two hours away to meet a friend from college. Mary attended college here in KY. She then went on to meet a friend who is a college professor and to sit in on a class he was teaching. She was home about seven.
Molly spent the day at her favorite spot: the front porch, reading. You can always find her and Mary out there during the day or just after finishing dinner. Often playing a board game in the early evening. We have no television at the B&B. And in a way that is good.
Carl, Pat, Quintin and Molly drove the 18 miles to Paintsville for dinner. It is the closest town that has a restaurant that is not fast food. Once again in preparation for Thursday’s meals we visited the Walmart that is in Paintsville. Open 24 hours it is the biggest store under one roof I have ever seen.
All of them have great plans for when they stop work at one o’clock and have the afternoon off. Almost all of them include swimming.
Wednesday gives us time to catch up on our sleep. Well most of us. Mary drove off to Lexington about two hours away to meet a friend from college. Mary attended college here in KY. She then went on to meet a friend who is a college professor and to sit in on a class he was teaching. She was home about seven.
Molly spent the day at her favorite spot: the front porch, reading. You can always find her and Mary out there during the day or just after finishing dinner. Often playing a board game in the early evening. We have no television at the B&B. And in a way that is good.
Carl, Pat, Quintin and Molly drove the 18 miles to Paintsville for dinner. It is the closest town that has a restaurant that is not fast food. Once again in preparation for Thursday’s meals we visited the Walmart that is in Paintsville. Open 24 hours it is the biggest store under one roof I have ever seen.
KY-6: Dollar Store Is To Salyersvile As Walmart Is To Reynosa
Tuesday we open breakfast with French toast and bacon. 300 slices with nothing left over. They still arrive in one big group but we change the traffic flow around the cereal and juice bar. Mollie bakes cinnamon rolls that are as good as innabon. Everything is running like clockwork. The kids are out before eight o’clock. Mary and Mollie clean up, make sandwiches for Wednesday while Pat and I make the morning run to IGA. We had pre ordered the hamburger from the IGA at $1.29 per pound.
The hamburger is immediately transformed into meatloaves by Mary using Pat’s recipe and refrigerated to be cooked tonight for dinner. We are out by 9:30 again. Life is good.
However, there just are not enough containers for the salad bar items and storage. The salad bar is somewhat extensive. So it is time to visit the dollar store. There are three dollar stores in Salyersville and we are intimate with all of them. We have wiped them out of plastic containers. We are in the dollar stores so often that we often pass each other in the aisles.
This area has a laid back life style. The IGA has baggers that also take your cart to your car and put the items in. The hardware store clerks are waiting at the entrance to help you find what you need.
“That meatloaf is the best I have ever had.” That is an unsolicited testimonial. We “Molly baked” 80 potatoes to go with the meatloaf. Molly suggested wrapping the potatoes in aluminum foil so everyone would think they were baked. However we boiled them in the foil. It was fast, it was good and the deception worked.
We invited all the groups to the B&B at 9:30 for Nachos. A simple snack that is very popular among teens.
Now for the down side. The electrical storm knocked out the air conditioning in our third floor room at the B&B. The temperature kept climbing. I went to the person handling the place and asked her to open up a room on a lower floor. There was a four hour window while we were not in the building that she could have completed the request. But when we returned from dinner no other room was unlocked. Flag number five.
Leave it to Quintin. He knows every nook and cranny of this place. He showed me how to gain access to a first floor room. When the thermostat in the up stairs room hit ninety I moved into the forbidden room.
The hamburger is immediately transformed into meatloaves by Mary using Pat’s recipe and refrigerated to be cooked tonight for dinner. We are out by 9:30 again. Life is good.
However, there just are not enough containers for the salad bar items and storage. The salad bar is somewhat extensive. So it is time to visit the dollar store. There are three dollar stores in Salyersville and we are intimate with all of them. We have wiped them out of plastic containers. We are in the dollar stores so often that we often pass each other in the aisles.
This area has a laid back life style. The IGA has baggers that also take your cart to your car and put the items in. The hardware store clerks are waiting at the entrance to help you find what you need.
“That meatloaf is the best I have ever had.” That is an unsolicited testimonial. We “Molly baked” 80 potatoes to go with the meatloaf. Molly suggested wrapping the potatoes in aluminum foil so everyone would think they were baked. However we boiled them in the foil. It was fast, it was good and the deception worked.
We invited all the groups to the B&B at 9:30 for Nachos. A simple snack that is very popular among teens.
Now for the down side. The electrical storm knocked out the air conditioning in our third floor room at the B&B. The temperature kept climbing. I went to the person handling the place and asked her to open up a room on a lower floor. There was a four hour window while we were not in the building that she could have completed the request. But when we returned from dinner no other room was unlocked. Flag number five.
Leave it to Quintin. He knows every nook and cranny of this place. He showed me how to gain access to a first floor room. When the thermostat in the up stairs room hit ninety I moved into the forbidden room.
Friday, June 29, 2007
KY-5: You Don't Have To Suffer To Serve (Maybe A Little) But We Are Still Afloat.
We are back on time, we are out by seven tonight.
Things are looking up.
KY-4: Getting Settled With Much Help
Ok, let’s a least try to get settled in the B&B. There is no one at the building and there is no phone number to call. We knew the B&B had changed hands and has a new owner. The IGA is open, and it is just
KY-3: God Looks Out For Fools and Sinners
We emailed the B&B to ask how we were to get the keys. No reply. But we headed for Saylersville anyway. On the eve of leaving, received a call from the executive director of PACE to say “The Nail Benders” were now using the kitchen in the old church and we were being bumped to The Burning Forks church. They had a new kitchen, rebuilt due to a flood a couple of years ago. He went on to say how much we were going to like it. Flag number one.
KY-2: Prelude To Service
Last year when it became obvious Pennsylvania Christian Endeavor (PACE) would not be returning to West Virginia for the 2007 summer, Pat & Carl chose Salyersville, KY as the place to serve.
As most at Covenant know, our service group known as Covenant Adult Mission Team (CAMT) has cooked and served meals for the teenagers from throughout Pennsylvania who perform Community Service for a week through PACE. CAMT has served two weeks each year.
To lay the groundwork, Pat and Carl drove to Salyersville (about six hundred miles) between Christmas and New Year’s week to get the lay of the land. PACE was to use the First Baptist Church in Salyersville for its base of operation. The only problem was that the “New” church, a complex designed to service groups like PACE, was still under construction. More importantly the kitchen was bare with nothing installed. The only good find was the Bed & Breakfast within walking distance of the church. We immediately nailed down reservations for our CAMT members.
The first trip left too many questions. So on Palm Sunday week Carl & Pat returned to Salyersville. This time we met with Pastor Matt. We looked over the kitchen in the nearby “Old” church. We could make it happen. Matt indicated he had been informed that a Baptist group from Mississippi known as “The Nail Benders,” a group which commits to a five-week stint and travels to work on Baptist Churches in the South, would be arriving in May to help finish the church. Matt was sure the kitchen in the new church would be ready for us.
That was before Matt had to cut the grass at the manse. No one is really sure just what happened but somehow the mower actually cut a natural gas line leading into his house and then the second time around caused an explosion that threw him almost a hundred feet and burned the manse. Matt sustained severe burns and is still recuperating. As a result the “The Nail Benders” are working on the Church and the manse. Still no kitchen. But wait—it gets worse.
As most at Covenant know, our service group known as Covenant Adult Mission Team (CAMT) has cooked and served meals for the teenagers from throughout Pennsylvania who perform Community Service for a week through PACE. CAMT has served two weeks each year.
To lay the groundwork, Pat and Carl drove to Salyersville (about six hundred miles) between Christmas and New Year’s week to get the lay of the land. PACE was to use the First Baptist Church in Salyersville for its base of operation. The only problem was that the “New” church, a complex designed to service groups like PACE, was still under construction. More importantly the kitchen was bare with nothing installed. The only good find was the Bed & Breakfast within walking distance of the church. We immediately nailed down reservations for our CAMT members.
The first trip left too many questions. So on Palm Sunday week Carl & Pat returned to Salyersville. This time we met with Pastor Matt. We looked over the kitchen in the nearby “Old” church. We could make it happen. Matt indicated he had been informed that a Baptist group from Mississippi known as “The Nail Benders,” a group which commits to a five-week stint and travels to work on Baptist Churches in the South, would be arriving in May to help finish the church. Matt was sure the kitchen in the new church would be ready for us.
That was before Matt had to cut the grass at the manse. No one is really sure just what happened but somehow the mower actually cut a natural gas line leading into his house and then the second time around caused an explosion that threw him almost a hundred feet and burned the manse. Matt sustained severe burns and is still recuperating. As a result the “The Nail Benders” are working on the Church and the manse. Still no kitchen. But wait—it gets worse.
KY-1: CAMT Mission Team: Trials and Tribulations
We’re pleased to report that the KY Mission Team (Team Leader Carl, his wife Pat and grandson Quintin, plus Mary and Molly) arrived safely in Salyersville, KY Saturday, June 23. From there, however, it was all downhill. In fact, when you read this, you’ll know why there was no time for Carl to write a blog entry until the end of the week. You’ll laugh and cry at the same time. It’s a long story, but too good to condense.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
Photos are trickling in ..
See the 2007 CAMT Mexico Gallery for the first photos from this year's CAMT mission trip to Mexico. Here's a sneak preview ...
Saturday, February 17, 2007
NOW I understand!
Saturday, February 17
Sometimes a photographer takes an extreme close-up picture of something, and because it looks so large and isn't in its usual context, we don't recognize it for what it is.
Such was my experience in seeing the mountain of sewing and craft materials Covenant's congregation was moved to give this year. All I saw was an abundance of supplies whose sorting and packing almost drove me to exhaustion and that not only filled the van, but also three large boxes that had to be mailed. While I was touched by the outpouring of generosity, I could only think that this was much more than the women in Reynosa could use in one year—perhaps even two years.
At the end of our mission week, when everyone was getting ready to leave, I took a break, sat down, leaned back, and thought about the proposed plan presented on our last day by Faith Ministry's Deantin Guerra, that the women of Reynosa and Naranjito churches would work together, share the four sewing machines and the supplies Covenant had donated, and have a sale every two months of things they have made.
Naranjito pastor's wife, Silvia, who had an opportunity to meet with Covenant's team and the Reynosa's sewing group to discuss the proposed plan, seemed accepted as the probable leader of the combined group.
The big picture started to become clear.
And when I looked back over the whole week, I realized how the timing of Becky's joining the team this year also played an important part. When Becky and the Reynosa clowns took their Good News skits to Naranjito, it was, I believe, the first time people in the two churches had ever really been together when they could laugh and share a very special experience.
Covenant people were moved to donate box after box, bag after bag because the supplies were going to have to be sufficient for women in two churches!
Connections between the two groups had begun. Four sewing machines were available. Materials were ready for creative expression, and a sewing and crafts oriented leader was available and looking forward to working with the two groups.
What an amazing God we worship!
Sometimes a photographer takes an extreme close-up picture of something, and because it looks so large and isn't in its usual context, we don't recognize it for what it is.
Such was my experience in seeing the mountain of sewing and craft materials Covenant's congregation was moved to give this year. All I saw was an abundance of supplies whose sorting and packing almost drove me to exhaustion and that not only filled the van, but also three large boxes that had to be mailed. While I was touched by the outpouring of generosity, I could only think that this was much more than the women in Reynosa could use in one year—perhaps even two years.
At the end of our mission week, when everyone was getting ready to leave, I took a break, sat down, leaned back, and thought about the proposed plan presented on our last day by Faith Ministry's Deantin Guerra, that the women of Reynosa and Naranjito churches would work together, share the four sewing machines and the supplies Covenant had donated, and have a sale every two months of things they have made.
Naranjito pastor's wife, Silvia, who had an opportunity to meet with Covenant's team and the Reynosa's sewing group to discuss the proposed plan, seemed accepted as the probable leader of the combined group.
The big picture started to become clear.
And when I looked back over the whole week, I realized how the timing of Becky's joining the team this year also played an important part. When Becky and the Reynosa clowns took their Good News skits to Naranjito, it was, I believe, the first time people in the two churches had ever really been together when they could laugh and share a very special experience.
Covenant people were moved to donate box after box, bag after bag because the supplies were going to have to be sufficient for women in two churches!
Connections between the two groups had begun. Four sewing machines were available. Materials were ready for creative expression, and a sewing and crafts oriented leader was available and looking forward to working with the two groups.
What an amazing God we worship!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
The End...And A New Beginning
Wednesday, February 14
WOW! We had an ultimate goal in mind for our craft work with the Mexican women in Reynosa, but we learned today that the “powers that be” have moved so fast, we have to run to catch up!
Deantin Guerra, founder and director of Faith Ministry arrived in Reynosa to lead a dedication service for our work done with and by the women (which we expected), but what we didn't expect was his announcement that the women of Reynosa and Narenjito (where we did the last clown show Sunday) would meet together periodically to plan and complete projects for local sales every two months!
We have a lot of questions about the details, and our heads are spinning, but we are very pleased. One of the best things about the arrangement is that Silvia, the Naranjito pastor's wife, is adept at sewing and crafts and will work with the women. Equally important is that the Reynosa women seem receptive to the new direction which assumes sharing of the four sewing machines and the mountain of materials left at the end of our stay.
Another neat development is that Pastor Tony at Reynosa, who you may remember asked that banners for the sanctuary be made, says he will work with the women to make them. We have the feeling he'll do a good job with that, and it will be good for him to work closely with the women.
During the dedication ceremony, the women proudly showed some of the things they made this week: embroidered denim jackets (especially nifty items), felt picture frames, some Christmas ornaments, a beautiful tote bag with a design drawn by one of the older children and outlined with fabric paint by one of the women, and several other samples of embroidery work in progress. We've found that, with a little direction, the women do beautiful work.
One item of interest to Covenant contributors: we didn't buy one bag of batting all week! In fact we had a fair amount left over which will be used when they finish the beautiful but time-consuming embroidered pillows Barbara taught them how to make using checkered material.
The team made it back across the border in good time, had dinner at Shoney's and arrived at the motel by about 7:30. In view of the fact that Barbara seems to have picked up the “bug,” and with an early start in the morning, devotions will be read privately.
All in all, it's been a great mission trip. Check back in about a week and hopefully by then we'll have pictures posted. Internet capabilities don't allow that as we go, unfortunately, but they will give an added dimension to what you have read.
Thanks to the many gifts of the staff and congregation at Covenant, to those who contributed to the devotional booklet, to Ed Elrod for computer support, and to all who have supported us with their prayers.
WOW! We had an ultimate goal in mind for our craft work with the Mexican women in Reynosa, but we learned today that the “powers that be” have moved so fast, we have to run to catch up!
Deantin Guerra, founder and director of Faith Ministry arrived in Reynosa to lead a dedication service for our work done with and by the women (which we expected), but what we didn't expect was his announcement that the women of Reynosa and Narenjito (where we did the last clown show Sunday) would meet together periodically to plan and complete projects for local sales every two months!
We have a lot of questions about the details, and our heads are spinning, but we are very pleased. One of the best things about the arrangement is that Silvia, the Naranjito pastor's wife, is adept at sewing and crafts and will work with the women. Equally important is that the Reynosa women seem receptive to the new direction which assumes sharing of the four sewing machines and the mountain of materials left at the end of our stay.
Another neat development is that Pastor Tony at Reynosa, who you may remember asked that banners for the sanctuary be made, says he will work with the women to make them. We have the feeling he'll do a good job with that, and it will be good for him to work closely with the women.
During the dedication ceremony, the women proudly showed some of the things they made this week: embroidered denim jackets (especially nifty items), felt picture frames, some Christmas ornaments, a beautiful tote bag with a design drawn by one of the older children and outlined with fabric paint by one of the women, and several other samples of embroidery work in progress. We've found that, with a little direction, the women do beautiful work.
One item of interest to Covenant contributors: we didn't buy one bag of batting all week! In fact we had a fair amount left over which will be used when they finish the beautiful but time-consuming embroidered pillows Barbara taught them how to make using checkered material.
The team made it back across the border in good time, had dinner at Shoney's and arrived at the motel by about 7:30. In view of the fact that Barbara seems to have picked up the “bug,” and with an early start in the morning, devotions will be read privately.
All in all, it's been a great mission trip. Check back in about a week and hopefully by then we'll have pictures posted. Internet capabilities don't allow that as we go, unfortunately, but they will give an added dimension to what you have read.
Thanks to the many gifts of the staff and congregation at Covenant, to those who contributed to the devotional booklet, to Ed Elrod for computer support, and to all who have supported us with their prayers.
Happy Birthdays
Tuesday, February 13
The day started with two maids and the cook staff in the Day's Inn kitchen singing Happy Birthday to Dick in the breakfast room. The team (still minus recuperating Millie and Joyce) stopped for donuts to celebrate the birthday of one of the Mexican women. She wasn't there today, but we'll give her her birthday card tomorrow and any remaining treats.
About 8 or 9 women came to work this morning and several more, plus about 20 children, came in the afternoon. Barbara showed the women the embroidery work she did on her denim jacket and was thrilled to see how they were able to decorate their own.
Adults and children painted vases, wood boxes and Christmas ornaments, and the children also painted designs on tee shirts. Barbara showed sample appliance covers they could make, and a final unpacking and sorting of donated materials was completed. Roman reemphasized that the women were beginning to sell some of the things they made to buy more materials and also add to their financial resources. It has seemed to take a while for that concept to take hold, but they now seem to understand what we were encouraging.
As Faith Ministry's David Rodriquez said, “You're not just giving them fish. You're teaching them how to fish.” Akin to that is that, by giving them raw materials and “starter” ideas, they can do their own thing, which is a real self esteem booster. In a macho society, women don't garner a lot of respect, and we have seen an increase in their confidence and in their ability to make decisions about how to handle materials we leave with them. Those who took part in the clowning also seemed to increase in their confidence and “showmanship.”
Frank worked this morning in the Medical Clinic popping calcium tablets out of their blister packs so Nurse Betty and her assistant, Marta, could dispense them in prescription bottles. Some churches donate used prescription bottles for use in the clinic, and Frank, on Friday, had separated about 700 of them into small, medium and large sizes while Millie helped dispense prescriptions.
Oaks Family Dental Practice had once again donated toothpaste and toothbrushes which are given to patients who come to the clinic. They had also donated large blow-ups of Crest toothpaste tubes which are about 4 feet long. Frank and the nursing staff found it hilarious to watch the children try to blow them up this morning. There was a lot of huffing and puffing, but they loved it!
Millie and Joyce finally recuperated from their 3-day “bug” and joined the team at the Olive Garden to celebrate Dick's birthday, complete with a small chocolate cake and a song by the wait-staff. The team also gave Dick and Ginny a belated wedding anniversary card.
Stopped at Michaels to pick up stencils for the letters on the banners and then to—where else—Wal*Mart to pick up Barbara's films. Then it was back to the motel for devotions and a sharing of how our work has seemed to reach fruition during the course of the week. Of course we use the term “our work” advisedly....
The day started with two maids and the cook staff in the Day's Inn kitchen singing Happy Birthday to Dick in the breakfast room. The team (still minus recuperating Millie and Joyce) stopped for donuts to celebrate the birthday of one of the Mexican women. She wasn't there today, but we'll give her her birthday card tomorrow and any remaining treats.
About 8 or 9 women came to work this morning and several more, plus about 20 children, came in the afternoon. Barbara showed the women the embroidery work she did on her denim jacket and was thrilled to see how they were able to decorate their own.
Adults and children painted vases, wood boxes and Christmas ornaments, and the children also painted designs on tee shirts. Barbara showed sample appliance covers they could make, and a final unpacking and sorting of donated materials was completed. Roman reemphasized that the women were beginning to sell some of the things they made to buy more materials and also add to their financial resources. It has seemed to take a while for that concept to take hold, but they now seem to understand what we were encouraging.
As Faith Ministry's David Rodriquez said, “You're not just giving them fish. You're teaching them how to fish.” Akin to that is that, by giving them raw materials and “starter” ideas, they can do their own thing, which is a real self esteem booster. In a macho society, women don't garner a lot of respect, and we have seen an increase in their confidence and in their ability to make decisions about how to handle materials we leave with them. Those who took part in the clowning also seemed to increase in their confidence and “showmanship.”
Frank worked this morning in the Medical Clinic popping calcium tablets out of their blister packs so Nurse Betty and her assistant, Marta, could dispense them in prescription bottles. Some churches donate used prescription bottles for use in the clinic, and Frank, on Friday, had separated about 700 of them into small, medium and large sizes while Millie helped dispense prescriptions.
Oaks Family Dental Practice had once again donated toothpaste and toothbrushes which are given to patients who come to the clinic. They had also donated large blow-ups of Crest toothpaste tubes which are about 4 feet long. Frank and the nursing staff found it hilarious to watch the children try to blow them up this morning. There was a lot of huffing and puffing, but they loved it!
Millie and Joyce finally recuperated from their 3-day “bug” and joined the team at the Olive Garden to celebrate Dick's birthday, complete with a small chocolate cake and a song by the wait-staff. The team also gave Dick and Ginny a belated wedding anniversary card.
Stopped at Michaels to pick up stencils for the letters on the banners and then to—where else—Wal*Mart to pick up Barbara's films. Then it was back to the motel for devotions and a sharing of how our work has seemed to reach fruition during the course of the week. Of course we use the term “our work” advisedly....
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
A Change of Pace
Monday, February 12
We're a bit late posting Monday's entry to the blog because Millie and Joyce (who writes the blog along with editor Frank) are still feeling the effects of the digestive problems they've been dealing with since Sunday morning, and Joyce was just not up to writing. They didn't venture from the motel today except to join the team for dinner. Actually, except for a little soup, it's more accurate to say they watched the others have dinner—but they enjoyed the company.
In past years, we have planned to have dinner with David Rodriquez, who is one of the administrators of Faith Ministry and the one through which we make our basic arrangements for our mission trips. Besides his being good company, it gives us a chance to learn more in depth about their work.
We also have closed up shop early the last day in order to make a trip to Progresso, a popular tourist town in Mexico which is just across the border not far from where we are located.
Because we had to take Becky to the airport late Monday morning, we rearranged our week's schedule. The hale and hearty among us had breakfast at Denny's with David, took Becky to the airport, then headed for Progresso, primarily to buy vanilla. Mexican vanilla is very cheap and very good, and friends look forward to our coming home with bottles to share.
Dinner at the Golden Corral Cafeteria and another stop at Wal*Mart rounded out the day. We look forward to our last two days which will be spent with all the women and children of the church who are able to come to work on various craft projects. These will be very busy days!
We also will begin work on a project requested by Pastor Tony—banners for the church. We're not sure what happened to the felt banners we made several years ago, but he requested that we not use material that would get damp and stick to the wall, so we suspect that's what happened with the first ones. We'll line the backs of these in order to eliminate that problem. He's given us a list of words to put on them, such as love, forgiveness, and mercy. If we can't finish them before we leave, the Mexican women will be able to complete the project.
We're a bit late posting Monday's entry to the blog because Millie and Joyce (who writes the blog along with editor Frank) are still feeling the effects of the digestive problems they've been dealing with since Sunday morning, and Joyce was just not up to writing. They didn't venture from the motel today except to join the team for dinner. Actually, except for a little soup, it's more accurate to say they watched the others have dinner—but they enjoyed the company.
In past years, we have planned to have dinner with David Rodriquez, who is one of the administrators of Faith Ministry and the one through which we make our basic arrangements for our mission trips. Besides his being good company, it gives us a chance to learn more in depth about their work.
We also have closed up shop early the last day in order to make a trip to Progresso, a popular tourist town in Mexico which is just across the border not far from where we are located.
Because we had to take Becky to the airport late Monday morning, we rearranged our week's schedule. The hale and hearty among us had breakfast at Denny's with David, took Becky to the airport, then headed for Progresso, primarily to buy vanilla. Mexican vanilla is very cheap and very good, and friends look forward to our coming home with bottles to share.
Dinner at the Golden Corral Cafeteria and another stop at Wal*Mart rounded out the day. We look forward to our last two days which will be spent with all the women and children of the church who are able to come to work on various craft projects. These will be very busy days!
We also will begin work on a project requested by Pastor Tony—banners for the church. We're not sure what happened to the felt banners we made several years ago, but he requested that we not use material that would get damp and stick to the wall, so we suspect that's what happened with the first ones. We'll line the backs of these in order to eliminate that problem. He's given us a list of words to put on them, such as love, forgiveness, and mercy. If we can't finish them before we leave, the Mexican women will be able to complete the project.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Sunday's Time Line
(Point of clarification--given the long days, sometimes news isn't posted until after midnight which means the computer-generated day and date are not accurate. The Storm... post was for Saturday, 2/10. This one is for Sunday, 2/11.)
9:00 am: Breakfast in the Day's Inn breakfast room. Joyce and Millie eat almost nothing because their stomachs don't feel like they will welcome anything.
9:45 am: Stop at the local gas/convenience store for lunch supplies.
10:30 am: Arrive at 1st Presbyterian Church in Reynosa. The clown cast, including Dick, get into full costume, and Becky applies make-up. Everyone is excited about how great the costumes look thanks to the Four Seamstresses and Hat Decorator Ginny.
11:00 am: Frank practices the hymns he will accompany during the service. The regular pianist is no longer in the area, so they welcome having the piano for the five hymns they sing (all verses) before the service begins—in contrast to Covenant's “sprinkling” the hymns throughout the service.
11:45 am: The clowns do one skit, and the congregation responds enthusiastically. Not mentioned before is the fact that the clown cast spans three generations—from a 7 year old to her grandmother, one of the most lively of the cast! This is Becky's first multi-generational clown cast, and she's excited about how well it works.
12:30 pm: The service ends, and the team (minus Millie and Joyce who still are not feeling well) walk an incredibly muddy 10 blocks to the lot where the flea market provides a stage for their skits. Once again, they are well received and Becky and the cast hand out all 80 of the colorful bracelets she uses to illustrate the steps to salvation and eternity with God and distributes tracts inviting people to church.
3:00 pm: The team and the clowns return to the church with shoes covered with mud. Frank and Ramon go for fried chicken for all for a late lunch.
4:30 pm: Alfredo, pastor of the church in Naranjito, another of Faith Ministry's churches, arrives to help transport people to his church for a worship service that includes the clown skits.
6:30 pm: Everyone returns to 1st Presbyterian and the clowns, especially ,look thoroughly worn out. Becky reports that the women talked about ways they and the children could continue to use clowning in the church and community. (Now that's an answer to prayer!!)
A side comment: we learn that one of the 7 year olds, who went with her friend to Naranjito, had never before ridden in a car! What a ride for her first one with the rough roads and many kids bouncing in the back!
7:00 pm: The team piles into the van for the return trip to McAllen. Since Joyce (who rides in a third row seat) and Millie (who rides in the front passenger seat) have “emptied” their stomachs several times during the day, they carry with them 13 gallon bags because smaller ones are not available. Dick, who sits in the second row of seats next to the sliding door, is not in costume, but still wears his clown make-up.
8:00 pm: Nearing the end of an almost two hour traffic tie-up to cross the border, Millie loses what's left in her stomach—fortunately into the trash bag. We wonder what to say if Border Patrol asks what's in the bag.
8:30 pm: We finally reach Border Patrol who asks if we are US citizens. We respond, “Yes.” He then spies Millie's bag and asks what's in it. We all laugh, and Barbara explains that she had gotten sick. “I'm sorry to hear that,” he sympathetically responds, and then asks us to open the sliding door. When he walks around he looks in almost at eye-level with Dick, complete with clown make-up. He laughs, shakes his head and asks himself, “Why did I ask you to open the door?” You probably had to be there, but we laugh off and on for miles.
9:00 pm: Arrive back at the motel. Order pizza for those interested (and able), decide to skip devotions tonight and double up tomorrow night. Frank scrubs his very muddy sneakers in the sink using his hairbrush to get into the tough places. “The mud will wash off the brush,” he says. Joyce simply agrees.
After a 12 hour day with no real breaks, lots of laughter, lots of wonder at the power of clowning, especially under the enthusiastic direction of Becky, we are absolutely amazed at how God works His will in spite of mud, upset stomachs, tie-ups at the border, and an adventure in which one never knows for sure what's around the next corner.
9:00 am: Breakfast in the Day's Inn breakfast room. Joyce and Millie eat almost nothing because their stomachs don't feel like they will welcome anything.
9:45 am: Stop at the local gas/convenience store for lunch supplies.
10:30 am: Arrive at 1st Presbyterian Church in Reynosa. The clown cast, including Dick, get into full costume, and Becky applies make-up. Everyone is excited about how great the costumes look thanks to the Four Seamstresses and Hat Decorator Ginny.
11:00 am: Frank practices the hymns he will accompany during the service. The regular pianist is no longer in the area, so they welcome having the piano for the five hymns they sing (all verses) before the service begins—in contrast to Covenant's “sprinkling” the hymns throughout the service.
11:45 am: The clowns do one skit, and the congregation responds enthusiastically. Not mentioned before is the fact that the clown cast spans three generations—from a 7 year old to her grandmother, one of the most lively of the cast! This is Becky's first multi-generational clown cast, and she's excited about how well it works.
12:30 pm: The service ends, and the team (minus Millie and Joyce who still are not feeling well) walk an incredibly muddy 10 blocks to the lot where the flea market provides a stage for their skits. Once again, they are well received and Becky and the cast hand out all 80 of the colorful bracelets she uses to illustrate the steps to salvation and eternity with God and distributes tracts inviting people to church.
3:00 pm: The team and the clowns return to the church with shoes covered with mud. Frank and Ramon go for fried chicken for all for a late lunch.
4:30 pm: Alfredo, pastor of the church in Naranjito, another of Faith Ministry's churches, arrives to help transport people to his church for a worship service that includes the clown skits.
6:30 pm: Everyone returns to 1st Presbyterian and the clowns, especially ,look thoroughly worn out. Becky reports that the women talked about ways they and the children could continue to use clowning in the church and community. (Now that's an answer to prayer!!)
A side comment: we learn that one of the 7 year olds, who went with her friend to Naranjito, had never before ridden in a car! What a ride for her first one with the rough roads and many kids bouncing in the back!
7:00 pm: The team piles into the van for the return trip to McAllen. Since Joyce (who rides in a third row seat) and Millie (who rides in the front passenger seat) have “emptied” their stomachs several times during the day, they carry with them 13 gallon bags because smaller ones are not available. Dick, who sits in the second row of seats next to the sliding door, is not in costume, but still wears his clown make-up.
8:00 pm: Nearing the end of an almost two hour traffic tie-up to cross the border, Millie loses what's left in her stomach—fortunately into the trash bag. We wonder what to say if Border Patrol asks what's in the bag.
8:30 pm: We finally reach Border Patrol who asks if we are US citizens. We respond, “Yes.” He then spies Millie's bag and asks what's in it. We all laugh, and Barbara explains that she had gotten sick. “I'm sorry to hear that,” he sympathetically responds, and then asks us to open the sliding door. When he walks around he looks in almost at eye-level with Dick, complete with clown make-up. He laughs, shakes his head and asks himself, “Why did I ask you to open the door?” You probably had to be there, but we laugh off and on for miles.
9:00 pm: Arrive back at the motel. Order pizza for those interested (and able), decide to skip devotions tonight and double up tomorrow night. Frank scrubs his very muddy sneakers in the sink using his hairbrush to get into the tough places. “The mud will wash off the brush,” he says. Joyce simply agrees.
After a 12 hour day with no real breaks, lots of laughter, lots of wonder at the power of clowning, especially under the enthusiastic direction of Becky, we are absolutely amazed at how God works His will in spite of mud, upset stomachs, tie-ups at the border, and an adventure in which one never knows for sure what's around the next corner.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Storms, Stitches, and Skits
The team—along with the near world—was abruptly awakened this morning at 5:30 by a LOUD clap of thunder and a heavy downpour. The thunder sounds quite different here in McAllen, TX, probably because the land is almost absolutely flat for many miles around. That may explain why most of us were up for breakfast a bit earlier than usual. We were off to Mexico at 8:15 am, and Joyce made a call to Roman (Ro-mahn), the bi-lingual young man who is a jack-of-all-trades for Faith Ministry, doing everything from translating for visiting mission teams to escorting teams through the jungle of streets in Reynosa when necessary.
We definitely needed an escort this morning, because, with the heavy rain (which, fortunately, stopped by the time we left), we knew streets on our usual journey would be hub deep in mud. Roman met us at a shopping center not far from the edge of the city, and led us safely on a zigzag trip to the church. We are fortunate to have two team members, Ginny and Millie, who have GPS-type brains and who, at the end of the day, were able to reverse the itinerary and get us back to McAllen.
At this time, we should cite Barbara for service above and beyond the call of duty in driving our 12 passenger van through streets that are narrow and extremely rough. She maneuvered narrow streets jam-packed with cars who were also unable to take their usual routes, and never lost her cool. Three cheers for Barbara!!
Shortly after our arrival, all four sewing machines (two donated last year, two this year) were racing up and down the seams of nine very colorful clown pants. Pat and Barbara were matched stitch for stitch by two of the Mexican seamstresses, and the pants were completed by the end of the day. When coupled with colorful tee shirts decorated with fabric paint, red wigs and brightly decorated derby-shaped hats, everyone had broad smiles, and excitement mounted for tomorrow's clown skits which had a final round of rehearsals today.
The day ended with the purchase of some craft items at Michael's, dinner, devotions, and a return to our separate rooms for the night.
We definitely needed an escort this morning, because, with the heavy rain (which, fortunately, stopped by the time we left), we knew streets on our usual journey would be hub deep in mud. Roman met us at a shopping center not far from the edge of the city, and led us safely on a zigzag trip to the church. We are fortunate to have two team members, Ginny and Millie, who have GPS-type brains and who, at the end of the day, were able to reverse the itinerary and get us back to McAllen.
At this time, we should cite Barbara for service above and beyond the call of duty in driving our 12 passenger van through streets that are narrow and extremely rough. She maneuvered narrow streets jam-packed with cars who were also unable to take their usual routes, and never lost her cool. Three cheers for Barbara!!
Shortly after our arrival, all four sewing machines (two donated last year, two this year) were racing up and down the seams of nine very colorful clown pants. Pat and Barbara were matched stitch for stitch by two of the Mexican seamstresses, and the pants were completed by the end of the day. When coupled with colorful tee shirts decorated with fabric paint, red wigs and brightly decorated derby-shaped hats, everyone had broad smiles, and excitement mounted for tomorrow's clown skits which had a final round of rehearsals today.
The day ended with the purchase of some craft items at Michael's, dinner, devotions, and a return to our separate rooms for the night.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Send in the clowns!
Last night, Thursday, the flyers, Pat, Barbara, Millie, Becky, Dick and Ginny, arrived at the motel about 7:30. The team got together to discuss travel events of the day, plans for Friday, and had devotions led by Becky. Everyone was exhausted, so we didn't linger long.
Friday morning, everyone was up and ready to leave the motel at 8:15. Pastor Tony had said only 3 women were interested in clowning, and they were there waiting for us when we arrived. Ideally, Becky needs 9 to fill all the parts in her clown skits. Hmmm...
By 9:45, four more women arrived plus 2 children. Bingo!!
It was wonderful to watch 9 very serious, not-quite-sure-what's- going-to-happen faces begin to smile, then laugh, and finally to see everyone joyously flapping their arms like a chicken, pretending to fly, and generally having a great time. Dick joined in the skits much to the delight of everyone. Within two hours, Becky had taught them five short clown skits that illustrated the good news of the Gospel.
The rest of the team, plus a few more volunteers who showed up, began making clown costumes while Millie and Frank worked at the new Medical Center.
After lunch, the team attended a praise service along with another mission team of about 25 people from Raleigh, NC who had just completed building a house (12' X 24') for a family in the area. The new house was dedicated in a service that included enthusiastic singing and a message from the minister of the church in that area. Wish you could have been there!
Stopped at Wal*Mart on the way home. (It's almost a tradtion at this point!) Where else could you buy a two-burner hot plate (a donation by one of the team members to the Medical Clinic), grapes, ModPodge, tissue paper, tee shirts, and Q-tips.
Had supper at a nearby Golden Corral cafeteria with good food and reasonable prices. Back to the motel for planning, devotions, and final preparations for tomorrow. Once again--we're exhausted, not quite sure what tomorrow will hold, but have a deep sense of satisfaction with the day's work.
Friday morning, everyone was up and ready to leave the motel at 8:15. Pastor Tony had said only 3 women were interested in clowning, and they were there waiting for us when we arrived. Ideally, Becky needs 9 to fill all the parts in her clown skits. Hmmm...
By 9:45, four more women arrived plus 2 children. Bingo!!
It was wonderful to watch 9 very serious, not-quite-sure-what's- going-to-happen faces begin to smile, then laugh, and finally to see everyone joyously flapping their arms like a chicken, pretending to fly, and generally having a great time. Dick joined in the skits much to the delight of everyone. Within two hours, Becky had taught them five short clown skits that illustrated the good news of the Gospel.
The rest of the team, plus a few more volunteers who showed up, began making clown costumes while Millie and Frank worked at the new Medical Center.
After lunch, the team attended a praise service along with another mission team of about 25 people from Raleigh, NC who had just completed building a house (12' X 24') for a family in the area. The new house was dedicated in a service that included enthusiastic singing and a message from the minister of the church in that area. Wish you could have been there!
Stopped at Wal*Mart on the way home. (It's almost a tradtion at this point!) Where else could you buy a two-burner hot plate (a donation by one of the team members to the Medical Clinic), grapes, ModPodge, tissue paper, tee shirts, and Q-tips.
Had supper at a nearby Golden Corral cafeteria with good food and reasonable prices. Back to the motel for planning, devotions, and final preparations for tomorrow. Once again--we're exhausted, not quite sure what tomorrow will hold, but have a deep sense of satisfaction with the day's work.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
The Van Has Landed
Joyce and Frank arrived safely in San Juan, TX at 4:30 today (Thursday). For the statistically interested, they travelled 2065 miles at an average of 54 mph (and even Joyce did not exceed the speed limits!) Driving time was 38 hours. Miles per gallon averaged 22.1--not bad considering that the van was fully loaded. (See picture below.)
Temperatures ranged from 5 degrees in Charleston, WV on Monday morning to 83 degrees on arrival today. They knew they were in Texas when they saw cattle, cactus and cowboys (though not the football variety.) They even saw a caravan of chuck wagons pulled by horses and mules and accompanied by about 20 horseback riders. Their moniker was The Trail Blazers. They don't know where they came from or where they were going, but they pulled over, waved and took pictures which will be published after the trip.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Report From The Road ...
Frank, Joyce, and the cavernous, but overloaded, van have arrived safely today in Hope, AR. The latitude is falling and the temperature rising as the miles disappear in the rear view mirror. Hope is a balmy 67 degrees, a dramatic change from the 7 degree day back home in Malvern.
Vacuum packing made it possible to carry even more supplies this year, but the cavernous van moaned, groaned, and whined for the first hour on the road. Soon enough, everything settled in for an uneventful and quiet journey.
They abandon Hope (but certainly not hope) first thing Wednesday, heading for a planned arrival in McAllen, TX on Thursday. Stay tuned for another update on Thursday.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Final Stages of Preparation
Take-off time for the van is just days away, and CAMT folks (with help from Ute, Frank and Joyce's neighbor) gather to sort the mountain of donations from Covenant's congregation. Did it all fit in the van? Depends on how you look at it. There were 3 boxes of yarn and batting that had to be shipped--but in view of all that needed to be packed--you decide!
PS Vacuum packing really helps! It's amazing what you can stuff into 5 bags which are reduced to a considerably smaller size when you suck out all the air. Frank's anaology: It's like putting 10 pounds of stuff in a 5 pound bag!
(Both drivers and flyers are scheduled to arrive in McAllen, TX on Thursday, Feb. 8. We plan to have daily postings while we're there. Check back and read all about it!)
PS Vacuum packing really helps! It's amazing what you can stuff into 5 bags which are reduced to a considerably smaller size when you suck out all the air. Frank's anaology: It's like putting 10 pounds of stuff in a 5 pound bag!
(Both drivers and flyers are scheduled to arrive in McAllen, TX on Thursday, Feb. 8. We plan to have daily postings while we're there. Check back and read all about it!)
Thursday, January 25, 2007
The Van and Its Cargo
QUESTION:
Does the space needed by sewing and craft donations equal or exceed the space in the van?
Check back Feb. 8 or 9 for the answer and for the beginning of daily reporting on our misson team work...at least we hope to report daily!
Does the space needed by sewing and craft donations equal or exceed the space in the van?
Check back Feb. 8 or 9 for the answer and for the beginning of daily reporting on our misson team work...at least we hope to report daily!
ALMOST TAKE-OFF TIME!
Covenant Presbyterian Church in Frazer, PA has been donating lots of sewing and craft supplies over the past few weeks for our friends in Reynosa, Mexico. The question: will everything in the second picture fit into what's in the first picture--especially since even more has been given since the second picture was taken? Donations will be packed into tubs for greater efficiency, but, we wonder... Lighter items, like batting and yarn, will be shipped if there’s not enough room in the van.
Eight team members will work with women and children in the 1st Presbyterian Church in Reynosa. They will make things for themselves and friends, and are encouraged to sell extra items to supplement their meager income. This is a greatly impoverished area where, we’ve learned, the women considered making larger squares for the rag quilts and pillows they learned to make last year because they wouldn’t need to use as much thread—a poignant indication of the level of poverty.
Frank and Joyce leave Feb. 4 in the van, and the rest of the team, Barbara, Ginny, Dick, Millie, Pat, and Becky will fly to McAllen, TX Feb. 8. The team stays in a very nice, but very reasonable, Days Inn in McAllen and drives across the border each day to Reynosa. (Carl, who leads CAMT’s WV teams, says, “You don’t have to suffer to serve.”)
Becky is new to the team this year. She’s on leave from mission work in Mexico and, more recently, Paraguay, and will lead the first three days when she’ll teach clowning as a way of witnessing to God’s love and forgiveness. We’ll make clown costumes and learn how to convey the message Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, the clowns will do brief “shows” in Sunday School, church, and, in the afternoon, for the general public. Hopefully, this will be an on-going outreach program for their church since clowning is very much enjoyed by the Mexican people—especially the adults.
The rest of the week will be spent with women and children making all kinds of sewing and craft items: knitting fun fur scarves, embroidering tablecloths and denim jackets, weaving pot holders, making appliance covers, painting vases, decorating tee shirts—and lots more.
We ask for your prayers for safe travel and for effective witnessing to the love of Christ as well as to the love of the congregation at Covenant.
Eight team members will work with women and children in the 1st Presbyterian Church in Reynosa. They will make things for themselves and friends, and are encouraged to sell extra items to supplement their meager income. This is a greatly impoverished area where, we’ve learned, the women considered making larger squares for the rag quilts and pillows they learned to make last year because they wouldn’t need to use as much thread—a poignant indication of the level of poverty.
Frank and Joyce leave Feb. 4 in the van, and the rest of the team, Barbara, Ginny, Dick, Millie, Pat, and Becky will fly to McAllen, TX Feb. 8. The team stays in a very nice, but very reasonable, Days Inn in McAllen and drives across the border each day to Reynosa. (Carl, who leads CAMT’s WV teams, says, “You don’t have to suffer to serve.”)
Becky is new to the team this year. She’s on leave from mission work in Mexico and, more recently, Paraguay, and will lead the first three days when she’ll teach clowning as a way of witnessing to God’s love and forgiveness. We’ll make clown costumes and learn how to convey the message Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, the clowns will do brief “shows” in Sunday School, church, and, in the afternoon, for the general public. Hopefully, this will be an on-going outreach program for their church since clowning is very much enjoyed by the Mexican people—especially the adults.
The rest of the week will be spent with women and children making all kinds of sewing and craft items: knitting fun fur scarves, embroidering tablecloths and denim jackets, weaving pot holders, making appliance covers, painting vases, decorating tee shirts—and lots more.
We ask for your prayers for safe travel and for effective witnessing to the love of Christ as well as to the love of the congregation at Covenant.
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