Made It to Pipestem!

Our second day of travel took us from Carlisle, PA, through Maryland and Virginia on highway 81.  We then got on I-64 west through the mountains and into West Virginia.  Once off the highway, we went through the twisting, winding roads that are so typical in WV.  Hairpin turns going up steep mountains, looking down at steep drops. There was also the immense beauty of WV.  We rode along the New River and got amazing scenic views.

The minivan pulled into the Appalachian South Folklife Center at about 5:30 and we met Laura Lavernia, the new director of the Center.  She gave us a tour of the center - a beautiful setting, with dorms, kitchen/dining room, library, chapel, tool shed, etc.

She talked briefly about the history of the center.  It was started by a Universalist Pastor, who had a vision of starting a center that would lift up the culture and spirit of the people of the area: their heritage, their pride, etc.  He was a very vocal advocate for coal miners and workers rights.  I'll let you know more about him in a future blog.

We've heard from Terry and Rick, who made it to Charlotte via plane and will be heading out to join us tomorrow morning.  Our major task will be renovating a libary on the grounds of the center.  It is a small log cabin that serves  many purposes.  It needs a lot of restoration.  There's other jobs, projects, etc. that Laura envisions, including a tour of the area to see what life is like for the poorest in the area.

Laura was absolutely overwhelmed by our church's generosity.  There were tears in her eyes when I told her about the $2,000 in Lowes Gift cards that I gave her, along with the $1,000  check from the Outreach Board.  She then saw all the mission bucket stuff we brought and could not stop expressing her gratitude.

I already have a great feeling about this place: its origin, its mission and vision seem to be a great fit for our church.  I am hoping we can start a long-standing relationship with this organization.

After a delicious gumbo dinner that Allyson made, we are now ready for bed, looking forward to our first day at work.

I hear that worship went really well, and you heard a great message from Kate about the resurrection of a local river down here.  Thanks so much for your prayers!  Keep them coming, and we'll keep you posted about what's happening down here.

John