Light at the End of the Tunnel

Another rich, full day is over - another great day.  Bob Pespisa and assistants installed 3 new toilets, a hot water heater both bathroom and kitchen sinks, a new kitchen table and more.  The outside painters finished their work, and are looking to do a final job which seemed out of reach only yesterday: paining the steeple.  The sanctuary painters finished the inside painting, doing second coats of walls, touching up and doing the window trim.

After that, we went to a place on the roadside that Geneva told us about, where mountain spring water comes through a pipe.  We had great fun going under the pipe and cooling off after a hot day.

I cannot tell you how proud I am of this group.  They are all hard workers - everyone takes a tasks and works on it with focus and care.  They work beautifully as a team, each helping one another.  Older and younger generations work together, the older giving encouragement, wisdom and support to the young.  There is a lot of laughing and joy.  There is also deep and thoughtful sharing as we gather together in a circle and reflect.

Living together, working together, eating together, praying together: this all can be a great experience.  It also can be a challenge.  This team has lived all this out faithfully.

We had a great cookout for dinner, with Rick Burke being the grillmeister.  After we had our fill of burgers, dogs, slaw, potato salad and watermelon, we had a game of "pig" - which is similar to the basketball game "horse."  We had great fun, trying to shoot baskets.  Congratulations to Evan for winning!

We then had a campfire under the stars.  We made smores and enjoyed the fire.  Laurie from the Riff Raff Center (she came up to the mission festival in January) came with her drums and explained them to us.  She played some drums and then recited a beautiful poem that she composed about Jesus choosing to be with the "riff raff" (hence the name of the center.

Tomorrow, we finish our work, and then join Margaret and Geneva in a service of singing hymns and praying in the newly renovated sanctuary.  We are looking forward to having the satisfaction of completing the job - a job that greatly exceeded everyone's expectations.

We are always grateful for your thoughts, prayers and all the love you send down to us.  We send it back to you.  We cant wait to come back Sunday and tell you in person!