Work and Worship

Only 4 days of working on this project and we will move on. Since our project in Oklahoma doesn't start until Oct. 11 we have more than adequate travel time so we are planning on taking a little break and going to Branson, MO for a few days. We will leave here Friday, the 2nd, arrive in Branson on the 3rd and leave there on the 9th for Colcord, Oklahoma. Start working again the next Monday. Some of you have asked about our immediate future plan, that's it.

We've made a lot of headway on the house but will leave it far from finished. We usually work in pairs, probably that is so because none of us are experts in what we do so we have a buddy check before we actually go ahead and do something.

One job I mentioned last week was that Dad and Bob had to work on plumbing under the house and since it was moved in it no longer had a basement. You can see on the picture what working conditions they had for a few days. Dad got a scratch on his head from meeting the beam above him too suddenly but aside from stiffness in neck and legs they did very well in their limited space. But part of the work involved first taking the wainscoting off of the "ceiling". This picture shows what I tried to explain last week when they took it down and the years (the house is 105 years old) of dust descended on them. Couldn't help it, we all burst out laughing. Thank goodness it was not oil as it looked but dust that came off fairly easy. I am sure some of you would have coughed and sneezed and blew your nose for hours if you would have been exposed to so much old dust.

The kitchen cupboards needed to be relieved of layers and layers of old paint. Not an easy job. For some reason that I don't understand no paint remover was used but the layers were sanded off. I started with this group and we all had sandpaper. Well that seemed like a job that could take the whole 4 weeks. These ladies had been promoted to electric sanders but it still was an arm muscle building job and a dusty one. I soon found I could better use my strength somewhere else. They painted the cupboards a creamy color after sanding for hours and they really do look nice now. The integrity of the cupboards was maintained while giving them a face lift.

I did not get on the scaffolding when they asked for people to paper the ceiling in some rooms that were 10 feet high so I ended up being the resident paster (not even close to being a pastor) and measurer - feet on the ground except I pasted downstairs and they papered up stairs. Oh well, good for leg muscles to be strengthened. Seemed ironic when yesterday we went to McCook, NE just to see what that town had to offer and I find myself on a Saturday afternoon checking out what kind of professional tape measure I wanted. Of well! The lady in yellow in the picture is the director of Shepherd's Staff and she and I work very well together. She really lives in Texas but comes up here a majority of the time. She doesn't move up here because her husband wants to stay living in a city. So he comes up here for some months and she goes to Texas for other months. Her husband was an MD and has retired but still likes to live in that area. Can't say I really blame him, this town doesn't exactly provide everything socially and culturally that some of us think is quite necessary. Say like cell phone coverage and access to the Internet from our RV's. Actually this town has no commerce at all. It has one gas station that, according to the sign, sells gas, beer and cigarettes. That is it.

Since RVICS is for retired people our hours are pretty good but I am glad we are not getting paid by the hour. Of, that is right, we aren't being paid. By Thursday noon we are both done for the week with work. Then we tour. This week we toured a sun flower processing plant. The guide was excellent and the information fun. They bring in sunflowers from hundreds of miles around. The plant is old but the technology of cleaning, drying, processing into mostly edible product and bagging is mostly automated.

Many times during the week before we travel or after devotions, etc. we circle up. and that is what the picture depicts. no matter where we are we join hands and one of the group leads us in prayer. We think this would be a wonderful thing to do in other settings as well in RVICS.

At other projects we had pop on the patio. Three thirty, after the guys are done working, we bring our lawn chair and drink and set for a spell. Good way to rehearse what the day had brought and we just have a social time. Another good "habit". One couple was missing when this picture was taken.
We worshipped at the town church again this morning. We have grown to love the people and that is something that is more possible because of the small size. They will host a dinner for us on Wednesday night, that will be fun. Then on to whatever the Lord has for us to do in Oklahoma.

We really enjoy working in this capacity but also miss being closer to some family and friends. We pray we will be open to what the Lord has in mind for us in the months ahead. Our life has never been one steady course for years on end so often we examine the road and try to determine which direction, which road, we are to go on. Covet your prayers for that direction.

We appreciate the blogs, emails and phone calls we receive. The phone calls are not always clear or without disruptions (right Cindy?) but we can get some conversation in. We could not function without knowing how you all are doing.

Love to all.

Dad and Mom