We hope to be leaving in mid-January so there really isn't a lot of time to get things done around here. As many of you already know we had and ice storm here just before Christmas which caused lots of damage to trees as well as a loss of power. We experienced both so there has been some time for cleanup of downed trees along with everything else. Now the weather has turned very cold as the Northeast goes into the deep freeze for a few days. Texas is sounding better all the time. We won't see Florida-like temps but that's ok. It'll be warmer than it is up here right now. As I type this blog the outside temp is -5 with the forecast for lots colder temps in the next couple of days.
That's a quick update. Once we hit the road I'll have more to share. In the meantime, have a Happy New Year and we'll be seeing you out there "On The Road".
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Well, Christmas season has come and gone and our thoughts, and energies, are turning to the journey ahead. Fran is making final preparations in the house as we get things ready for our drive to Texas. As I mentioned in the last blog, we traded in our 32 foot travel trailer and are now towing a 19 footer. Since it weighs much less than the big trailer we have also downsized our tow vehicle to a Ram 1500, gasoline powered truck. We kinda miss that Diesel rumble when we start up but now we can have a comfortable conversation or hear the phone, etc. when we are cruising down the road.
We hope to be leaving in mid-January so there really isn't a lot of time to get things done around here. As many of you already know we had and ice storm here just before Christmas which caused lots of damage to trees as well as a loss of power. We experienced both so there has been some time for cleanup of downed trees along with everything else. Now the weather has turned very cold as the Northeast goes into the deep freeze for a few days. Texas is sounding better all the time. We won't see Florida-like temps but that's ok. It'll be warmer than it is up here right now. As I type this blog the outside temp is -5 with the forecast for lots colder temps in the next couple of days.
That's a quick update. Once we hit the road I'll have more to share. In the meantime, have a Happy New Year and we'll be seeing you out there "On The Road".
We hope to be leaving in mid-January so there really isn't a lot of time to get things done around here. As many of you already know we had and ice storm here just before Christmas which caused lots of damage to trees as well as a loss of power. We experienced both so there has been some time for cleanup of downed trees along with everything else. Now the weather has turned very cold as the Northeast goes into the deep freeze for a few days. Texas is sounding better all the time. We won't see Florida-like temps but that's ok. It'll be warmer than it is up here right now. As I type this blog the outside temp is -5 with the forecast for lots colder temps in the next couple of days.
That's a quick update. Once we hit the road I'll have more to share. In the meantime, have a Happy New Year and we'll be seeing you out there "On The Road".
Monday, December 16, 2013
IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME!
We have not used this site since January of 2009 so it's been a very long time. Rather that telling you what we've been doing since then I think we'll share what we are about to do in the near future. We are still working for 3 months each winter in the South as we have been doing for several years in Florida but are about to start a new chapter in that part of our lives. This winter we will be working at the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge in Sherman, Texas.
We will be enjoying family, friends AND SNOW until mid January when we will begin our journey to Texas. Until then I won't be posting too much but once we hit the road I hope to blog fairly often, telling you about our journey and our work this winter. If you have any interest in following our blog you can link to it and know when something new has been added. I'm pretty rusty in using this site but I will come back up to speed as we go so please be patient. In the meantime, why not check out the refuge where we will be working. I will include a link to the "Friends of Hagerman" site which is full of very current photos. It can be found at http://www.friendsofhagerman.com/Home .
We have spent 4 winters in Central Florida so, in preparation for more traveling in new areas at greater distances from home, we have downsized from our 32 footer and now tow a 19 foot travel trailer. It is much smaller but much lighter and easier to maneuver on the highway as well as in traffic. I'll include photos in future posts so you can see what we live in out the 'ON THE ROAD'.(if I can remember how to do that on this site)
Thanks for checking out the site and keep your eyes open for future posts. In the meantime, enjoy the holidays wherever life may have taken you. Please try to remember that Jesus is, indeed, the true reason for the season. In all the hustle and bustle it's easy to forget. This is when we remember God's unbelievable act of love in becoming a man and allowing himself to assume the absolutely dependent form of a newborn, in the most humble of beginnings. All of God's best to you and....we'll be seeing you out there 'ON THE ROAD.'
We have spent 4 winters in Central Florida so, in preparation for more traveling in new areas at greater distances from home, we have downsized from our 32 footer and now tow a 19 foot travel trailer. It is much smaller but much lighter and easier to maneuver on the highway as well as in traffic. I'll include photos in future posts so you can see what we live in out the 'ON THE ROAD'.(if I can remember how to do that on this site)
Thanks for checking out the site and keep your eyes open for future posts. In the meantime, enjoy the holidays wherever life may have taken you. Please try to remember that Jesus is, indeed, the true reason for the season. In all the hustle and bustle it's easy to forget. This is when we remember God's unbelievable act of love in becoming a man and allowing himself to assume the absolutely dependent form of a newborn, in the most humble of beginnings. All of God's best to you and....we'll be seeing you out there 'ON THE ROAD.'
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
THE NEW YEAR BEGINS
Well, it’s been a while since our last post. We headed north for Christmas with our families and had a great time spending time with many of them. Though the weather was quite mild, we did find some snow still around when we arrived.
By the time our visit came to a close the weather had warmed considerably and much of the snow had melted. This made driving much nicer than it could have been.
We left our family and headed even further north to check on our home. After that we made a surprise visit to our church family at the Fowler Baptist Church in Gouverneur on 12/28 we headed south.
It was during this return trip that we had quite a surprise. We thought that the main “migration” of snowbirds (all those folks who “fly south” for the winter months in search of sunshine and warmth) took place in the late fall but we were wrong. There is a huge number of people who wait until after Christmas to leave for their winter in the southern USA. This became very evident as we travelled south, first on Interstate 81 and then on every other interstate on our route.
We saw a constant flow of RV’s along with lots and lots of cars and vans with license plates from northern states, their back seats filled to the brim with suitcases, hanging clothes, bags and boxes. At every rest stop they were there as well in great numbers. Apparently, from speaking with people in the park where we are staying, this is the usual routine. The largest number of winter residents arrive between Christmas and the New Year.
As we drove through South Carolina traffic seemed to increase. We weren’t quite sure why but it became so congested on the Interstate that traffic slowed to a crawl and even became “stop and go” travel as we continued.
There were, as you might imagine, many tractor trailers on the highway as well. As I listened to them talking on the CB radio I learned of another reason for the traffic jam. There were four college bowl games taking place in Florida the next few days and there were about 300,000 people expected to attend the various games. As we watched the cars race by we could see the signs of college football fans everywhere. There were decals and magnetic stickers on many of the cars we saw. There were tiger paw prints galore and many cars even had stripped tiger tails hanging from their trunks. When we stopped at rest areas we say all kinds of college sweatshirts and T shirts being worn. And on many, many cars we say flags with college emblems flying from short “flagpoles” clipped into the closed car windows allowing them to flutter just above the car’s roof.
So, between the 2nd “migration” of the snow birds, the normal business traffic and all the people returning from their holiday travel it was a busy place to be. We logged over 3500 miles on our trip and, I am please to say, we saw evidence of very few serious accidents. With traffic running over 70 MPH most of the way we felt blessed to avoid such a mishap ourselves. We both found ourselves “shooting” a silent prayer for safety in travel often during the trip. We thank God that we had a safe journey with no real problems. Even our new muffler behaved itself this time around!
Well, as regular visitors to this blog already know, Fran and I travelled to 3 different Habitat builds during the early winter months. We were in Siler City, NC as well as Sebring and Vero Beach in Florida. The second half of the winter we will be staying put in Sebring and work both at the Habitat Home Store here as well as helping on the build sites as well. As a matter of fact we were both working yesterday. Frannie was doing floral design at the store and I “rode shotgun” on one of the store’s two large delivery truck.
We spent the day picking up donated items which we brought back to the store for resale. This is the lifeblood of funding for the local affiliate. During each of the last two years this store has made over $ 600,000. It’s amazing to realize how important these stores are and how much people donate. If you haven’t been in a Habitat Home Store I hope you have the opportunity. Some are very nice and the furniture, etc. which they sell is very nice as well. We will be focusing our attention on this local area in future postings and will share more about the local affiliate as well.
We hope you all had a great Christmas and we want to thank you again for checking us out on this blogsite. God bless you in this New Year and we’ll be seeing you again soon out here “on the road”.
By the time our visit came to a close the weather had warmed considerably and much of the snow had melted. This made driving much nicer than it could have been.
We left our family and headed even further north to check on our home. After that we made a surprise visit to our church family at the Fowler Baptist Church in Gouverneur on 12/28 we headed south.
It was during this return trip that we had quite a surprise. We thought that the main “migration” of snowbirds (all those folks who “fly south” for the winter months in search of sunshine and warmth) took place in the late fall but we were wrong. There is a huge number of people who wait until after Christmas to leave for their winter in the southern USA. This became very evident as we travelled south, first on Interstate 81 and then on every other interstate on our route.
We saw a constant flow of RV’s along with lots and lots of cars and vans with license plates from northern states, their back seats filled to the brim with suitcases, hanging clothes, bags and boxes. At every rest stop they were there as well in great numbers. Apparently, from speaking with people in the park where we are staying, this is the usual routine. The largest number of winter residents arrive between Christmas and the New Year.
As we drove through South Carolina traffic seemed to increase. We weren’t quite sure why but it became so congested on the Interstate that traffic slowed to a crawl and even became “stop and go” travel as we continued.
There were, as you might imagine, many tractor trailers on the highway as well. As I listened to them talking on the CB radio I learned of another reason for the traffic jam. There were four college bowl games taking place in Florida the next few days and there were about 300,000 people expected to attend the various games. As we watched the cars race by we could see the signs of college football fans everywhere. There were decals and magnetic stickers on many of the cars we saw. There were tiger paw prints galore and many cars even had stripped tiger tails hanging from their trunks. When we stopped at rest areas we say all kinds of college sweatshirts and T shirts being worn. And on many, many cars we say flags with college emblems flying from short “flagpoles” clipped into the closed car windows allowing them to flutter just above the car’s roof.
So, between the 2nd “migration” of the snow birds, the normal business traffic and all the people returning from their holiday travel it was a busy place to be. We logged over 3500 miles on our trip and, I am please to say, we saw evidence of very few serious accidents. With traffic running over 70 MPH most of the way we felt blessed to avoid such a mishap ourselves. We both found ourselves “shooting” a silent prayer for safety in travel often during the trip. We thank God that we had a safe journey with no real problems. Even our new muffler behaved itself this time around!
Well, as regular visitors to this blog already know, Fran and I travelled to 3 different Habitat builds during the early winter months. We were in Siler City, NC as well as Sebring and Vero Beach in Florida. The second half of the winter we will be staying put in Sebring and work both at the Habitat Home Store here as well as helping on the build sites as well. As a matter of fact we were both working yesterday. Frannie was doing floral design at the store and I “rode shotgun” on one of the store’s two large delivery truck.
We spent the day picking up donated items which we brought back to the store for resale. This is the lifeblood of funding for the local affiliate. During each of the last two years this store has made over $ 600,000. It’s amazing to realize how important these stores are and how much people donate. If you haven’t been in a Habitat Home Store I hope you have the opportunity. Some are very nice and the furniture, etc. which they sell is very nice as well. We will be focusing our attention on this local area in future postings and will share more about the local affiliate as well.
We hope you all had a great Christmas and we want to thank you again for checking us out on this blogsite. God bless you in this New Year and we’ll be seeing you again soon out here “on the road”.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
INDIAN RIVER HABITAT: SUNSHINE & SONSHINE !
Hi! It’s been some time since my last posting. We have been busy at work here at the Indian River Habitat for Humanity in Vero Beach, FL. I thought I’d share with you a little about the “sunshine” we have enjoyed here but, even more important, I want to share with you some of the “Sonshine” we have experienced here. I want to “put a face” on this experience by sharing with you some of the dedicated people we have met and worked with at this build.
As you might expect, the topic which seems to come up more than any other among the volunteers is the weather, especially the temperature. Our stay here in Vero Beach has been great. We have enjoyed sunshine every day, with a few clouds as well. Some days are more still than others but there is usually at least a little breeze. Though we have had a few days in the mid 60’s, most of the time we reach the mid 70’s up to 80 degrees. The local radio calls it “above average” temperatures but that’s ok with us. It would be accurate to say that not a morning goes by but what those of us from the “frozen north” speak with each other about the weather people are experiencing “back home”. At this build we often speak of the cold of West Virginia, the storms of Michigan and the snow of Northern New York. You hear things like, “They had 20 inches of snow in Michigan last night” or “It was 12 below last night up home.” Living in T-shirts and shorts much of the time one forgets the “norm” that was your life until you headed south along with many other “snowbirds”.
There certainly is something to be said about the effect which prolonged exposure to sunlight and warm temperatures has on a person both in body as well as mind. We have experienced that not only through working in our shirtsleeves in December but also in being able to take a walk, ride our bikes or just sit outside and “soak up the sunlight”. We feel very blessed to be able to be experiencing all of this. But along with all this sunshine I also want to speak of the “Sonshine” we are experiencing here at Vero Beach.
We have enjoyed worshipping at a local Baptist church since arriving here but the “Sonshine” I’m talking about is the people who openly share their faith in how they live and how they work together at this affiliate. Don’t misunderstand me, we have met some wonderful people of faith in our other two Habitat experiences during this trip but the Indian River Habitat staff is very open about their faith, about this work being a ministry and we have heard many different staff members share a devotion at the start of the day or lead prayer on the job site before sharing a work break or lunch. It is refreshing as well as encouraging to see people putting their faith into action and also be so willing to make their personal faith an integral part of who they are and what they do. I’d like to share with you a few of the “faces” of the Indian River Habitat for Humanity.
I am in no way trying to tell you about all the staff members here for there are many dedicated people serving in this ministry. But I want to introduce you to several with whom we have worked closely and tell you just a little about them.
When we are on a “site” we work with supervisors who guide us through specific tasks. They, in turn, are under the supervision of a construction foreman whose job it is to keep everything on multiple sites running smoothly and on schedule. There is also a construction foreman whose main responsibility is in working through the mountain of paperwork necessary to not only build these homes but secure funding, keep up with material needs, scheduled staff and volunteers, etc.. Beyond these folks are dozens of staff who work in the office or the Home Store to provide the necessary funding to build these homes and work with the families who will buy them. Their interest in the families does not end when they move into a new home either. They work with these folks long term, helping them with homeowner’s issues, assisting them in establishing neighborhood groups and in many other areas of their lives. The Habitat experience is so much more than just building a house and hoping the family who buy it makes a go of it. There is a lot of support after they move in to their new home as well. Most recently the local affiliate has been running a food drive to help Habitat homeowners who have either lost their jobs or have had a severe reduction in their hours of work. Just last weekend we learned of a staff member who meets with children of some of these families here at the home base of the local affiliate to lead craft classes. The ministry of Habitat goes on long after a house is build and a family moves in.
In Matthew, chapter 6, verse 16 Jesus said: “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” We have met a lot of people at this build who reflect the love of Christ in their lives and their work. They are the “Sonshine” which I spoke of at the beginning of this post. So, now, I’d like to introduce you to just a few “Faces of Habitat”.
When we arrived here in Vero Beach we were met by a retired couple from West Virginia who have made it their ministry to serve as “Team Leaders” for all the various groups who come to this affiliate through the course of a winter.
Fred and Pauline travelled for many years in their RV and now settle in here each winter to help all the volunteers who come here as Care-A-Vanners. They keep us all informed of anything we need to know. They met with us at the initial orientation meeting and provided us with lots of information about schedule, local points of interest and services. They organize meals and events for us to do together, creating a sense of a team among the group. They oversee daily lunches which Pauline brings to us at the worksite as Fred is on the site working side by side with us. Most of this build has seen Fred up on the roof! Fred and Pauline share themselves with us in many different ways. Fred worked as a square dance “caller” for many years and we have enjoyed two square dances and ice cream socials during this build, complements of Fred and Pauline. It seems that between the two of them there is always a camera at the ready and they compile a booklet for each team member filled with photos to help us remember our experiences here. Fred and Pauline serve as intermediaries between the Care-A-Vanners and the affiliate as well. They make this local experience something special.
The overall supervision on the jobsites is handled by a man named Carl. He brings over 30 years of construction experience to the job and does a great job in a challenging role. Carl juggles multiple construction sites every day. He often needs to be in three or four places at the same time dealing with construction issues, arranging for material deliveries and contracted services, and assisting site supervisors as well as volunteers. He works with a wide range of people from professionals in the construction industry to unskilled volunteers who bring a hammer and willing hands to the job site but little else in terms of skill. This husband and father of three boys is such a witness to the power of Christ in a life. In a job which could be filled with great stress and problems, Carl maintains a quiet and composed attitude with his staff as well as the sea of volunteers around him. When he has a free moment, which is rare, Carl picks up his own tools and steps in to help with one task or another or simply helps us volunteers to understand how to do something at the work site. Carl is a man of great patience and he shares his time and talents in this ministry in a great way. He is a great asset to this Habitat affiliate.
Another husband and father who spends his day on the jobsites is Jeff. Jeff also works daily with an army of volunteers, both skilled and unskilled, assigning tasks and then guiding willing hands in their completion. Jeff also sees this work as a ministry but he has a special calling outside the Habitat experience as well. Jeff has a great heart for mission and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Shortly after joining a new church the area, Jeff spoke to the pastor about starting a missions program in the church. Jeff has already led mission teams to places like India, Guatemala and Central America. He looks forward to the day when the Lord will make it possible for he and his wife to serve in the mission field full time. In the meantime Jeff is serving the Lord not only in his local church but through the ministry and mission of Habitat.
This local affiliate currently has four Americorp staff members. Three of these folks work in the office side of the ministry and one young lady named Hillary works as a supervisor on the work sites. During our build she shared supervisor’s responsibilities with a talented man named Ishmael.
Whether it’s working up on a roof, cutting and fitting trim inside a home or laying down vinyl tile, Ishmael never seems to stop. His working speed is fast forward all the time. Ishmael is like the Energizer Bunny. He just keeps going and going and going! It was greata to have the opportunity to work with him.
Hillary is a dynamo. She is enthusiastic, energetic and always brings a smile and a spark to the job. She makes workdays fun as well as productive. At the start of a workday she’s seems genuinely glad you came and she always makes a point to thank us and complement our work at the end of a day. Hillary, like the others mentioned already, spends her day working at multiple tasks on one or more sites and supervises, encourages and works along side many different volunteers. Where Carl is never far from his cell phone, Hillary is rarely seen without “her truck” nearby.
This is Hillary's first experience at Habitat and she plans to continue for a while. She not only teaches many of us but she has a real desire to learn more and seems to enjoy the challenge of trying something new at the construction site. In keeping with her new found “thirst for knowledge”, Hillary has recently decided to begin college and is preparing to step out in that new direction while, at the same time, continuing to work at this Habitat affiliate. That is a big challenge but Hillary is a woman with the energy, enthusiasm and the drive to make it work. She has a great personality and a willingness to learn that will bring her success in college and in life.
I mentioned earlier in this post that we have enjoyed two square dances sponsored by Fred and Pauline.
Hillary and another Americorp girl, Joanna, joined us at those dances, their first square dancing experiences, and their enthusiasm and bright, energetic personalities were evident to all. They are fine young women with a heart for service. I guess that is why they were drawn to serve others through the Americorp program. They have much to offer both here and wherever their futures take them.
Along with the few people mentioned above are so many others we have experienced here. There are the future homeowners who work over 300 hours on various sites building up “sweat equity” toward the purchase of their own Habitat home.
It is a privilege as well as an inspiration to be able to work side by side with those who will benefit from your efforts. They really put a face on this ministry for us.
There are also our fellow Care-Vanners who come from a wide range of backgrounds, bringing with them a willingness to share themselves, their time and their skills to help provide better housing for people who need it. There are folks like Bill and Donna from New York State who came to Vero Beach for their first Habitat build. Another first timer is Scott who hails from California and is traveling around this great country in his Motor Home. And there is Ina, a PGA Golfpro from Michigan, who has spent several winters in Florida working at different Habitat builds. She’s a real sweetheart who felt that she wanted to “give something back” during her off-season. The most experienced of our team would be Ted and Kitty from Wisconsin. They have spent several winters at the Vero Beach Habitat and then, later on in the season they move on to Miami to share their time and talents in service to others down there. This year Al and Norma, also from Michigan, have come to Florida to spend their winter working through The Vero Beach Habitat affiliate. These are the members of our Care-A-Vanner team, along with our Team Leaders, Fred and Pauline. We work together, share good food together and even square dance together. This relationship is what Care-A-Vanning is all about. People from all walks of life who come together for a common goal of helping to eliminate substandard housing while getting to know and work with new people from all over this great country. They, along with many local volunteers, staff members and home buyers make up the work force which is the backbone of the Habitat construction ministry.
There are many other staff members who work in the offices, the Home Store, and on the road gathering items to sell in the store or keeping the worksites well stocked with materials, tools and whatever else is needed to keep things running. Sales from the Home Store provide a major portion of the funds needed to build these Habitat homes. Their effort is what makes it possible to build such places. This is a large and well run Habitat affiliate and one which as won “Outstanding Local Habitat Affiliate” several years running. I would encourage anyone interested in trying out a Care-A-Vanner build to consider the Indian River Habitat for Humanity in Vero Beach, FL. You will not be disappointed. They are a great bunch of dedicated “servants”. Through them you will see the “Sonshine” while enjoying the sunshine of this beautiful area. We’re sure glad we had the chance to work with them all out here “on the road”.
As you might expect, the topic which seems to come up more than any other among the volunteers is the weather, especially the temperature. Our stay here in Vero Beach has been great. We have enjoyed sunshine every day, with a few clouds as well. Some days are more still than others but there is usually at least a little breeze. Though we have had a few days in the mid 60’s, most of the time we reach the mid 70’s up to 80 degrees. The local radio calls it “above average” temperatures but that’s ok with us. It would be accurate to say that not a morning goes by but what those of us from the “frozen north” speak with each other about the weather people are experiencing “back home”. At this build we often speak of the cold of West Virginia, the storms of Michigan and the snow of Northern New York. You hear things like, “They had 20 inches of snow in Michigan last night” or “It was 12 below last night up home.” Living in T-shirts and shorts much of the time one forgets the “norm” that was your life until you headed south along with many other “snowbirds”.
There certainly is something to be said about the effect which prolonged exposure to sunlight and warm temperatures has on a person both in body as well as mind. We have experienced that not only through working in our shirtsleeves in December but also in being able to take a walk, ride our bikes or just sit outside and “soak up the sunlight”. We feel very blessed to be able to be experiencing all of this. But along with all this sunshine I also want to speak of the “Sonshine” we are experiencing here at Vero Beach.
We have enjoyed worshipping at a local Baptist church since arriving here but the “Sonshine” I’m talking about is the people who openly share their faith in how they live and how they work together at this affiliate. Don’t misunderstand me, we have met some wonderful people of faith in our other two Habitat experiences during this trip but the Indian River Habitat staff is very open about their faith, about this work being a ministry and we have heard many different staff members share a devotion at the start of the day or lead prayer on the job site before sharing a work break or lunch. It is refreshing as well as encouraging to see people putting their faith into action and also be so willing to make their personal faith an integral part of who they are and what they do. I’d like to share with you a few of the “faces” of the Indian River Habitat for Humanity.
I am in no way trying to tell you about all the staff members here for there are many dedicated people serving in this ministry. But I want to introduce you to several with whom we have worked closely and tell you just a little about them.
When we are on a “site” we work with supervisors who guide us through specific tasks. They, in turn, are under the supervision of a construction foreman whose job it is to keep everything on multiple sites running smoothly and on schedule. There is also a construction foreman whose main responsibility is in working through the mountain of paperwork necessary to not only build these homes but secure funding, keep up with material needs, scheduled staff and volunteers, etc.. Beyond these folks are dozens of staff who work in the office or the Home Store to provide the necessary funding to build these homes and work with the families who will buy them. Their interest in the families does not end when they move into a new home either. They work with these folks long term, helping them with homeowner’s issues, assisting them in establishing neighborhood groups and in many other areas of their lives. The Habitat experience is so much more than just building a house and hoping the family who buy it makes a go of it. There is a lot of support after they move in to their new home as well. Most recently the local affiliate has been running a food drive to help Habitat homeowners who have either lost their jobs or have had a severe reduction in their hours of work. Just last weekend we learned of a staff member who meets with children of some of these families here at the home base of the local affiliate to lead craft classes. The ministry of Habitat goes on long after a house is build and a family moves in.
In Matthew, chapter 6, verse 16 Jesus said: “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” We have met a lot of people at this build who reflect the love of Christ in their lives and their work. They are the “Sonshine” which I spoke of at the beginning of this post. So, now, I’d like to introduce you to just a few “Faces of Habitat”.
When we arrived here in Vero Beach we were met by a retired couple from West Virginia who have made it their ministry to serve as “Team Leaders” for all the various groups who come to this affiliate through the course of a winter.
Fred and Pauline travelled for many years in their RV and now settle in here each winter to help all the volunteers who come here as Care-A-Vanners. They keep us all informed of anything we need to know. They met with us at the initial orientation meeting and provided us with lots of information about schedule, local points of interest and services. They organize meals and events for us to do together, creating a sense of a team among the group. They oversee daily lunches which Pauline brings to us at the worksite as Fred is on the site working side by side with us. Most of this build has seen Fred up on the roof! Fred and Pauline share themselves with us in many different ways. Fred worked as a square dance “caller” for many years and we have enjoyed two square dances and ice cream socials during this build, complements of Fred and Pauline. It seems that between the two of them there is always a camera at the ready and they compile a booklet for each team member filled with photos to help us remember our experiences here. Fred and Pauline serve as intermediaries between the Care-A-Vanners and the affiliate as well. They make this local experience something special.
The overall supervision on the jobsites is handled by a man named Carl. He brings over 30 years of construction experience to the job and does a great job in a challenging role. Carl juggles multiple construction sites every day. He often needs to be in three or four places at the same time dealing with construction issues, arranging for material deliveries and contracted services, and assisting site supervisors as well as volunteers. He works with a wide range of people from professionals in the construction industry to unskilled volunteers who bring a hammer and willing hands to the job site but little else in terms of skill. This husband and father of three boys is such a witness to the power of Christ in a life. In a job which could be filled with great stress and problems, Carl maintains a quiet and composed attitude with his staff as well as the sea of volunteers around him. When he has a free moment, which is rare, Carl picks up his own tools and steps in to help with one task or another or simply helps us volunteers to understand how to do something at the work site. Carl is a man of great patience and he shares his time and talents in this ministry in a great way. He is a great asset to this Habitat affiliate.
Another husband and father who spends his day on the jobsites is Jeff. Jeff also works daily with an army of volunteers, both skilled and unskilled, assigning tasks and then guiding willing hands in their completion. Jeff also sees this work as a ministry but he has a special calling outside the Habitat experience as well. Jeff has a great heart for mission and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Shortly after joining a new church the area, Jeff spoke to the pastor about starting a missions program in the church. Jeff has already led mission teams to places like India, Guatemala and Central America. He looks forward to the day when the Lord will make it possible for he and his wife to serve in the mission field full time. In the meantime Jeff is serving the Lord not only in his local church but through the ministry and mission of Habitat.
This local affiliate currently has four Americorp staff members. Three of these folks work in the office side of the ministry and one young lady named Hillary works as a supervisor on the work sites. During our build she shared supervisor’s responsibilities with a talented man named Ishmael.
Whether it’s working up on a roof, cutting and fitting trim inside a home or laying down vinyl tile, Ishmael never seems to stop. His working speed is fast forward all the time. Ishmael is like the Energizer Bunny. He just keeps going and going and going! It was greata to have the opportunity to work with him.
Hillary is a dynamo. She is enthusiastic, energetic and always brings a smile and a spark to the job. She makes workdays fun as well as productive. At the start of a workday she’s seems genuinely glad you came and she always makes a point to thank us and complement our work at the end of a day. Hillary, like the others mentioned already, spends her day working at multiple tasks on one or more sites and supervises, encourages and works along side many different volunteers. Where Carl is never far from his cell phone, Hillary is rarely seen without “her truck” nearby.
This is Hillary's first experience at Habitat and she plans to continue for a while. She not only teaches many of us but she has a real desire to learn more and seems to enjoy the challenge of trying something new at the construction site. In keeping with her new found “thirst for knowledge”, Hillary has recently decided to begin college and is preparing to step out in that new direction while, at the same time, continuing to work at this Habitat affiliate. That is a big challenge but Hillary is a woman with the energy, enthusiasm and the drive to make it work. She has a great personality and a willingness to learn that will bring her success in college and in life.
I mentioned earlier in this post that we have enjoyed two square dances sponsored by Fred and Pauline.
Hillary and another Americorp girl, Joanna, joined us at those dances, their first square dancing experiences, and their enthusiasm and bright, energetic personalities were evident to all. They are fine young women with a heart for service. I guess that is why they were drawn to serve others through the Americorp program. They have much to offer both here and wherever their futures take them.
Along with the few people mentioned above are so many others we have experienced here. There are the future homeowners who work over 300 hours on various sites building up “sweat equity” toward the purchase of their own Habitat home.
It is a privilege as well as an inspiration to be able to work side by side with those who will benefit from your efforts. They really put a face on this ministry for us.
There are also our fellow Care-Vanners who come from a wide range of backgrounds, bringing with them a willingness to share themselves, their time and their skills to help provide better housing for people who need it. There are folks like Bill and Donna from New York State who came to Vero Beach for their first Habitat build. Another first timer is Scott who hails from California and is traveling around this great country in his Motor Home. And there is Ina, a PGA Golfpro from Michigan, who has spent several winters in Florida working at different Habitat builds. She’s a real sweetheart who felt that she wanted to “give something back” during her off-season. The most experienced of our team would be Ted and Kitty from Wisconsin. They have spent several winters at the Vero Beach Habitat and then, later on in the season they move on to Miami to share their time and talents in service to others down there. This year Al and Norma, also from Michigan, have come to Florida to spend their winter working through The Vero Beach Habitat affiliate. These are the members of our Care-A-Vanner team, along with our Team Leaders, Fred and Pauline. We work together, share good food together and even square dance together. This relationship is what Care-A-Vanning is all about. People from all walks of life who come together for a common goal of helping to eliminate substandard housing while getting to know and work with new people from all over this great country. They, along with many local volunteers, staff members and home buyers make up the work force which is the backbone of the Habitat construction ministry.
There are many other staff members who work in the offices, the Home Store, and on the road gathering items to sell in the store or keeping the worksites well stocked with materials, tools and whatever else is needed to keep things running. Sales from the Home Store provide a major portion of the funds needed to build these Habitat homes. Their effort is what makes it possible to build such places. This is a large and well run Habitat affiliate and one which as won “Outstanding Local Habitat Affiliate” several years running. I would encourage anyone interested in trying out a Care-A-Vanner build to consider the Indian River Habitat for Humanity in Vero Beach, FL. You will not be disappointed. They are a great bunch of dedicated “servants”. Through them you will see the “Sonshine” while enjoying the sunshine of this beautiful area. We’re sure glad we had the chance to work with them all out here “on the road”.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
A DIFFERENT “LOOK” AT CHRISTMAS
Today Frannie and I arrived at our next build. We pulled out of Sebring at 7:30AM and arrived at the Indian River Habitat Store in Vero Beach, FL at 10AM. We met our Built Team Leaders, Pauline and Fred, along with several of the couples we will be building with the next two weeks. We learned that the Vero Beach Christmas Parade was to be held tonight (Saturday) and that all the Care-A-Vanners were welcome to participate in the parade by riding on their float or walking alongside. Since neither Fran or I had ever done that we decided to join the fun.
First, after getting our gear settled and the trailer all set up, we checked out the beach and surrounding areas during the afternoon.
Later on we went to Riverside Park where all the floats were being assembled and arranged for the evening parade. As with the floats in Sebring and Avon Park earlier this week, all the floats had generators or systems connected to their tow vehicles which allowed them to be covered in Christmas lights. The Habitat float was a flatbed trailer with three houses. The first was just a framework, the second was a partially complete house and the third was a completed home with a porch, siding, roof and even shutters. Of course everything was outlined in Christmas lights and the float carried two large generators for power.
All the participants received red or green Habitat shirts along with reindeer antlers for their heads to make the spirit even more festive. Many of the people who are getting new homes through the Habitat program were on the float with their children, all adorned in yellow shirts.
Frannie and I got our shirts and, yes, our reindeer antlers.
We walked along the driver’s side of the float and greeted people young and old with wishes of “Merry Christmas” all along the way. What really surprised us was how many of the people along the parade route were just as anxious to shout out their “Merry Christmas” greetings to us as well. For the entire parade we waved and shared smiles and happy Christmas greetings. By the way, this was not billed as a “Holiday Parade”. There was no doubt that this was a parade celebrating Christmas. It is refreshing to see that in the south people are not afraid to stand for their beliefs and speak openly of them.
From little ones in their mother’s arms to elderly in wheel chairs we saw countless smiles, waves and happy wishes of “Merry Christmas” as we walked. I can’t tell you how long the parade route was or where we were walking. We were just too busy connecting with people all along the way to notice or, for that matter, to even care. We were having such a good time “seeing” a Christmas parade from a totally new perspective. It sure filled us with lots of Christmas joy. Even when the parade was finished and we all climbed back onto the float for the ride back to the park where we started, people would honk their horns as they met us on the highway. It was quite an evening.
We will tell you more about this affiliate in a later post. For now we will just say that they were very welcoming upon our arrival and their facilities are very accommodating for Care-A-Vanners. We have a lounge area with TV, books, tapes, full kitchen, laundry facilities, local phone service and even WIFI so we can stay connected with families and friends just like you! We will meet all of our building teammates tomorrow at our orientation and begin our work on Monday.
I hope that you are finding ways to get into that Christmas spirit. There’s nothing like it. If you have Jesus Christ in your hearts this should be one of the best seasons of the year for you regardless of the current political, financial or other situations. If you have Jesus in your heart you hold the greatest gift of Christmas…life now with none other than the Son of God dwelling within you AND the promise of living with Him forever in Heaven. If nothing else does, that fact alone should make your Christmas one of wonder, joy, love, peace and hope. We’ll see you again soon out here “on the road” but, in the meantime, “Merry Christmas”!
First, after getting our gear settled and the trailer all set up, we checked out the beach and surrounding areas during the afternoon.
Later on we went to Riverside Park where all the floats were being assembled and arranged for the evening parade. As with the floats in Sebring and Avon Park earlier this week, all the floats had generators or systems connected to their tow vehicles which allowed them to be covered in Christmas lights. The Habitat float was a flatbed trailer with three houses. The first was just a framework, the second was a partially complete house and the third was a completed home with a porch, siding, roof and even shutters. Of course everything was outlined in Christmas lights and the float carried two large generators for power.
All the participants received red or green Habitat shirts along with reindeer antlers for their heads to make the spirit even more festive. Many of the people who are getting new homes through the Habitat program were on the float with their children, all adorned in yellow shirts.
Frannie and I got our shirts and, yes, our reindeer antlers.
We walked along the driver’s side of the float and greeted people young and old with wishes of “Merry Christmas” all along the way. What really surprised us was how many of the people along the parade route were just as anxious to shout out their “Merry Christmas” greetings to us as well. For the entire parade we waved and shared smiles and happy Christmas greetings. By the way, this was not billed as a “Holiday Parade”. There was no doubt that this was a parade celebrating Christmas. It is refreshing to see that in the south people are not afraid to stand for their beliefs and speak openly of them.
From little ones in their mother’s arms to elderly in wheel chairs we saw countless smiles, waves and happy wishes of “Merry Christmas” as we walked. I can’t tell you how long the parade route was or where we were walking. We were just too busy connecting with people all along the way to notice or, for that matter, to even care. We were having such a good time “seeing” a Christmas parade from a totally new perspective. It sure filled us with lots of Christmas joy. Even when the parade was finished and we all climbed back onto the float for the ride back to the park where we started, people would honk their horns as they met us on the highway. It was quite an evening.
We will tell you more about this affiliate in a later post. For now we will just say that they were very welcoming upon our arrival and their facilities are very accommodating for Care-A-Vanners. We have a lounge area with TV, books, tapes, full kitchen, laundry facilities, local phone service and even WIFI so we can stay connected with families and friends just like you! We will meet all of our building teammates tomorrow at our orientation and begin our work on Monday.
I hope that you are finding ways to get into that Christmas spirit. There’s nothing like it. If you have Jesus Christ in your hearts this should be one of the best seasons of the year for you regardless of the current political, financial or other situations. If you have Jesus in your heart you hold the greatest gift of Christmas…life now with none other than the Son of God dwelling within you AND the promise of living with Him forever in Heaven. If nothing else does, that fact alone should make your Christmas one of wonder, joy, love, peace and hope. We’ll see you again soon out here “on the road” but, in the meantime, “Merry Christmas”!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
CHRISTMAS IN JULY…IN DECEMBER
Last night Frannie and I had ,what was for us, a unique experience. We went to a nighttime Christmas parade. Actually, the three towns we are most near to, Sebring, Avon Park and Lake Placid, all have nighttime Christmas parades this week. Last night it took place at Avon Park. We have, unexpectedly, had a difficult time getting into the Christmas spirit down here in the snowless south. We saw the central park in Sebring being decorated a couple weeks ago and Frannie asked me, “Why do you suppose they are putting up Christmas decorations so early.” I had to remind her that it WAS the middle of November at that point. It has been hard for us to adjust to the idea that it’s the Christmas season when it’s not that cold and there is no snow around. Not that we’re complaining, mind you. But I guess as life long “Yankees” it just is an accepted fact that Christmas time means snow and cold. Well, let me tell you about our first night time Christmas parade.
To begin with let me say that it was WONDERFUL! Imagine tall palm trees lining main street, each tree wrapped with a spiral of bright Christmas lights from the bottom to the very top of the tree on the street. Imagine a parade where kids lined the streets, sitting in chairs on on the curb in shirtsleeves, sneakers and light jackets. We have been to many Christmas parades where you could hardly see the faces of children behind the snow suit, hood, scarf, etc.. It was so much fun to watch all the kids and see the sparkle in their eyes as each float, clown, band or dancer passed by. We had three little girls seated right next to us on the edge of the curb and they had a ball! But let me tell you about some of the floats.
Many of the businesses in the three towns had floats or vehicles in the parade. Many were quite involved and carried great detail. There was a float on top of which sat a full size, actual airplane completely outlined in bright lights. The wings had been removed and replaced with ornate, large, white, angel-like wings which actually moved up and down as artificial snow blow over it.
Actually, many of the floats had snow machines blowing artificial snow into the air. At one point the snow blew onto the street just out of reach of the three little girls I mentioned earlier. They jumped forward, reaching out to touch the “snow”. It was at that moment that I thought to myself, “I bet they have never seen the real thing.” Then I thought that was probably true of many of the people standing near us, not just the children. It’s kind of amazing. We have talked to adults down here who told us THEY had never seen snow in their entire lives. But, then, I digress from the parade.
We saw five different dance studios represented with 60 to 100 dancers in Santa-like outfits doing unison dance routines down the street to recorded music travelling with them. There were several bands, some with battery powered lights draped on some of the instruments. We saw floats so large that they were built on the flatbeds of tractor trailers or low boys used to carry bulldozers.
Actually, I saw one of those too, a real one, all outlined in bright lights. There was a huge steam train with wheels which actually moved on one of the floats. It’s engine and cars were filled with children and adults all waving to the crowd. Many of the floats were presented by local churches, many of which were accompanied by walkers handing out candy and flyers about their church's special Christmas programs.
One float which struck me was simply the back of a flatbed truck with a single light, resembling a street light handing on a pole high above the truck. Under the streetlight was the pastor of that church wearing white shirt and tie, holding his Bible and telling the crowd as he passed of their need to know the Savior personally to really understand and celebrate Christmas. It was in stark contrast to the floats, colors and lights yet, at least where we stood, people were respectfully quiet and listened to his message as he passed by. I was struck by his dedication and focus. Here was a man of God who seized the opportunity to speak to hundreds of people about the true meaning and message of Christmas. I will not make a judgment as to the impact or effectiveness of his churches approach over those of other churches but I admired his willingness to take it to the streets, literally. It made me wonder how many of us, myself included, would have thought of that idea or had the “guts” to put ourselves in the public eye like that. God bless his willingness to reach out to the lost.
Well, I mentioned dancers but there were many, many clowns as you might expect from the Shriners and other social organizations. But there is something special in this area. There is a clown school in Lake Placid which has taught the art of “clowning” to hundreds and hundreds of people, both local and visitors. The result of this local “clown college” is the presence of many people of all ages who entertain as clowns in all sorts of situations in the area.
There were many other floats of all sizes and shapes with literal smoke rising from chimneys and snow (artificial of course) blowing over rooftops (and wingtips). There were cars and festival queens, motorcycles and cheerleaders. There were bands, bikes and balloons but, once again, the thing we most noticed and enjoyed was the lights of the night. And when you think of it, isn’t that a great thing about Christmas. Not only the wonderful lights decorating so many businesses and front yards, living rooms and trees.
But think about this, Christmas is when the light of heaven came down to shine on this sinful old earth. The lights of Christmas and the lights of this Christmas parade as well remind us of the light of Jesus Christ. He didn’t say, “I came with the light.” He said, “I am the light of the world.” I hope that the light of Jesus Christ shines brightly in your hearts this Christmas season. It can be a pretty dark world, and a pretty dark life without him. May the light of Jesus shine in you and out into the world through you not only during the Christmas season but all year.
We’ll write again soon with more news from out here “on the road” but, in the meantime, enjoy this season of Advent as we prepare our hearts for the celebration which reminds us of the birth of our Savior. May this Christmas be even more special for you because He is the center of your celebration. Remember, Christmas was Jesus' birthday but we were the ones who got the gift. Enjoy the season and Merry Christmas to each of you. We’ll see you again soon, “on the road”.
To begin with let me say that it was WONDERFUL! Imagine tall palm trees lining main street, each tree wrapped with a spiral of bright Christmas lights from the bottom to the very top of the tree on the street. Imagine a parade where kids lined the streets, sitting in chairs on on the curb in shirtsleeves, sneakers and light jackets. We have been to many Christmas parades where you could hardly see the faces of children behind the snow suit, hood, scarf, etc.. It was so much fun to watch all the kids and see the sparkle in their eyes as each float, clown, band or dancer passed by. We had three little girls seated right next to us on the edge of the curb and they had a ball! But let me tell you about some of the floats.
Many of the businesses in the three towns had floats or vehicles in the parade. Many were quite involved and carried great detail. There was a float on top of which sat a full size, actual airplane completely outlined in bright lights. The wings had been removed and replaced with ornate, large, white, angel-like wings which actually moved up and down as artificial snow blow over it.
Actually, many of the floats had snow machines blowing artificial snow into the air. At one point the snow blew onto the street just out of reach of the three little girls I mentioned earlier. They jumped forward, reaching out to touch the “snow”. It was at that moment that I thought to myself, “I bet they have never seen the real thing.” Then I thought that was probably true of many of the people standing near us, not just the children. It’s kind of amazing. We have talked to adults down here who told us THEY had never seen snow in their entire lives. But, then, I digress from the parade.
We saw five different dance studios represented with 60 to 100 dancers in Santa-like outfits doing unison dance routines down the street to recorded music travelling with them. There were several bands, some with battery powered lights draped on some of the instruments. We saw floats so large that they were built on the flatbeds of tractor trailers or low boys used to carry bulldozers.
Actually, I saw one of those too, a real one, all outlined in bright lights. There was a huge steam train with wheels which actually moved on one of the floats. It’s engine and cars were filled with children and adults all waving to the crowd. Many of the floats were presented by local churches, many of which were accompanied by walkers handing out candy and flyers about their church's special Christmas programs.
One float which struck me was simply the back of a flatbed truck with a single light, resembling a street light handing on a pole high above the truck. Under the streetlight was the pastor of that church wearing white shirt and tie, holding his Bible and telling the crowd as he passed of their need to know the Savior personally to really understand and celebrate Christmas. It was in stark contrast to the floats, colors and lights yet, at least where we stood, people were respectfully quiet and listened to his message as he passed by. I was struck by his dedication and focus. Here was a man of God who seized the opportunity to speak to hundreds of people about the true meaning and message of Christmas. I will not make a judgment as to the impact or effectiveness of his churches approach over those of other churches but I admired his willingness to take it to the streets, literally. It made me wonder how many of us, myself included, would have thought of that idea or had the “guts” to put ourselves in the public eye like that. God bless his willingness to reach out to the lost.
Well, I mentioned dancers but there were many, many clowns as you might expect from the Shriners and other social organizations. But there is something special in this area. There is a clown school in Lake Placid which has taught the art of “clowning” to hundreds and hundreds of people, both local and visitors. The result of this local “clown college” is the presence of many people of all ages who entertain as clowns in all sorts of situations in the area.
There were many other floats of all sizes and shapes with literal smoke rising from chimneys and snow (artificial of course) blowing over rooftops (and wingtips). There were cars and festival queens, motorcycles and cheerleaders. There were bands, bikes and balloons but, once again, the thing we most noticed and enjoyed was the lights of the night. And when you think of it, isn’t that a great thing about Christmas. Not only the wonderful lights decorating so many businesses and front yards, living rooms and trees.
But think about this, Christmas is when the light of heaven came down to shine on this sinful old earth. The lights of Christmas and the lights of this Christmas parade as well remind us of the light of Jesus Christ. He didn’t say, “I came with the light.” He said, “I am the light of the world.” I hope that the light of Jesus Christ shines brightly in your hearts this Christmas season. It can be a pretty dark world, and a pretty dark life without him. May the light of Jesus shine in you and out into the world through you not only during the Christmas season but all year.
We’ll write again soon with more news from out here “on the road” but, in the meantime, enjoy this season of Advent as we prepare our hearts for the celebration which reminds us of the birth of our Savior. May this Christmas be even more special for you because He is the center of your celebration. Remember, Christmas was Jesus' birthday but we were the ones who got the gift. Enjoy the season and Merry Christmas to each of you. We’ll see you again soon, “on the road”.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
OUR PLANS...GOD'S STEPS
In our last post I shared that we were about to begin a two week break in our Habitat building schedule. Several things have happened this past week which have led us to plan out a slightly different path for the second half of our winter here in the south. I will share that a bit later.
We have settled into a nice, small RV Park called Sunny Pines for our two weeks of R&R. It is located right in Sebring. We arrived here on Saturday, Nov. 22, after we broke camp at the Cloverleaf 4H Camp where we stayed during our two week build here. We had the opportunity to break out our bikes and do a little riding at a local state park called Highlands Hammock State Park over the weekend.
The park has a campground, picnic areas, hiking and bike trials as well as a museum about the Civilian Construction Corp, a music performance area and several walking paths which take you out into subtropical areas of the park.
Our plans were to stay at Sunny Pines for our first week and check out some of the local points of interest, like the state park, and then move toward Vero Beach where our next build takes place. Within a couple days we felt that a change was coming our way. The more we experienced the folks at the park and the area, the more we felt that we were to stay here longer so we asked some of the residents if there were any sites open later in the winter. They told us that they understood that the park was all sold out but we went to the office anyhow. The lady in the office told us that there were a couple sites still open so we decided to return here after Christmas to “settle in” to one area for a little different experience.
We will still head to Vero Beach at the end of this week to join a two week Care-A-Vanner build there and then head north for Christmas with our families. After we return, Frannie plans to volunteer at the Habitat Home Store in Sebring part time and I plan to rejoin the local volunteers who work part time with the local Habitat building team we were with last 2 weeks. We may both look for some part time work as well to defray the cost of our site. We’ll share more as it develops. In going through all of this I was reminded of Proverbs 16:9 which says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”
We can, and should, make plans for our lives but we should always be mindful of the Lord’s direction and the “course corrections” He often brings into our plans. As believers we have the promise of His direction. There are lots and lots of verses which remind us of the need to trust God and to know that He will guide us. One of my favorites is Proverbs 3:5,6 : “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” (or “make your paths straight”) I hope that you, too, are really trusting God to “direct your paths”. I’m tellin’ you, He really will.
The park here has many activities scheduled throughout the week for the residents including worship right here in the park on Sunday mornings. We attended worship here last Sunday and enjoyed the “family”.
We joined many at the park for a group Thanksgiving dinner along with 80 other people! The owners provided turkey, ham and dressing while all of the residents contributed other dishes or desserts to complete the meal. It was a nice time where all of us, away from our own families, could join together as a “family” and share a meal to remember the day. It sure was different but it was nice to be with others in a similar situation. As usually happens, we all ate too much and found time for a little nap later in the day.
We will continue to keep you posted as to our “going ons”. We are enjoying the weather down here (upper 60s to mid 70s and sunny) and we receive regular reports about the weather we are “missing” up North. Just a couple days ago our son, Jason, sent us a picture, via his cell phone, of the snow storm he was driving in so we sent him a picture of Frannie, in her shorts, standing next to a lake behind our park. And speaking of Frannie, here she is with another edition of:
“WHAT I LEARNED ON THE ROAD”
Hi all,
Earlier in this article, Bob referred to the Highlands Hammock State Park, and after seeing numerous signs for Hammock Falls, Golf Hammock, etc., I wondered what exactly a hammock was. (no, this isn’t the hammock you sleep in) A hammock is a forest of broadleaf trees surrounded by pinelands or marshes. Now, isn’t that interesting?
God bless you all. We hope you had a great Thanksgiving with family. All of us have so much to be thankful for. We know that we’ll be seeing our family during Christmas but we hope to continue “seeing” you here at our site as we continue “on the road”.
We have settled into a nice, small RV Park called Sunny Pines for our two weeks of R&R. It is located right in Sebring. We arrived here on Saturday, Nov. 22, after we broke camp at the Cloverleaf 4H Camp where we stayed during our two week build here. We had the opportunity to break out our bikes and do a little riding at a local state park called Highlands Hammock State Park over the weekend.
The park has a campground, picnic areas, hiking and bike trials as well as a museum about the Civilian Construction Corp, a music performance area and several walking paths which take you out into subtropical areas of the park.
Our plans were to stay at Sunny Pines for our first week and check out some of the local points of interest, like the state park, and then move toward Vero Beach where our next build takes place. Within a couple days we felt that a change was coming our way. The more we experienced the folks at the park and the area, the more we felt that we were to stay here longer so we asked some of the residents if there were any sites open later in the winter. They told us that they understood that the park was all sold out but we went to the office anyhow. The lady in the office told us that there were a couple sites still open so we decided to return here after Christmas to “settle in” to one area for a little different experience.
We will still head to Vero Beach at the end of this week to join a two week Care-A-Vanner build there and then head north for Christmas with our families. After we return, Frannie plans to volunteer at the Habitat Home Store in Sebring part time and I plan to rejoin the local volunteers who work part time with the local Habitat building team we were with last 2 weeks. We may both look for some part time work as well to defray the cost of our site. We’ll share more as it develops. In going through all of this I was reminded of Proverbs 16:9 which says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”
We can, and should, make plans for our lives but we should always be mindful of the Lord’s direction and the “course corrections” He often brings into our plans. As believers we have the promise of His direction. There are lots and lots of verses which remind us of the need to trust God and to know that He will guide us. One of my favorites is Proverbs 3:5,6 : “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” (or “make your paths straight”) I hope that you, too, are really trusting God to “direct your paths”. I’m tellin’ you, He really will.
The park here has many activities scheduled throughout the week for the residents including worship right here in the park on Sunday mornings. We attended worship here last Sunday and enjoyed the “family”.
We joined many at the park for a group Thanksgiving dinner along with 80 other people! The owners provided turkey, ham and dressing while all of the residents contributed other dishes or desserts to complete the meal. It was a nice time where all of us, away from our own families, could join together as a “family” and share a meal to remember the day. It sure was different but it was nice to be with others in a similar situation. As usually happens, we all ate too much and found time for a little nap later in the day.
We will continue to keep you posted as to our “going ons”. We are enjoying the weather down here (upper 60s to mid 70s and sunny) and we receive regular reports about the weather we are “missing” up North. Just a couple days ago our son, Jason, sent us a picture, via his cell phone, of the snow storm he was driving in so we sent him a picture of Frannie, in her shorts, standing next to a lake behind our park. And speaking of Frannie, here she is with another edition of:
“WHAT I LEARNED ON THE ROAD”
Hi all,
Earlier in this article, Bob referred to the Highlands Hammock State Park, and after seeing numerous signs for Hammock Falls, Golf Hammock, etc., I wondered what exactly a hammock was. (no, this isn’t the hammock you sleep in) A hammock is a forest of broadleaf trees surrounded by pinelands or marshes. Now, isn’t that interesting?
God bless you all. We hope you had a great Thanksgiving with family. All of us have so much to be thankful for. We know that we’ll be seeing our family during Christmas but we hope to continue “seeing” you here at our site as we continue “on the road”.
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