On Top of Old Smoky

Work is progressing quickly. This past week the men completed a sewer line from a house straight down (literally) a hill. There are now 3 new lights around the chapel. Building no. 1 is now demolished and the second building is now almost down. One group of ladies is still cleaning chairs. They have figured there are over 700 chairs in the chapel---they have a few to go. Sharon and another lady are still working on the walls and painting the room for the cleaning ladies’ office etc.

On Tuesday night, our group made a large campfire (yes, it was needed!) and got the hot dogs and all the fixings out. Delicious. On Friday night the director of the camp invited the group to his home for a spaghetti supper.

One of the highlights of the week was our tour of Bush Brothers factory nearby where the Bush Beans are canned. In fact, Ball Brothers has a can factory right out the back door that sends the cans to Bush Brothers. It was very interesting hearing the story of this family. Included was a tour of the family home that was built a hundred years ago but had been totally renovated. The company is still family owned. Jed Bush is a fourth generation member. Duke (in all their ads) is now the fourth one being used and is the first male Duke. Yes, we did bring home beans and some chili!

The leaves are getting more and more color to them daily. Today, the everything is crystal clear. Gaylene Holloway and I had been looking at the mountain behind our RVs since we have been here. This afternoon we climbed it! It took a little bit of time since it was a steep grade. There is a rustic camp at the top that goes with Carson Springs. It was more than worth the trip the climb.

It seems almost impossible that we are moving deep into October. Please continue to remember us in prayer.

PS from UP of Michigan

We recently received a picture of Piatt Lake in the UP of Michigan where we served in September from (believe it or not) from a friend from Upland, IN. If you look on the right hand side of the lake there is a beach. Our RVs sat not too far from that location. Isn't it beautiful in the fall? At the top of the picture is Lake Superior and, if you look closely, Canada can be seen at the very top just under the clouds.

Week #1 Carson Springs

As we finish week #1 at the Carson Spring Baptist Conference Center, we have finished one of our most physical week’s worth of work on a RVICS project. They have a long list of things that they would like to have done during our stay here.

The men have been working in 2 groups of 3 each. Don and his team have been digging holes and filling them with cement for new lights along a driveway. Digging a hole here is not that simple because it is mainly rock. They have custom made new window sills for the chapel. As preliminary work for next week, they have drawn up plans for a new sewer from one of the lodges. The other group of 3 men have been demolishing a building (keeping most of it for another building project). Prayers were with them on Thursday. As they had a lift removing the trusses, the rafters gave way and the WHOLE thing fell to the floor where the men were standing. It all happened in a matter of 2-3 seconds. After the dust cleared the men were all standing together OUTSIDE unharmed. It was a miracle. The day before they had been standing on them but didn’t realize that there was rot on one end of a couple of them that came loose and brought the whole thing down as dominos.

The ladies have been working in groups of 3 also. One group have been working on cleaning over 700 chairs in the chapel. Yes, it is more than a weeks worth of work! Sharon and that group have been patching holes in poured cement walls in a large room in the basement of the conference center that is being made for an office for housekeeping. The holes are patched. We are now coating all the walls with the same material. This is something new for me to add to my “resume”. Next week, the painting begins.

Yes, the truck was repaired as of yesterday. The “damage” could have been worse but they still had to take the whole transmission out. It is good to have transportation again. However, we haven’t lacked for rides.

This is a great group of people and we are enjoying our time with them. We are thoroughly enjoying one lady in particular that heads up the housekeeping staff. She is instructing us in the culture of the east Tennessee people. What a delight she is.

Thank you once again for your prayers. As you can see, they are being felt.

Another Project!!

Yes, we are at our new project sight after spending 5 days at home. That seemed like a whirlwind but we were once again anxious to begin this project at Carson Springs Baptist Conference Center. After driving all day yesterday we arrived last evening and before long all 6 of the couples for this project were getting set up for the month. Hopefully, in the near future I can get pictures of the RV Park on the blog. We are literally sitting on the side of a “hill”. There are no level spots here! In fact, we think that the truck didn’t like the idea because it started leaking transmission fluid as we were backing into the spot. Fortunately, it didn’t happen until we were at the end of our journey and at a place where friends could help us. Plus, we found a Ford dealership down (literally) the road! The middle of next week we will take it in for the verdict.

What a beautiful drive down with the sun shining most of the way and the leaves putting on their fall colors already. This conference center is a beautiful place too. Last evening when I walked to check e-mail etc I passed 9 turkeys. I am guessing that there is alot of wildlife around this location.

Of the five couples that are on this project, four of them are new to us. In just meeting them, it seems like it will be another fun group. Our friends from Hartford City were assigned with us. That is always special. The other couples are from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Montana and Florida. Yes, they are from all over again!

On a future blog, we will have to tell of our work and a little more about the conference center. We have not had an official meeting yet. Please pray that our time here will be well spent.