Closing Days

As I sit down to write, we are  down to our last week on this RVICS project.   2013 is rapidly coming to a close as Thanksgiving is past, tomorrow is the last day of November and Christmas is getting closer.   As we look back on this past year, we have once again been blessed beyond measure.   God has been extremely good to us and blessed us beyond measure.

On Thanksgiving day, our RVICS "family" gathered together and had a traditional meal with all the fixins'.   It is good to be able to gather and celebrate with friends when family isn't close by to visit in person.   We call it a traditional meal but with couples representing different parts of the USA, we find slight variations in the way we prepare them.   What fun it is to taste them.

COLD---this was the theme for this past week!   When the temperatures drop in the low 20's that is much too cold for an RV.    With the coldness, it certainly makes one think winter is here.   Since the weather was terrible, all of our work was done on the inside.

The team members are finishing a few of the things they started.   The activity center/gym is now just about ready to open for use.  The ladies are about done painting a good portion of the lodge---main room, hallway and trim.   The men cleaned out all the old flooring in the office area and director's apartment.   Even battling the damp conditions (drying was an issue), the new flooring is mainly done in the apartment.   "Fall" cleaning was done by a few of the ladies in the kitchen along with helping clean motel rooms etc.

The goal whenever we arrive at a new place/project is to make it a better place for the ministry of Christ.   We feel the goal has once again been met.

Come Thursday, we will move our RV to Florida, enjoy a day with some friends and then head home for a break and family.   January 2014, we will be back helping out again.

A Full Week

All weeks have the same number of days, hours, etc. but this week was overflowing with activities both work and fun.    With the RVICS schedule we follow, we work for the ministry for 4 days with set hours and we have an official time for a group social (even though we often do other things as well), usually take a tour as a group to a local place of interest and have a Bible study one evening.    Time always passes by very quickly and this month is no exception.  

When I was preparing to write this blog, I jotted down the different accomplishments this week and was amazed.   The men painted walls etc. in the activity center/gym, moved and installed a new water heater, installed a new vanity, faucets in sink and tub in a house, power washed sidewalks and took off and put back up door to push/pull in the correct directions.    The women started and ended in the same room!    No, we aren't slow but it is a big room and the wood soaked in the paint.   When we begin again in there next week, it will be only to finish some of the second coat.  A couple of the ladies helped the staff with cleaning of rooms etc. plus Sharon helped the guys out in the gym doing some trim work there too.

This is a month of celebrations for the team.   On Wednesday evening, we all came together for a pot luck meal.   It was complete with a birthday cake and homemade ice cream.  The caked was to celebrate Sharon and Henry's birthday.   Earlier in the month, we honored the Bolles and Dunmyers in marking anniversaries.   Celebrations are always fun and it is good to mark these special times in our lives.

Christmas is getting close--can we miss the ads everywhere?!   On Thursday evening, we drove to Mobile for a Christmas Spectacular put on by the University of Mobile in a large church.    Even though it was a warm evening and nothing like it is in Indiana around Christmas, it was a good time by all.   These students are real pros with both the music and production.

Friday was a free day for the two of us.   Since the weather was perfect, the timing was right to pay a visit to the Gulf coast.   What a great day with picture perfect weather and scenery.    The Gulf was beautiful as usual.   The villages we drove through had fishing boats in their harbors.   Also, this is a large area for building ships.    It is always good to see new cultures and way people live that is different from home.   This is our third location to work in Alabama and each is distinctly different from the other.

Thanksgiving will be this coming week.   We will begin the week working but will have time off to stop and remember all we have to be thankful for too.

Using All of Our Talents

Even though we are a group of retirees, most of us are still learning many new skills.   Also, many of us had jobs totally unrelated to the work we do with RVICS.    For example this team has a former architect, engineer, store manager, retired military, office workers etc.   With each new skill we learn, we say we are adding to our resume.   Needless to say, we are are still learning from good teachers (other team members).   

Over the years the ladies have become very proficient at painting.   When joining RVICS, many women have never painted a day in their lives but find they are really good.   Painting is going to be central to our work at Whispering Pines Camp.   This week, we painted a dorm room and walls in a new gym/activity center.   Office work was done as well.

The men were found scattered about in different locations working in small groups doing many odd jobs.   Plumbing in a sink, installing walls in the gym/activity center, building a double door for a shed, power wash walks, resolved and repaired electrical problems at a paint ball pavilion,  removed old carpet from a house were some of their accomplishments.   Not too shabby for the first week on the job!!

One evening after work, we gathered for our "official" team picture.  For Don and Sharon, we have worked with every other team member somewhere along the line.   While others, this is the first time they met.   We are a very diverse group from New Hampshire (2), Pennsylvania (2), Florida and Indiana.   When our month here is finished, we will all head out in all directions for our winter work.

"Sweet Home Alabama"

New month, new location and a new RVICS team!    After a month at home, once again we traveled to another RVICS project.   Five other couples have, also, driven many, many miles.   Two of the couples drove around 1500 miles to come.   Actually, at 850 miles, we are "close" to home.    With many projects, we work with "new" to us couples but this month we have worked with each one previously.     It is good to meet up with old friends again.   One member of the team, actually had retired from RVICS a couple of years ago and have returned to work this month!

This November finds us at a ministry and place that is new to us at Whispering Pines Camp in Citronelle, Alabama, which in a half hour north of Mobile   Our RVICS "village" is now all set up on the spacious lots and the hosts have made us feel very much at home.   In fact, there is a red maple tree we can see from our RV that is loosing its leaves---just like home.   (However, fall is very late in our part of the world in Indiana and our maple trees were still green when we left HC.)   The centerpiece of the drive is a magnificent magnolia tree that is estimated to be 200 years old.   Oh, the stories it could probably tell of the storms etc. that have gone through.   This weekend we have seen the camp in use when about 100 girls arrived Friday evening for a retreat.   What fun to see the 3rd & 4th graders (I think) out enjoying the facilities here and hear them singing praises!

Come Monday morning, we will begin working.   The men will start with a house on the property that needs some major renovating.   Paint brushes will be pulled out by the ladies to put some green paint on some dormitory walls.     Let the fun begin-----