Coffee, cinnamon, and brown sugar starts the day off with a sigh of contentment!
As we dined outside, Jenna discovered a Key Lime tree growing right by the house. She was intrigued and was happy to find one lime had fallen from it. It smelled heavenly. There are walnut groves in the area and Mike showed us two he had found in his walk in the neighborhood just lying on the ground! Many of us had never seen a freshly fallen walnut before!
Before the start of our homegrown Sunday Service, Mike informed us he wouldn’t be making it to meals as he had received an important email and was honored with a free week of Whoppers from Burger King! We would just need to provide meals for eleven! Mike led us in our service – In a nutshell (yes, walnut pun intended) every part of the body is important. All parts of the body are integral to the whole. We can’t rely upon just one part as they all work together to have our body work smoothly. To relate to the mission trip, we need to listen to each other and work as a team. Maybe we will even learn something when we use our ears more than our own voice. As Mike pointed out, Proverb 17 says that even a fool is considered wise when he holdeth his peace. When he remains silent, this might actually be the wisest move. Communion was then shared. Aiden was handed the glass. “We’re drinking from the same glass?” Aiden asked incredulously to which it was pointed out that he was able to take the first sip and Mike would have the last. We pray for active listening, respect and teamwork to make our trip here successful.
After our mission family church service, all lined up in the kitchen to put together their own sandwiches in the kitchen. It was a sight to see – a well oiled machine. As a newbie, I could tell everyone knew what to do and how to do it! Laura made my sandwich as I finished up yesterday’s update and sent it to John promising pictures shortly.
We were then on our way to our trip to Lake Oroville! Looking at the landscape as we traveled in the passenger van, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of it, but saddened by the devastation from the wildfires. Seeing black logs standing upright with straggly branches was a sad sight. We were out on Lake Oroville in no time! We needed two pontoon boats because there was a limit of ten per boat. The Church ladies (NOT your mother’s church ladies) headed out captained by Debby. Kirsten tried to STAND on the tube, lasted 4 seconds and flipped off the back! She was the ONLY church lady to attempt the tube. Jay with the youth were taken out by Captain Mike. Mike was able to throw Julian off the tube twice, and surprisingly, Jay, once! Captain Mike also served as a Driver’s Ed instructor as all youth had opportunity to drive the boat! Oh, what fun! We tooled around the lake and did some sightseeing. Again – beautiful and devastating views. We arrived back at the marina approximately 4pm and the next order of business was heading to the nearest 7-Eleven for Big Gulps, frozen slurpees, and other carbonated beverages for the ride home. We were treated to most of the youth singing Sponge Bob Square Pants - yes, it IS on video! After returning “home”, Kirsten and Alec headed out for a quick run (Wha????) while most took showers. Mike & Debby conquered Costco and Winco for more supplies – a HUGE shout out for getting all the supplies and deals! Jay made his infamous grilled pork tenderloin, sesame green beans, and roasted potatoes. It must be noted that the youth washed and dried all the dishes without even being asked! (These kids are truly amazing human beings!)
Youth put on a hilarious show to which all participated! The camaraderie they have is evident in their performance. Jenna has seamlessly joined this special group. It’s 9:30 now. Bedtime! 6AM will come soon enough. We will be headed out to Tiny Pine Foundation to meet with Alyssa. We need to be there by 9AM and it is 45 minutes away. My pillow is calling…
