Thursday, September 24, 2009
Staff Field Conference
So things at work have been gearing up for our staff field conference lately. It's basically a time after the summer to do an overview of the last year and then go over things on how they can be improved as well as work on a "gameplan" I guess you could say for the next year. Our 2010 begins October first, technically speaking because that's what we've made our fiscal year. Yesterday we had our morning of prayer with a few outside guest speakers. We prayed for all of our staff bases overseas as well as for the ministry as a whole. Please be keeping Teen Missions in your prayers as we move forward on working for new goals, projects and seeking God's will as we prepare for next summer.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Canada - The Travel
So it was after the summer that I found out about the Canada trip. Paul Kostner was asking if I was interested in going and I had two questions, one being serious and the other facetious because I already knew the answer. I asked who as in charge and whether we were driving or flying hah. Paul said he was heading it up so I was very eager to go as well as I knew we'd obviously be driving up.
It wasn't long before I found out that I'd be leaving earlier than the rest of the crew with Dave Charron, Lasta and Dorci. Lasta and Dorci are Indonesian staff serving in Canada and Dave Charron is one of our Canadian representatives from the Ontario base which is being moved). We were leaving early so we could take a load of things in the trailer from the Windsor base and meet the rest of the group leaving the following Monday in Woodstock (near Chicago). We were going to be taking this old Chevy conversion van (basically was like a little mobile camper in the back) but it needed a lot of work before we could go.
So we finally think we're ready, I guess it was the Thursday before the rest of the crew. Dave drove first so he could feel out the van because we didn't even have time to give it a proper road test. Then again, I suppose we did have "time" because we only ended up making it to Titusville (45 mins ish north) before the waterpump gave out and stopped cooling the radiator. We were able to go some back ways back to TMI so it wouldn't overheat. We spent the whole next day fixing the van and left again the following evening.
Things were finally starting to go well and we were making headway. Then, we hit Tennessee and the mountains were really not good for that old van lol. We pulled in to get gas and then the sucker wouldn't start up again. I suppose it was a blessing that it didn't break down on the interstate and that God allowed it to get us to a "convenient" place to break down, if there is such a thing heh. It was the fuel injector/line/something or other. The gas was there but it couldn't be taken to the engine. Anyhow...there we were, right off of I-75 in little old Jellico, Tennessee...not a spit's flight from Kentucky lol. Go ahead, look it up on a map....it's seriously right on the border.
Anyways, it was Saturday evening at this point and no tow truck was gonna make a weekend call in this little town. We inquired at the gas station and called around but really got ahold of no one despite some help. It was really just a God thing because it got us in contact with W.H. Bolwin. It's W.H. who pretty much "own's" the town. In fact, it was his gas station we broke down at, which his son runs, and the one next door...which his daughter runs. He was also the town sheriff and owned about 40% of the property in Jellico and some of the mountainous land around. Anyways, he had a wrecker truck which he volunteered to take the van to the nearest mechanic to have it worked on first thing Monday...meanwhile we checked into two motel rooms and were able to go to church the next day at Crouches Creek Baptist Church...one of the cutest little southern baptist churches you could ever go to. Honestly I've never been to a more welcoming church full of people than right there in Jellico. It was a great time and we even got some rides back and forth by a guy who lived behind the gas station in a mobile trailer and acted as night guard for the station. Sounding like Mayberry yet? :)
Anyhow, there were more complications to the vehicle so we made some calls to Paul and we decided that Shirley (Dave's wife) should come down from Ontario and pick us three up while Dave would stay with the van. So Shirley came down with her neighbor Ross and then Ross and I spent the night driving back up. The humorous part is that the other group who left Monday was not making good time and they also had some tire issues with the trailers they were pulling as well as when you have about 12 people traveling together there are definitely bathroom and gas breaks. So Shirley, Lasta, Dorci, and I make it Canada, spend the night and head west for Chicago. We get to Chicago pretty much the same time that the other crew does. Now here comes more humor/irony whatever you wanna call it.....Dave Charron gets the van going again and he makes it up to the Detroit border by this time. Now he finds out on the Canada side that they won't let him drive the vehicle there because it's an American vehicle and he's Canadian....he's stuck in Detroit lol. Maybe some of you are starting to see what's gonna happen :P
After a nice restful night in Woodstock, Illinois....I get word that Sean Deegan (who was with the other crew) myself and Shirley have to drive right back from where I started (Windsor) and get Dave across (he needed an american driver) load up a trailer full of stuff and make a switch....(being Dave and Shirley) and go meet up with the group in Woodstock...because did I mention... a trailer tire blew right upon arrival. I mean talk about Murphy's Law :P Also, certain paperwork was not done and the border was not notified of crossing 72 hours in advance which was necessary because of things we were importing so that's why they had so much time in Woodstock. Anyways....we get a trailer loaded and strongly impress that we not spend the night but drive straight back to Woodstock that evening and through the night. At this point we all make it together in Woodstock on Thursday morning. I've already been traveling for a week in what was supposed to be like a 48 hour trip (if you could drive non stop heh) We finally travel again and make it to Minneapolis and rest there for the night at one of the staffer's family's house...spend the evening at the Mall of America (America's largest mall) and get going the next day through North Dakota and cross at the border north of Minot. I already feel like I've crossed the border a million times in the last week (Lol) and I'm really excited to arrive in Outlook, Saskatchewan about 6 hours north of the Canadian border. It was a lot of driving, a lot of fun, and I have to say Teen Missions' road trips are full of surprises at every turn. I wouldn't say that necessarily things were neglected or anything like that... just that Satan really really didn't want us to be up there and working on the new property. We really did get so much work done....more on that soon!
It wasn't long before I found out that I'd be leaving earlier than the rest of the crew with Dave Charron, Lasta and Dorci. Lasta and Dorci are Indonesian staff serving in Canada and Dave Charron is one of our Canadian representatives from the Ontario base which is being moved). We were leaving early so we could take a load of things in the trailer from the Windsor base and meet the rest of the group leaving the following Monday in Woodstock (near Chicago). We were going to be taking this old Chevy conversion van (basically was like a little mobile camper in the back) but it needed a lot of work before we could go.
So we finally think we're ready, I guess it was the Thursday before the rest of the crew. Dave drove first so he could feel out the van because we didn't even have time to give it a proper road test. Then again, I suppose we did have "time" because we only ended up making it to Titusville (45 mins ish north) before the waterpump gave out and stopped cooling the radiator. We were able to go some back ways back to TMI so it wouldn't overheat. We spent the whole next day fixing the van and left again the following evening.
Things were finally starting to go well and we were making headway. Then, we hit Tennessee and the mountains were really not good for that old van lol. We pulled in to get gas and then the sucker wouldn't start up again. I suppose it was a blessing that it didn't break down on the interstate and that God allowed it to get us to a "convenient" place to break down, if there is such a thing heh. It was the fuel injector/line/something or other. The gas was there but it couldn't be taken to the engine. Anyhow...there we were, right off of I-75 in little old Jellico, Tennessee...not a spit's flight from Kentucky lol. Go ahead, look it up on a map....it's seriously right on the border.
Anyways, it was Saturday evening at this point and no tow truck was gonna make a weekend call in this little town. We inquired at the gas station and called around but really got ahold of no one despite some help. It was really just a God thing because it got us in contact with W.H. Bolwin. It's W.H. who pretty much "own's" the town. In fact, it was his gas station we broke down at, which his son runs, and the one next door...which his daughter runs. He was also the town sheriff and owned about 40% of the property in Jellico and some of the mountainous land around. Anyways, he had a wrecker truck which he volunteered to take the van to the nearest mechanic to have it worked on first thing Monday...meanwhile we checked into two motel rooms and were able to go to church the next day at Crouches Creek Baptist Church...one of the cutest little southern baptist churches you could ever go to. Honestly I've never been to a more welcoming church full of people than right there in Jellico. It was a great time and we even got some rides back and forth by a guy who lived behind the gas station in a mobile trailer and acted as night guard for the station. Sounding like Mayberry yet? :)
Anyhow, there were more complications to the vehicle so we made some calls to Paul and we decided that Shirley (Dave's wife) should come down from Ontario and pick us three up while Dave would stay with the van. So Shirley came down with her neighbor Ross and then Ross and I spent the night driving back up. The humorous part is that the other group who left Monday was not making good time and they also had some tire issues with the trailers they were pulling as well as when you have about 12 people traveling together there are definitely bathroom and gas breaks. So Shirley, Lasta, Dorci, and I make it Canada, spend the night and head west for Chicago. We get to Chicago pretty much the same time that the other crew does. Now here comes more humor/irony whatever you wanna call it.....Dave Charron gets the van going again and he makes it up to the Detroit border by this time. Now he finds out on the Canada side that they won't let him drive the vehicle there because it's an American vehicle and he's Canadian....he's stuck in Detroit lol. Maybe some of you are starting to see what's gonna happen :P
After a nice restful night in Woodstock, Illinois....I get word that Sean Deegan (who was with the other crew) myself and Shirley have to drive right back from where I started (Windsor) and get Dave across (he needed an american driver) load up a trailer full of stuff and make a switch....(being Dave and Shirley) and go meet up with the group in Woodstock...because did I mention... a trailer tire blew right upon arrival. I mean talk about Murphy's Law :P Also, certain paperwork was not done and the border was not notified of crossing 72 hours in advance which was necessary because of things we were importing so that's why they had so much time in Woodstock. Anyways....we get a trailer loaded and strongly impress that we not spend the night but drive straight back to Woodstock that evening and through the night. At this point we all make it together in Woodstock on Thursday morning. I've already been traveling for a week in what was supposed to be like a 48 hour trip (if you could drive non stop heh) We finally travel again and make it to Minneapolis and rest there for the night at one of the staffer's family's house...spend the evening at the Mall of America (America's largest mall) and get going the next day through North Dakota and cross at the border north of Minot. I already feel like I've crossed the border a million times in the last week (Lol) and I'm really excited to arrive in Outlook, Saskatchewan about 6 hours north of the Canadian border. It was a lot of driving, a lot of fun, and I have to say Teen Missions' road trips are full of surprises at every turn. I wouldn't say that necessarily things were neglected or anything like that... just that Satan really really didn't want us to be up there and working on the new property. We really did get so much work done....more on that soon!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Back from Canada!
Well I'm pretty sure that maybe even some of you are scratching your head because you didn't even know I went to Canada (or rather Saskatchewan, Bethany haha)...perhaps you just thought I fell off the face of the earth :) Nonetheless, I am back and it is good to be back. The reason I went to Canada was because Teen Missions recently acquired some property in Saskatchewan by lease for 30 years and paid....$1 No that's not a typo...literally 1 lousy American dollar got us what used to be Camp Outlook in Outlook, Saskatchewan. TMI had been looking for property farther west than where it's current office was (Windsor, Ontario) so that we could do more PR and recruitment all over Canada. Camp Outlook was once a Christian camp run every summer by numerous churches. As far as I know (if my information was correct) the camp was opened back in 1948 (we even saw a signature on the wall from 1949!) 2005 was the last year that the camp was used and ironically enough, even though it was a Christian camp, it was owned by the town. The reason we got such a great lease was because they wanted to see the camp to be continued in use by a ministry. There are numerous little cabins up there as well as some staff cabins, a kitchen, and a "chapel" building (large multi-use building). Mr. Bland and his wife Bernie went and saw the camp in July when the deal was made and they started making arrangements to send a work group up to do things around the property, mostly painting. I, of course, jumped on the opportunity for a roadtrip and a good time working, helping out the Reddekopps (Canadian base coordinators) get the camp looking decent. I want to make seperate blog posts about specific things and this is just the first...otherwise it would be one really long post. Anyhow, it's good to home and I can't wait to share more with you.
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