Sunday, June 29, 2008

Missions Homecoming

Today we celebrated the homecoming of Doug, Beth and Sara Wright and Douglas and Jennings Boone working with Wycliffe Bible Translators in the eastern Congo region for the past four years. Also, we commissiond Katie Tinney to work in an orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya and are planning to commission Heidi Boon to work with the Peace Corps in Timbuktu. The Youth Dominican Republic team returned home yesterday. Following are photos of those gathered for the meal after the services. (*Note: click on any photo to enlarge it.)

(Above) Beth and Sara Wright (left).

Doug Wright (left).


Katie Tinney (third from left) and family with Douglas (left) and Jennings (not shown) Boone.


Heidi Boon (fourth from left) and family



















The Myrtle Grove Family

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Spaghetti and a Show: Dominican Republic Mission Trip Fundraiser





photos by Joan Mebane

Mission House Project Completed!

JUST WANTED TO REPORT TO ALL OF YOU WHO DID SO MUCH TO PREPARE FOOD, FILL UP THE PANTRY, CLEAN UP THE MISSION YARD AND HOUSE, AND REPAIR THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM FOR THE YARD. IT WAS SO VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.

DICK AND I HAPPENED TO BE AT THE HOUSE REPAIRING A BROKEN SPRINKLER ON THE FRIDAY EVENING WHEN DOUG, BETH AND SARA ARRIVED.

WE WATCHED THEIR EXPRESSIONS AND HEARD THEIR WORDS OF WONDER AND APPRECIATION AT ALL THAT HAD BEEN DONE TO WELCOME THEM HOME. BETH WAS IN TEARS SEVERAL TIMES AT THE HUGE GIFT OF SUCH A CLEAN AND SPARKLING HOME AND THE NEAT AND TIDY YARD. THEY HAD SUCH A WONDERFUL TIME WALKING THROUGH THE HOUSE AND COMMENTING ON ALL THAT THEY SAW.

YOU WHO WORKED SO HARD CLEANING WALLS, IT WAS NOTICED!! THEY THOUGHT THERE HAD BEEN A NEW PAINT JOB IT LOOKED SO GOOD! THEY LOVED THE WINDOW TREATMENTS TOO, AND APPRECIATED THE NEW MINI-BLINDS THAT REPLACED THE OLD CRACKED ONES.

THEY WERE BLESSED TO FIND ALL THEIR BOXES MOVED OUT OF STORAGE AND INTO THE LIVING ROOM. THEY ACTUALLY GOT THROUGH THEM ALL THE FIRST WEEKEND, IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT DOUG AND SARAH HAVE BEEN FIGHTING AN "AFRICAN" FLU, AND BETH MOVES IN "SLOW MOTION" AS A RESULT OF HER HEALTH ISSUES.

OH, WHEN THEY OPENED THE REFRIGERATOR AND SAW THE FRESH PRODUCE...ESPECIALLY THE GRAPES!! WHAT FUN TO WATCH THEM ENJOY THOSE SWEET FRUITS OF LOVE FROM YOU ALL.

THE FACT THAT THE BEDS WERE ALL MADE AND READY FOR THEIR WEARY BODIES WAS ANOTHER BLESSING!

I THINK WE CAN SAY NOTHING WENT UNNOTICED AND ALL WAS RECEIVED WITH THANKSGIVING TO A GOD WHO WORKED THROUGH YOU ALL TO BLESS THEM IN THIS WAY.

THEY REJOICED IN IT ALL AND WE WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU SO YOU COULD BE BLESSED AS WELL.

by Linda Crafts

Monday, June 9, 2008

Mission House Preparations for Wright Family

WHAT A WONDERFUL TESTIMONY TO GOD'S LOVE!! OUR SECOND WORK DAY WAS JUST AS AWESOME AND PRODUCTIVE!

THANK YOU ONE AND ALL FOR MAKING IS SO SUCCESSFUL.

THE DEN WAS CLEANED AND SCOURED BY JOAN MEBANE AND SUSAN RIGG, AND THEN THEY MOVED INTO THE LAUNDRY ROOM AND ORGANIZED AND CLEANED THAT, AS WELL AS HELPING TO ORGANIZE A BIT IN THE KITCHEN CUPBOARDS.

NIDA LANGSTON CONQUERED THE REMAINING KITCHEN CABINETS, HOW THEY SPARKLE, AND FOLDED AND ORGANIZED ALL THE LINENS.

CHRISTY REGISTER WASHED DOWN THE DINING ROOM WALLS WHILE JANE ANN CAPPS CLEANED ITS WINDOWS.

BETTY BROWN WAS BACK CLEANING THE HALL WALLS AND OTHER BITS AND PIECES.

SUSIE AND JONATHAN HARTNESS COVERED LOTS OF DIFFERENT AREAS, RUNNING TO WAL MART FOR NEEDED SUPPLIES, HELPING SONDRA DRON WITH WINDOW DRESSINGS, CLEANING MASTER BEDROOM WINDOWS, AND OTHER DETAILS WHENEVER NEEDED. WE THANK SONDRA FOR HER SPECIAL GIFT OF PUTTING THINGS TOGETHER IN SUCH A LOVELY WAY.

PAM MUMFORD HELPED RELOCATE FURNITURE AND THEN PITCHED IN IN TO MANY WAYS TO MENTION, BUT ENDED BY WASHING THE DINING/ROOM KITCHEN FLOOR WITH A NEAT LITTLE GADGET CALLED A "FLIP IT". WHAT A WONDERFUL LITTLE MACHINE, AND HOW IT HELPED SAVE TIME AND ENERGY!! THANK YOU, PAM!

GLADYS FOSTER WAS IN CHARGE OF PUTTING LINENS BACK ON BEDS, WITH THE ABLE ASSISTANCE OF SUSIE HARTNESS AND CARTER MEBANE. CARTER ALSO WENT AROUND TIGHTENING LOOSE BOLTS, AND BEING AN ALL AROUND HELPING HAND WHEREVER NEEDED.

WHILE ALL THIS WAS GOING ON INSIDE THERE WAS ANOTHER WHOLE CREW FINISHING UP ON THE OUTSIDE!! THANK YOU JOHN RUBLE AND ERNIE LANGSTON FOR REPAIRS TO ROTTING TRIM.

AND TED FOSTER, WHAT A GREAT JOB CLEANING OUT THE SHED AND LENDING A HELPING HAND WHEREVER NECESSARY OUTSIDE.

JIM DYKES DID SOME MORE TRIMMING AND CLEAN UP IN THE BACK YARD, WHILE NANCY STOKLEY AND CALEB NASON PLANTED FLOWERS HERE AND THERE THROUGHOUT THE YARD.

IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS, STEVE KOHL ARRIVED TO TREAT US ALL TO SOME YUMMY KOHL'S CUSTARD ICE CREAM, WHAT A TREAT ON A BEASTLY HOT DAY!! THAT WASN'T HIS ONLY CONTRIBUTION, :-), EITHER, AS HE ALSO LENT A HAND WHEREVER NEEDED.

JEFF NASON AND PHILIP BROWN REALLY WENT TO IT, POWER WASHING THE SIDING, DRIVE WAY AND SIDEWALK. WOW, HOW BRIGHT AND CLEAN EVERYTHING LOOKS OUT THERE!!

WE HAD ONE OTHER CREW GOING TOO, THAT WAS WORKING OFFSITE AT THE CRAFTS, GETTING THE WRIGHTS STORED ITEMS OUT OF THE SHOP ATTIC, INTO TRUCKS, AND OFF-LOADING IT ALL INTO THE LIVING ROOM AT THE MISSION HOUSE. THANK YOU DICK CRAFTS, JIM DYKES, STEVE KOHL, JOHN RUBLE, AND OTHERS WHO HELPED UNLOAD IT ALL.

WE REALLY HAVE TO GIVE THE OUTSIDE GROUP A SPECIAL AWARD FOR WORKING IN 90+ TEMPERATURES!! WHAT A HOT DAY FOR OUTSIDE WORK. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

AND WE THANK OUR GOD AND FATHER, THE AUTHOR OF ALL OF THIS, WHO PREPARED THESE GOOD WORKS BEFOREHAND THAT WE MIGHT WALK IN THEM AND HONOR HIM SO DOING.

OUR HEARTS HAVE BEEN SO BLESSED TO SEE THIS OUTPOURING FROM ALL OF YOU, IT WAS SUCH A TREAT TO WORK TOGETHER WITH EACH OF YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

by Linda Crafts

Mission House Preparations for Doug, Beth and Sarah Wright

WE HAD AN INCREDIBLE TURNOUT FOR OUR FIRST DAY OF CLEAN-UP! WHAT A TERRIFIC WORK CREW!

THANK YOU JOHN RUBLE FOR SUPERVISING! THANK YOU DUANE KAHLE, JEFF NASON, IKE LANEY, SHANE REGISTER, STEVE JONES, DAN SONNENBERG, RITA TAYLOR, PHILIP BROWN, AND DICK CRAFTS FOR THE HUGE EFFORT IN GETTING THE YARD BACK IN SHAPE!!

A SPECIAL THANKS TO TIM CAYTON WHO REPAIRED AND RE-INSTALLED THE WELL PUMP DURING THIS PAST WEEK. WHAT A HUGE JOB! WE SO APPRECIATE ALL YOUR WORK AND EFFORT. THANKS TO DICK CRAFTS FOR INSTALLING A NEW IRRIGATION CONTROL INSIDE THE HOUSE. THE YARD IS ONCE AGAIN BEING WATERED.

THANKS TO ALL WHO HAULED OFF THE DEBRIS AND TRIMMINGS TO THEIR RESPECTIVE HOMES TO BE BURNED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF, WHAT A UNIQUE GIFT TO THE CLEAN UP PROJECT! :-)

AND THEN THERE IS THE SUPER INSIDE CLEANING CREW, THEY REALLY MADE A HUGE DENT IN THE CLEANING LIST. WE HAD OUTSTANDING WINDOW WASHERS IN CAROLYN NEEDHAM AND JENNY MILLS. OTHER FOLKS EACH TOOK A ROOM AND CLEANED IT TOP TO BOTTOM AND INSIDE OUT. THANK YOU SHEILA RUDOLPH, WHO CLEANED SARAH'S ROOM; TAMMY CHAPMAN WHO TACKLED DANIEL'S OLD ROOM; PAM SOUTHERLAND WHO TOOK ON THE GUEST BATHROOM AND THEN HELPED RHONDA CAYTON AND BETTY BROWN FINISH UP THE MASTER BEDROOM AND MASTER BATH; DIANNE WOLFF WHO "SWEPT" THROUGH THE LIVING ROOM AND FOYER; SONDRA DRON AND RHONDA CAYTON WHO TACKLED THE STOVE AND REFRIGERATOR.

WE ALSO APPRECIATE THAT RITA TAYLOR TOOK ON THE JOB OF CLEANING ALL THE LINENS, DRAPES AND MINI-BLINDS. WE HEARD HERB MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED TOO, THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU!

LOOKING AHEAD TO OUR NEXT WORK DAY ON JUNE 7 THERE ARE STILL SOME THINGS TO BE COMPLETED. THE CARPET WILL BE CLEANED ON TUESDAY, JUNE 3, AND SOME OF THE FURNITURE MIGHT HAVE TO BE MOVED BACK TO THE BEDROOMS.

THE HALLWAY WALLS, DINING AREA, KITCHEN AND DEN STILL HAVE TO BE CLEANED TOP-TO-BOTTOM. THERE ARE STILL SOME INSIDE WINDOWS THAT NEED TO BE WASHED IN THE MASTER BEDROOM, DINING ROOM AND KITCHEN.

OUTSIDE WINDOWS WILL BE DONE AFTER THE YARD WORKERS PRESSURE CLEAN THE EXTERIOR SIDING. (DON'T WANT TO WASH THEM AND THEN HAVE TO GO BACK OVER THEM AGAIN.)

THE YARD CREW MAY ALSO RAKE IN SOME GRASS SEED THAT JEFF NASON PROVIDED.

THERE IS SOME CAULKING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ON WINDOWS, ETC.

ALSO, DOUG AND BETH HAVE SEVERAL BOXES AND OTHER ITEMS STORED AT DICK AND LINDA CRAFTS THAT WILL NEED TO BE MOVED AND PUT IN THE LIVING ROOM FOR DOUG, BETH, AND SARAH TO UNPACK WHEN THEY ARRIVE.

SO, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE SIGNED UP FOR JUNE 7, THAT IS WHAT AWAITS YOU ALL. IF THERE ARE SOME WHO HAVE NOT SIGNED UP AND WONDER IF WE COULD USE STILL USE YOUR HELP, THE ANSWER IS YES!!

AGAIN, THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS HELPED AND WILL BE HELPING. GOD'S BLESSINGS ON YOU ALL!!

by Linda Crafts