We were up really early on Saturday morning, October 12 – like 3:30 a.m. – so we could leave the house by 4:30, be at the TFC office by 5:00, and leave with International Chapel #2 shortly thereafter.

 It was still dark when we arrived at Menges Diner at 6:00 a.m. – where the prayer breakfast and bake sale benefit would take place.

This restaurant is located along Route 30 near Abbottstown, Pennsylvania.

After getting the chapel set up, we went inside to enjoy breakfast with our TFC friends from this area.

Then it was time for a short meeting in the chapel where Cerwin served as the coordinator.

Photo of Jim Wardrop from the spring banquet

The meeting was more somber than usual, as the contact person – and usual coordinator for these meetings – Jim Wardrop, had died two weeks earlier when his ultra-light plane crashed.

Jim’s friend Dave Miller agreed to share a short devotional.

When Jim’s widow, Grace, brought notes that Jim had prepared for the morning, Dave changed the direction of his thoughts and used the first set of verses on Jim’s notes…

Isaiah 61:1-3 New King James Version (NKJV)

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,

To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

Bill Menges accepted the responsibility of being the chapter’s new contact person.

Prior to this day (at Jim’s memorial service and by phone) Cerwin talked to several members of the York/Adams Chapter – asking who they thought should take Jim’s place as the contact person. The unanimous answer was Bill Menges (owner of the restaurant).

We knew that some of them had already shared their desire with Bill, so he was not surprised when (prior to the meeting) Cerwin asked if he was willing serve as the contact person.

Bill is a truck driver (his wife runs the restaurant) and has been active in this chapter for the past few years.

Then it was time to check on the bake sale in the pavilion next to the restaurant.

This creative cake was put up for silent auction, and when we left in the late afternoon, it was at $50.00.

We enjoyed visiting with restaurant customers when they came inside to visit, and were especially blessed when five people came to see us – just because they saw the chapel when driving by on Route 30: a friend of ours, a couple who supported a chaplain who served with TFC many years ago, a photographer from Baltimore who wanted to see what this rig was all about, and a businessman from a few houses away.

We stayed until just before the evening rush of customers – so we could manage to get this big rig out of the parking lot. Profit from the bake sale benefit and donations from the day was just over $1,500.00. 🙂

My favorite purchase of the day was this “cake in a jar”.

It is baked in the jar, then as soon as it comes out of the oven, the lid is placed on it – which causes it to seal.

It has a one-year shelf life.

I will give you the recipe tomorrow night.