Each morning let me learn more about your love because I trust you. I come to you in prayer, asking for your guidance.
Psalm 143:8 Contemporary English Version
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Let me hear Your loving-kindness in the morning, for I trust in You. Teach me the way I should go for I lift up my soul to You.
Psalm 143:8 (New Life Version)
Helpful Students
Thursday, October 13
A local Christian school had a community workday, and sent ten students and two adults to help at TFC’s International Office and shop today. Others helped a variety of local nonprofit ministries and businesses.
Photos by Inge and Cerwin
I think this is my favorite picture of the day because of the reflections.
Weeding and stirring mulch
Polishing the chapel
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Moving old files to the storage trailer.
Putting labels on Gospels of John
Snack
Bunny O’Hare telling the group about TFC’s early days and some current goals.
Afterward he gave them a test – like – What year did Transport For Christ begin? It was 1951.
The entire crew at the entrance sign.
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Thanks everyone. You did a great job!
Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him.
Psalm 37:7 (Amplified Bible)
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Rest in the Lord and be willing to wait for Him.
Psalm 37:7 (New Life Version)
I Have Only One Photo On My Camera Card!
That should make an easy post. Maybe I’ll go outside and take a few more.
This is the picture.
It’s from Sunday when we had our prayer and advisory team here for lunch (a few were missing). After putting the food and tables away, we began an informatory meeting – letting them know about things that are happening in TFC and some plans for the future.
In this picture Cerwin was sharing a short devotional, then Jay Schock (black shirt) told about his introduction to TFC, some driver stories, and about the work he does in new chaplain training and in serving on Frystown Chapel.
We showed a PowerPoint slideshow from our repair-work-trip to Sacamento, and a few Staff Conference photos. After that we enjoyed an afternoon of fellowship.
We treasure the prayers of these friends.
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Because it is raining outside, I decided to take a few pictures from our driveway and patio – to add a bit of creativity to this blog.
Wet, falling leaves are threatening to hide our grass.
And it is an endless job to keep them off of our driveway.
This is the pretty picture for the day – one of the last roses of summer – and a few buds that may open in a few days.
You are my rock and my safe place.
Psalm 31:3 (New Life Version)
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You’re my cave to hide in, my cliff to climb.
Psalm 31:3 (The Message)
A Beautiful Fall Day
The Final Part of Our Drive Home from Staff Conference
Friday, October 7
Because I set up many Powerpoint slide shows for a variety of programs, I am always looking for pretty shots that include trucks – so this was a good day for me.
Enjoy the drive – mostly in western Pennsylvania.
This kind of drive is good for my soul.
Run after peace for all you’re worth.
1 Peter 3:11 (The Message)
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Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
1 Peter 3:11 (New Living Translation)
Saying Goodbye & Traveling to Toledo
~ TFC Staff Conference at Muskegon, Michigan ~
Thursday, October 5
Larry shared a few inspirational thoughts while we ate breakfast.
I told these two to look up – and this is what I got. 
Tom looks like a deer in headlights. Maybe in his case it is an elk, as he serves on the chapel in North Bend (Seattle), Washington, and on days off helps with tracking elk.
Dan is from East St. Louis and just gave me a kind of look that said, “Okay if you must.”
Rosa, our favorite employee in Maranatha’s dining room, shared her testimony and sang two songs with her husband’s accompaniment.
She has been at Maranatha since TFC began holding Staff Conferences there. It is been encouraging to watch Rosa growing in the Lord. She is a great example of what God can do in setting a drug addict free.
Dorinda and Howard (Indianapolis chapel) need photos for new TFC ID tags, and asked me to take their pictures.
Cerwin saying goodbye to Canadian friends Chaplain Sam and Janet McIntosh (Sherwood Park, Alberta) and Chaplain Paul Leger (Salisbury, New Brunswick)
Dennis (Canadian Director) does a last minute computer check before leaving for the airport. Cindy and Chaplain Jim (West Virginia) visit with Mike (Director of Business and Finance) before heading home.
Chaplain Tom on Maranatha’s computer.
Chaplains Dan (East St. Louis) and David (Elkton, Maryland) enter the building after taking suitcases to their cars.
What is this trucker hauling?
After getting on the road, I began thinking of my responsibility next weekend when we take a promotional chapel to a Missions Conference in Connecticut.
I will be speaking to three different age groups of children when their teachers bring them to the chapel. For part of my PowerPoint presentation I want to tell them about things that truckers deliver – which is almost everything we use. I want to have some easy loads, as well as difficult loads for them to guess.
This load appears to be onions.
We arrived at the Toledo, Ohio, chapel in the early afternoon. Chaplain Wayne (right) asked Cerwin to help move the chapel. It had to be moved forward about thirty feet to make room for an underground tank to store urea (a fuel additive for the reduction of emissions).
While they worked on the details for moving the chapel, I noticed this truck pull into the fuel island, and thought it would be a fun picture to use with the children.
I even asked the driver if I could photograph his hands as he filled a fuel tank.
I wonder what he is hauling? I did not find out.
I love creative people!
This mailbox is “planted” in one of the large flower pots outside the chapel, and holds a nice variety of TFC literature, as well as Our Daily Bread devotionals.
In recent years truck stop owners and managers have been working hard at keeping neat plazas, which now means nobody can place literature in racks or anywhere inside the truck stop. We certainly understand, and asked our chaplains to think outside the box and be creative in distributing New Testaments and TFC’s monthly publications Highway News and Good News.
Among the things that had to be done before moving the chapel: the tires had to be filled with air, the brake lining broken loose from the drums, and though the engine does not run, they had to air up the tanks for the air brakes. They removed the emergency steps on the back side of the chapel, and also the steps and railing from the deck at the main entrance.
A forklift was used to move the large pots of petunias. When that job was finished, they used the same vehicle to move the deck along with the chapel as it went forward.
They used a truck stop tractor to pull the rig.
The manager gave directions as the other employee slowly, carefully pulled the chapel forward.
The entire operation went without a problem. Before long Cerwin helped chaplains Jim and Wayne reassemble the emergency steps.
After putting everything back together, we spent a bit of time visiting with Wayne, then moved on toward our motel on the east side of Toledo.
It didn’t take me long to find another truck that I thought the children would enjoy – and guess what might be inside.
Could it be Keebler cookies?
Now that is an interesting load. Who knows what that is?
Cerwin said it is steel trusses for a building.
Triples are something we don’t see in Pennsylvania.
When we got to our motel, I noticed this bright yellow day cab. I also want to show the children the difference between a day cab (without a sleeper), a regular sleeper, and some unusually long sleepers.
Be wise and give serious thought to the way you live.
Proverbs 23:19 (Good News Translation)
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Be wise, and keep your mind going in the right direction.
Proverbs 23:19 (GOD’S WORD Translation)
Wednesday Activities
~ TFC Staff Conference ~
October 5
A highlight of this day was listening to a very challenging message from Larry, TFC’s Vice President of Operations.
Repeat Jeremiah 29:11 every day of your life.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” NIV
God KNOWS the PLANS He has for YOU.
They are GOOD plans
full of HOPE and a FUTURE.
Also: KNOW there is an enemy at work attempting to create fear and doubt, wanting you to fail.
“God does not need a good economy to bless his children.”
Chaplain Mark made our day when he showed Chaplain Chris (and us) the Bible Helps tracts he uses for inspiration and information when preparing many of his messages for the chapel.
He was surprised when we told him that we know Harold Martin, the writer of most of these tracts. He picks them up a the All American Travel Plaza, Frystown, Pennsylvania.
Chaplain Hank told us about the prayer request box he placed at a convenient place in the truck stop where he serves in Knoxville, Tennessee.
He showed us the pack of prayer requests that have come in recently.
Our evening meeting opened with a tribute to Chaplain San, who passed away a few days ago.
Gary and John led the tribute, sometimes with tears, other times with laughter. San had a great sense of humor, and often gave us laughter at Staff Conferences.
Christiana quietly played with things her parents brought for her, often oblivious to what was going on around her.
A highlight of each conference is the commissioning of our newest staff. Each one must complete a one-year internship before being commissioned as a chaplain or staff person with TFC.
Scott (TFC President) read the commission statement.
Prayer for the new staff.
Doug, Director of Location Development led us in communion.
Before closing the program, Scott called his wife, Karen, to the podium.
Before she sat down, someone one called the audience to a time of prayer for them, especially for him as he guides TFC.
We celebrated the happenings of the past few days with an ice cream social.
But it seems like something was forgotten, so Chaplain Hank called Bunny to the podium to receive a “gag gift” a crutch for old men. 
Chad and Laurie asked if I would take a photo of their family for a future newsletter. Chad is lead chaplain on the Grand Rapids, Michigan, chapel.
