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So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you:

Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.

Romans 12:1 (The Message)

Missions Weekend

Ephrata Church of the Nazarene

Saturday, March 2

We arrived about 3:30 p.m. to get the chapel and display board set up before most people arrived.

Peg and Bunny O’Hare, TFC Director of Pastoral Care for Chaplains, manned the display table while Cerwin and I stayed in the chapel until the evening meal.

Bunny and Peg and Darla and Dale Hershey.

Dale and Darla volunteer at the Truck Rally each summer and were the people who got their church in touch with us. Dale also donates his time and the supplies to clean and wax the tile floors at TFC’s International Office – about once a year.

There were a few preliminaries and directions before the meal.

Each table was told to choose a leader to distribute the box meals (under the netting).

Each box contained a meal.

My meal included two slices of wheat bread, ham & cheese, mustard, mayo, fresh vegies, pretzel sticks, a small tangerine, plasticware, paper towel napkin, cookie, and a few mints.

Cerwin’s was similar. He had chips instead of pretzel sticks, a banana instead of a tangerine, and his lunch meat was turkey.

The others were similar, except…

…Peg’s. Her box was empty.

About that time it was announced that the seven places at each table – with one empty box – was to represent that one in seven people in the world will go to bed hungry tonight.

Our table was our mission field and the six with full food boxes had to figure out how to feed the “hungry” person.

All Peg got was a Bible verse and a glass of water.

The people who are standing had empty boxes.

It was fun to hear how each table fed their “hungry” person. At our table, each person handed their box to Peg and told her to take what she wanted.

Julie was the person who contacted me about coming to their church’s missions weekend. Here she is introducing the “drama” that was coming next.

From Matthew 25…

Homeless Man

“I was hungry and you fed me.”

Orphanage

“I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.”

Hospital

“I was sick, and you cared for me.”

Prison

“I was in prison, and you visited me.”

“Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?”

“I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!”

~~~

The meal and the drama was a very effective way of reminding us of “the least of these” in the world.

A main focus of the evening was human trafficking, and that is why the missions committee felt that TFC was a fit for their weekend.

Truck stops have become hot spots for human trafficking, making it necessary for our staff to be informed on how to recognize the signs of a young person who has become a human slave – and hotline phone numbers to call.

Bunny shared a bit about the ministry of Transport For Christ and Exit 58 (TFC’s initiative on human trafficking).

“Exit 58” is from Isaiah 58:6

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?“

For all the animals of the forest are mine,
and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know every bird on the mountains,
and all the animals of the field are mine.

[God]

Psalm 50:10-11 (New Living Translation)

Visiting Bass Pro

Saturday Morning, March 2

Cerwin found a gun scope he wanted that was on sale at Bass Pro

He asked if I wanted to go along. At first I said, “No.” But I had never been there, and decided that it would be fun to do something interesting on a quiet Saturday morning.

We got there just before 9:00 a.m. and had to wait for the doors to open, so I walked around outside (to keep warm) and took a few pictures.

A nice old Chevy

I like the “woodsy” landscape.

After we got inside – and a staff person locked Cerwin’s gun – he went to the scope counter and I checked out the scenery.

A neat tree house.

An interesting woodland scene.

Now isn’t that a cute critter?

I like this brown mountain goat’s large beard.

That was interesting – and Cerwin is pleased with his new gun scope.

God is kind, but he’s not soft.

In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.

Romans 2:4 (The Message)

Visiting & Bluebirds

Friday, March 1

Last Friday we spent several hours with Cerwin’s mother.

First we went to Denver Nursing Center and visited Aunt Naomi, Mother’s ninety-two year-old sister, who spends much of her time in bed because she can’t walk and can barely see.

It was a delightful visit and we had fun getting them to reminisce a bit about their childhood.

Next we visited Uncle Eli who had to spend some time at Pleasant View Retirement Community in rehab after a hospital experience. He is married to Esther, a sister to Cerwin’s father.

Again we had fun talking about some interesting events from his early life.

Before taking Mother home, we stopped for groceries.

I was delighted to look out the window the other day and see an eastern bluebird.

They are not rare in our yard, but are not as frequent as I would like.

I always hope a pair will choose a bird house that is in our front yard.

Receive your power from the Lord and from his mighty strength.

Ephesians 6:10 (GOD’S WORD Translation)

Robins, Crows, and a Turkey Buzzard

I know that many of you – even farther north than us – have seen your first robin, but for me I saw my first two of the season just a few days ago.

They were out in the yard, pretty far away, but it’s always easy to spot their worm-searching-motions.

Crows are not that exciting to spot, but the other day when I took some envelopes to the mailbox, the tree tops in our yard were noisy with their cawing.

My presence caused some of them to move toward the back of our woodlot.

The few who stayed behind seemed to be sentries and made loud cawing sounds.

It seems they thought that I was an enemy.

At first I thought this was another crow as it flew overhead, then I noticed that it was a much larger bird – a turkey buzzard.

It’s difficult to get a pretty picture of a buzzard, but I thought the lighting of the sun on its wing feathers made this a very attractive photo.

The spacious, free life is from God,
it’s also protected and safe.
God-strengthened, we’re delivered from evil—
when we run to him, he saves us.

Psalm 37:39-40 (The Message)

Birth Announcement from the Barn

Saturday, February 23

It was exciting to receive the news of the birth of Ace at Jeff and Chris’ farm. This is their first calf – after buying the young cattle last year.

I was anxious to go to the farm the next day after church – and passed these two pretty barn cats as I followed Jeff through the barn.

There he is!

So cute.

He is missing the tip of his tail. Jeff thinks one of the bigger animals stood on it or bit it off.

There will be another baby before long as the cow on the right appears ready to give birth.

Nursing

There are also several baby lambs.

The twins were hiding in the corner.

This mama did not want me to see her baby.

Jeff called me to come outside because baby Ace was running and jumping.

He would stop for a bit then run to the other end of the pen.

It was so much fun to watch. Jeff was concerned that he might run right through the electric fence.

Then he discovered the opening to the meadow.

The poor mama. She could hardly keep after him.

Back inside the barn I finally got a picture of the black lamb.

I love visiting the mamas and babies.