Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who intervenes for those who wait for him.

Isaiah 64:4 (New English Translation)

A Birthday Gift From Roy & Deb

April 28

Roy and Deb invited us to meet them for lunch at Reflections as a birthday gift to Cerwin.

Since the restaurant is just up the road from Landis Homes, where Cerwin’s mother lives, they surprised us by inviting her as well.

Cherry Sweet Bread

Mother’s Seared Salmon
Topped with lemon-garlic butter and served with saffron rice pilaf and broccoli.

Mother declared the rice, “The best I have ever eaten.”

Deb’s Chicken with Crab Imperial
Seafood Aioli, saffron rice pilaf, and vegetable du jour

Roy’s Broiled Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes
Saffron rice pilaf, seasonal vegetable du jour, and lemon

Cerwin’s Steak and Eggs
Three eggs any style, and a 6 oz. flatiron steak

My Shrimp Lejon
Bacon wrapped shrimp with Dijon-horseradish sauce, mashed potatoes and garlic butter
This was an appetizer – but perfect in size, and taste, for me.

This was the variety of desserts we chose. Mine is the key lime dessert on the right.

Cerwin helping his mother down the ramp.

Mother and Cerwin – photo by Deb

A delightful meal with delightful people.

Wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure.

Then it is peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good deeds, impartial, and sincere.

James 3:17 (GOD’S WORD Translation)

Community Festival

Part 3 of 3

Franconia Mennonite Church, Telford, Pennsylvania

Saturday, April 27

An attention getter for the adults – especially those of the male gender – was a car show.

I especially liked these two Desotos. I was ten years old when the black one was built, and beginning my senior year in high school when the white one was built.

The hot dogs, baked beans, chips, juice, and coffee were free to everyone…

…and this was our choice for dessert.

There were two music groups that played periodically throughout the day.

We were busy with visitors on the chapel for the entire afternoon 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

We were glad that we asked Sam Rittenhouse (TFC Assistant Director of Pastoral Care for Chaplains) to help us. Sam is in the green shirt, and lives nearby.

Visitors came and went all afternoon, many had never seen inside a chapel, and most knew very little about TFC’s ministry to truck drivers.

The clown even came to visit us.

I was outside when I overheard the lady in the flowered shirt say to a friend, “I am trying to get up enough courage to go inside and ask if they remember my dad.”

I asked her, “Who was your dad?” She replied, “Mel Lapp.”

I said, “Yes, my husband will remember him.” So I took her inside and introduced her to Cerwin. She was so pleased to find someone who knew dad who was active in TFC (in the Lancaster area) thirty-five years ago.

Carol Leatherman putting a date into her cell phone after Sam reminded her of a future event in this area.

By sunset we were on our way home – traveling west on the Pennsylvania turnpike.

Exiting the turnpike shortly after 7:00 p.m.

Community Festival

Part 2 of 3

Franconia Mennonite Church, Telford, Pennsylvania

Saturday, April 27

Any successful community event has lots of things to keep children occupied – and this day certainly satisfied the children’s need for something to do.

Bible stories

The Science Guy did all kinds of fascinating things.

Face painting

Balloons

Ring toss

Gaga

Spin art

Ventriloquist

A loving dog

Puppets

Big rig rides by Jason Shelly

A bean bag game

Bowling

Bouncy things on which to jump and slide.

Conclusion of the day tomorrow night.

Worship the Lord clothed in His holiness.

1 Chronicles 16:29 (New Life Version)

Community Festival

Part 1 of 3

Franconia Mennonite Church, Telford, Pennsylvania

Saturday, April 27

It was a glorious, spring morning as we traveled toward Telford in TFC’s Mobile Chapel #2.

Sometimes I feel like I have the best seat in the house when I sit high in a truck, enjoying my morning coffee, and traveling to another event where a TFC chapel is requested.

We arrived early, but could tell that something was going on in this large church parking lot.

We have to arrive early at these events because Cerwin needs a lot of space to maneuver this rig into place. 

This event was planned as a way to share the love of Christ with the community.

I knew by the emails I received from Doug (one of the organizers) that this was going to be a well-organized day.

After some major things were in place – about 11:30 a.m. – the organizers called us to prayer for the day.

Another reason for the success of the day was that WBYN – a local Christian Radio Station – took this on as a ministry project and announced this community day for the previous six weeks.

After we had the chapel set up, and Cerwin was available for early visitors, I walked across the lot looking for photo opportunities.

This is a beautiful old church that has been remodeled and enlarged since its early days.

The sanctuary looks similar to our home church, except we don’t have white ends to our benches.

Outside the long hallway is the old cemetery.

Two of the fellowship hall walls were lined with mission outreach leaders and contact people. Here the Gideons were handing out Bibles.

When I arrived at this table – closest to the camera…

…I met the pastor and his wife, Steve and Rosemary Landis.

When he saw my TFC lanyard, he asked a bit about the ministry and where we are from. Because he grew up in Lancaster County, we “played” the Mennonite Game until we found people that we both knew.

For us, our common people were Dick and Jeannie Stauffer. Jeannie do you remember Steve? I think he said he remembered you from high school.

When I joked that we did good in playing The Mennonite Game – and I’m not even Mennonite, he asked where we go to church. When I said, “White Oak Church of the Brethren”, he said, “I know where that is, because we went there to see your church’s layout when we were remodeling.” (Maybe that is why the sanctuary looked familiar.) It certainly is a small world.

~~~

Part 2 tomorrow night.

~~~

They immediately left their nets and followed him.

Matthew 4:20 (GOD’S WORD Translation)