I Haven't Lost My Mind...

...it is backed up on disk somewhere?!?!? I forgot to post a few pics from our stop over in Boston. So without further delay here the are...

Actually, this was a house in Lewiston which we passed each day going to Sabattus. I just thought it had a cool paint job.

With a heavy heart Evelyn bids a fond farewell to Tim Horton's. And has begun to pray for the day Tim sets up residence in Jefferson County, WV

Eleanor, Barbara, and Evelyn walking out of the Holocaust Memorial in Boston. It contains six glass towers with one million numbers on each tower. The numbers are the ones give to the Jews by the Nazi's. There were 6 million Jews killed during the Holocaust.

Faneuil Hall with the statue of a defiant John Adams. It is a reminder of how John stood up in defiance to the King of England.

Massachusetts State Building

Boston skyline

My three favorite teams are the Red Sox, Braves, and whoever plays the Yankees!!

Go Sox! Go Braves!

Looking Back

It has been a few days since we returned to Charles Town. As I reflect back on our week in Maine I have some thoughts. Earlier this year at CTBC we went through the a church wide study produced by the CBF. It's Time: a Journey Toward Missional Faithfulness was an enlightening and challenging look at how we as a church do missions. The emphasis was that it is way past time for the church to be the presence of Christ in the world. We learned that missions is more than giving, missions is going. Going into a hurting, dying world with the message that there is salvation found in Christ. The peace and joy and grace that the world longs for is found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It's time for the church to stop sitting in the pews, listening to sermons and songs of praise and inspiration, only to walk out the back door unchanged and unmotivated to be the presence of Christ in the world. The church talks too much and acts to little. The idea of being a missional people is one that challenges the congregation of CTBC to reach out and offer justice and mercy and hope to Jefferson County. We partner with organizations like Jefferson County Community Ministries (www.jccm.us) and Good Shepherd Interfaith Care Givers (http://www.gsivc.org/) and we send a team of 8 to Sabattus, Maine to partner with Pathway Community Church.

As you can see from earlier post this team of 8 bonded together in laughter, hard work, prayer, and Christ. In an area that is apathetic to the gospel, there are churches like Pathway Community Church and pastors like Mary Beth Caffey who are proclaiming the goodness of the gospel. In an area that values its privacy and independence, there is a message being proclaimed that is calling persons into community with Christ and each other. It is this privacy that the people so long for and cherish that hides a multitude of needs. On the outside looking from the road things appear to be good. Things look nice and tidy, but on the inside there is heartbreak, hopelessness, and helplessness. In houses and lives that look like they have a handle on life there resides chaos. Chaos of living paycheck to paycheck, chaos of having the ends not meeting at all, chaos of family hurts, chaos of grief, chaos of abuse, the chaos of loneliness. But in such chaos, a God of order is being presented. A god who is able to still the storms of our lives or to still our hearts in the midst of the storm. This loving, caring God is being presented in a small congregation giving out of its own needs to be the presence of Christ in its community. A beacon of hope proclaimed as it host mission groups who paint houses, repair rotting wood, trim hedges, wash out old dorm refrigerators and storage bins so that a local homeless shelter can receive a donation to carry on its ministry to those in need. Overall we had a great experience and one that changed each of us.

Thanks to all of you who prayed for our team as we prepared to go and went to Sabattus, ME. Thanks to all of who who contributed money to fund our trip. Thanks to Mary Beth and Pathway for their hospitality.

Continue to pray for CTBC and Pathway Community Church as fellow partners in being the presence of Christ in their respective communities. And may they be faithful and called "for a time just as this."

Home Sweet Home

Just a quick note to let all 4 of you following this blog that we (everyone but ED, Barb, and Michelle who stayed in Bahston to visit family) arrived safely home last night err... this morning @ 3:30 AM. We had a fun filled day in Boston and I will post pics as soon as I can think clear enough to know up from down. The Red Bull is wearing off and I am in need of a major nap. I am not 20 anymore. :-)

Last Day in Sabattus

As it has been said...all good things must come to an end. Today was our final day of mission work in Sabbatus/Lewiston/Auburn, ME. The day started with a tour of the Hope Haven Rescue Mission, a true beacon of hope in the L/A area. This year there have been 18 professions of faitha t Hope Haven and last year their were 35. Praise God for those who are coming to salvation through this ministry.

http://www.hopehavengospelmission.org/

Then group 1 was dropped off to begin working at the Good Shepherd Food Bank. This is a clearinghouse for food to be donated to food pantries and ministries throughout Maine. It was begun by JoAnn Pike who began the food bank out of her own house. Now it has grown into a thriving ministry. http://www.gsfb.org/

Our day ended doing some minor yard work and ouse repairs for persons in Sabbatus. Then we were treated to a wonderful meal and fellowship at the home of one of the members of Pathway Community Church.

Hey! Wait for me gang!!! Oh wait, no worries. I have the key to the van.

Wow! those WV women are STRONG!!!

Help! I need somebody! Help!...

A bad day fishin' is better than any GOOD day of work!!

Wednesday in review..

Once again group 1 hit the Bates Clean Sweep. Group 2 prepared the house of a local single mother to be painted. There will be a group from Texas in next week who will paint the house. We replaced boards and took down the shutters. Thanks for you prayers and continue to pray for us and Pathway Baptist Church. Due to my tiredness...there will just be pics tonight.

A meeting of the great minds, well minds at least.

How many Baptist deacons does it take to set up a latter?


Just a cute picture of a grandfather and granddaughter?

Nope, a picture taken right after Ed admitted that Michelle was right.

Our rule of thumb, measure once...cut twice!

We should have not let the shrimp strap on that last cafe mocha nightcap at Tim Horton's!!!

Tuesday -- WORK day

Today was a day full of work. Needless to say I am exhausted! Group 1 (Evelyn, Eleanor, Susan, and Barbara) once again worked preparing for the Bates Clean Sweep. Today they put in 6 hours cleaning, moving, sorting, and pricing STUPH. Lots and Lots and Lots of STUPH!! It is amazing how much STUPH there was left behind at Bates College.

Excuse me, Do you have a lamp?


Eleanor at the end of the day!

Group 2 (Ed, Jim, Michelle and Bland) spend the day repairing stairs at Father Tony Caron's house. Tony is a retired priest who was very appreciative of the work we did. The group built 3 sets of stairs and have two sets to prove it. If you see Ed don't ask about the first set of stairs. He seemingly forgot to keep his good eye open as he measured. LOL. As you look at the picture notice the handsome guy who did the painting. Not only is he great looking he is the best stair painter on the block. :-)

The handsome semi pro painter
and his new friend Lennon discussing
our favorite cartoons.


Tony


Tony and the gang of 4 (Notice that the painter is the only one still with the tools for the job!)

If you have been keeping up with us, here is the nightly update on the latest restaurant we ate at. We had a meal that is hard to put into words that consisted of scallops, clams, oysters, lobstah rolls, haddock followed by strawberry shortcake, blueberry pie, and peanut butter pie. Check out the restaurant online http://www.governorsrestaurant.com/ Oh my is all I can say. And no, the above mentioned items were not my meal. Other than the lobstah roll and shortcake. My belly is full and I know I will be sleeping well tonight!!!

The group headed to morning vesters with Tim Horton!

Captain's Log...11 June 2007

Our day began at the ice rink at Bates College (http://www.bates.edu/) as we surveyed the items which had begun to be collected for the bates Clean Sweep 2007. With the school year coming to an end, many students leave behind many many many items. All the items in good shape are collected from drop sites as well as the dorm rooms. It is amazing the amount of items which are collected...lamps, rugs, refrigerators, bikes, desk, chairs, etc. Evelyn, Eleanor, Susan and Barbara clocked in 3 hours apiece pricing, moving, sorting, and cleaning items for the sale. All the hours which our ladies clock in are credited New Haven Homeless Shelter. All the proceeds from the clean sweep are donated to local charities. The amount of money that the charity receives is based on the number of volunteer hours logged in. Tomorrow the ladies have been asked to put in a full day of work due to the overwhelming amount of items received.

While the ladies were working at Bates College, Jim, Ed, Michelle, and Bland scoped out two different construction projects. The first was at the home of Father Tony, a retired Catholic priest. It was determined that we would be replacing steps and railing to Tony's backdoor and to sure up his front porch. After lunch the rest of the group joined us at Tony's do trim back a rose bush and clean up a flower bed.


Then...woo hoo...we got to play a little. We headed off to Freeport, Maine. As you may be aware (if not you will be by the end of this sentence) Freeport is the home of L.L. Bean. We were able to enjoy this quaint little shopping town which included the L.L. Bean Retail Store which is built on the location of the original location. However, the new store is much larger. Next we hopped, skipped, and jumped to Portland to enjoy the Portland Lighthouse. A rain shower based over as we sat in the van at the lighthouse. After it was over a beautiful rainbow filled the sky over the Atlantic Ocean. It was a beautiful site. We ended our night by enjoying a seafood feast at the Weathervane Seafood Restaurant in Portland, ME. (http://weathervaneseafoods.com/) The highlight of the evening was the waitress referring to Jim as "the shrimp". Needless to say Jim is now and forever stuck with the name "the shrimp". HAHAHAHA

Oh, yeah...we saw "scary Jesus". Better watch out because Jesus is going to get you.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Sunday PM

It has been a wonderful day for the CTBC Mission Team in Sabattus. Ed, Barb and Michelle have arrived safely so now the entire team is together. This morning as we arrived at Pathway Community Church we were welcomed by a billboard along the road for all to see.

This afternoon we were able to help out around the church by planting flower beds, straightening up the church, and installing air conditioners. As you can tell from the pics we had a blast helping out. And for the most part everyone behaved themselves. I am glad Evelyn came along to keep Jim in line. LOL Just kidding Jim...we could have not done it without you!

After it was all said and done the church looked fantastic. Evelyn and Eleanor did a great job working in the flower beds and the "communion" barrels.

While at dinner Mary Beth pointed out a local free advertisement paper that is sprinkled throughout with wit, wisdom, and jokes. It seems as if this weeks jokes are all WV jokes. Here is a sampling:

Did you know that the toothbrush was invented in WV? If it had been invented anywhere else it would have been called a teethbrush.

Did you hear that the WV legislature is going to raise the drinking age to 32? They are hoping to get alcohol out of the high schools in the state.

And what joke book/ad paper would be complete with out a blonde joke?

Two blondes were out hunting. They decided that to get a better chance of getting something it would be best to split up. The 1st blonde said to the 2nd blonde, "If you get lost, fire three shots into the air every hour. That way I can locate you."

After about 3 hours, the second blonde found that she was really lost. She decided to fire three shots into the air like her friend had told her too. She waited an hour and did it again. She repeated this until she was out of ammo.

The next morning the first blonde found the second with the help of a forest ranger, She asked the first blonde if she had done what she was told to do?

The blonde answered, "Yes, I fired three shots into the air every hour on the hour until I ran out of arrows."

It has been another great day and tomorrow out group is looking forward to another great one. We will be working on two local projects involving helping out prepare for a community yard sale in which the proceeds go to local charities. The others will be scoping out and starting on a couple of local construction projects. Thanks for the prayers and keep on praying for us! We are praying for you!

Sunday AM

Today we woke to an absolutely phenomenal day. The sky was blue and the clouds were wonderful white puffs.







We worshiped this morning at Pathway Community Church. Their hospitality was a blessing to each of us. At the time I write this we are honoring the memory of Sister Marie from AZ by taking naps and short walks. Rest In Peace Sister!



After rest time the work begins as we will help to plant flowers and spruce up the church grounds. And for all you race fans we have not forgotten!

We Made It!!!!

Part of the CTBC group left this morning at 6:00 AM (with Sheetz coffee in hand) headed to Sabattus Maine. In just a mere 12 hours 15 minutes and 17 seconds later we landed at the Super 8 in Lewiston, ME. At this time all the kiddies are nestled in their beds with bellies full of Tim Horton's donuts and coffee. http://www.timhortons.com/

Traveling mercies were with us as we safely made it to Maine. Prior to our excursion to Tim Horton's we were treated to a 25 cent tour of the area by our host pastor Mary Beth Caffey. We (Bland, Jim G, Evelyn G., Susan T, and Eleanor H) will worship tomorrow with the Pathway Community Church. As many of you might be aware, there is nothing quiet as nice as a Sunday afternoon nap. Well, it looks like tomorrow afternoon our group will be able to enjoy a Sunday afternoon siesta due tho the death of a nun in Arizona. Everyone that is except for Ed, Barbara, and Michelle who will be driving in from WV tomorrow. Technically, 2 of the 3 could but 3 of 3 would be a touch dangerous.

Oh, back to the nun. She grew up in the area and spend her entire ministry in Arizona. She died at the end of last week and is to be buried in Lewiston/Auburn on Monday. Due to this our group will be unable to meet with the Dominican sisters tomorrow afternoon. So we, not the nuns, will be able to get a nap.

Continue to pray for us as we begin our mission work tomorrow.

Two Days Left...

There is only two days until a group of 8 of us head from Charles Town to Sabattus, Maine. We will be spending a week there helping out on mission projects in conjunction with Pathway Community Church. We have sured up the following projects for the week.

1) Each morning, part of the group will be working with a local homeless shelter, logging in volunteer hours sorting and pricing items for a city wide yard sale. Several different charities recieve a portion of the profits based on the number of volunteer hours logged in.

2) In the afternoon, the group who worked at the shelter will work with the Good Shepherd Food Bank. They will be sorting and packaging donated items for storage int he warehouse. Eventially the food will be distributed directly to needy persons or local food pantries.

3) Another group will be working on a couple of light construction projects involving possibly building a porch on a house and preping a house to be painted.

It looks like we have a great week in store for us! Please begin to pray for us as we head off to Maine.