For many years Jane and I have shared the vision of getting an RV and traveling around the country, seeing where God is at work and joining Him. Like the nomads, we dreamed of wandering from one fertile field to the next, not just grazing, but tilling, planting, fertilizing, and watering the seed of the Word in whatever capacity God would make available.
We began our search in July 2010 for a "Fifth Wheel" trailer and a truck to tow it. We looked for several months but were not finding the right rig. In September of that year we both sensed the Lord leading us in another direction, to relocate to Charleston SC to be near our four daughters. We made that move in January of 2011 and have enjoyed the birth of four grandchildren there.
This January we sensed the time was right to go forward on the nomadic journey so we revisited the RV search and God provided us a fabulous rig. It is perfectly equipped for long term living and we are so blessed to have it.
After months, well years, of anticipation, we have finally arrived at our first assignment. Our current path is through Sower Ministry. Servants On Wheels Ever Ready. The Sower Ministry connects Christian RVers with needy ministry opportunities. My parents served in a similar ministry for ten years in the mid 80's to the mid 90's. The projects cover the gambit of Christian ministries like Youth Camps, Churches, Orphanages, Conference Centers, etc. across the United States and Canada. The tasks vary from routine maintenance to minor construction. Each project lasts three weeks and you can do as many projects in the year as you desire. Many couples are full time Sowers, moving from project to project all around the country.
We are at Sandy Cove conference center near the town of Northeast, Maryland at the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay. Sandy Cove hosts a variety of groups from Church Men's and Ladies retreats to large scale events such as a Joni and Friends, Wounded Warrior gathering that starts this coming Sunday.
Sandy Cove has provided us with an RV site with full hookups in their Pioneer campground. We are here with another Sower couple from New York, Doris and Frank, who are full time Sowers.
Our Sower commitment is to work 72 hours over a three week period. Typically we arrive on the first Friday of the month and start work on the following Monday. Our work week is Monday through Thursday for six hours each day. We started our week on Tuesday due to the Labor Day holiday.
The weekend we arrived there was a Labor Day family event going on. There were many families with young children here. The facilities at Sandy Cove are excellent for keeping them entertained. There are two pools, a zip line, rock wall, miniature golf, canoes, kayaks, and lots of organized activities for the kids. On Saturday night they had a Juggler that was fabulous. He used his act to emphasize that we must always look "up" to juggle life's issues. The children loved the act and it was such a blessing to watch them. It gave us a reference point for the jobs we would be doing while here.
The tasks we have been working on this week have been menial but necessary. God has used those "happy family faces" we encountered at the program to give us purpose as we work. There are around 150 rooms in the lodge. Jane has been busy folding laundry. Piles of towels and linens from the family weekend. She is an expert after 38 years of washing and folding our laundry. Most of the summer staff has returned to school so needless to say, Wilma the laundry lady was quite happy to see Jane and Doris show up Tuesday morning to help her catch up.
Frank and I have been busy this week cleaning out sink traps in the bathrooms. We have been averaging around 20 rooms each day. I must confess that I was quite worn out by the end of the day after crawling under each vanity and taking loose the plumbing and cleaning it. Frank is 78 years old and pushed me hard all week. He is amazing!
New guests began arriving on Thursday afternoon. A men's group here for a retreat. Seeing all those guys, teens to seniors, excited about getting together, made our task worthwhile. To realize that our meager efforts facilitate God using this place to make life changes in the lives of these men and their extended families is a real joy!
Though our primary reason for being at these projects revolves around keeping up the facilities, our real focus is ministering to people. We trust that God will allow us to cross paths with folks that need an encouraging word or an empathetic ear. That will more often be with the staff or others that are working behind the scenes.
The host ministry supplies us with the site for the whole month, so we can check out the local area during the fourth week, before moving on to the next month's project. Frank and Doris will be moving on to the Billy Graham conference center in Ashville, North Carolina next. We will return to Summerville after this project but plan to be in Florida for projects in January and February.
Sandy Cove is about an hour and a half from Jane's Dad in Annapolis. We are able to visit him on the weekends. We will be leaving at the end of the three week period and heading to Annapolis to attend the wedding of Jane's niece before returning to Summerville.
So the Journey begins, or at least this phase. We have been on a Journey with Jesus now for 35 years this October. He has allowed us to see and do many things and we trust, been a blessing to folks along the way.
Godspeed, Glenn and Jane
As a side note, I really took the Juggler's message about "looking up" to heart. I have the habit of always looking down when walking. Jane is constantly telling me to look up. On Labor Day we were invited to dinner at the home of friends who live near Sandy Cove. I was looking up while walking behind Jane (my first mistake) up the sidewalk to their home and I stumbled where the sidewalk stepped up and fell on my face. A broken front tooth and a dozen stiches later I have decided that I should probably look down occasionally to see what's around me. :)
Nice!!!! Looking forward to reading about your adventures!!
ReplyDeleteWonderful! You two are such an inspiration, can't wait to hear more about travels! Love you both!
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