Our first project with Sower Ministry at Sandy Cove Bible Conference Center was a great experience. When we signed up with Sowers we weren't sure what to expect other than an RV site for the month and some task that needed to be done for the host organization. The opportunities we had for service were certainly fulfilling.
Our Sower partners were Doris and Frank Hutchison from Rochester NY. They are a great couple and have served with Sowers for thirteen years, the last three full time. They sold their home and live in their motor home traveling from project to project. They serve in the northern states in the summer months and migrate to the south for the winter.
On the Friday of our first week Doris felt ill and late on Saturday Frank took her to the emergency room at the local hospital. They diagnosed pancreatitis and a bad gall bladder. Her enzyme levels which normally are in the low hundreds, were around twenty thousand. Needless to say she was and is a very sick lady. I say "is" because, as of this writing, she has been in the hospital for twenty-one days waiting for the pancreas inflammation to subside so they can remove the gall bladder. Your prayers for she and Frank are appreciated. Hopefully they can operate this coming week.
Our hosts at Sandy Cove were great to work for and with. They really appreciate the volunteers. Jane had the privilege of serving in the laundry the whole three weeks. With the return of summer workers to school, her help there was a real blessing. As the ministry moves into the fall season, the weekends become the central time of usage and Monday mornings produce a large laundry load that needs to be folded and put away. Jane really missed having Doris at her side but enjoyed talking with the staff as she went about the task.
All folded and placed neatly away for the coming weekend.
The mountain shrank and by the following Monday grew again!
The maintenance staff were a great group as well. They each had a different personality and worked well together. We had lots of laughs as they interacted with us. We had a time of prayer with them each morning before hitting the "pipes". Frank and I completed cleaning the sink traps in all but twelve of the one hundred and fifty two rooms. The last three days we serviced the air conditioner units in each room, vacuuming them out and changing the filters.
Sandy Cove was founded in the mid-nineteen forty's by George Palmer who had a daily radio program out of Philadelphia, which began during the great depression of the nineteen thirties. He called the program "Morning Cheer" since it's Bible teaching brought much cheer in the midst of gloom. These four cabins were the last of the original cabins built on the site. Frank and I helped one day stripping out fixtures and windows. As their last act of service the cabins were going to be burned by the local fire department providing training in fire fighting techniques.
The Sowers have a song they sing at the end of each morning's devotions, Our Best.
Hear Ye the Masters call give me thy best, for be it great or small that is His test,
Do then the best you can not for reward, not for the praise of men but for the Lord.
Every work for Jesus will be blessed, but He asks from everyone his best,
Our talents may be few these may be small, but unto Him is due our best our all!
When we first read in the Sower manual about singing that theme song each morning, we thought is might be corny, but after singing it the first morning with Frank and Doris, the words took hold and God used them throughout that day, as well as the rest of our time there, to remind us that, though the task we were doing was not glamorous and "prayer letter" material, it was the task He had prepared for us to do to His Glory and honor. That truth guided my heart to do the best sink trap cleaning that could be done.
Frank got a much needed hair cut from Reagan, one of the maintenance guys. Now that's service!
We were blessed on our last day of the project as Frank informed us that it was "Payday" and presented us each with a candy bar for our service. Who says that serving the Lord doesn't pay!
This sign is on the driveway leading up to the main lodge. We trust that our service at Sandy Cove helps in some small way to enabling some pilgrim hear the voice of God and surrender their life to the one who can save to the uttermost for His own Glory and Honor.
Jesus Never Fails! That was the theme song for the "Morning Cheer" broadcast. It was true then and is true today. As Jane and I journey along this path that we believe He has laid out for us, we cling to that truth. He has provided for us the means and the ability for this part of our life's journey. We trust that He will continue as we seek His direction.
By the way, my face has almost healed from the fall I took on Labor Day. God led us to an old school dentist in North East who, much to my surprise, did not require umpteen visits and consultations to repair my broken tooth. On our first visit he recommended that he rebuild my tooth with filling material, which took about thirty minutes. He said it might last the rest of my life. Jane says it looks better than before, as I had a small chip from a bicycle accident as a child. I should do an infomercial for the dentist!
The stiches are out but the scarring on my lip is tight. Jane says it will stretch out in time. She is such an encourager. I think the Lord is teaching me that when I fall on my face it should leave a lasting impression. I trust that when I fall on my face before Him at various times it has the same lasting impact :)
Our next project will be at Sherry White ministries in Wauchula Florida in January. This ministry provides help for women and men who are coming out of destructive lifestyles. In addition to providing separate homes for the transition, they have a working farm which is used to re-introduce the families. We are looking forward to our service there. http://pioneervillagewauchula.com/
Yours in the Journey, Glenn and Jane
At the risk of dragging this blog into a documentary, we would like to share some photos from the weekend we spent after the Sandy Cove project with our four daughters and grand children while we were at Jane's Dad's in Annapolis for the wedding of Jane's niece.
Rebecca has two girls, Ella Mae who turned two in June and Isabel who was born on August 6th. Julie's Micah was born on August 26th. Maribeth's Olivia turned one in April, and Rachel is expecting a son to be born in mid January.
Ella Mae with Pop Pop
Olivia
Micah and Isabel or is it Joseph and Mary?
Olivia and Ella Mae
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