Vermont Adventure - 9/16

9/16

As I mentioned in my last update, things got off to a weird start this
morning. But once our little crisis was resolved, we were on the road
to begin our work.

Some of the crew began an aggressive cleaning mission in the church,
some ran errands, while others began the construction projects. It was
decided that some would work on the kitchen sink and counter, while
others would work on the drop ceiling. The cleaning team washed
windows and walls, cleaned chairs and surfaces, and sanitized toys. We
hit our stride just in time to break for lunch.

Richard, Donna and I went on a grocery run and came back to the House
to get dinner started in the crock pot; Some went to Subway, and
others to a Cafe in the village square. By the time we were back from
the house, we spotted part of the team prayerwalking. They had several
divine appointments along the way.

After a long and hard day of work, we returned to the house and had
dinner. Our friends Steve and Nellene stopped in, and I imposed on
them to lead our team meeting with a little spiritual geography lesson
on Vermont.

It was a good day -- not without its challenges and stresses, but
filled with joy and expressions of love for the Lord and neighbor.
Thanks for praying for us. Everyone is doing well, praise God. Please
continue to pray for health and strength forthe team, as well as for
the unity and fellowship of the team, and for God to be glorified
through our time and energy invested in His name here in Vermont.

Vermont Adventure - 9/15

9/15

We had a great day today. We began with worship at New Life Cburch
where Pastor Trey brought a good message on the Authority of Christ.
Church attendance was significantly larger than it was a year ago,
largely due to Norwich Umiversity being in session (we were here
before the start of the semester last year). There were also several
new families and couples in the church. Seating was nearly maxed out
for the service.

After service we went to the Knotty Shamrock (which ranks up among my
favorite restaurant names in the world) for a good lunch. We enjoyed
fellowship with Trey and Robyn and their children.

 From there, we went to Mayo Manor Nursing Home for a ministry time.
We spent some time getting to know the residents before we started
with the Bible Study. We sang some hymns and Donna shared a wonderful
testimony of how God had carried their family through a terrible
hardship. Richard delivered a great devotional on the 23rd Psalm. This
entire time was a blessing to all of us an it was a joy to see each
team member interacting sweetly with the residents.

After leaving the nursing home we went for a walk along Cox Bridge
Road, which winds through 3 covered bridges. During this time, I had a
divine appointment with one of Trey's coworkers which will lead to
good follow up conversations hopefully.

After touring the bridges, I took the team to a true Vermont landmark
-- the Pumpen' Pantry -- for maple creamees. Some people had the
audacity to order something different but I think the rest finally
understood why we've been going on and on about maple creamees for the
last year. Trey and his family met us here and we went a LONG way out
of town to the home of Ed and Marti. They are "living the dream" --
they bought 40 acres on the side of a mountain, built a log cabin from
their own timber, an began living off the land. Ed has a small maple
syrup operation and described the process from the tree to the bottle.
Some of us purchased some syrup and honey to enjoy when we get home.
The church provided us with a potluck meal and the food was delicious.

We returned back to lodge late evening and had a brief meeting before
turning it. It was a long day, filled with activity, but all in all a
glorious and joy-filled day.

Monday morning now, and we are scrambling to find a missing item. One
of the team members has a crisis going on and the rest of the team is
scrambling to assist. We have just prayed and would appreciate your
prayers too.

As soon as we resolve this, we are heading out to Northfield to begin
working at the church. We sure could use your prayers this morning as
things are starting off a little crazy. God is in control.

Vermont Adventure - Day 2

Our second day of travel got off to a great start. Most of the team
seemed to rest at least somewhat during our overnight hiatus in
Harrisburg. After coffee was brewed and a little repacking and
cleaning we were on the way north again.

The "gauntlet" (as I like to call it) between the Jersey Turnpike and
the Connecticut border is a wheel-gripping, white-knuckling, anxiety
producing stretch of road. But in all honesty, I don't mind driving it
and traffic and other delays today were minimal. However, I think I
might have lost the respect of some team members who question my
judgment on the routing. I've been told that there may be a coup
developing and I could be voted off the island if I speak of returning
through the Bronx again.

We stopped for lunch at Sono Seafood in Norwalk, CT - a place Donia
and I consider indispensible on any trip to New England. A few of us
braved the brisk chilly wind to soak up a little sunshine while dining
al fresco, while the res chose to eat inside (this may be where the
coup was incited!)

After this excellent meal, we were back on the road and soon miles
were clicking by. In no time were through CT, MA and at the entrance
to VT. A short, scenic drive winds it's way from I-89 to Washington.
En route we passed a village fair that looked like an event from a
bygone era. A short time later we arrived at the Calef House and began
to settle in.

I must say that the team has shown remarkable resilience and
flexibility thus far. No matter how much you try to prepare someone
for the fact the drive up here is VERY long and hard, it is
incomprehensible until -- after two long days of driving -- someone
says "How much longer?" and the answer is still given in hours. Room
assignments haven't worked out exactly as planned. The diversity of
personalities and idiosyncracies on the team is a guarantee that
misunderstandings and offense will arise, but so far the team is
rolling along well with whatever comes our way.

I write these final words on Sunday morning, 9/15. Rumor has it that
there was some good restful sleep enjoyed by my roommates.
Momentarily, we will be leaving for church at New Life in Northfield.
We have a long, full day of ministry and fellowship ahead. After
worship, we'll eat lunch, then we have nursing home ministry at 2pm
followed by a fellowship gathering at the home of some church members
tonight. Thanks for continuing to pray. We are praying for our family
and friends back home, especially Pastor Jack and the saints at
Immanuel as they gather for worship this morning.

Vermont Adventure - Day 1

9/13

Hello Friends! The Immanuel 11 have arrived in Harrisburg, PA where we
will lodge for the night. We left IBC at 7am this morning and made
good time coming up the road. We've been blessd so far with safe
travel and good weather. We had a little rain in Gettysburg, where we
played "tourist" for a few hours, but the brevity of the rain was
nothing compared to some spectacular rainbows afterward.

Many of our team members had never been to Gettysburg before, so it
was great to introduce them to this important event of our nation's
history, even if some might have thought the "unofficial tour guide" (me) was taking too long to explore the battlefield. I heard reports that one passenger in the other vehicle was threatening to eat the upholstery if we didn't get a move on, so we did. We've enjoyed great fellowship so far. Jim B. was a trooper
and spent the entire day driving "the big van," while I drove "the
little van." Upon arriving at our lodging place tonight, we had a
brief team meeting. I'd encourage you to watch the following videos
that we shared tonight in our meeting:

  http://www.vermontchurchplanting.com/about-vermont/

http://www.vermontchurchplanting.com/northfield/

Today, we travelled through NC, VA, WV, MD & PA. Tomorrow we will
cover even more ground. Thanks for all of your encouragement and
support ... Please keep us in your prayers!

Before I close out this update, I know regular readers of my mission
trip blog updates are probably wondering where the funny stories and
food reviews are. So without further ado ...

We have shared many laughs today, but for me the funniest moment came
when we were arriving here in Harrisburg and I doled out the room
assignments. Carolyn was one of the first to see her room, after which
she proceeded to tell her roommate Kristin to settle in with her in
the room with the big flashing red light. Well, as it turns out, their
room does have an enormous red glowing emergency exit sign hanging
from the ceiling! Not to mention that they have a room with a view ...
Of the drive thru lane at McDonalds! So immediately I began laughing
hysterically. Seinfeld fans can appreciate the analogies I was drawing
in mind with the infamous "Kenny Rogers Roasters" episode. If you've
never seen it (and if you have you will thank me for this) ... Here's
a "cliff notes" version (just imagine Kristin & Carolyn as Jerry &
Kramer):   http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aMjgHBnpeV0&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DaMjgHBnpeV0

Here's hoping their rods and cones aren't permanently damaged.

As for today's culinary delights ... First stop was Starbucks just
south of Roanoke where we were treated by a generous benefactor to
complimentary morning beverages (Thank you very much!). Then we
stopped at Arby's for lunch in Woodstock, Va. Did you know Arby's now
has a brisket sandwich? It's actually not half bad, especially now
that you can sub your fries for a side salad. I mean has anyone ever
eaten curly fries and looked back on it convinced that it was a good
decision to do so? I think they should be banned by the FDA or FEMA or
NASA or something.

Then for dinner Yelp! led us to a local pizza shop - Central Dauphin
Pizza. Besides a couple of discombobulated orders, the food was
excellent and the atmosphere was sufficiently authentic to convince us
that we were no longer south of the Mason Dixon line. If your ever
passing through Harrisburg and want a pie, I'd recommend Central
Dauphin. Assuming, of course that you don't want, like a pumpkin pie
or a blueberry pie. I don't think they have those there. Just the pies with sauce and cheese and meat and vegetables.

Okay, that's all for Day 1. Pray for good rest and continued safe
travels! Thanks for your prayers so far. It is now 6am Saturday and we are about ready to get the wheels rolling for an odyssey through six states today to our final destination! 

The Church Facing Change (Acts 10)

While I was away on vacation over Labor Day, Pastor Jack Benzenhafer (our Assistant Pastor) delivered an excellent and challenging message on the Church facing change from Acts 10. I commend it to you all. You can hear it here