Weekly Update for 2-28 / 3-4

Well, another week has gone by and we find ourselves in similar situations as before. Just as it appeared that the snow was almost going to all melt away, we are forecasted to possibly get 6-12 more inches of sleet and snow on Sunday! I think we're almost getting used to it by now.  Clay also is back down with another cold and ear infection that he is getting treated for. Poor little fellow! 

This past week has been getting back to a little more routine. Some of the highlights include Kathryn getting out on Monday evening for a Ladies Night Out with women from the church. They met at one of the ladies homes for a time of fellowship and a personal testimony. It was a good time for Kathryn to talk and get to know others better with around 20 women in attendance.

 On Tuesday I had the oppurtunity to help my neighboring farmers start the process of making maple syrup by drilling and hanging buckets on the maple trees.

 It really is a fascinating process that I won't get into now, but it was great spending time with my neighbors and developing relationships with them. It was fun also just learning about this traditional part of Pennsylvania farming heritage.

Teusday afternoon, as well as on Thursday found me helping out in another typical Pennsylvania activity, which is cutting firewood. Many of the buildings and out buildings at Three Springs Farm are heated by wood stoves as well as many of the homes of our staff. They get trucks to deliver loads of logs that we cut up with our chainsaws to be ready to split.

 Thankfully we have a college age group called Disciplemakers, which would be similar to Campus Crusade, that are coming for 4 days next week to do nothing but split this wood that we cut up and stack it to be ready for next year's use. What a great practical and encouraging way for this group to serve the Lord. I believe I probably cut more wood in those couple of days than I can remember ever cutting. It was fun though!

Wednesday found me tapping more maple trees on Three Springs Farm property, that we collect sap from and take it to my neighbors for boiling and processing.  These neighboring farmers make the syrup for Three Springs and keep half for their pay.  Three Springs uses this maple syrup in their own kitchens for camps throughout the year.  It will be pretty neat getting to eat from the fruits of the land and your own labor.

Wednesday afternoon found me at home with the kids as Kathryn met with one of the ladies that has helped with decorating the Linck Hill Inn in the past. They spent the afternoon getting all of the spring decorations put out in anticipation that spring will be just around the corner!

Actually, there are many signs of spring, which includes the honking of migrating geese that are heading back north. I watched a group of snow geese come into the hay pasture across from our house today to refuel before continuing on their journey. We can learn so much about our great God just by observing nature and seeing how God is faithful to bring new life back through the seasons.  It's a blessing to know that He has given us new life as well, through His Son. There are so many great spiritual parallels through nature and the outdoors that God uses here at Three Springs Ministries! It really is cool!

We continue to get acclamated to what our positions as host family will look like as we prepare to get started with that next weekend. We have a church marriage retreat with 14 couples, who will be here at Linck Hill Inn next weekend. Pray that we will know what to do and how to answer any questions and solve any problems that could arise.  We want to fascilatate a great weekend that the Lord will use in these couples' lives and marriages.

As I said earlier, Clay developed another cold and was showing signs of more ear infections, which was confirmed this morning when we took him to the doctor. Pray that this cycle of colds and ear infections will subside. It does remind us of our constant need to seek the Lord's strength in all areas of our lives.

As we were home this afternoon getting ready for the kids' naps, Audrey announced as she looked out the front windows that the cows were out again! Time for me to don my cowboy hat and round up the cows again, which I did this time on my own for a while before some of the neighbors got there to help me. As I was finishing with the cows just up the road I decided to head down into the maple woods to check on the progress at the Sugar Camp as they call it. They had been boiling off the water from the collected buckets to get the sweet maple syrup. It takes about 40 gallons of the watery sap from the buckets to make one gallon of finished syrup. I wish you could see it. Just picture walking into a shack down in the valley of a beautiful hardwood forest, that has steam rolling out of the open doors and windows from a fire fed kiln heating up huge vats of syrup. You can hardly see inside due to the thick steam but you can smell and almost taste the sweetness in the air. When farmers John and Ken Heyler and their two sons handed me a ladle of warm maple syrup just scooped out of a holding tank, it had to be the best tasting syrup I've ever had! Wish I had my camera with me at the time to show what it all looked like, but I'll try to have some up on next week's post.

I'ts been a good week and was even better after North Carolina beat Duke tonight for the ACC regular season title!! Go Heels!
Thank you and please continue praying and remembering us. We value your support and involvement in our lives and ministry here. Time for bed! Goodnight!