Weekly Update for 3/28 - 4/5

Well, it's Tuesday April 5, and I am watching the most beautiful snow falling!   Huge flakes coming down in bunches are turning the ground white again after it had just started greening up a bit.  It won't last long, but just the fact that it is snowing in April kinda blows my mind!  We have had a very busy weekend and are now taking a couple of days at the beginning of this week to catch up on some other things and just to have some time for family.


Last Monday after our weekend, Kathryn headed into Wellsboro for our grocery shopping and I stayed home with the kids.  Kathryn also had a voice lesson with one of the young lady interns later that morning and a Ladies Fellowship Night that evening with the ladies from the church.  I think she was as tired from being out and on the go as she is when she stays home with kids.  I know I was!

On Tuesday, Nate and I drove a load of hay back down to the auction in Middleburg.  We had a good trip and also got a good price for our hay.  A conservative Mennonite dairy farmer purchased our hay.  It was interesting to learn that, although he lived and farmed a lot like the Amish, he was permitted to use tractors.  The only stipulation was that the tractor had to have steel studded wheels, which would discourage using the tractor as transportation on the roads, thereby deterring any interaction with the"world".  These Mennonites were allowed, however to ride in a car with a neighbor, such as to the auction, but not to own one themselves.  

Wednesday found us preparing in a lot of different ways for our weekend group at LHI.  The young lady who does most of the housekeeping for the inn had gotten sick and was not available to finish the turnaround from last weekend.  We borrowed 5 of the interns that afternoon and finished making beds, vacuuming, dusting and setting up extra dining tables and chairs.  This group of 50 would be our biggest group so far and also be the most that we can accommodate in our facility.          

On Thursday afternoon, about 20 of the ladies from the church near Philadelphia arrived with the remainder of the group coming in the next day.  This was their third year with us.  They were very organized and familiar with the facility.  The big difference with this group was just the extra work that it took in the kitchen and around meal times. Cleaning up and setting up for 50 verses 20-25 is quite different, and also keeping the coffee bar stocked was challenging at times.  There were also the tasks of keeping enough toilet paper and hand towels for the restrooms, as well as collecting the trash.  There was one occasion after a session break, when everyone was using the restrooms, which caused the water in the entire building to shut off.  There is a safety control measure that turns off the water pump if there is a sudden loss of pressure such like there would be if a pipe burst, or if 50 women used the restroom at the same time! Needless to say, every lady I saw next was telling me their water was not working.  I had been warned about this possibility and I was quickly on the phone walking through the steps to manually override the shutoff and start the water pump again.  A separate occasion had me addressing a plumbing problem with one of the toilets.  Thankfully, we have those on staff that I can call if there are issues that I cannot take care of myself, which I took advantage of this time.  Another learning opportunity this weekend was running the sound board and the PowerPoint presentations for the music and the teaching sessions.  I have a new appreciation for all the computer and sound technicians out there now!

  Overall, everything went well for the most part and I believe the group really had a great time.  Sunday morning, the ladies all came to Oregon Hill Grace Chapel to fellowship with us and also provided special music with their ladies ensemble.  After coming back to the inn and picking up a bag lunch, they were on their way back home. 

Kathryn and I really have to tag team between our responsibilities at the inn and keeping the kids.  We are rarely both at the inn at the same time, unless it's with the whole family when we are greeting the groups as they arrive.  She will come over usually in the afternoons to set the tables for dinner as she picks different color schemes with tablecloths and napkins.  I gladly let Kathryn head up the decorating and flower arrangements, which Audrey also enjoys helping set out in each room.

Right after lunch on Sunday, as the ladies were leaving for home, I drove down to Three Springs to meet up with Nate once again.  There had been a youth group staying at Three Springs Farm that weekend from New York.  Nate had driven up with Three Springs' coach bus to pick up the group and bring them here for the weekend.  I  rode to NY with Nate to take the group home, and after dropping them off, I drove the bus back to get some driving experience for future trips.

 I have had experience driving a coach bus before, and I will be used from time to time to drive the bus here at Three Springs.  Nate and I most likely will be taking a NY group from a ministry called Word of Life, to Kansas City, Missouri right after Easter.  That will be about a five day round-trip, where we will take turns with the driving responsibilities.  The group on Sunday was from Grand Island, New York, just a few miles from Niagara Falls near the Buffalo area.  It was fun driving through parts of the country I've never been before, and I definitely plan to go back to Niagara Falls since it's only about a three and a half hour drive.  We got back Sunday evening around eight thirty, which then ended our busy weekend.

Continue to pray for us as we start to develop a routine with groups that are now coming about every week. Pray for opportunities as we have already had,  to tell others how and why we are serving the Lord here at Three Springs.  Also for us as we continue to get involved more at church and find ways to serve there.  The children are doing well right now, and Clay even slept through the whole night for the first time since I can remember.  Hope everyone is doing well, and thanks to those who keep us informed about what's going on in your lives too.