May 23-25, 2012

Here are some photos from Pennsylvania Dutch country where life is a combination of the very simple and the very modern.  We ate at a terrific restaurant where many of the entrees were hand made.

We stopped to visit the Sight and Sound Theater near Lancaster; however we did not have tickets to see the current show.  The theater is extremely popular and shows are sold out for weeks.    We did get a peek at the theater during intermission. 

May 21, 2012

We drove back from Oakland to Clinton and arrived here about 3:00 p.m.  It rained all day, more of a drizzle at times, so travel was a little slippery going down the mountains.  My ears kept popping.  At one point near Frostburg, MD, I saw a jackknifed truck on a ramp.  Several emergency vehicles were there and the ramp was blocked off. 

We passed two vehicles going the other direction carrying one of those wings of a wind turbine.  Such huge things that cost way more than they are worth, and would take decades to produce enough energy to offset their production cost.  Plus, they are a blight on the landscape.  Perhaps someone would finally realize they are just not cost-effective.  At least we can hope.

One of those windmill wings

Our final meeting this time around is Wednesday night in Pennsylvania.  Joe’s friend, who happens to be a girl, comes in Friday for a few days. 

May 18-20, 2012

We had lunch with the senior adults on Thursday; a very lively group.  We had a BBQ of hot dogs and hamburgers—delicious.  Afterwards some of us played corn hole, which is another name for bean bag toss. The church had made some spiffy boards with the church logo and the hole for the corn bag.  Henry scored several points, I maybe got one or two bags in the hole.  Every time the bags hit the board, dust would fly from them.  It was fun to do. 

The weather was just beautiful the entire time we were there.  Sunny, not too hot with a little breeze.  Rain is forecast for Monday.

Friday Pastor and Kathy took us to the Swallow Falls for a hike.  It is the highest waterfall in Maryland.  You could walk out into the water from flat exposed rocks.  I did not do that.   We walked down the trail which followed the river to another smaller falls.  There I shared the gospel with a lady who was sitting on a big flat rock.  She did not get saved, but accepted a gospel tract.

 The second place we were taken to was on a mountain top where a Olympic size kayak river was built.  There was a school group going down the rapids in big boats, with all the protective gear on.  When they got to the bottom, most of them were soaked.  The water level can be adjusted to the amount of water flowing through there for training purposes. 

 Saturday at 10:00 a.m. a group got on the bus and we went to a small down about 15 miles from the church, over the mountain and right next to West Virginia.  Then teams of people went door-to-door inviting people to church.  One lady got saved!  It is a pretty town. 

Saturday evening we had the International Banquet.  I made okonomiyaki, a Japanese style pancakes with veggies and bacon served with a modified BBQ sauce.  I made small ones, cut them all in half, and every one was gone!  One of the men said he would be making that meal for the moms next mother (he is a former Navy cook and enjoys cooking).  His wife and I hit it off like we were long-time friends.  Their daughter and family are missionaries in New Zealand, so that was a connection.  We met some spiffy people this weekend.

Sunday was the final day of the conference.  Henry taught Sunday School to the younger kids.  They have a spiffy room that looks like a castle complete with crowns and armor.

  Henry told the story of Naaman and the Jewish girl who told him of Elisha who could cure him of leprosy.  The kids got a kick out of it.  After church all the kids came upstairs to our display where I gave them a trinket from Japan—some were chopstick holders, some goodies from soda bottles collected over the last couple of years and assorted things I did not want to take back to Japan. 

  

After the evening service they had a graduation celebration for just Teresa, since we won’t be there when they have their regular event.  We ate ice cream cake!  Yum!   Teresa was also given a Bible signed by the Pastor. 

One young boy got baptized and another man joined the church after attending for several years.  Their faith promise for missions was about  $80-90,000; their goal is $105 thousand.  The three families there were all voted on and accepted as their new missionaries.  We are so grateful for God’s supply in this way.