Christmas Day at Whispers of Hope

I survived the blizzard of '09 at Whispers of Hope, Wichita Falls, TX  (so far)

My two black eyes are getting better. -- I got them from the iron fence post hitting me in the forehead last week.

Christmas Eve was relatively quiet.--  I spent it in the Jambo due to the cancellation of Christmas Eve church service. The high winds blew the rain and sleet with face burning force.  Then came the snow;  a storm, the likes of which the area has never seen.  We got at least eight inches of snow, and with those winds, there were lots of drifts.

My water pipes haven't froze yet. -- I put RV antifreeze in them, but that means I have no running water in the RV,  but I was able to take a sponge bath in the volunteer room. (The shower lines there have thawed out now, so now I can take an actual shower.)

My water hose thawed out today.--   I didn't reattach it, because it will be below freezing again each night this week.

The generator runs well.--  I have to use it because the electrical power is out. 

The two RVs here and the house trailer we are parked next to, are still whole.--  The firemen who were here Christmas day said we were lucky that the meter pole, that supplies us and a small barn with electric, didn't burn anymore than it did.  The electrician will come Monday.

I'm cozy warm in the Jambo. -- The carbon monoxide alarm went off only because as the other RVer tried to turn his truck around in the deep snow, slush, ice and mud, my furnace sucked in his exhaust.

I have enough food, water, propane for heat, and gasoline for the generator, for a few days. -- The roads are not clear and probably won't be for days, because Texas doesn't have weather this bad.....  (no salt, plows, etc)

I fed the horses.-- Nobody could make it to do their daily routine.  It was fun trying to negotiate the ice, mud, snow, and hungry beasts.

So all is well-- so to all a good night.

 

Whispers of Hope Horse Farm Wichita Falls, TX

     This week hasn't been too busy.  I fed the 28 horses once (other volunteers feed them the other times). I've cleaned some areas and helped build a fence.  There are two other NOMADS here.  This is their third Christmas here.  I am glad and thankful that they are here.   They have been kind enough to drive me around the area and include me on their outings.   They also know what needs to be done and  can direct me as to what to do next.  

     The weather has been very nice during the day, but gets cold at night.  I disconnect my water almost every night.  

     I was moving fence posts the other day, when one decided to move unexpectedly and knocked me on the forehead.  I was okay, but got a huge goose egg.  I'm not sure if that has anything to do with 'deck the halls'  or  'geese a-laying,' but I've been singing both those songs ever since.  Merry Christmas.

Wichita Falls, TX

    Well, I made it here.  It's been a while since my last entry.  I made a couple trips back east of the Mississippi for special reasons.  While doing that, I got to see some family and friends, which was nice.  I then got stuck in the winter storm and deep freeze while in Kansas.  I had to wait that out until it was warm enough to get the Jambo prepared for travel.  

     While on my trip south, I was able to visit some friends, formerly of Duke Center, who now live outside Tulsa, OK.  What a blessing that visit was!  The spirit I witnessed in these people was inspiring.  The opportunity to share time with them and to decorate their tree (when I have no tree) was an opportunity to see God.

     Well, it's time to go see what I am to do on the horse farm.  I know fences need to be mended, because two of the animals were out this morning, checking out the motorhomes.

     

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.  I surely have experienced blessings too numerous to count.  Branson has been lots of fun with lots to do.  I even bought a dulcimer.  Now the Jambo is filled with unrecognizable tunes as I try to "play me some mountain music."  twang.

Tomorrow I am headed to Kansas.  

  

Third week at Heifer

   

 Our third and last week at Heifer started out with cooler, wetter weather.  The conditions were not good for working at the chicken house.  So our team was assigned to demolish the insides of a building that was being used as a rec room.  We took off drywall, tore down the ceiling and insulation and ripped up the carpet.  The fun part came when we started shoveling out the blown-in insulation from the walls.  We loaded the lung-clogging fibers into a horse trailer lined with a tarp.  After that, the 2x4 studs were removed and once again I was on nail-removing detail.  We worked for 3 1/2 days on this and accomplished more than was expected.  We quit a little early and started packing up and saying our good-byes.  One couple was going home, the leaders were headed to Texas, and I was on my way to Branson, MO.

Heifer Ranch Week 2

I'm sitting outside right now enjoying the warm weather.  We have had 2 weeks of great weather to work in.  We completed getting the roof off of the chicken house.  Now the men are taking down the rafters and the steel tresses.  This week, while they do that, the women will be assigned to work in another building.

Last Saturday  the 5 team members went to Little Rock (about an hour away) to do some sight-seeing.  We went to Central High School where there is a small museum dedicated to the "Little Rock 9" who crossed the protest lines to integrate the school in 1957.  very interesting.  My leaders  attended school there at that time, and gave a lot of insight.  We then rode a trolley around part of the city and went to Heifer International Headquarters.  It is designed to be one of the 'greenest' buildings.  Across the street is Clinton Library.  We  spent time in both.

Last Sunday we all went to Mt. Eagle to join the Arkansas NOMADS at their reunion.  They are staying there a week to do some work at that UM Conference Retreat Center.  I even knew 2 of the couples, because I had worked with them at separate projects.  The retreat center is a beautiful setting on a bluff above a river.  Many of their trees were broken because of the ice storm last winter and in need of clean-up.

This Friday I was able to join the Heifer Ranch crew in their chicken killing.  slaughter, however you want to put it.  I didn't do the killing, but helped pick pin feathers.  Quite and operation- as all the farmers out there know.  I don't think I'll post those pictures.

This weekend I stayed on the Ranch while the other team members went off in separate ways to do some things.  I did some paper work and walked around the Ranch, enjoying all the sights.

One more week here.

Heifer Ranch Perryville, Arkansas

This place is amazing!!!  Heifer International does so much.  It is fun to be here and learn about all they do.  Our work....not so much fun....No, it's not really so bad.   Our five member NOMADS team is tearing down a chicken house. It is 32 ft x 300 ft.  whew, let me tell you, that's a lot of rusty nails!

This chicken house is from the 1980's when this ranch was a distribution center for the animals. Now animals are gotten from places closer to where they will be given....saves some on the shipping costs.  The chickens that are here are free range now. 

This ranch was where Heifer International started.  It is now an educational center.  It houses 15 different kinds of animals- including water buffalo, camels, llamas.  It is a certified organic farm.  Studies are done to see how best to raise the crops and animals in order to teach the recipients.  

We are provided with lunch (wahoo) that is grown on the ranch.  There is also a global village where visitors are able to stay in houses or huts similar to those in various parts of the world.  They are given meager provisions and have to barter or trade with the others to prepare meals and get what they need to 'live,'  They also care for animals.  Neat.

Done at Clarence, MO

     We finished working at Camp Jo-Ota on Thursday October 22.  It had rained a lot that week, over 2 inches in one day.  ugh.   We completed the wall, mudded, sanded and painted one side.  The benches, made of rough log planks, were installed in the area we had cleared.  The carpets in a couple of cabins were shampooed (bunks moved and cleaned under).   The valves in several toilets were installed.  We left feeling we didn't quite finish anything, but a lot had gotten done.  There will be work to do for a long time.

     I will attempt to add a picture or two.  I just figured out how to do that.  ....

I think I did it....should've done this long time ago.  I'm so good at this computer stuff (not).

     We left on Friday.  The others were headed to their homes.  I came to my brother's in Kansas.  It's been fun visiting him and all his family.   I also attempted to clean  the Jambo's roof.  Look out below!!  The only thing that broke was my scrub brush when I threw it down from up above.

      Friday Oct. 30 I will leave here and head to Perryville, Arkansas to do a three project at Heifer Project.  I am excited about that.

Rain, Rain, Rain

     We have been in Clarence, MO for 14 days now and have had 12 days of rain.  The driveways around camp are muddy and our RVs are slowly sinking in their parking spaces.  We walk around backs of cabins to get to our places for work.  yuck.  Well, at least it's not the snow that there's been in PA.  It's been cold here, but hopefully it'll warm up some this weekend.  The acorns dropping onto the roofs of the RVs sound like gunshots while one sits inside.  Its nerve-wracking when the wind blows.

    So far we have built a new wall that enlarges the sanctuary, dry-walled, mudded, and sanded it. We also tore out a piece of the floor in a cabin and replaced it, vacuumed and shampooed the carpet. 

     Last weekend we went to Hannibal, MO (about 45 miles from here).  We toured the birthplace of Mark Twain and The Mark Twain museum, which houses several original Norman Rockwell paintings.  We then went on a riverboat on the Mississippi for a dinner cruise.  My brother joined us for the day's events.  It was a good, but chilly, day.

     One more week here.  Then we'll see if we can get out of the mud pits.  This Sunday at church is Round-up Sunday.  Everybody is to dress in cowboy attire.  YEEEHAA

Clarence, Missouri

      There was a week between the NOMADS Annual Meeting and the next project.  During that time I had a wonderful visit with a high school friend and then with a former deaf student.  It was fun to get to see them and gab on and on.  

     I arrived here at Camp Jo-Ota on Saturday.  This is a UM church camp.  Our team  has only 4 members.  One couple had to cancel.  We are helping to fix up the camp buildings and grounds.  It had been neglected and almost closed.  The new director has built up the camp's usage and it now has a full summer schedule and is regularly used on weekends by various groups in the off-season.  The grounds are beautiful, but the buildings are old and in need of a lot of TLC.  This will continue to be a NOMADS project for a long time.

     Today we tore down a wall to make the sanctuary larger.  In the afternoon we worked outside while the weather was nice.  We cleared an area to create an outdoor sanctuary near a small lake.I used the chain saw.  rrrrrrrrrrr

     

     

NOMADS Annual Meeting Columbus, IN

     This was a wonderful week of getting together with other NOMADS.  There were 360 in attendance.  It was similar to other conferences I've attended, in that it there were business meetings and seminars to attend.  The difference was that every day opened with Bible study and hymn singing.  And the seminars involved what tools to carry on the RV for projects, drywalling techniques, electricity and plumbing 101.  There was some excellent information.  Most of the fun was in meeting previous acquaintances and making new friends.  I met people I will be working with on future projects.  There was excellent food and entertainment, but, alas, not any shopping.

     Correction,  I did have to go shopping for a new gas cap.  I seem to have left mine at a gas station about 40 miles away. When I called it was nowhere in sight.  I got somebody to take me to an Auto Zone and an Advanced Auto Parts and neither had one that I could use and suggested  I go to an RV dealer (none are in the area).    We then went to Wal-Mart to get groceries for the potluck dinner and there was a cap that looked like would fit.  Yep, did the trick.  whew.

     It's been hot, muggy, and rainy all week.  Now, it's just rainy.  Everything has to be packed up wet.  Tomorrow I will be going to a nearby town to visit a high school friend.  I will stay with her a couple of days.  The Jambo will be parked in a UMC parking lot.  For the privilege of doing so, I will be talking to that congregation about NOMADS.  I'm glad for the opportunity to do so, because most people don't know about this group.

     After that I will be driving to Missouri to have a brief visit with a former deaf student.  From there I will head to Clarence, MO for a three week project.

     Happy trails.

On the Road

     Travel time again.  It was great to visit back in the DC area (Duke Center).  I had fun seeing friends and having numerous dining engagements.  I'm sorry I didn't get to see everyone.  Seems pretty difficult to do, though, I did get a lot of shopping done...again.

     I had a good time, too, at the Northeast Jurisdiction Reunion of the NOMADS.  The Ives Run, campground in Tioga, PA is beautiful and a good place for such a gathering.  

     I am now headed to Columbus, IN for the national gathering of the NOMADS.  There is a week of activities, tours,  and seminars planned.  Several hundred NOMADS are registered to attend.  Should be a good time.  I know there will be lots of food and vendors, for, yes...shopping. 

Pennsylvania

I'm back in the old area. I did spend the night in Walmart parking lot. It wasn't too bad. The next morning when I went to get gas, I found that the gas leaked out right near the point of entry. It only leaked as I filled the tank. So I was able to continue to travel.
I stayed a couple days in Ohio, visiting that old area. Now, back in PA, the Jambo is getting fixed and inspected. Seems there were some holes chewed in the hoses near where the gas goes in. I can't get away from critters. I have no idea when or how this would've happened.
Next week, while others in this area are enjoying the making of a movie starring Denzel Washinton, I am camping. The Northeast Jusisdiction of the NOMADS are having their annual get-together in Tioga, PA. I am looking forward to that.
Hope all have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa- Oh, what a week!

     I arrived at our RV sites, housed at Living Waters UMC in Marion, IA, on Saturday afternoon.  There were 13 in our team.  I had the chance to meet a few of the previous team members before they headed out.  Quite a crew.  But then, so was the group I was to spend the week with.

     This was week nineteen of a twenty-two week project.  Teams moved in and out.  The NOMADS are helping to rebuild homes from last year's devastating flood.  We currently were working in four homes.  Of course, each had a story.  One house is owned by a young man, who returned home from his tour of duty in Iraq with a head injury.  He had been given full disability from the military after years of hospitals and rehab.  He then bought this house and 3 months later the flood came.  He is lovingly rehabilitating his house while he continues to improve himself.  He has been grateful to the NOMADS for teaching him ways to do the construction and thus, learn a new trade.  Our prayers and thanks go out to him.

     A small group of us went out to a small neighboring town, Palo, to help in a home there. After three days of rain local people started getting anxious.  On Thursday creeks started to rise.  I took pictures out the back of the house at a line of parked cars.  By lunch time the water was up to their doors and our leader said we should leave.  We went back to Cedar Rapids to work on a house with the other team members.  By quitting time that street was full of water.  Storm drains are still filled with mud from last year.

     When we got back to our RVs most of us turned on our TVs to watch the news.  A call had gone out for volunteers to help reinforce the local supply of sandbags.  Five of us went to join the townspeople in this effort.

     On the 10:00 pm news there was footage of the same cars I had taken a picture of, now the water was up to their windshields.  There was also footage of the sandbagging efforts. Guess who was on the KCRG news?!! yep, me.  They had gotten a close-up.  Of course I wasn't doing anything at the time- looks like I'm thinking,  "Is it break time?"  I checked on their website and there is different footage.  I'm not in it, but my leader is.  So, I had my 10 seconds of fame. Luckily, the rain stopped and it's only the creeks which flooded, not the river.  Ironically, that town of Palo is scheduled to have a town-wide celebration for their recovery from last year's flood.

     This morning I left Cedar Rapids and am headed for Pennsylvania.  I am spending the night parked in a Wal-Mart.  Another first.   RVers are allowed to do that, but so far I haven't had the nerve.  I'm too cheap to pay for a campsite... hey, it's the end of the month.    I'll be stopping in Ohio to visit some folks there.  Hope to see some of you soon.

  

Madison, WI

     This past week, Aug 15-21,  I was able to spend  time with Janelle and Erik.  It was good to get to see them.   We went to tour Cave of the Mounds.  It was an hour-long guided walk through a cavern.  It was just south of the city.  We also went to the Mustard Museum, a shop with mustards from all over.  It is in a town stated to have more trolls than Norway.  (I could say something here, but I'll leave it to your imagination.)

We also went to a farmer's market near the capitol, viewed Lake Monona from The Terrace, and SHOPPED.  Not only did we shop at the usual Target,  Kohls (the founder is from Madison), Walmart, Dollar Tree, etc.  I spent a lot of time and money at Menards (like Home Depot), Camping World, and Gander Mountain.  Yep, the priorities have changed.....but I did manage to buy one pair of shoes.

     I left Madison and drove on a very nice secondary highway for almost 4 hours, crossing the Mississippi, and on to Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Here, the NOMADS are helping to rebuild homes from last year's floods. I got settled in, met the others, and will be going out to dinner shortly.  My kind of people.

Ashippun, WI

     This past week (Aug 8-15) I was at Harnishfeger County Park.  Here the five NOMADS cooked and served 90 volunteers breakfast and supper.  The volunteers were mostly teens who were a part of Disciplefest, working at a day camp VBS for handicapped children.  We had early and late hours, but the daytime was free.

     I was able to walk on the park's trails and bike on the surrounding country roads.  The park had a nine hole disc (frisbee) golf course.  I had never seen this, and found out that it's quite a popular activity.  Instead of sand traps, some of the 'holes' or baskets were in the woods on the trails.   interesting.

     While I biked,  I was able to see some of the rolling hills of farmland and the big red barns with stone foundations that are all over the area.  I love old barns.  I had to resist taking pictures of all of them.

     The area is also home to sandhill cranes.  I had never seen them before.  They were a noisy group.

     On Friday we went to the day camp to watch the program that the children did.  It was fun to see the teens interact with their buddies.  There was a picnic for all to conclude their festivities.

     Saturday we served breakfast to the remaining volunteers, cleaned the facility, and packed up.  I then drove only an hour to Madison, WI to spend a week visiting Janelle.  There is a county park within the the city limits that I can camp at.  convenient

Anniversary

Today I have been a full-time RVer for one month.  So far, so good.

Project Completed

     This was our third and final week on the project in Chatham.  I helped paint, lay laminate floor and painted the sign.   I even got to use a miter saw and the nail gun again.  (gotta love those power tools)   Of course there's always clean up to be done. 

     In the free time I had decided to try knitting a baby sweater to go into a layette kit.  I struggled with it at first, decided I would never make another, then completed it in 6 days.  It came out pretty well.  Maybe I will make another.  

     The UMC offers the opportunity for people to put together a variety of kits (school, teacher, baby layette, health, flood buckets, etc).   Those kits eventually make their way to the regional distribution centers where they are checked, boxed, and packaged in large shipping crates.  They are then sent to places in need of those certain things.  While I was here, a large trailer filled with 15,000 school kits was taken to Kentucky where there had been devastating floods.

     We went to tour Catholic Sisters Mission Outreach.  It was very informative.  This mission collects used, outdated, or unwanted medical supplies and equipment from hospitals and clinics.  They sort and catalog it all.  Places in developing nations can apply and when accepted can then 'shop' for free equipment.  They are expected to pay the shipping of a cargo box (about the size of a trailer) and can fill it to the brim.  This warehouse was full and they often store at and work with the Midwest Mission Distribution  Center (where I am).  Some of the wallboards that we tore off the building we made into a chapel were used to build a crate to send a dental chair to Ghana.  cool.

     Thursday Aug 6 was our last day of  'work.'  One of our team members is a retired minister so we were able to have service and communion in the new chapel. It was quite emotional.  We then started saying goodbye to members as they left to go their separate ways.   Some were going on to other projects, some vacationing, and others returning home.

     The leaders and I stayed for a couple more days.  They took me to New Salem which is a settlement recreated to show where Lincoln once lived and worked.  People were in period clothing and doing the crafts of that era.

     Sunday I will be doing the Jambo Jive- driving.  I am driving north to Wisconsin where I will be volunteering in a week -long project of KP duty.   After that I will be able to camp near Janelle and visit for about 5 days.

Chatham, IL week 2

      We continued working on the chapel.  I helped sand drywall mud and began painting.  The paint was too bright so we will be painting again.  Began working on the sign that will be on the outside.  Others put up siding and the men continued building a deck on another building.

     On Tuesday night we went to Lincoln's tomb.  Every Tuesday there is a little ceremony done by men in actual Civil War uniforms.  It was raining and I thought not many people would show up.  wrong.  Each person signs in and after the flag is taken down one person's name is drawn and he receives the flag.  No one in our group got the flag.  Then the tomb is opened and we filed through.  We were instructed to leave our umbrellas at the entry -uh oh.  Yep,  mine was gone when we got back.  I waited until most people were gone and chose a similar umbrella.  

     Nothing else remarkable happened.  I stayed put for the weekend, rested, made phone calls, and mapped out my next trips. 

     The corn is tall and tasseled.  We are surrounded on three sides by miles of corn fields.  The vivid blue sky behind the rich green corn makes the area look like a picture out of a magazine.  In the morning when I walk there are wild morning glories blooming around the stalks.  The road is flat and straight, ahhhhh, and makes for a nice bike ride in the evenings.

     I have tv with my antenna and my malfunctioning refrigerator was fixed by one of the NOMADS.  A part was just not attached.  So all is well.

     Miss y'all.

     

      

The Travels Begin

     The house is sold.  I thought I would never get it cleaned, but it happened and now I'm out of it.  No more shoveling the sidewalk, mowing the lawn, or taking care of unwanted, pesky critters. (I will miss it and my friends.)

     My first trip as a full-time RVer began on July 17. After driving 370 miles I was exhausted.  I found driving on the interstate stressful and tiring.  I stayed that night at a campground in Indiana.  The second day of traveling was much better because I spent most of it on a very nice secondary road.  I have also found that 6 hours is about as long as I can stand driving the RV.

     I arrived in Chatham, IL at the site for my first NOMADS project early afternoon of July 18.  Others were there to help me park and get situated.  There are 11 of us at this 3 week project.  There are RV sites with full hookups right here at the Midwest Mission Distribution Center of the UMC.  There are also laundry facilities available. yipee

     Our project is to create a chapel out of an existing 24'x24' building.  Work that I did involved tearing down the inside walls, putting on sheetrock, mudding, sanding, and now painting. The men put in doors, windows, put up the sheetrock, wired, and are now tearing out part of a wall on another building to put in a door that will open out to a deck that they are also building. We work 7 hours Mon- Thurs with breaks and an hour lunch.  It is hot, tiring, dirty, delightful work.  We have a good time and work at our own pace.  I got to use the nail gun briefly, but I don't think anyone wants me to use it too much... look out!

    On our off time we have enjoyed some of the area's attractions and restaurants.  We went to an outdoor theater show of Fiddler on the Roof and to the Abraham Lincoln Museum in Springfield (just a few miles away).  The museum was great!  If you are ever in the area, it is a must see.  The way that the information is depicted is very entertaining. 

     On Friday July 24 my brother, Chad, from Kansas came to visit. We then went to the southern part of Illinois to watch one of our great-nephews, Andrew, from California compete in a trap shooting competition.  His team had come in first in their state and now were in the National competition.  Andrew did very well.  The team came in 10th out of 18.  While in that area, we were close to St. Louis and so we took opportunity to go to the Arch, the Gateway to the West.  It is very impressive and one should see it.  We stood in several lines, though, to have the chance to go up to the top, only to find that it was not as impressive as one would think.  The tram ride up was comparable to having 5 people sit in a dryer and the viewing area was small and crowded.

     I had the experience of my first mid-west thunderstorm in the RV.  The wind was tremendous and I put the lawn chairs under the Jambo so that they would not become destructive, flying objects.  It was midnight and I must say I was scared.  I kept watching out the window to see if any of the others were headed for the storm shelter.  Just in case they were I laid in bed with my shoes on and flashlight ready.  No one  did, the storm blew over, and I laid awake for awhile just to be sure that all was well, then went to sleep.

     So, the first week went well.  Blessings abounded.  Can't wait to see what is in store for this week.

     Take care.

     

 

Jambo's Journeys

Hi, 

This is my first attempt at blogging.  Hope this works and that you can read about my travels which begin in July.

I used the name 'nomadmelissa' because I am a member of NOMADS (Nomads On a Mission Active in Divine Service).  It is an organization of volunteers through the United Methodist Church, but not exclusively for Methodists.  Anyone can be a member.  Check out their website www.nomadsumc.org

I used 'Jambo's Journeys' because my motorhome is a Fleetwood Jamboree.