Parables of a Preschool Teacher

My Parents' Hands

2011-01-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

My Parents’ Hands
Written by Beverly Duerksen, after Dad’s passing, 1/6/11

When I think of my parents, I see their hands. Two pair of hands---so different, yet so similar. My father’s hands were rough and strong; my mother’s, smooth and soft. Yet their hands held a common purpose---to serve---God and others. Their hands were joined together for nearly 65 years--- loving, working, and serving their Lord, side by side. You rarely saw one without the other. Hands joined in unity, but each with their unique gifts and talents.
My dad’s hands were friendly hands. His handshake was firm and strong. When he gripped your hand, you knew you had a friend that would stand by your side. His smile and hearty hello were sincere and you knew he was genuinely glad to see you. His handshake was not for the weak or fainthearted. My mom’s hands were loving hands. Her touch reached to the soul and brought comfort and encouragement to all she met. Her hands bandaged our wounds, corrected our wrongs, and hugged away our tears.
My dad’s hands were creative hands. I always believed that Dad could make anything. He could fix it, remodel it or make it from scratch. His hands held a hammer and saw with skill and strength. His furniture was not only beautiful, but sturdy and indestructible. We teased him, saying that his woodwork would never come apart in a tornado. He never spared the nails!
My mother’s hands were busy hands. They sewed and mended, cleaned and cooked. Her skills in the kitchen were well known and her rolls were famous near and far. She sewed and mended our clothes, and taught us to do the same. She taught us to cook and can , and be frugal with our resources.
My dad’s hands were godly hands. They held God’s word every Sunday, as he taught the adult Sunday school class for many years. As a child, I remember seeing Dad sitting on the couch in the living room every Saturday night, studying his Sunday School lesson. If we asked him to do something else, he would say, “No, first, I’ve got to study my SS lesson.” He would read the Scriptures, and study the lesson book, highlighting the words, and cutting and pasting stories and illustrations in the teacher’s book to use the next morning. As lay leader, dad would often preach from the pulpit. His voice was strong and clear as he held the Word of God and read it with confidence and sincerity of heart. His voice rang out loud in the congregation when we sang the hymns every Sunday. I can still hear him now, as he sang old favorites like Holy, Holy, Holy and How Great Thou Art.
Mom’s hands were prayerful hands. As a child I remember seeing mom kneeling by her bed, praying at the end of the day, for her children, her church, and her walk with her Lord. Family devotions were a regular habit in our home and I remember both mom and dad reading from the Daily Bread and praying for our family, our church, and missionaries in foreign countries.
My dad’s hands were gardening hands. He had the prettiest flowers around. Many a day we would sit on the front porch and see cars go by very slowly, just so they could see “Harold’s flowers”. He loved to dig in the dirt and plant petunias, pansies, marigolds, morning glories and roses. Mom’s hands were helping hands. Whenever dad was in the yard, mowing or planting flowers, mom was there helping him, pulling weeds and picking up sticks and twigs. And she always watered the flowers with her dish water. To this day I still believe that it was because of dad’s green thumb and that dish water that the flowers were so beautiful.
** Our Dad’s and Mom’s hands were together hands. In their later years, though their mind and body failed them, their love was still strong. Before they moved to Ohio, Pastor Hank came by the house to visit them. He asked dad what was the best thing that ever happened to him. Dad smiled and pointed in mom’s direction and said, “SHE IS! I wouldn’t be anybody if it weren’t for her!” One of my last memories of dad and mom was this last summer when we were sitting in the living room of St. Catherine’s Manor. Dad reached out and clasped mom’s hand in his. Mom tried to move their wheelchairs closer. Dad said, “I still love you, honey.” He patted her hand, then took it in his. Two pair of hands but ONE HEART---deeply in love with each other. **
Dad’s and Mom’s hands were serving hands. They touched the hearts and souls of all they met. They were always reaching out to others in their time of need, lending a helping hand wherever they could. They were selfless in their service, never wanting recognition for any kind deed or gift given.
When I looked at Dad and Mom’s earthly hands for the last time I saw the hands of 2 SERVANTS, joined together in unified service for their Lord and Savior. They are the hands that I want to have----hands that welcome, hands that love, hands that create, hands that teach and pray, and hands that serve God and others. May God grant us all godly hands such as theirs, that point others to the One whose hands were pierced with a nail----the Carpenter of Galilee, Jesus Christ.
**Personal recollection, not read at the funeral**

A Guiding Hand by Kenneth W. Bielby

2011-01-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

Another poem that reminds me of our loss.

A Guiding Hand
by Kenneth W Bielby

There's many a signpost that shows the way
Through out the life we live
But there's never a signpost like a fathers hand
And the help, that that hand, can give,

The touch of his hand, from the time we were young
To the time of our final goodbye
Is a feeling, in life, remaining unsung
As his spirit rises on high,

But life must go on, as the days we must face
But will never, fill up the hole
So we continue to live and strive with the pace
and the trials that strengthens the soul

I will never forget that hand from the past
That guided my life for so long
No! Never, I'm sure, for life travels fast
But the memory, remains, ever strong

I love you Dad, is a phrase little said
for a man’s not a man when his heart can be seen
Alive, it’s not spoken, but rather when dead
Too late!, a man cries, for what should have been

The Carpenter's Hand, by Kenneth W. Bielby

2011-01-23T16:48:00.003-07:00

Dad passed away on Thursday, January 6, 2011, exactly one year from when he moved to St Catherine's Manor of Washington Courthouse, Ohio. I searched the internet to find a poem that reminded me of my Carpenter Dad, and this is what I found:

The Carpenter's Hand
by Kenneth W Bielby

There is in my memory a friend that I knew,
Whose friendship I treasured – along with a few,
Who gained my respect by the life that he led,
Whose testimony was more by his life than what he said,

I’ll remember that time, the time that we met,
When I grasped his big hand, and met his firm set,
His smile was as big as his carpenter’s hands,
And the love that he showed could flood our dry lands

The one thing I remembered was this carpenter’s hands,
Their size and their strength could hold like steel bands
But the longer I looked, around and a loft,
I sensed they were tender and gentle and soft,

The guidance they gave and the direction they chose,
And the help to others our God only knows,
They could wrestle with timber, hold a small baby with care,
Give praise to the Father with his hands in the air,

At the time of this writing the end is now past,
for the Father has claimed him and resting at last,
This carpenter’s hand is clasped, from above
By Jesus, the carpenter, the carpenter of love.

Grandma's Hands

2011-01-23T16:32:00.007-07:00

Received as a email forward, sometime in 2010. It reminds me of mom. .

This picture is called "Five Generations of Women", taken by an unknownperson shortly before her 93 year-old Grandmother passed away last year. The photo, shown below, features the hands of her Grandmother, Mom, Sister, Niece and Great-Niece. It fits nicely with the poem below.

GRANDMA'S HANDS

Grandma, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. She didn't move, just sat with her head down staring at her hands.

When I sat down beside her she didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if she was OK

Finally, not really wanting to disturb her but wanting to check on her at the same time, I asked her if she was OK. She raised her head and looked at me and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking," she said in a clear voice strong.

"I didn' t mean to disturb you, grandma, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK," I explained to her.

"Have you ever looked at your hands," she asked. "I mean really looked at your hands?"

I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point she was making.

Grandma smiled and related this story:

"Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life.

"They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor.

They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child, my mother taught me to fold them in prayer.. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They held my husband and wiped my tears when he went off to war.

"They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent. They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special.

They wrote my letters to him and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse.

"They have held my children and grandchildren, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand.

They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer.

"These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of life.

But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ."

I will never look at my hands the same again. But I remember God reached out and took my grandma's hands and led her home.

When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and husband I think of grandma. I know she has been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God.

I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my face.

When you receive this, say a prayer for the person who sent it to you, and watch God's answer to prayer work in your life. Let's continue praying for one another.

Passing this on to anyone you consider a friend will bless you both.

Passing this on to one not yet considered a friend is something Christ would do.

-- Author Unknown

The Dash by Linda Ellis

2011-01-23T16:28:00.002-07:00

Mom passed away on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010. Joanne read "The Dash" at Mom's funeral service, Dec. 3, 2010

The Dash
by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of his friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning...to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the second with tears,
but he said that what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth,
and now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;
the cars, the house, the cash,
what matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard,
are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left.
You could be at “dash mid-range.”

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and real,
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
and more often wear a smile,
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read
with your life’s actions to rehash...
would you be pleased with the things they have to say
about how you spent your dash?

Tommy Turkey's Big Sneeze

2010-12-21T16:11:00.003-07:00

Tommy Turkey lives at Happyville Farm.

One day, Tommy got up with a very bad cold. His nose was all tickley.
“Oh dear,” he said. “I think I’m going to sneeze! And when I sneeze. . . ah. . . ah. . .ah. . . choo!. . .

”My feathers go everywhere! Oh dear!”

Tommy was very sad,. . . and very cold without his feathers to keep him warm.

“I must find my feathers! Where could they be?” He sat down and cried big turkey tears.

Just then, Emily, Farmer Ben’s little daughter, came out of her house. She saw Tommy sitting under the big apple tree, crying.
“Tommy! What happened to you? Wear are your feathers?” asked Emily.

Tommy sniffed and said, “I sneezed, and all my feathers flew away.”

“Then I will help you find them, “ said Emily. “Let’s go!” Tommy and Emily headed towards the barn to see if they could find Tommy’s feathers.

They saw Henry the Horse eating hay in his stable.

“Hi Henry, “ said Emily. “Tommy sneezed and lost his feathers. Have you seen them?”

“Neigh”, said Henry. “Look up in the rafters. Maybe you’ll find one there.”

“Oh, thank you, Henry,” said Tommy. “Now I have found 1 of my feathers.”

Emily and Tommy walked on and saw Candace Cow.

“Hello Candace”, said Emily. “Tommy sneezed and lost his feathers. Have you seen them?”

“Moo. . .” said Candace. Look in my milk pail. Maybe you’ll find one there.”

“Oh, thank you, Candice,” said Tommy. “Now I have found 2 of my feathers.”

As Emily and Tommy left the barn, they met Susie Sheep. “Hi Susie, “ said Emily. “Tommy sneezed and lost his feathers. Have you seen them?”

“Baa. . . “ said Susie Sheep. “Look under the apple tree. Maybe you’ll find one there.”

“Oh, thank you, Susie, “ said Tommy. “Now I have found 3 of my feathers.”

On the way back from the apple tree, Emily and Tommy passed the pig pen, where Percy Pig was rolling in the mud.

“Hi Percy,” said Emily. “Tommy sneezed and lost his feathers. Have you seen them?”

“Oink, oink,” said Percy. “Look beside my feed trough. Maybe you’ll find one there.”

“Oh, thank you, Percy,” said Tommy. “Now I have found 4 of my feathers!

On Tommy and Emily walked, until they came to Gregory the Goat.

“Hi Gregory,” said Emily, “Tommy sneezed and lost his feathers. Have you seen them?”

“Maa. . . “ said Gregory. “Look on the clothesline. Maybe you’ll find one there.”

“Oh thank you, Gregory,” said Tommy. “Now I’ve found 5 of my feathers. I have one more to find!”

“Let’s go ask Rodney the Rooster, said Emily. And off they went.

They found Rodney eating some corn. “Hi Rodney, “ said Emily. “Tommy sneezed and lost his feathers. We have found all but one. Have you seen it? “

“Feathers?” asked Rodney. “No I haven’t seen any of your feathers. But, I could give you one of mine! I have plenty!”

“Oh would you share one of your feathers with me, Rodney? That is so kind of you. Thank you!” exclaimed Tommy.

Rodney pulled out a nice long red feather and gave it to Tommy.

Now he had a full tail of feathers again.

“I have all my feathers back, and I am warm again. Thank you everybody for helping me find my feathers!

Tommy was so happy to have all his feathers back, until. . . . .

Ah. . . ah. . . ah. . . choo!”

(November, 2010 - Story inspired by Allyson Wong, 3 year old preschool student at St Paul's Child Development Center)

The Big Move, Part 2

2010-07-06T17:15:00.006-06:00

We have been in Las Cruces for 2 weeks and most of the boxes have been emptied! There are still a few things that I must find a place for, and pictures to hang on the walls, but gradually our little apartment is looking more like home. Wow! It is really hard moving from a big house to a 2 bedroom apartment!! To me, Las Cruces is a huge city (90,000), but we are gradually learning our way around. Remember, I grew up in the country----the tiny hamlet of Browningsville, MD. I'm not sure it is even on all the maps! But, Paul is good with directions, so he is helping me learn the street names, and having me drive to various places to learn my way (he is in the car too, of course!). I now know how to get to the grocery store (Lowes Fiesta Foods), K-Mart, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, our storage rental and Savers (a wonderful thrift store). Of course, all these places are on the same street, so that helps! I still need help locating Walmart, Walgreens and Hobby Lobby! Ha! I haven’t ventured out on my own yet. Maybe this week! Rest assured, I will take our Garmin with me! I also know how to get to our 2 churches! Yes, I said churches! Joe is active at University Church of Christ, and wants us to worship with him, so we have been there the last two Sundays. One of their services is at 11:20, so we will go to that most of the time. They have an earlier service where they only have accapella music, but THIS later service has a praise group, WITH INSTRUMENTS! It is a very uplifting service, with a wide range of age groups. During the school year, many college students attend this later service, Their young pastor is a very gifted spiritual leader and the sermon we heard our first Sunday here was very evangelical and challenging! They emphasize outreach a lot! We will be well fed spiritually! BUT, since we ARE United Methodists and since Paul has a conference obligation to maintain contact with a Methodist church during our leave of absence, we will also attend St Paul’s United Methodist church! It is just a mile from our apartment! We went to their earlier 9:30 “New Day Praise” Service this past Sunday morning. It also was very uplifting and worshipful. Their pastor is James Large, and they just received a “new associate” pastor – Tammy Valentine. Paul knows James, from our connections with our NM Annual Conference. They have FOUR (count ‘em!) worship services! 8:15 (traditional/gospel), 9:30 (informal with praise music) and 2 at 10:45 (one contemporary and one traditional). We will go to the 10:45 service sometimes too, because Ben said he wanted to go with us sometimes. When we go to the late Methodist service we may go to the early Church of Christ worship. How’s that for being eccumentical?!

Paul continues to look for employment. But, we are not worried. We know that the Lord will take care of us and He is going to open the right doors and opportunities of service for us. We are trusting Him! He has applied to many places he would enjoy working----it will be interesting to see where the Lord leads us to minister and work! Even though he won’t be the pastor of a church we know that EVERYONE is always a MINISTER of the Gospel wherever we work! As for me, I am enjoying setting up our apartment, and just being at home. I have a couple of possibilities that may open up for me, outside the home, to help with our income. But if not, it’s okay. I have applied at the public schools as a teacher aide, but with budget cuts, that probably will not happen. One option I am considering is to give piano lessons here at the apt. Paul purchased for me a wonderful Yamaha Portable Grand piano, full-sized keyboard, with a beautiful tone! It’s perfect for an apt! Even if I don't give lessons, I will love playing it! I already do love playing it! Also, in the paper the other day, AND at worship on Sunday at St Paul’s, I heard of another job possibility! St Paul’s Methodist has a Child Development Center/Preschool, and they need a preschool teacher for the next school year! That’s right down my alley, since I taught preschool for 6 years at Lil Dogs! I met the director on Sunday, and am sending her my resume this week! Pray with us that the Lord will show us the paths he wants us to take that will enable us to be the best witnesses for Him!

It is wonderful having all three kids here in town! Emilee is back home with us for her last year at NMSU. She is busy this summer, working 2 jobs – at Wet Seal, a clothing store at the mall, and as a waitress at the Lemon Grass Restaurant (Thai food). It's good to have her here, though she is gone much of the day! The Lemon Grass Restaurant is a great place to eat. The food is different from other Asian foods we've had, but is good! They use peanut oil, peanuts, ginger, and curry in their cooking! I love their iced Lemon Grass Tea! Joe has completed (and hopefully passed) his LAST final exam of his college career and is now completing his internship at Fitness One, as a personal trainer (and getting paid too!) He loves it! It looks like he will graduate in December, and Emilee will graduate in May! Ben will enroll at the Dona Ana Jr College Campus in the fall! It is connected to NMSU. He is enjoying his work at the Doggie Dude Ranch! It is a boarding kennel and DAYCARE for dogs! Can you believe it?!?! People who go on vacation board their dogs there, but ALSO, some people just bring their dogs there for the day while they are at work! I never heard of that before. Ben says they want their dogs to socialize! They bathe them, feed them and take them out to play in the big yard. I guess they have nap time too!? Just maybe he and I both will have jobs at a daycare! He likes this job---so that’s the important thing.

We had our first dinner guest Saturday night (Not counting our kids – who AREN’T guests)! A Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (which is in Artesia) student that attended our Artesia church last winter is now living in Las Cruces and working with the Border Patrol in Deming! We had him over for veggie pizza last night (since he is vegetarian!) fruit salad and icecream! We hope to have more times of fellowship with him in the future. If you've got any veggie recipes, send em on! ha

So, our life is beginning to take shape here in Las Cruces, the city of the 3 crosses. Come back soon for more on what the Lord is doing in our lives, and what he is teaching us!

The Big Move to Las Cruces, NM - Part 1

2010-07-06T13:29:00.010-06:00

It's been a long time since I posted anything on my "blog" so I will try to fill everyone in! Actually I'm lazy and I don't want to write the same thing more than once in a snail mail letter or email and so I am directing all my Facebook friends and email buddies here to "read all about it"!

Most of you know that we moved from Artesia, NM recently --- Tuesday, June 21 to be exact! There have been some big changes in our lives----ones that have required a giant step (no, LEAP!) of faith! I am guessing that the Lord knew I needed to grow in that area!!! Hopefully I can poetically ponder my past as a pastor's wife and tell you what the Lord is teaching me (or a least TRYING to teach me! But I don't think I am being a very good student these days! Just ask my x-preacher husband, Paul!)

What's this? "X-Preacher" , "Past preacher's wife"? NO we haven't "GIVEN UP THE MINISTRY" or backslidden or walked out on God or anything! Let me back up a bit! In the United Methodist church, about this time of year (late May and June) it is "appointment time". In the spring, the bishop and the district superintendants meet and pray about where to deploy their pastors. Taking into consideration the desires/needs of the congregations, the desires/needs of the pastor, and the needs of the churches/conference, they have the huge, daunting task of trying to match pastors with churches, and churches with pastors. They take into account the pastor's gifts and strengths and the churches' mission field and needs, and they match the two together. Hence, in 2001 we moved to Artesia---a match literally made in heaven! We have been in Artesia 9 wonderful years, and we thank God for what he has done in our lives and in the lives of our congregation. But just as surely as God calls you to a location or a job, God also can call you out of it. Let me explain: For a little over a year, we have sensed that it was time for us to move on from here. You've heard of "wearing out your welcome"? Well, I'm not sure we did that, but we wanted to leave before we did! Ha! We just sensed that God was telling us to step aside and let someone else plant some new seeds, and also water the seeds that we had planted under God's direction. So. . . we initiated the request for a change. Paul requested a leave of absence, and then early retirement from the United Methodist church , to be effective next May of 2011 (30 years). It wouldn't be fair to take another church for a year or so and then request early retirement. Churches need more continuity in leadership than that. So, since Paul has wanted to try his hand at something different, we decided to request a leave of absence for a year, prior to retirement. Paul is a hard-working preacher! He puts his heart, soul, and mind into studying the Scriptures in order to preach a Biblical sermon weekly. He works hard to guide the members of our congregation in a direction that the Lord is leading. In Artesia, he was very active in the community and attended many of the school and community events, besides visiting folk in their homes. He also wrote a devotional article weekly for the Artesia Daily Press. Now, it is time for break. His cup need refilling. He wants and needs a break from this line of ministry and wants to do something different. So, we decided to leave the pastoral ministry and move to Las Cruces, NM! A little over 28 years ago, the late Rev Maurice Stevens, founder of Missionary World Service and Evangelism (now Go International) told us something very profound.. As we were eating a meal with he and his wife, Beverly, one evening, he said to us, "Never become so content in a job that if the Lord tells you to leave it/move on, you won't be able to do it!" He told us that in reference to his life and call, but it has remained with me to this day, and I think it may have been a word from God for us, even now. It was and is a huge step of faith for us to leave the pastoral ministry, as we still aren't really clear on what the Lord would have us do here. But one thing we are certain of: God has told us to move on. And since He has told us to move on, we believe he will guide us on to the next thing. Now, lest you think that I am a person of great faith and strength, let me be quick to tell you that those words are easier said (or written) than done! My head knows all that for sure, but my heart is a bit further behind. This move has been a real struggle for me. I have been so content, fulfilled, loved, secure and happy in my role as pastor's wife. I have a definate call to full time Christian service. God let me know that back in my teenaged years. BUT, all Christians are to be in "full-time Christian service"! There is no place where we are exempt from serving the Lord. Now I just need to find the "next place" where God wants me to serve Him! And that will be the only place where I will find true contentment, fulfillment, love, security and happiness---in the center of His will!

One thing we DO know for certain, now that we've moved to Las Cruces, is that our children need us here at this time of their lives. Joe is finishing up his college career and will graduate from NM State University in December. Emilee is approaching her Senior year at NMSU, and Ben will be enrolling in College in the fall!!!! This is a rare opportunity that we have to be a source of encouragement to our 3 grown young adult children! Who knows when we will ever again all be located in the same town. We must not take that for granted! We thank the Lord for that blessing. AND that each one actually seems to like the idea that we are here!

So, there you have it. We have moved. Read on for some other details of our first days here. And maybe even some more lessons learned (or working on!)
Thus ends this segment of my "ponderings". . . And by the way. . . I'm still a pastor's wife. . . I'm the bride of the Greatest Pastor and Teacher of all time. . . Jesus Christ!

Homemade Applebutter

2009-11-01T14:14:00.006-07:00

As I was growing up, I looked forward to apple butter making time every fall! The ladies in my home church made apple butter outdoors at the local Browningsville hall parking lot, in 4 or 5 huge copper kettles, over an open fire. Other little churches in the farming community where I grew up also made apple butter! It was community tradition! But the applebutter from Bethesda United Methodist Church was well known for miles around. Jars of their apple butter has been shared with family and friends all over the states, and even in other countries! My Aunt Ruth Beall taught school in San Jose Costa Rica, and my sister and brother-in-law were missionaries in Honduras. They received some at Christmas!

The evening before apple butter day, we all would meet at the “hall” and pair apples for the next day. It was a fun time for our church family. All the kids came with their parents. Our job was to either hand apples to the men who were putting the apples on the parers, or keep the ladies supplied with the pared apples, so they could core and quarter them. We anxiously awaited the times when someone would give us one of the crisp, tart apples to snack on --- or sneak one for ourselves!

Early in the morning, the next day (about 6:00 or 7:00), the men would build the fires and the ladies would put the apples on to cook. They stirred the apple butter with big wooden paddles. The men kept the fires going and took turns with the ladies, stirring the bubbling brew.

(A funny thing happened one year during applebutter makin'! Our church was growing and we were getting "newer" members---city folk that worked in/near Washington and Baltimore (prounounce "Baltmer" in my part of the country!) and who wanted to 'live in the country" OR who traveled through the country to get to the interstate! Some of those folks drove by the hall on their way to work and saw the ladies outside with scarves on their heads, aprons and long coats. They saw the kettles over the fire and the men and women stirring the kettles with big long wooden paddles. What a strange sight, so early in the morning! Some wondered if it was witches stirring their brew!!!! For sure, they were "new to town" and knew nothing of a "good ol' homemade applebutter makin' "! )

After the apples had “cooked down“, they added the sugar and spices. That usually happened after lunch. . .

It was so hard for us kids to go to school that day, knowing what was happening at the hall. My cousin Sandra, my brother, Dwayne, and I couldn’t wait for the last bell to ring at 2:30 so we could get on the bus and head for the hall. About the time we would get there, the ladies would be ready to dip up the bubbling, spicy applebutter into quart jars and seal it. We would get there just in time to “sop” up the leftovers in the kettles with bread! Mmmm! Good!! Folks who wanted some apple butter would bring their jars and they would be filled. I don’t remember how much they paid per jar, but they always sold out. They always held some back to use at mealtimes at the annual Damascus Camp Meeting held each August. The recipe was passed down from generation to generation. The original recipe made 40 gallons!! My Aunt Bernadine Beall wrote the recipe down and then “pared” it down to make 4 gallon. She gave me a copy of the original and her 4 gallon recipe. With my mom’s help (Catherine Watkins), we halved it several more times to make 1 gallon! Over the years we have adjusted the spices until it is just right! It is still my favorite and has become a favorite for my children as well. We ration it out when we get down to a couple of jars left! Several years ago my home church stopped making applebutter. The price of sugar became too high, and the “original” ladies were getting older and none of the newer younger ladies wanted to carry on the tradition. So, for a while, only small groups of relatives would make it. The last time I remember “makin’ applebutter” was “up at Ann and Alfreds”, Sandra’s parents’ home. I think it was Ann and Alfred, Randall and Sandra, Aunt Mary and Uncle Milton, and possibly Doris and Alton.
Now, most of the ladies who knew how to make applebutter have passed away. It has becoming a “lost art”! But when the weather starts to get cooler and the leaves begin to turn colors and fall from the trees, my thoughts turn to Browningsville, MD and applebutter makin!! I can still close my eyes and remember the sights and SMELLS of that annual tradition!
I like to carry on that tradition as well! There is nothing better than homemade rolls with applebutter!

Old Fashioned Applebutter
(Beverly Duerksen)
(adjusted from the original recipe used at
Bethesda United Methodist Church in Browningsville MD)

Apples - enough to make 1 gallon sauce
Core and pare apples. Cook down to sauce.
Place sauce in roaster, in 350 oven.
Add ½ cup sugar per cup of sauce (8 cups/1 gallon sauce), reserving 2 cups to add later mixed with the spices.
Cook for a while until bubbly (I start in morning and cook till after lunch)
Mix the reserved 2 cups of sugar with:
2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
Add sugar/spices to boiling sweetened sauce and cook until thickened.
(Time depends on how juicy the sauce was)
Dip up into sterilized jars and seal. It’s safe to let them seal on their own since the apple butter is boiling hot, but I usually put jars in pressure canner just to insure tight seal, though it’s not necessary. Yield 7 ½ - 8 pints.

Quick Recipe
(For those who don’t have access to fresh apples --- or are too lazy to prepare the apples! Ha!)
Open a gallon can of prepared sweetened applesauce and put in large crock pot. Add 2 cups sugar mixed with spices (above) and cook all day or all night and day. Spoon into jars! Seal!

A Ride of Faith

2009-07-03T13:09:00.009-06:00

Two weeks ago, Paul and I went to see our oldest son, Ben. Since he had a couple days off from work, we asked him what he would like to do while we were there. He said that since we never took him to an amusement park when he was little,he would like to go to Cliff's Amusement Park! And. . . if we went, we would have to ride the rides with him! Not realizing that we had deprived him of a childhood dream, we thought we better indulge him and go. But, after we said "sure, let's go", we thought more about what we'd agreed to do! We started getting cold feet, and wanted to back out. "Were the rides as wild as they say they are?" "Will our bodies (not to mention our hearts!)be strong enough to take the trauma?" "We're in our 50's! We're too old to do this!" Fear and trepidation began to set in! But, any of you out there who have ever had kids, know that once you commit, you better be ready to follow through! So. . . off we went to Cliffs - 2 very nervous, gray-haired 50=somethings and one very strong and muscular 25 year old, who had been through Army boot camp and a tour in Iraq! To him this was a piece of cake! He smiled as he watched his ol' mom and dad walk to the ticket gate, knowing what was in store for us that day! The first ride, at first looked harmless enough -- that is, until we got a closer look. It was a circular contraption with seats attach firmly (hopefully!) around the perimeter. When the wheel began to move, the seats went around and around with it. "Oh, this won't be too bad, right? It's like a ferris wheel. We can do this! So, we got on and the young attendant lowered a iron vest over our shoulders and lap. "Oh no, this isn't good," I thot! It was then we realized that at the top we would be UPSIDE DOWN, and this was to prevent us from falling out! Well, it was too late to back out now, so off we went, around and around, faster and faster! All I could do was close my eyes and pray. Paul nearly lost his glasses, and when we thot that we couldn't hang on much longer, we slowed down and came to a stop! Mercifully, we found our legs and were able to walk away from it all. But it was only to be confronted with the next ride - "The Rattler". We heard screaming and saw kids flying past us on a roller coaster fit only for the young and restless! Paul said, "I'm taking my glasses off for this one." I sat on my hat. Ben just laughed! After we were barred in, a young lady started the ride. Now, I'm sure the view from up that high must have been spectacular, but we were moving so fast and jerking so violently, whipping this way and that, no person in their right mind would have appreciated it, much less have seen it! Besides, I had my eyes closed the whole time (praying out loud, of course) I looked over at Paul and he had his eyes closed too. He told me to be quiet. "Don't talk any more. I need to concentrate!" After what seemed like an eternity we rounded the last sharp turn and flew down the incline and the coaster slowed down. We couldn't wait to get off! Ben and I got out and we stood there waiting for Paul. He was still in his seat. His lap bar was stuck and he couldn't get out. We thought he would have to ride the course again, but the attendant came to his rescue and released him. After having endured those first two rides, we felt we could handle anything. Little did we know which ride Ben had in mind next---"The Cliff Hanger". Paul quickly bowed out and so as not to break our promise to Ben, I bravely said I would go with him. We buckled ourselved into our seats---bars across our shoulders and lap. The attendant went around 3 times and checked to make sure we were were fastened securely in our seats, and then the ride began. Slowly we were transported straight up this tall pole-like structure, until we were at least 10 stories high! Of course, my eyes were tightly closed the whole vertical trip! I wanted to get off, but it was too late. Up and up we went. I received no comfort from my oldest son. He said, "I don't like heights. Oh this is bad." When I am sure we were up in the midst of the clouds we stopped. Here it comes, said Ben. Before I could even catch my breath, we plunged down to the ground at lightning speed. My heart was in my throat, my hair stood on end, and my sitter was NOT in the seat! As I saw my life flash before me, I prepared to meet my Maker! And then we stopped, inches from the ground. I opened my eyes, and caught my breath! I'm alive, I thought! It's a miracle! If I hadn't been so grateful to be alive I would have wondered what all those young people around us were thinking when they saw a pale 52 year old woman staggering off the Cliff Hanger. I now knew why we had NEVER taken our kids to amusement parks when they were younger!
I won't bore you with any of the other rides we went on. Suffice it to say that they too were hair-raising---at least for middle aged folks who are only used to the thrill and excitement of fishing at Clayton Lake State Park! After about 2 hours at the park Ben informed us that he had had enough. I'm sure he was thoroughly embarrassed to be at an amusement park, accompanied by his parents, who were aging more and more by the minute! But as I reflect on our adventures at Cliffs I am reminded of the importance of FAITH in our lives. It took a LOT of faith for Paul and I to ride those wild rides at the amusement park. We had to have faith in the machinery that operated the rides. We had to trust that they would run safely and properly, stay on their tracks and stop when they needed to stop. Sure, we were apprehensive and even afraid, but in the back of our minds, we knew they must be safe, or else they wouldn't allow people to ride them. It's the same with faith, and our ride through life with Jesus Christ. Sometimes the ride can be scary. We encounter twists and turns in our life, and we can't see where we are going. We feel like we are falling, but in the back of our minds, we know who is in control! We know that Jesus is there and he won't let us fall. He will guard and protect us at every twist and turn. He walks beside us in the journey of life. When things get rough, he carries us. We can and we should trust him. If we are trusting enough to risk life and limb at the hand of man-made machinery at an amusement park, how much more should we trust a Savior who loved us enough to die on the cross to save us from eternal death?

The Family of Christ

2009-06-23T16:19:00.004-06:00

Que maravilla es tener una familia (How wonderful to have a family)
Una familia en Cristo Jesus (A family in Jesus Christ!)
Que maravilla es tener una familia (How wonderful to have a family)
Una familia en Cristo Jesus (A family in Jesus Christ!)
Una familia unida (A united family)
Una familia real (A real, genuine family)
Una familia que ama (A family that loves)
Una familia celestial (A heavenly family)

Vol 5 Beautiful Honduras

2009-06-22T10:39:00.000-06:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Vol 4 Building Relationships

2009-06-22T10:38:00.000-06:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Vol 3 Activities and Sightseeing

2009-06-22T10:16:00.001-06:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Vol 2 The Work Team at Work

2009-06-21T16:45:00.002-06:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Vol 1 Tour of El Sembrador

2009-06-20T16:21:00.002-06:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Honduras Mission Trip Overview

2009-06-19T17:55:00.002-06:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Journey Home (Saturday)

2009-06-18T08:52:00.005-06:00

Breakfast was at 8:00. At 9:15 we loaded our luggage into the mission van and headed to the airport. Check-in went smoothly and after saying our goodbyes we headed to our gate to await our flight. It seemed like just yesterday that we were arriving in Honduras! We are already talking of another trip next summer---but next time we need to stay 2 weeks! One week is just too short!
Our flight left on time and we arrived in Houston at 4 central time. We had a long layover so some of the group wanted to eat at Poppadeaux. I wasn't really hungry enough for a big and expensive meal (and I wasn't too fond of eating at a place with a bar), so Ted, Travis, Patty, Jeff and I headed off to find a more suitable place to eat. Travis wanted a hamburger, so we chose Ruby's. I had a good visit and "debriefing" with Ted. I am so glad he and Travis came! Everyone had a great time. Ted and Travis' flight was to leave at 7:20 from Terminal C, so at 6 we headed to their gate. We said our goodbyes then headed off to find our gate in terminal B . Jeff and Kate had already headed that way and Patty and I met up with them on the Tram. Since we still had plenty of time til our 9:15 flight we decided to stay on the tram and right the full circuit before getting off at Terminal B! Was fun! Our flight took off on time for Midland and we arrived around 10:30. Cooper and Scott went to get the church van and Cooper's van, and the rest of us collected our baggage. All present and accounted for we loaded in the vans and headed back to Artesia, arriving at the church at 1:30 a.m.!
A full and rewarding week!
Thanks Lord for EVERYTHING you taught us. Give us many opportunities to share with others what we experienced on this mission trip! Help them to catch our excitement over what You are doing at Escuela El Sembrador--Donald Hawk! And help us to be ready to GO again, as You provide the way!

Our Last Day in Honduras

2009-06-18T08:51:00.007-06:00

Friday was bittersweet---our last full day in Honduras. We were joyous for the privilege of serving, but sad that it was all coming to an end!

After breakfast we stripped the sheets off of our beds and took them and our towels to the laundry room. We packed our bags, and boarded the big yellow bus one last time for our journey to Tegucigalpa. Little did we know that our adventure was NOT over! About 20 minutes outside Juticalpa (about 45 min. from Catacamas), the emergency warning light came on and started buzzing. Travis stopped the bus and openned the hood. The was over heating and we could hear the water bubbling and boiling! The fan belt looked okay but the fan was not turning. There are lots of mountains so it puts a real strain on vehicles! Travis took us back to Juticalpa. He arranged for 2 men to come from the farm and pick up the bus and take it back to repair it. We stayed in Juticalpa, ate lunch at Chester's and then at 12:30 boarded a city bus for Tegucigalpa---the fanciest bus I had ever seen---a Mercedes Benz! There were curtains at the window. You couldn't even see where you were going, with the curtains closed. You would've thought you were in an airplane. There was a stewardess! She came around with cups of water for us (we didn't partake, because the water is not safe for "tourists"). Half way she came around again with cokes and sandwiches. I just drank a Sprite! Fancy!!!!! I couldn't help but think of the huge contrast that this trip was compared to me and my dad's journey from the capital to Catacamas, back in 1972! At that time the roads were NOT paved between the two cities. We boarded a city bus in Teguc, early in the morning and rode around the capital for at least an hour picking up passengers! Then we began the SLOW journey to Catacamas, stopping at every town inbetween, with NO bathroom stops. Halfway through the journey, the bus stopped in a town (maybe it was Juticalpa?, I don't remember). Everyone got off the bus, and we asked Ted where they were going. He said they were going to get something to eat. We stayed on the bus, and Ted brought us a coke! After the "rest stop" (but still no bathroom breaks!) we continued our dusty journey to Catacamas! We were sitting up front and the bus driver had the door open for air. The dust was flying everywhere, in and out of the bus. When we finally arrived in Catacamas 14 HOURS later my dad went in the bus station to use the bathroom. When he returned, he said, "Bev, hold it a little longer. Don't use the bathroom here!" I did, cause I thot, "I've held it for this long, surely I can for a little longer! Surely we're almost at the farm!"

And now, here we are riding in luxary to Teguc, in a bus with a bathroom aboard! Times certainly have changed, even though it now takes 4 hours to go 150 miles!

We arrived at the WGM guesthouse around 4. Travis then took us to a big hotel in Teguc, where there were some souvenir shops. The place he had wanted to take us was closed, since we got there so late. We all enjoyed parusing the shops and buying a few things for ourselves and our families. We didn't need any of it, but it was nice to take home a momento of our time in Honduras. The most meaningful sounvenirs we bought though , were those we got at El Sembrador---the beautifully carved wooden items (pictures, napkin holders, cutting boards) that the boys made.

After a time of shopping Travis and Lori took us to a very fancy restaurant! Golden table clothes and napkins. I got the best fish fillet I had ever had----and I'm not even a fish eater! Topped with lots of garlic, herbs and butter. To top of that huge meal they took us to Baskin Robbins for icecream! Not typical Honduran, but a fun "American" way to end an adventurous day! At the guesthouse we gathered for our final group devotional time together. We invited Travis and Lori (and Verle) to join us. We shared some reflections on our time in Honduras, and also gave Travis and Lori another opportunity to share with us and answer questions. We closed with a prayer time and then most of us turned if for the night. Some of the younger ones stayed up and visited. Scott slept on a hammock for the night!

I give God thanks and praise for our time at El Sembrador! What a wonderful group of people I had the privilege of working with! We labored with our hands, formed relationships, learned a little Spanish, bonded as brothers and sisters, saw God at work, and were blessed beyond measure! All of us felt that God had given US so much more than we were able to give in return. I guess that's how it is in life with Christ. Our hearts have been "strangely warmed" by all the love and joy that we experienced at El Sembrador. Truely, seeds are being sown daily at Escuela El Sembrador, and it was a privelege to go and see first hand how God is using willing servants (Hondurans and missionaries) to prepare young men for ministry, jobs, and families---and to be a small part of helping the Sower sow seeds for the eternal Kingdom.

Workday #4 (Thursday) and Sightseeing

2009-06-17T21:40:00.021-06:00

Ted, Travis, Patty, and I had a treat on Thursday morning after breakfast. Ted's brother Tom had flown in from El Salvador to work with the farmers from the states. He gave us a tour of the farm from the air in his little plane! Wow! What a beautiful sight to see it all from the air!

The de-tiling project was complete!!!! Scott and Katelyn celebrated by sliding down the rails used for sliding the tiles off the roof!

We started a new job on Thursday morning. We removed all the screen and window frames from the windows on the boys dorm. The Lord was really looking after us this morning, especially Peyton. Cooper, Peyton and Rhiny were taking the metal grates of the some end windows. Peyton was using a grinder and the blade broke or came loose and it cut his arm. Fortunately it wasn't too deep---only a superficial wound. Cooper and Linda went with him over to the clinic and the doctor was IN. That in itself was a miracle because she owns a pharmacy in Catacamas and she is usually there! She cleaned him up and put one stitch in his arm, then bandaged it and wrapped it in an ace wrap to protect it. He came back to work. It could have been very bad, but we thank the Lord for his protection!

Linda and Kate painted the metal railings in the raftors.

After the windows were complete Cooper, Scott and Jeff got up in the rafters and began kicking down the hallway ceiling. We moved the boards to saw horses and began hammering the nails out of them. They don't waste anything! They reuse the boards for more remodeling. (They were going to sell the tiles cheaply to those who needed them. We found out that the housekeeper at the conference center, Juni, was is bad need of a roof on her house. She wanted some of the tiles, so they worked out a deal with her where they took the cost of the tiles out of her pay each week. She was SO HAPPY that she would finally have a good roof on her house!)

Looking back over the week, we were able to accomplish a lot! We removed approximately 12,000 tiles from the other 1/2 of the boys dorm that they are remodeling, we disassembled bunk beds, cleaned out rooms of miscellaneous trash and items, removed screens and window, and demolished the ceiling in the dorm. The younger guys were so fulfilled---it had been their life long dream to be on a demolition crew and DESTROY something! What an adrenaline rush it was for them to KICK down the ceiling boards!

Since our "work" was complete (at least to a stopping point and waiting for the next work team set to arrive on June 20!)), Travis and Lori wanted us to see some of the beauty of Honduras and experience some of it's rich culture. After lunch, we boarded the big yellow bus again and went to Catacamas to see "Las Cuevas de Talagua" (The Caves of the Talagua - the river that runs through the state of Olancho, where the farm is) They were very interesting, though not as big or deep down as Carlsbad Caverns. The unique thing about them was that there was RUSHING water swirling around the trail as we entered! There were "live" stalagmites and stalatites. Little Travis didn't think he'd seen enough of the cave so on our way out he darted up an incline to a "prohibited" area of the cave. As soon as he fled, Verle ran off too, closely followed by "Big" Travis and Johnathan (all in the guise of "rescuing" Travis and Verle! ) After about 20 minutes of "exploring" the deep secrets of Las Cuevas de Talagua (and the remaining group trying to explain to our tour guide in broken Spanish, why 4 guys - one of whom is our leader ---went into a prohibited area of the cave!) they returned unharmed and jovial! This "fearful" leader was relieved, to say the least, that she did not have to pay a fine or produce bail for 4 jailed Americanos! Head hanging low, I couldn't exit the cave quick enough. As soon as we got back down to the entrance gate I saw Patty and an armed soldier! I thot sure we were done for, until she smiled and asked me to take a picture of her with the soldier! I did and we quickly boarded the bus. It had been raining so we were wet---but what else is new in Honduras where the humidity is 200%! Instead of going back to El Sembrador to dry off, we opted to go see a huge cross atop a mountain, within Catacamas. It had 575 steps leading to the top, so some of us climbed up! It gave a beautiful view of Catacamas! I'm wondering if, at Easter, the Catholics reenact Jesus' journey to the cross by climbing up those steps!

(By the way, I "paid" for that climb 2 and 3 days later when my calves were so sore I could barely walk! Ugh!)

For supper, Travis and Lori, Anna and Allison, treated us to a typical Honduran meal at El

I got the beefsteak (very good) and others got chicken, or fish (head, eyes, tail fin too!) Along with the meat was beans (red, not black as I had remembered in my previous trip in the 70's!), fried platanos, french fries, and salad. I enjoyed a Fresca for my drink!

We got back to the farm around 6 or 6:30. The younger boys (under 16) played fast soccor again---part of the competitions for the Day of the School. Once again we rooted for our teams ----mine was Red. They didn't do so well this time ---losing to the green team by a score of 6 - 2 (?). The M&M's didn't seem to have the same effect this time! Must have been because I gave them out to anyone who wanted them!

A great ending to a full day!!!!

The Tile Count

2009-06-17T21:36:00.008-06:00

When we finished removing and stacking all those tiles, Donna, Patty and I counted our tiles and rows to get an estimate of how many tiles were removed and stacked! We told Verle and he said that he needed an accurate written accounting of it! Ha! So. . . I thought it would be fun to give him one at supper on Wednesday evening! Here is our account!

North Side 5400 tiles - stacked in flower formation around yon tree

South Side 150 tiles/row x 32 rows = 4600 tiles - stacked in 32 neat rows - alternating narrow up/narrow down

TOTAL S 5400 + 4600 = 10,000 tiles removed and stacked + 2,000 breakage =

GRAND TOTAL 12,000 tiles

We, the undersigned declare that the above information is the truth - the whole truth and nothing but the truth. If for some reason we are found guilty of false reporting, chalk it up to the extreme heat and humidity and the trauma caused to us by our boss when he went into a primal rage at the sight of a possum.

Signed by each member of the team according to their job

REMOVERS

Cooper Henderson

Katelyn Harris

Peyton Yates

Linda Yates

Scott Gray

Seth Menefee

Johnathan Johnson

Jeff Heidenreich

Rhiny Williams

STACKERS

Donna Williams

Patty Heidenreich

Beverly Duerksen

Workday # 3 (Wednesday)

2009-06-17T20:07:00.006-06:00

Breakfast was pancakes and sausage! Mmmmm! Good! Back to work on the roof. We knew we could finish it! Travis and Seth were feeling a little puny, so they took it a little easier in the morning. After lunch there was an award's program for the boys. Linda, Peyton, Seth and Johnathan went to it. Cooper, Rhiny, Scott, Kate, Donna, Patty, Jeff, and I kept plugging away at the roof tiles! We finally finished in the afternoon!

We went and got cleaned up and then some of the group walked down to the soccor field to watch the boys and the school employees play soccor.

There was church that evening. The ladies went, but the men stayed behind and had there own devotional on the porch of the conference building. They broke up into small groups so we ladies went to the same class we went to on Sunday. The lesson was a continuation of what we had in Sunday School. We had been singing a song"Que maravilla es tener una familia. . ." and the teacher asked if anyone could sing it alone. No one responded so she asked us all to sing it together, without looking at the words. We began, and then the Honduran girls couldn't remember the words, so we Americanas finished it! Everyone laughed because we knew the song and they didn't. At the end of the class we all got to pick out a pretty picture that had a Bible verse on it. We are glad we went to show support and friendship to the girls. It was a good class.

After church the boys watched the soccor game between Honduras and El Salvador. Scott and the other boys walked down to the big screen on the school patio to see it. The rest of us sat on the porch and visited. Travis and Lori came by and visited with us and we made plans for the next day when we would visit some caves in the afternoon.

Work Day #2 (Tuesday)

2009-06-17T08:42:00.011-06:00

Up at 5:30 and off to the kitchen at 6:00 for KP duty!!!! At about 7:40 all but Donna and I headed back down to the boys dorm to resume our tile removal and stacking! Donna and I stayed behind in the kitchen and made 162 chocolate and plain cupcakes for a birthday party for the boys tonight! Others will decorate them this afternoon! When we finished baking (hot work!) we went to continue helping with the stacking of tiles! Our flower was beginning to look pretty good! The work went faster because the men now had wheelbarrows! Soon after lunch we finished that side of the roof!!!!!!!! We realized there was ANOTHER side so we moved around there to begin! There was a overhanging bodega or patio on the other side that was about to fall down, so Verle (whom I had been calling Berle all week!) kicked it down. As soon as the wood hit the ground out ran a small possum. Katelyn said, "Aw, a possum!" Scott said "I never heard the word 'Aw' and 'possum' in the same sentence!" Immediately, Verle turned into a primal madman and went after it with a 2X4! Johnathan soon followed and they beat the life out of the poor creature. It never knew what hit him! Donna said, "Oh don't kill him!" It was too late!

This time instead of stacking the tiles around a tree we began stacking them by a brick wall. They got about 1/4 of the roof done by the time the 4:40 bell rang!

Linda, Kate, and Donna stopped early to go get cleaned up and ice the cupcakes for the party after supper.

After another delicious supper of arroz con pollo, some of the men took down the tables and set up chairs for the party. They met in our dining hall of the conference center. They were celebrating the boys with birthdays over the last 3 months I believe. They started by singing several praise songs, one of which we knew (in English), "Trading my Sorrows!" Then they had a couple of games. In the first game, about 20 boys paired off and they put a balloon between their chests and they were to pop it on the count of "Uno, Dos, Tres". For the second game the boys paired off again and a word was taped on each boys' back. They had their hands tied behind their backs also. There were to try to look at the word on their partners back and read what it said. They had fun and concluded the evening with cupcakes and coke, and a goodie bag of candy and treats for the birthday boys.

It was another great day!

Our Work Begins!

2009-06-16T16:35:00.009-06:00

We awoke on Monday ready to get to work! Patty asked me at breakfast if I felt an earth tremor last night. It took me a while to fall asleep, but I guess I slept soundly because I felt nothing. Travis said there was a tremor about 11:15 or 11:30!

Another group of 5 farmer business men arrived last night. They were to work and help with the operation of the farm. They were from different churches in the states. A couple of them knew each other. They worked with Moises, the Honduran in charge of the farm. They shared meals with us, and were very friendly! (Tom, Don, Jim, Jerry, ? and Jim's grandaughter, Carissa)

We had French toast, bacon, fruit (watermelon, grapes, and mangos), and cereal for breakfast. Mmmm good! After our devotional Donna and I did a little laundry. We met Travis in front of the conference center at 8:00, for a very informative walking tour of the farm. We learned a lot about this 2000 acre farm that is home to about 83 boys and 17 Bible Institute students! So much info---hope we can remember it all! We toured the vocational school (woodcarving, furniture making, welding, industrial mechanics, and agriculture, etc.) As we were going in the boys dorm to look around we heard a loud noise---sounded like a gun shot. It was! They had killed a water buffalo! Soon we saw the front end loader coming up the road with water buffalo in tow! They were heading to the slaughter house to cut him up for meat for the boys in the days ahead!

Then we got on the yellow school bus and Travis showed us the jungle and fields surrounding the farm---a herd of water buffalo and a group of howler monkeys, high up in the trees of the jungle. They even grunted for us---a big sound for the size of monkey. Sounded like a gorilla! Travis also showed us a cocoa bean pod. I had no idea that's what it looked like. It was a large yellow oval shaped pod, a little bigger than one of the footballs the cheerleaders throw into the crowds at a fb game. Travis cut it open with a pocket knife and let us "taste" the cocoa seeds inside. They had fruity flesh, similar to a pomegranate, around the large seed, about the size of the end of your little finger. The cocoa part inside the seed is bitter (so he says) and looks like a raisin. I thot a cocoa bean was similar to coffee beans!

After lunch we went to work. We worked on 1/2 of the boys dorm that they are remodeling. Half is nearly done, and boys are living there. We began by emptying the rooms on the other half, of all the bunk beds and misc furniture items. We took apart the beds, and arranged all the stuff in one room on the remodeled side. They are going to put triple decker beds in the "new" rooms, along with a metal locker for the boys' belongings, and a desk.

After we emptied the rooms we moved outside to begin removing tiles from the roof. Katelyn and Linda were first on the roof (because they were the smallest). They cleared some of the tiles, and slid them down 2 metal poles. The men caught them and brought them to Donna, Patty and I, and we stacked them around a big tree. Soon, Scott and Johnathan got up on the roof too, and they passed the tiles to one another and Katelyn slid them down the poles, until they cleared one section from top to bottom. Cooper, Peyton, Seth, Rhiny and Jeff, carried stacks of about 6 tiles to us and we continued stacking them around the tree. They got 1/4 of the roof de-tiled on Monday.

At 4:30 we stopped and showered before supper at 5:30. After supper the boys played fast soccor. We all wore our team shirts (red, yellow, green or blue) and rooted for our team. I rooted for the red team. We were at a disadvantage, because we played yellow, and Lori was the captain for the Y team and she gathered them together prior to the game and they had pray. My team was captain-less. There was no one to encourage them. They were behind at the beginning of the game, so I went to my room and got some M&M's that I brot with me and I gave them to all the red players as encouragement! Must have worked, cause they WON!!!!!!!

After the game we went over to Travis and Lori's house for banana splits and a sharing time.

A good day of learning and work!

Sunday at El Sembrador

2009-06-16T13:31:00.001-06:00

The days begin early at El Sembrador. Each morning the bell rings at 5:40, and the boys get up and get ready for breakfast at 6:00. But on Sundays they can sleep a little longer. On Sundays breakfast was at 7 . . . and for US it was at 7:30. (Every other day our breakfast was served at 6:30!) The men took care of cleaning up after supper on Saturday night, so us ladies decided to give them the day off and do the prep and cleanup. Monday started our schedule of KP duty for every team member! The cook for our team was a sweet young lady named Andy (pronounced Aundy). Lori had taught her American recipes, and she did a GREAT job keeping our bellies full of delicious food!

At 9:30 we went to the chapel for singing time. Then they divided up into classes for Sunday school. Patty, Katelyn and I went to the girl's class. They were mostly Bible School students. It was taught by David and Raquel---he teaches in the Bible Institute and also is in charge of it. It was a good class on the family ---Genesis 2:24,25. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother an be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Three points to his lesson - illustration of a stool. It can't stand on 1 or 2 legs---needs a third for support. A man is the head of the family---he must LEAVE his mother and father and CLEAVE to his wife and be UNIFIED physically and spirituall.

Worship in the chapel followed Sunday School. Though we didn't know the language we sensed God's presence very clearly. We felt a common bond, because we are Christians. My Spanish is weak, but it came back to me a little bit so I was able to pick of some words and phrases and ideas of the sermon. It was a joyous time of worship.

We had lunch with the boys in their dining hall. Each boy is responsible for his own bowl or plate and spoon and cup. He brings them to each meal and then takes them out to the faucet and cleans them. We packed up plates and cups and forks for us to use at the meal with the boys. We spread out and sat with them at their tables, and enjoyed a delicious meal of fried chicken, slaw, and tortillas! Linda and I sat at a table with 6 other boys, two were named Darwin and Santiago. Those two were good natured about our broken Spanish and we enjoyed talking with them. One funny incident occured when I asked Darwin what foods he liked to eat and if they helped out in the kitchen. I told them some of the foods we liked to eat, one of which is asado, made from pork. I couldn't remember the word for pork, so I said "Como se dice ___(and I snorted like a pig)___". They burst into laughter and said "cerdo" - pig. I"m sure they thought I was "una Senora muy loca"!

After lunch Travis, Cooper, Seth, Jeff, Jonathan and Scott took the footballs we brought and went out to the soccor field to play football with the boys. They threw the ball around for a while and then taught them some of the basics of American football. They played touch football for a while. The boys caught on quickly and gave "our football guys" and the coach a "run for their money". No score was kept, but I think the Hondurans won!!!!! They all had a good time

Supper was pizza, salad, and cookies, at 4:45---early due to evening church. We had a rousing singing time. Our group even got up and sang "I've Got the Joy Down in my Heart"---3 verses in English and the last time in Spanish!!! I even introduced us in Spanish!

After church the boys played volleyball. Seth, Jeff, Johnathan, and Kate joined in. At 8:30 the bell rang for the boys to go to their dorm and get ready for bed. We met as a team for sharing/devotional time. It was a great day, though we all felt like we were receiving much more than we were able to give. The language barrier was difficult. We were anxious to start to work with our hands on Monday!

Our Adventure Begins (6/6/09)

2009-06-16T07:14:00.001-06:00

The day finally arrived! Twelve brave souls from First United Methodist Church in Artesia NM set out on an adventure that would change us forever! Our flight was to leave Midland at 10 a.m. We all got very little sleep the night before, since we had to leave at 4 a.m. for the airport. Excitement was in the air! Rhiny and Donna went to Midland on Friday night to spend the night, but the rest of us eagerly came to the church bright and early to set off on our journey. Cooper, Peyton, Linda, Scott, Seth, Jonathan, Katelyn, Patty, Jeff and I were ready to go! Scott picked me and Patty and Jeff up in the church van on the way to the church. Cooper drove his van, so he could carry some of our luggage. Teri Menefee, Randy and Teresa Harris, Gay Craemer and Josh Heidenreich came to see us off! After a prayer for help and protection we were off! I drove the church van on the first "leg" of the journey. In Andrews, Scott took over. We arrived at the airport at 8:30. Check-in when smoothly and after paying for one extra bag (the 38 deflated footballs!), we headed to Gate 2. Going through security, Rhiny, Peyton and Scott got stopped! Hmmm. . . our 2 "seasoned travelers" and our youth minister! We were gonna have to watch out for them! Rhiny and Peyton had an "excuse" --- metal body parts! But Scott? They wanted to check his bulging pockets - - which were empty of course! I guess he looked a little shady with his "whiskers"!
Since we had some time before our departure, some of the group got something to drink at an airport restaurant. Our flight was on time so we boarded at 9:40 and took off at 10! The stewardess served us drinks and pretzels during the short flight. We arrived in Houston at 11:15. We landed at terminal B and tranfered to the international flight terminal E. Since we had a little bit of time, some of the team wanted to get a bite to eat. I went on to the gate to meet up with Ted and "little" Travis. It was good to see them and introduce them to our team. Boarded the plane at 12:30 for a 1 o'clock take-off. We arrived in Tegucigalpa at 2:45 ---2 hour 45 minute flight. Honduras doesn't switch over to DST, so they are the same as Mountain Time. Everything went smoothly through customs. Some of the airport attendants were wearing masks --- still worried about swine flu, I guess! We had to stand on a big "X" and it registered our temperature and maybe even took our picture. We also had to sign a paper verifying that we didn't have a cough, fever, or aches/chills. Later we learned that Honduras had 100 cases of the H1N1 virus. None of us coughed, so they let us through! haha!
Travis was there to pick us up. After getting our luggage, we went outside to get in the big old yellow BlueBird bus. It was raining very hard, so all of us were soaked by the time we got to the bus. Very hot and humid here! We left the airport around 3:30. Though it is only 150 miles to El Sembrador, it took us about 4 hours to get there. We saw many new sights. The road was paved but very bumpy and there are MANY speed bumps in the Teguc, and other smaller towns. Several armed check points as well. Travis is an expert driver! It seemed that there were no rules on driving. If you see a break in traffic, you go for it. Ted said that in Honduras you drive offensively, not defensively! Horns blaring, cars and trucks passing on curves, hills, and off we go to the farm, arriving around 8 or 8:30. I didn't even look at my watch. Lori assigned us to our rooms and then we met in the dining room and ate a delicious spaghetti supper. Our team was hoping for "typical" food. I think they were surprised at how good (and American) everything seemed! One of my jobs as leader was to assign kitchen and laundry duties, so I did that. Donna, Patty and I took care of daily laundry throughout the week. What a nice surprise to know that we could wash our dirty work clothes daily, and not have a mountain of smelly clothes to take home! After supper, Lori gave us some orientation as to our week's schedule. Some of the "Senior" boys gave their testimony and told us about their trip coming up at the end of the year and the "fundraisers" they have for that. If we buy coke, water or candy bars in our little private kitchen area outside my room, we write it down on the paper on the refrig. The money goes towards the trip. Also, we each bought an El Sembrador soccor shirt (red, yellow, green, or blue) for each of the teams that compete in the Day of the School sporting events. Each team would play "fast soccor" in the coming week and we each chose a team to root for! I chose RED. After a short time of devotion we gladly turned in for the evening! I had a hard time falling asleep----too many things swirling around in my head. Many new sights, sounds and smells! Thanks Lord for bringing us here! Little did we know then of the adventures awaiting us!

A Dream. . .

2009-06-16T06:44:00.000-06:00

The dream began in July of 2007, when Travis, Lori, Anna and Allison Hawk visited our church on their way back to El Sembrador, Honduras. About 10 church members gathered at our home to hear the story of how God called Don Hawk to the jungles of Honduras to begin a school for underprivileged boys of Honduras. . . and how over the years, generations of the Hawk family have served the Lord there. Don and Twana, along with their 6 children (4 of whom were born in Honduras), were keenly aware of God's voice and obeyed His call to leave all behind and GO to an unknown land to win souls for Christ. Two generations later, the call is still real and Don's grandson, Travis is carrying on the work begun in 1948.
After visiting with Travis (my nephew!) and his wife Lori, our church became excited about what God is doing in Honduras. We wanted to support a missionary family that we could maintain personal contact with and stay informed about what God was doing in their lives and their station of ministry. Travis invited us to consider coming down to Honduras on a work team. He shared the dream of the boys to learn about American football. Since Cooper is chairman of the Outreach committee --- AND head football coach at AHS! --- his interest was kindled! Travis told of the need for work teams to come and help with construction and remodeling projects.
After Travis and Lori left, we "polled" the congregation to determine if there was interest in going to Honduras on a work team. About 20 people indicated an interest in a project like that! So . . . plans were set in motion to take a team "down to the farm" in the summer of 2009! I was asked to "lead" the team and so I began making preparations and gathering information about how we were to proceed. Immediately, my brother-in-law, Ted Hawk (Travis' dad) said he would like to go with us! I was elated! I knew that with God's help, most of all, and with Ted's, I could do this! My/our adventure began, and it is one I will treasure for for the rest of my life!