July 18 & 19, 2011

July 18, 2011 – Monday

Today is the day of Andrew’s & my real test—with Sam & Carlene gone it was up to us to provide leadership at the WH!!! Thankfully, Mark S., Mark G. & Kelley were there to answer our questions & give us their advice!!!

The day started very early & Andrew & I arrived at the WH about 6:45 a.m. Andrew chose Psalm 127:1 as our worship text for today & we listened to “We Are United” by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir as we drove to work. In spite of repeated contacts with organizations that coordinate large groups of volunteers, we only had three volunteers to work sorting donations today!!! Sam called mid-morning to let us know that Carlene would not be able to come & help us today & that she still had not heard a peep about the solution to her trials with Aid Matrix. After a quiet morning, all of a sudden the phone began ringing off the wall, bringing us some orders & donations to process. I’m starting to recognize the voices of some of the people who call us often.

One lady called to tell us that the producers of the TV program, Extreme Makeover, are in town, looking for someone who really needs their help. When Mark S. came into the office, I gave him the information. When he e-mailed her about some of the citizens of the tent city, she responded that she was very interested in checking out the names he gave her. Please join us in prayer that they will choose the right family!!!

Late in the afternoon we got the word that Carlene will be back tomorrow morning. Things went reasonably well today, but I’m exhausted!! In fact I got so sleepy, I just laid down for a moment & the next thing I knew it was almost 9 pm. When I woke up I worked on my blog & now I need to go to bed. The days are long, but VERY rewarding. I’m fighting to keep my eyes open, so I better sign off for tonight!!!

July 19, 2011 – Tuesday

Wow—I can’t believe how fast my time in Missouri is flying by!!! Every day is filled with new joys & challenges & I’m having a BLAST!!! It’s fun to see how God is supplying our needs & helps us moment by moment as we are hanging on for dear life!!! I thrive on working in a team environment where everyone has their role to fulfill…they are empowered to do their job…people help each other without getting caught up in territorial issues…& where everyone connects & works smoothly together like gears in an engine. God REALLY answered Andrew’s & my prayers for the right team this week & we’re praising Him!!!!!!!!!

Carlene came down from Columbia for a while this afternoon, but without resolution of the software issues, she left for a couple of days to help her daughter move. She’ll be back at the WH on Friday. By the way, Andrew & I discussed it & have decided to check out of our rooms at the motel early Friday morning, open up the WH at 6:45 am & work until noon before heading back to Minnesota. It’s going to be hard to leave Joplin because we’ve discovered so many new & very precious friends here!!!

One of my favorite people is Mark S.’ father, Ernie, who stops by the office to check up on the guys & the ACS operation almost every day. I met him my first day working, but forgot his name. When he came the next time, I apologized for forgetting his name & asked him if it would be alright to call him Dad. He said I could, so whenever he comes in that’s how I greet him!!! He’s a character, full of mischief & a fun sense of humor. He’s 84 years young & has turned over most of the business operation to Mark S., Mark G., & Kelley, but he reminds them that he’s “the one who signs their checks.”

Today was Mark G.’s 42nd birthday, so his wife, Gina, brought a yummy cake & asked us to embarrass him with a celebration. Andrew assured her that I could & would comply with her request—he suspects that I had something to do with some getting out volunteers together to sing “Happy Birthday” to him last Friday!!! [I know that all my friends realize I never would be involved with something of that nature!!!!!!!!!!] We crowded most of our volunteers into the office & everyone say to him.

Pastor Dwight Seek from the local SDA Church stopped by the office to talk to the guys. Mark G. [sometimes we call him by his last name, Gooch] had just returned from renewing his drivers’ license at the license bureau & he told us a neat experience her had there. When he got up to the window, the lady working there told him he had to have all of the following documents to renew his license: his birth certificate, a utility bill to verify his name & address & of course his expiring license. He hadn’t expected to need all those documents, & was frustrated, but told the gal he’d have to come back later after he collected all the info she needed. She asked him if he knew anyone by the name of Dwight & he responded by saying, yes, he knew several people with that name. Then she continued, “Dwight Seek?” When he said yes, she asked him if he was connected with the WH. The name of the WH company & his first name was on his shirt, so he pointed to it & said, “yes.” He was astounded when she proceeded to say that he didn’t need to get the extra documents because she had visited the Joplin SDA Church a few weeks ago when Pastor Dwight had told his congregation all about the WH operation and the wonderful guys who facilitate its operation & she trusted him!!! Gooch said it only took him about 20 minutes to renew his license & he was amazed. Pastor Dwight was even more amazed, since he didn’t know the lady & she was visiting from another state!!!

Today we had another dynamite youth group, this time from Kentucky, who came to serve the community of Joplin & were sent to our WH to work. Andrew really connected with some of their leaders & a gal named Rachel who he designated as their “scribe”—filling out the forms describing the contents of each pallet they assembled. Once Andrew showed them what to do, they got down to business & really produced results.

Ron Chapman from the Columbia SDA Church also arrived to help for a few days & “the guys” [Mark, Mark & Kelley] introduced him to Andrew & me as a “forklift operator extraordinaire!!!” Early on in the WH operation he came down to Joplin & helped the team immensely.

The heat down here is suffocating, so we sent the volunteers home at 4 pm. That gave Andrew & I a chance to straighten things up a bit & get all the garbage cans emptied so we’ll be ready for tomorrow. The Kentucky group even cleaned up the break room before they left!!!

Early in the day I totally spazzed up by mixing up an order—sending out some plastic tubs to the wrong agency—but the guys helped me straighten things out & I learned from my mistake. By quitting time, I was feeling much more comfortable in handling the office end of the WH operation & it seems like all our “gears” are meshing together better.

My eyes are getting very droopy, so I’m signing off for tonight. The internet isn’t cooperating tonight & I’m too tired to wrestle with it, so hopefully I’ll be able to post this tomorrow.

Good Night from Joplin/Carthage where we are seeing God’s hand leading & experiencing His abundant blessings in our lives!!!!!!!!!!