We have begun work at Phoenix Christian

After the long trip from the farm in Kansas to Phoenix with a stop in Aurora to see the kids and grandkids, we have begun the project here at Phoenix Christian School.  It is right smack in the middle of Phoenix which is still experiencing some higher than usual temperatures.



We have a great view from our front door.  This is the sign we see every time we go out the front door.

 

We are parked between the track and the street.  Not a tree in sight!

 

Football is over and it is time to begin soccer practice.  They are not sure that they will have enough players to have a soccer team but they are busy practicing anyway. 

 



Coming up on November 19 is an open house to greet prospective students and their parents.  That means that the projects we need to complete post haste are things to spiff up the place.  One of those projects is to put up numerous new signs.  They have procured the lettering and now each one must have holes drilled in them so they can be hung.  The first problem is that the wiring to the drill press is so old and brittle that it breaks when it is bent.  Solution,  rewire the drill press.

 

Since our arrival we have to clean the windows so we can see through them.  Some people go to extreme lengths to make sure the windows are clean.

That same (special) somebody is also cleaning columns in the cafeteria (after her husband painted the trim around the bottom).

Here with us are the McGhees, Tina and Jerry.  Tina is making sure that we can see out of the windows of the cafeteria.

Meanwhile, Jerry is slicking up the slides on the playground.

Emergency!  The sink in the cafeteria started to drip sometime in the morning.  By noon it was filling the catch bucket every 15 minutes.  After deconstructing the whole thing we found holes rusted through the steel stand pipes that feed the sink.

After cutting away all of the steel pipes and remaking them from rigid copper we are finally ready to start putting it back together.

Over the 4 day weekend which included Veterans Day, we decided to take one of the things off of Billie's bucket list, see the big hole in the ground called the Grand Canyon.  There are some pretty big holes along the way there. Here is a scene from a rest stop.

There is also some very beautiful scenery on the way.  We took a side trip through Sedona and drove up the Red Rock Canyon.

I am sure that this used to be much larger but the power of water has reduced it to this monolith.

Some of the formations are breathtaking indeed!

And because the road through the canyon is a lot of this, the driver doesn't get to see much of it.

 

We decided to go to Williams and spend the night then see the canyon on the following day.  When we got to Williams we are not to sure but we think the train was about to be held up. 

 

The town was decorated and ready to start their Polar Express runs and they were all prepared for the children all dressed in their PJs. 

 

Meanwhile, down town, some of the locals are trying to hit on my best girl.

The next day we proceeded to the Grand Canyon and it is grand indeed.  The force of time and the Colorado River are phenomenal. 

Look!  Tourists!

See that little patch of green down there in the middle of the picture?  That is the force which made this big hole.  Boy, I got in a lot of trouble for making a lot smaller messes than this.

On the rim of the canyon there is still the definite evidence of God's handiwork.

If you have a few hours and a lot of stamina, you can take the path in this picture and WALK to the bottom of the canyon.  RIGHT!

There are a few furry creatures there---

---and a few more signs of God's beauty.

And even a mama elk who plays peekaboo.

 

 

 

 

WE GOT OUR HOME BACK!!!!

We finally got our home back.  We have a new frig and nearly everything is working so we are ready to journey which God has given us.  We plan to leave for Aurora this Thursday and spend a few days with the kids and grand kids then on to Phoenix Unified Christian Schools for November and December.  Thank all of you who have prayed for us as we sat here disabled.  We are grateful to God for this opportunity to continue on our Sower Ministry journey.

Here we are on our farm pad.  We have a few things to finish here but are basically ready to go.

 



One of the projects which was accomplished was to overhaul the sprayer tractor.  We removed the head and had the valves ground.  That part is done but the last thing to do is to rebuild the carburetor which we will probably complete today or tomorrow.  We don't look forward to playing in gasoline when the temperature in the barn is under 40 F. 

Another project was to rebuild the carburetor on the 4 wheeler.  That was only part of the reason why it wouldn't run.  Somehow the key on the flywheel had sheared and rotated about 100 degrees.  It was easy to see why it was backfiring.   But, it is up and running again.

The other morning we had a ribbon of fog running down the creek bed like it wanted to get to the river just like the water.

Then Saturday morning we had the pleasure of entertaining Mrs. Deer and fawn.  They came up to the house, grazed a while on the tiger lilies and moved on toward the timber to spend the day in the shade.  It was warm then.

 

Well, that's all for now.  If God wills we will soon be on the road again doing what we love to do.

 

Down on the farm again.

We arrived at the farm on September 20, spent a couple of nights and took our home back to Columbia for a bit more repair.  We hope to be able to get it soon but for now we are in the house.  Of course there are a few things to be done to spruce up the place while we wait.

Here is the sunrise that greeted us the first morning we awoke.  God is STILL in charge.

The walk in door to the garage was rotting at the bottom as well as the framing.  After cutting a couple inches off the bottom and several inches off of the framing, replacing the removed pieces and applying a fresh coat of paint it looks like a new one.

 

The basement door wasn't in as bad a shape but it did need scraping and a fresh coat of paint.

 

Of course, the lawn was 4 to 7 inches tall and needed a clip.  This little piece shown here is less than 1/4 of the overall lawn and we have mowed it twice since getting here.

A highlight of the past couple of weeks was being here at the right time for the Bunck reunion. Mother was a Bunck and they hold a reunion every year, we just usually are on project during October.  The couple seated is mother's brother and his wife.

 

For a short time one morning we had several thousand grackles in the yard.  They were on their way south, like we usually are at this time, to their winter home. 

The turkey vultures are still here for a while but they too will be heading to the Andes for the winter.  We don't want to go that far.  Our next project, if God approves, will be in Phoenix.  God bless you all and don't forget to leave a note.

September at Sunshine Bible Academy

We love being in South Dakota in August and September because it the time when the students return and school swings into action.  Most of the students who have been here before are really excited about returning but the first time, especially the foreign students, are a bit hesitant about the whole "school on the prairie" thing.  But there is always a lot of things to keep us busy as school begins.

Of course there is a lot of grass on the school ground but the new mower really helps with it's suspension ride and a cup holder.

It was decided that there should be a real outlet for the sump pump out behind the kitchen rather than running an extension cord through the kitchen window, especially when it is -40 F outside.

The new faucet for the ladies restroom came in and needed to be installed---

---and that pesky door closer behind the kitchen is going to get fixed this time for sure.

The beginning of school also means the beginning of girls volleyball.  Here we are at the first game to support the Crusaders.

The new event center is a marvelous building but there isn't sufficient room to store the racks of folding chairs and the new risers.  Answer, buy a shipping container, park it out back and run a sidewalk to it.

Of course if one lays out forms the next thing that comes is the 8 yards of concrete---

 

---and it comes---

 

---and it comes.  This is really hard work.  Sure glad we have a great crew of teen age boys to muck around in the mud.  I don't think my old legs would take it well.

 

One project which always seems to be there is recovering text books.  But Billie is more than capable of making the best of it.

Unfortunately, the new gym floor has moisture trapped beneath it.  The solution, drill holes in the aluminum edge strips to let it breathe.  I sure pray that this works as the floor will continue to buckle if the moisture is not removed.

During September we took a weekend to travel to Norfolk, Nebraska to a wedding of a wonderful couple we had met at Camp Barnabas. This great couple, and their lovely daughter, are the ones that are in permanent residence at Barnabas.

Here is the wonderful bride and groom!

One of the meaningful and lovely traditions which the grandpa and grandma of the groom have started is a toast from a special cup.  Grandpa takes his turn---

---then it turn for the new bride and groom.

 

During the setup for the wedding the bride and groom discuss the decorating of the "door" backdrop they were using (and the main reason we were there as we supplied the doors) as the background for their wedding ceremony.

Didn't it just turn out beautiful.  God is so good.

The groomsmen---

---and the bride's maids were so beautiful---

---and this talented young man provided all of the music for the wedding.  Great day!

 

On our way home we Gavin's Point Reservoir, one of several on the Missouri River. 

On a beautiful evening just before we left SBA there was a wonderful light show in the northern sky.  Unfortunately is didn't supply Hand county with any rain---

---but it was another wonderful display of God's great power.

Presently we are again sitting at the farm in Kansas.  We have a bit more work to have done on our home and the farm can use a bit more sprucing up.  God bless.