The fast track update

   Well hello all! 

Sad to say I have neglected the blog during the exciting and historic JW.org campaign in August.   Happily I am well prepared  to blog now. 

Rejoice all you lovers of brevity because I will be only able to skim all the activities we have been a part of. (in the interest of honesty:  I will be brief in my review of items but I don't think the number of items are few)

Up first is a nod to our darling Milford congregation.  We had wonderfully productive ministry days and even when my special yellow tract was rejected by a bakery owner, he graciously gave me a fresh loaf of his best selling olive bread! 
Here is one dear family we joined and as you can see, the 3, 5 and 8 year old girls are utterly adorable!  (I have plans to share my secret popcorn ball recipe with them in the future - so more to come on that!)






Then there is 6 year old Ethan who was helping his dad direct the parking at the hall one evening.  He takes this assignment VERY seriously.





Early in the month we had a congregation picnic where everyone could play something: sack races, tug of war, a scavenger hunt, volley ball, football, frisbee and then exclusive use of the community pool!

 

 

 

Jeremy and I also had a hankering to join Ryan and Abbi and take a Branch tour of Patterson.  It isn't a normal tour of the branch but more of a backstage tour.  As temporary Bethelites, we have access to all facilities in any branch in the world and Patterson is only an hour away...

Out of all the neat things we toured -- we found one highlight was posing with Caleb and his family

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back at Wallkill we had to say goodbye to some very good  friends!

  To start, Alex, who has volunteered 9 weeks from California was heading home.  We all ate cake after his last day of work in honor of his willing spirit and labor. {He is sitting in the right corner}

 

 

Ryan and Abbi had finished their six month assignment and Elvis was being reassigned back to his native Puerto Rico branch while Stewart was transferring from the tile crew to the furniture moving crew.  All those goodbyes required one good sized farewell party! 

 

And obviously called for another tile crew photo!  {Stewart is in the center -- you can see why furniture moving wanted him, what couldn't he lift?}

 

 

 

FINALLY!  After waiting over a month,  my scheduled morning to pick blueberries arrived! Naturally it was a gloomy stormy day, but the brothers supplied us with raincoats and it never really rained.

  Apparently that very day was the last day for sisters to pick because the following day the bushes were open to the whole Bethel family to pick any leftover. 

 

Here I am with my sweet friend Keri [ we were partners in the picking that day ]

 

If it crossed your mind we may have eaten more than we picked, well, we wondered that too.

 

Keri and her husband Brian have also completed their 6 month assignment here. But we are confident we will see them again soon!  

 

 

We have run into some delightful old friends this month!  Here is Bill Beechly who volunteered for a couple of weeks from Tennessee!

And friends from Oregon, that we worked with in Ecuador back in 2008, have just arrived for a six month assignment! Don't worry, you will surely see photos of them in good time. :)

 

 

 

We also had the opportunity to visit my Great Aunt {she is 95} in Albany.  It was only a few hours north and she really wanted us to see the old home place.  She has lived in this home all her life.  And she told us stories of how my Great Grandfather Taaffe had it built - the first house on Park Avenue. 

Walking through it brought to life the charm and culture of that historic time.

 

 

 

This brings us up to our visit to Maryland last weekend.  Jeremy and I enjoyed  sweet     R and R!

With Molly's help we coaxed mom  into a kayak!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 No surprise that Jeremy and Molly bonded with some local geese!

 

Mom also sponsored a Christian-oriented talent show for her congregation and we had a blast watching, listening and participating.

 

 

Some of the little ones, then young men and later all the elders sang a song from our songbook.

 

 

Several of the families supported Bible dramas like Eliezer  observing Rebekah watering the camels in answer to his specific prayer;  Abraham's willingness to offer Isaac (with a ram in the bushes); the story of Jephthah's daughter and an in-costume Bible reading.

 

Tiffany played her violin to song 110 while we all sang it to her.

Molly offered Bible Jeopardy and we had a few hilarious skits too.

 

But we also had some moving personal experiences.  Rita, in her 20's explained how she learned to choose Christianity over her cultural Nepalese religion and another sister described severe hardships and challenges growing up in Ethiopia as a Witness and how greatful she is for her parents faithfulness.  How encouraging to learn of a 12 year old boy in Liberia who was so impressed by a Witness in his school that he preferred to walk to the Kingdom Hall by himself each week while his parents attended their own church!  We also heard just a little bit from Rose, a dear 95 year old sister who has a lot of experiences to share!

 

It was just the uplifting type of gathering we were hoping it would be!

 

With all these activities you may be wondering if we worked in construction at all last month.  I'll be sure to bring you up to date in next weeks blog!