Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Another busy couple of weeks. I'm loving it.

I finished up granny-sitting with Miss Juanita on Sunday, the 17th, so I wasn't able to stay for the Cuerpo Vivo church dinner. Someone was nice enough to make me a plate to go. It was yummy! Although my lips are still stinging for the green sauce on one of the meats.

I spent all last week concentrating mostly on the Cuerpo Vivo Marriage Conference. I think my shortest workday was 10 hours that week and the longest was 17 hours. It was action packed but I loved it all. The conference was a huge success. It started on Friday night with the couples in the sanctuary for the speaker and the kids were in the nursery wing and gymnasium. We were scheduled for 2 hours, but of course, we went to 3. Everyone loved it. Saturday we had a dinner for the couples before the speaker part and the youth served as waiters and kitchen help. They did such a good job. My friend Cathy did the food planning and most of the prep. I helped with shopping, prep and then cooked off the food before the dinner. We had salad, roast pork tenderloinl, sweet potato casserole, sweet & sour green beans, roll and tres leches (3 milk) cake made by another friend, Becca. Everyone loved the food and even asked for some recipes. At the end of the dinner, Pastor Jaime asked that all the dinner helpers come out to the dining room. The couples gave us a standing ovation. It was great to see how happy the guests were.

The couples wore dress-up clothes and had their pictures taken when they came in. The room was dim with candles and special harvest-type table decorations. Each couple was given a glass candle bowl with wedding rings tied on with ribbon. It was really pretty. I had a great time making the decorations with different friends who helped at different times.

We fed the kids pizza on the dinner night and they were happy. They got to play all kinds of games and even won some prizes from contests that the youth supervised.

Sunday morning was the end of the conference and they showed pictures of the couples on the screen. I got very teary-eyed as I looked at these lovely couples and thought about the families that I have come to love so much. Then Pastor Jaime took the stage wiping away tears and was choked up and couldn't speak at first. Then my tears really began to roll! It's such a loving church family. I am so blessed.

Last week I was also able to meet with Heidi and Katrina Mills, a mother/daughter team who are going to direct the Christmas Angel Tree and Christmas Food Boxes projects this year. I'm so excited for them to take the raines on this. I will miss being here for those December mission projects, but I will be loving that I get to serve in Nicaragua over Christmas, too. God has blessed me soooo much!

I need to get some more communication out to the people interested in the Free Friday Meals project. Hopefully, we'll get it staffed before I leave for Nic in three weeks. Becca Janes graciously volunteered to head up the meal planning and menus. Now we just need a Volunteer coordinator to help lead that part of the team and we'll be set to start up. It will be nice to get going.

I get to sleep in my own bed for 2 nights in a row! woohoo! Then 10 days of doggy sitting. This helps me save up for a new (used) computer. Maybe I can get it before I leave. Hmmm.... that's only 3 weeks. Looks like it will be after Christmas instead. But that's okay. I'm excited anyway!

Time to head home and get some laundry and housework caught up on. I'm in the midst of packing for Nic, so I have clothes everywhere in my room. I'm starting to feel the pressure of getting all my personal things done before I leave. I know it will all work out though. God's timing and plans are always the best. I'm so thankful.