We started our 11th project with SOWERS this year (2021) still in Texas at Camp Tejas. We had our get acquainted meeting in the chilly night air around a warm campfire near our RV site – it was a great evening. Then – later in the week – SNOW! (This is not what we came to Texas for – it’s supposed to be warmish?… through the winter!?!…right?
So…what do you do on a cold blustery day in southern Texas?
Lets make a warm flannel quilt! Lorree made this beautiful, warm, snuggly, patchwork quilt – it turned out beautiful and I bet it will be used regularly this month!
Here’s our SOWER Team this month – we know these people! Jim & Valerie Hornaday (we met them at the Florida Sower Rally last year), Dale & Barbara Livingood (we worked with them at Glen Erie, CO last year), and Dennis & Diane Simmons (we worked with them at Glorietta, NM last year).
Week one – lets take down all the Christmas lights (that Lorree and I put up last month!)
We did have fun – lots of lights to take down, roll up, sort into tubs, and store away until next year.
We decided to go out town and explore some history. We enjoyed the Barrington Farm – this is the past residence of the last “President” of Texas. We learned a lot about the culture and lifestyle of Texans back in the day. Even watched as a team of oxen pulled a sled of manure to be spread out on the cotton field – BIG animals!
Then…. the famous Blue Bell Ice Cream! The tours were closed but we enjoyed the delicious treat at the Blue Blue factory.
During our second week the guys got to tear a building down! (this beats wrapping Christmas lights (LOL!) It’s DEMO TIME!
…”Oh, and take out those stairs as well.” The weather warmed up this week and it was great to get into the destruction phase, we were beasts!
The ladies did some deep cleaning in the camp store (The Hub) and decks around the buildings.
The guys also were assigned to cut out a new doorway in the kitchen, cut out and add a door in one of the bunk houses, while the ladies painted several of the motel rooms. Week two went fast – we accomplished a lot of different tasks for the camp.
Another weekend – more fellowship! We really enjoyed a dinner out at Murphy’s, a local steak house. Very good food and lots of fun. Then we decided to turn The Hub at camp into a “sports bar”! We all brought snacks to share and watched the final NFL playoffs before the Super bowl on a big screen TV. It was so relaxing and fun to feel “at home” with this family of SOWER friends!
Paul (Camp Director) spent some time with us early in the third week to explain the vision and ministry of Camp Tejas. We love their heartfelt purpose of “setting the stage for Jesus to transform lives”! Jim & Donna Dorrah (SOWER area reps) came to visit – so encouraging and blessed to be a part of this serving ministry!
So much work to do here – with limited resources due to COVID situation. We did all we could to bless them with a work of excellence in all they asked us to do!
Whew! it was great to be able to do so many projects in the short time we had. We were blessed to serve at Camp Tejas for the last two months. So encouraged by their commitment to do all they can to remain open to the public, large and small groups. It would be fun to come back again and see all the changes others have made since we left!
Time to move on! Our next adventure is back to Kansas to sit with the Busenitz clan as Jon & Becki “escape’ for a week Bible retreat. Here we come kiddos!