The beautiful colors we encounter while traveling….

Orange, Blue, Yellow / and the Red, White, & Blue, traveling through the country is always a new experience and leads us on to our next adventure! We’re headed to Phoenix, AZ!

At our overnight spot, we learned that the under covering of our rig became unsecured and had to removed. We were thankful for a place to park for the evening and the opportunity to remove the hanging chloroplast sheets. We will need to eventually replace the undercovering and seal things up – but it’s still drive able, so we’ll move on!

We just HAVE to route our trip and plan to see Alan & Karen Johnson every chance we get! They are continuing to build Chapel On The Rise – next up is their house! We were entertained by the amazing fishes in their Koi Pond and once again refreshed at their beautiful location – with all of Karen’s roses (1,000’s -?)

We’re here! We’re the first ones to arrive and we found our favorite spot on the track! We served here in 2020 when the Pandemic was is full swing – we’re back to continue helping the ministry of this unique school. We are assigned as Group Leaders for this project.

We arrived on Easter Weekend – and attended Phoenix Bible Church at their new location. What a glorious morning to worship our risen Savior with our new Sower friends!

Left to right: Us, Mark & Paula Best, Mike & Betty Buitenwerf, Larry & Gutlene Lokker, and John & Marion Peters.

OK – let’s get to work! Jose and Kevin shared the “To-Do list that Veronica had compiled for us. There were lots of little jobs as well as big jobs they had for us to do. The gals started out landscaping the perimeter of the campus tying up newly planted vines and then moved to the elementary campus to prep and paint a new office room. The guys started in the gym – pulling down unused cabling & started the process of refurbishing the bleacher seating.

In addition – we were given the task of creating daisies and butterflies for the up coming school event. Betty really made this happen with Lorree helping wherever she could. We also were given the task of cleaning and organizing the prop storage room – so fun!

We also installed a new cork wall on the exterior of the Art Room, removed a toilet from the “closet” of the Director Jeff Blake, and sorted/folded table clothes for special events.

Oh…and we definitely have a lot of fun! A couple of birthdays (Larry & John), games and fellowship each Thursday, and a Staff/Volunteer luncheon that really hit the spot!

We left the gym beautiful! clean and polished trophies, refurbished and shiny bleachers, a clean ceiling with no old lights and cords – just in time for a special Cultural School Assembly that we were able to attend and enjoy!

This was truly a special ministry assignment for us. We felt the presence of the Lord throughout the three weeks and our group of Servants accomplished everything that was asked of us. We are so blessed to be available to work with SOWER’s Ministry!

We’re headed out for a few days for a Juice Plus business Convention and a bit of scenic vacation and then on to our next project – Cross Bar-X Camp in Durango, CO.!

When we left Fort Morgan, CO there was snow and ice on our truck. But, we were headed to a warmer place! Big Sandy, Tx. for the 40th Sower Reunion . We traveled through Amarillo, TX. and enjoyed the interstate highways – right!?!

It was SO fun to meet up with our friends from days and projects gone by. We relived many of our memories working with these amazing couples. It’s so good to have a time to just relax and have some fun together. There were opportunities to sit and share, eat together, and even play pickle ball!

We signed up for several educational workshops and participated in the group events!

The worship was so special – so many “mature” voices harmonizing together – chills!

There were RV seminars, craft opportunities, and Senior fitness classes along with WiFi tips and Trip planning options. One of our featured speakers was Dr. Lew Sterrett from Sermon on the Mount (OK-555) who shared a powerful Gospel message using the language of the horse.
He took a new unmounted horse and within an hour had a rider mounted and riding her – so amazing! The Biblical truths he shared penetrated all of us for life!

One of the “mission” activities we participated in was to assemble books of the gospel of John – these will be handed out as tracts to thousands of individuals searching for the Truth

We enjoyed a great time of singing and worship! We had a fantastic banquet and so many laughs at the skits – especially “Gomer Pile joining SOWER’s ” on his first project! So funny!

By ourselves we can accomplish a lot – but when we work together as a group there is so much more impact in this world! There are more and more couples joining SOWER’s ministry which means there are so many more impactful moments of God reaching others through His love! Looking forward to what HE has in store for us and His adventures!

We were excited to head out for another SOWER Project! We’ve been cooped up too long! The adventures of travel, meeting fellow sowers, learning God stories from staff, clients & campers, all while helping to build God’s kingdom – is calling out to us. Here we come!

We had waited at home an extra day due to weather alerts of high winds and possible snow – ugh! But after waiting a day, the drive was uneventful (thank you Lord!) and we saw some beautiful country landscapes. We headed South from Colorado then Eastward across Raton Pass and into New Mexico. This was near Mount Capulan, New Mexico.

Welcome to Riverbend Retreat & Conference Center

Back to Riverbend! We’ve been here before, in fact this was our very first project back in November, 2019. Looking our across the deep river valley below brought back memories!

We learned that there was a conversation between Evan Asby (our first Sower project GL) and Chris, Riverbend’s Maintenance Director, about how they needed some more tiling done, “and by the way, Dennis is coming” Chris saved that project just for us! (Thanks Evan 🙂

But we had great help! Dale & Barbara Livingood were serving with us! We served together at Camp Tejas, TX and also Glen Erie, Colorado Springs. Break out those knee pads – we’ll get ‘r done!

So we tiled one of the newly refurbished bunk rooms, while the girls had their own projects!

There’s laundry to do – lots of bedding, towels, and rags to clean for the next guests.

…and painting the doors to all the newly refurbished bunk rooms. Look at those smiles – they had fun! (Dale & I love the fact that they love to paint – means we don’t have to!)

Dale & I also were able to install changing tables in the bathrooms and install a privacy screen in the dining room that hid the extra stacks of chairs & tables.

We also had some fun – we went to the local LOCO Coyote restaurant (with a history back to 1915!) We drove way out in the “boonies’ and enjoyed some great Texas BBQ! Dale & Barbara’s granddaughter joined us for a few days.

Another time of good eating and fellowship was at the “Big Cup Eatery” in Glen Rose, TX. Yes it was a BIG Cup, a BIG Biscuit, and a Big Chicken Fried Steak! Whew – we had leftovers!

After the first two weeks, Dale received word that his mom was in her last days. They of course left us and the project to travel back home to be with family. While they were home, she did pass from our world into the Lord’s heavenly kingdom! We rejoice in her immediate presence with Jesus! “when we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!”

The last week of the project, Lorree & I teamed up to tile bathrooms and grout the floors.

Lorree learned fast – she became an expert at tile cutting Dennis installed them. We were able to finish the second bunk room install and grouting along with two of the bathroom floors. We were tired but a good tired!

Dennis cut circles around the sewer outlet – always learning new skills! This project is done!

The Riverbend staff treated us to a local BBQ – so good! We enjoyed being with Colby and Chris and their wives. Good times! (We missed Dale & Barbara being with us).

“Lorree, put your feet up tonight, I’ll cook us up some ribs!” Mmmmm – mmmmm!

The windows were SO DIRTY – during the few days between projects, Dennis washed windows outside and Lorree cleaned them inside. Always something to do while traveling!

We found this old German restaurant in nearby Granbury, and had a great evening out together. We were serenaded by the owner on stage playing an accordion and singing Sound of Music hits. The atmosphere was grand and the food was delicious. So much fun!

New adventures are ahead – moving on down the road to Mercy Ships Headquarters!

We arrived at SHOCCO Springs Camp on Thursday, 4 days before our work project starts. Getting settled, we were greeted with beautiful views of the camp area (over 800 acres). It was a huge campus with numerous lodges, meeting areas, and many other buildings. We did a bit of exploring on our own, but looked forward to getting a real tour from the camp staff.

…and the beauty of the lake just below our RV park area. We went for a walk to absorb it all!

On Friday, of our first weekend, we were able to spend with Tate & Kim, Emily & Jessica and their small group from church at a nearby farm featuring a lot of homecooked favorites and a BIG warm bonfire. Great times and new friends made the evening very special for us!

Back at SHOCCO – on Saturday, still our first weekend, we were introduced to the huge youth camp that had arrived. There were four teams of over 100 youth each – competing for a win on the nearby field! It was LOUD and WILD – one event had them scrambling to find their own shoes and put them on – out of a pile that the counselors had mixed up. CRAZY STUFF… but so FUN!

Meet our team! We met the other SOWER couple Bob & Deborah Bradbury from Oklahoma. This will be their 2nd SOWER project.

We also met three other couples from the RVIC Ministry. Steve & Diane Ellens, Guy & Jeanenne Scott, and Bob & Laurie ————-. (Hmmm – they sure do look familiar?!) They also do these same type of projects around the country. We learned that we would be working together as one team. THEN – we remembered that we had worked with these same couples at Palacios, TX back in 2020! How fun to be together again!

The next week, we received our project assignments. We’re going to be busy!

The camp had acquired a house, garage, and workshop adjacent to their property. The previous owner had died and no family – so the camp bought it all as is. The guys’ job was to sort and clean out the wood workshop, load, and haul all the equipment and tools to the camp’s new workshop. OH MY! Where do we even begin? This guy was a master carpenter in his spare time, he was also a local Dr. He had it all – so many tools and so much “stuff”!

The ladies also had a big job to do – SO MUCH laundry! Fortunately the camp had a great facility for washing, drying, folding, and storing all the linens, towels, and other items.

First things first…the guys had to empty the new workshop at camp by relocating dozens of bunk beds, mattresses, and building materials. It took several trailer loads to complete.

Pretty heavy work for five “old retired guys” …but we pushed through! While the guys spent the first few days getting things relocated, the gals were up to their shoulders in laundry!

Their favorite item was folding the fitted sheets. (I think that’s what Lorree said!?!)

The guys were making progress. We had to sort and stack some of the materials and then disassemble some of the power tools and tables. We brought our first trailer load over to the new workshop after a full day of hard work. (We thought those bunk beds were heavy!)

One evening, the Executive Director, Russell Klinner, of the Camp & Conference Center invited us to a personal overview of the history, mission, and vision of the camp. ” I love Ephesians Chapter 2. It is a summary of my spiritual journey in life, from dead to alive because of Christ. In it, Paul reminds us that God has prepared a path of good works for us if we will walk in them.” We were amazed at the impact that his camp has had over the years in building God’s Kingdom! What a privilege to be a part of this journey at this time .

We were encouraged in our ministry “helpers behind the scenes” to stay faithful to the task! Only God knows how many lives will be impacted by the precious time we will be here. We love the heartbeat of Shocco which is Loving God and Serving His people!

A Brief History: During World War II, Shocco Springs was used to house “war workers”, men and women who worked at defense plants in the nearby town of Talladega. It was sold to the Alabama Baptist Convention in December, 1947 and began to be used the following year for church events. The newly purchased property included 40 acres of land, 3 hotels, 14 cottages, a pavilion, a dining hall, a swimming pool, and an amphitheater. NOW… The conference center and resort area has over 800 acres that is used for lodging, meeting space, recreation, support services and meals for events held by Christian and nonprofit groups and organizations.

Tim Johnson, above left, was our volunteer coordinator while we were here. He shared the list of Camps and retreats that will be on campus with us simultaneously!

We are looking forward to welcoming guests for the following events this weekend:
Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions VBS Directors Preview Conference
Carriage Lane Presbyterian Church Youth Fall Retreat
Church of the Highlands UA College Retreat (Tate & Kimberly’s home church!)
Valleydale Church Fall Youth Retreat
Andalusia Bible Church Women Agape Aux Gideons Retreat
Crossroads Community Church Womens Retreat
Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church Life Group Retreat
Grace, a United Methodist Congregation Youth Retreat
The Grove Church Madison Youth Retreat
Riverdale Christian Church Women’s Retreat
YWAM Northern and Southern American Area Gathering

Lots of groups! What a privilege for us to be available to serve the camp on this weekend!

Back at it! Those tool tables, stands, and assorted equipment were heavy and hard to move. It was four against one as we navigated down a steep ramp to the trailer and then had to uplift it onto the trailer. We hauled 3 trailer loads. No small fete in any of our opinions!

At the end of it all, we won! We may be smiling – but we were so tired and sore!

The ladies also won against the laundry (at least for a couple weeks!)

One thing that was very special about our time here – since the camp was already cooking and serving so many groups at once, they invited us to join in meals every day. Pretty tasty!

Our next project was to take this load of lumber and build as many benches as we could to be used around the camp fire areas. We all liked working with wood, so we went to work!

Once we had a pattern we just started cutting and assembling. With five of us working things went pretty fast. We were able to complete 40 – 8 foot benches using 2×6 material!

We had fun building something very useful to be used for years in the future. Then we needed to distribute them around the campus. We were a fun team, teaching and learning from each other, teasing each other, and laughed at some pretty creative one-liners! LOL!

Its time for some Talladega fun!

We all signed up for a tour, just a few miles away, of the famous Talladega Superspeedway!

We got to drive through the tunnels into the inside field. We drove around the track and experienced the winners circle and the finish line! For a special treat, we were given sharpies to sign the finish line. Oh yeah!

Dennis signed as “Dennis & Lorree 50 years!” So we left our mark of “50” at the racetrack!

The track at Talladega is at 2.66 miles – it is the longest NASCAR oval per lap. The track’s slope at the end curves are at 33 degrees (…or a 65% slope compared to a 90% right angle!) yikes! It was challenging to walk up or even stand on the track at the end curves! We could not walk up the steep slope to get to the outside guard rails! A race car has to maintain a speed over 180 mph to stay up on the top of the curves! Whew !

WINNERS rejoicing in the winners circle that is shown on TV. (Where’s the champagne? )

Back to work we go!

Our last week, the guys went around camp and stained many of the picnic tables and benches that had been built the year before, they kept us busy!

The gals were assigned to decorate for Christmas! They all loved the change of pace and were able to explore each others’ creativity! They had no “blueprint” – just go decorate!

The Christmas Trees & Wreaths topped it all off! (…and the guys stepped in to help.)

A final project – The guys built a plywood rack for the camp’s new workshop. It was challenging and “fun” doing the math to get the shelving just right – hope it works for them!

We didn’t know what to expect when we arrived at SHOCCO Springs – we usually don’t on these SOWER Projects – but this was a fun adventure! We really enjoyed working with Bob & Debi, and the RVIC’s group. Hopefully we will get together again down the road!

No time to pause – we’re headed to an amazing Family Reunion adventure next!

We’re here! We heard of Miracle Mountain Ranch through our SOWER’s newsletter and have just learned about the awesome ministry going on here! This camp has an amazing western setting featuring over 80 horses – Wow!

Meet our team, Dan & Barbara Mogck,  Wiley & Beth Dixon, Mike & Donna Black,  and us!

We became a “family” as the days and weeks progressed. One of the amazing things that happens when we work together with other “children of God” is that God knits us together as a powerful unit – “unity among diversity” – just as He prayed for us in John 17! We’ve commented that we would have never met each other under normal circumstances, but GOD!

We had some great sunshiny days and quite a few rainy days with assignments for both!

The ladies started painting trim that the guys would use when they got around to siding a staff house…

…and they helped with the landscaping around the camp. It’s looking great around here!

They split up and either worked in the office or were busy sewing new curtains for one of the bunk houses. They all enjoyed the variety of work that just fit their skills and talents.

The guys also had a variety of jobs to tackle rain or shine!

Dennis & Wiley checked tires, brakes, and changed out a couple of driveshafts on a set of pickups.

Dan & Mike had to remove a worn out entrance door and install a new one to the dining hall.

Then Mark Carpenter (Operations Director) explained to the guys that there was a house siding job that had been started but never finished. It would be such a blessing to get this project moving forward again before winter sets in. We were all in, “let’s do this!”

In addition to removing the old siding there were windows to replace before wrapping the whole house in house wrap. This was just our first week, whew this is a big house!

Time for some fun to balance out all the hard work!

We were very blessed to learn that Mike & Donna knew all the great places to visit nearby. Mike grew up in this area and they only live about an hour away! The first weekend some of us traveled to Erie, PA to see the tall ships. The next weekend we went to the Kinzua Bridge State Park. What a sight!

…oh and we had some great game nights together, playing “Garbage” and “Sweep” (I see those cards Mike!) So much fun!

Meanwhile, back at the house….

YES there were “Murder Hornets” (Asian Hornets) in the eve of that house. They were over an inch long and had crazy pinchers on their mouth! Dan was brave and crawled out onto the roof to apply a commercial chemical spray to eliminate them. One of the dying hornets happened to crawl up my pant leg and stung me a couple of times – ouch! Like a hot needle poking through my calf. Thankful for no other reaction (or stings),

Did I already say this was a big house?! The end peaks were over 25 feet high. We relied on scaffolding, extension ladders and lots of prayers! We nick-named Dan “Spider Man”. In one very tight spot he scrambled up the back side of a ladder and then nimbly skirted around to the front to finish climbing up. Eventually the old siding was gone and house and window wrap were completed.

We never thought we would actually get to put up any of the new siding. But, we had two days left in the project so we grabbed the siding and went to work. Such a feeling of accomplishment! We were able to pass the job on to the next volunteer crew that just showed up from VMM. Together with the next round of SOWER’s the siding should be up in a few more weeks! It’s going to look so nice. We are thankful we could help serve the Lord in this way!

One of the highlights of the project was to hear the history and vision of the ranch from Matt Cox (Executive Director). And then later to be included in the orientation services of their newest Discipleship Class. We heard the “Message on the Mount”, as Matt shared powerful spiritual-life Bible truths while on the back of “Brisket”, his long-horn steer. We also learned leadership truths from illustrations while some of the staff performed trick riding.

Before we rode off into the sunset, we were blessed to have a personal trail ride hosted by the staff. This was something on our “bucket list” to do but haven’t had the opportunity until now – it was a great ride through the woods, hills, and streams!

We enjoyed another amazing adventure while serving with the SOWER’s Ministry! We’re going to take October off to do some sight seeing and more 50th Anniversary Year celebrating. What’s coming next?

When we arrived at the RV park at Baptist Park Camp we were met with a warm welcome from the other SOWER’s and this sign, “Welcome Dennis & Lorree”. How special this made us feel! The other three couples were already one week into this project since we took a week off for Lorree to heal and recover from her surgery. (See previous posts) . They made us feel a part of the team right from the start, what a warm unexpected blessing!

We were delighted to serve with Terry & Donna Mascho (GL’s), Ken & Brenda Diller, and Larry & Guylaine Lokker (first timers). We had served with Terry & Donna previously at Lake Placid in February, 2020. What a fun hard working group of servants!

Our project was to continue work on this “Pastors Cabin”. We learned from Scott the Camp Director of Operations, that it had already been a long 3 year project, adding to it a little at a time. Our list included: finish the roofing, add siding, square up the interior walls, set the tub, install electrical, and rough in the plumbing. Scott said, “just do what you can”. We said, “Let’s bring this project up a few notches and get it re-launched!” The guys had already accomplished a lot of prep work so when we arrived, the roofing and some of the interior walls were next to do. We were making it happen and having FUN! I learned a lot about roofing and siding on this project that I can add to my skill list, always learning from others!

The gals were also VERY busy! They tackled cleaning and re-staining decks, painting inside bathrooms, cleaning and mending curtains, scraping and re-painting the children’s play equipment. Lorree was able to help do some painting by the third week of the project (our second week). They were a great team and kept checking tasks off their list.

“MOOSE!” This group of SOWERS loved to get together, every morning for devotions and again every evening for a shared meal and games. During one of those morning times, Terry looked out the window and yelled, MOOSE!” All of us wanted to see a moose at some point and God provided! Every one jumped up and started taking pictures as she strolled across the field. Even though it was a young yearling, it was a very large animal. We were so excited! We all got to check that off our bucket list!

Then we were introduced to Fiddleheads and wild moose meat. Fiddleheads are the tightly coiled tips of certain ferns. Scott’s wife, Brenda, steamed cooked these and served them with butter and/or a splash of vinegar. They reminded us of asparagus – they were very tasty! The moose meat steaks were juicy, tender, and didn’t have any gamey taste – also very delicious!

We made real progress on the cabin. The roofing is done, the siding is done, walls were squared away inside, windows re-attached and leveled, interior plumbing and drain lines done, and water lines tested for leaks – none to be found! Scott was overjoyed – and so thankful for our hard work! God was so good to give us the strength, wisdom and brought an amazing team together to make such a great accomplishment!

Our GL’s, Terry & Brenda, introduced us to “campfire donuts”. First, the guys made a Swedish candle. A Swedish Candle, aka Swedish Fire Log or Swedish Fire Torch, is basically a log sliced partially down like a cake. The slots are stuffed with kindling (we used birch bark) and then lit. The fire burned hot in the center as the slots allowed air to rush in. We used a leaf blower to make some REAL flames for this outdoor fire!

OH SO GOOD! We took Pillsbury grands biscuits , cut out the center and deep fried them in oil in a Dutch oven pot over the Swedish Fire. They were shaken in a bag with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar to be coated. (We used to cook biscuit-donuts like this at home on the stove with our kids and the taste brought back all those memories!) YUM! As you can see, I may have eaten more than one – LOL!

One last thing Scott asked for was if we could make some signs for a few of the buildings on campus. Dennis was able to use his artistic talent and completed these signs. The gals wanted sunflowers on the SOWER sign, so he added them. Just like the sunflowers follow the sun…. SOWERs follow the Son!

We ended our project with a meal together with Scott & Brenda. It was their anniversary, so we had to celebrate! Great memories, great new friends, all serving a Great God together!

Just like these unique sunsets (no, that’s not a fire) this project was so unique. We had another great adventure serving in God’s Kingdom with very special people. We feel so blessed and humbled that God called us to this ministry and gave us the time and resources to live this out. We always wonder, “what’s next?”

What a beautiful drive through the Colorado mountains over Wolf Creek Pass. All the snow that has been received has the creeks and rivers full to the brim as it now melts. We stopped several times just to take it all in!

Welcome to Cross Bar X Youth Camp in Durango, CO! We are so excited to be here and to help this camp with whatever they may need from us. We arrived on Thursday before the weekend to get settled and meet with the staff. They were just as excited to have us and SOWERS Don & Betty Spitler join them in working at the camp preparing for the coming summer months. They already had an adventure waiting for us…..

We learned all about the Iron Horse Race – a bicycle race against the Silverton Durango Railroad! This year is the big 50TH celebration event! The State closed highway US 550 just for the race. It’s 50 miles uphill through the mountains, with over 5,700 feet elevation gain, crossing two passes at elevations over 10,000 feet…on a bicycle! It was Saturday before we officially started our project and the camp had already commited to providing volunteers to help at the Silverton finish line. “…hey SOWERS, can you help us in serving at this event?” ….OH YES! What an adventure!

This event was also a fund raiser for the camp. They had over 30 sponsered riders raising money to benefit the camp. We had such a fun weekend – and so fulfilling to be able to serve at something like this – a first for us! There were over 2,000 bikers mixed with professionals and average people of all ages. We saw handicapped, a unicycle, someone totaly spent and others bringing him across the finish line, and several with broken chains walking the last few miles. What a picture of determination and grit! We helped direct traffic, kept spectators off the course, handed out drinks and goody bags, and clapped and cheered all day long!

This camp is purposed to share JESUS with all of the campers (and anyone else!)

After an amazing dinner of BBQ Chicken and roasted sweet corn, Tim Miller (the Executive Camp Director) met with us and the new summer staff. Here is what He shared, “I want the campers to obey the rules, but even if they don’t, I want them to know Jesus! I want the campers to have fun, but even if they don’t, I want them to know Jesus! Above all of our planned activities and games, most of all I want them to know Jesus! Above everything we do here, that’s number one! I want each of you to know this up front, that even if you’ve had a tired and trying day, let them see Jesus!” We accepted our marching orders!

First task: Dennis and Don added planking to the new suspension bridge across the lake. Glad we were only a few feet off the surface and not 1,000 feet! It turned out great!

Lorree and Betty were immediately recruited to work the kitchen. The camp had a couple of workers but they needed help. They cooked and served three meals a day!

Don & Dennis finished the staining and the final railing to the zip line shelter that had been started during the camps work week. We were also so blessed to work with with SOWERS Will & Diane Koehn. They’re independently volunteering for the whole summer at CBX.  Great new friends!

The buildings are all log cabin structures that have needed attention for a while. the insects and birds have been very destructive as well as the weather. We needed to sand, power wash, fill cavities with either foam or backer rod, add wood petrifyer and insect repellent, two-part epoxy putty and/or log chinking – follwed by a new coat of stain/sealer/finish. Whew quite a process and very time consuming! We finished the Bunk House (above)!

The gals continued working the kitchen as well as cleaning, helping in the office and organizing the inventory.

We started the rehab on Eagle Lodge next. What a job – so dirty after years of weather, blowing dirt, and rotting wood. But we made real progress! Dennis studied You-Tube videos, discussed solutions with Sam the maintenance supervisor and Don. We were able to complete the preparation on one face of Eagle Lodge (camp office/kitchen/dining area). There is LOTS to do here – we’ll be back for sure!

And the Summer Camp Season of 2022 officially starts! The focus is to serve the neglectged and possibly abused children of our world – foster kids and other at risk kids. Before we left there were young campers running, laughing, doing chores, playing games, learning how to raise and lower the US Flag, respect each other, and most of al be introduced to JESUS!

These work projects always go so fast. It was great to meet and work with amazing servant minded staff and other SOWERs. We’re the “sponsers” for Cross Bar X Youth Camp, meaning we will help promote the project among the Sower members. We’ll be back!

We are in the Mohave Desert – between Barstow, CA and Las Vegas, NV. This SOWER Project is literally in the middle of “nowhere” (see above)! But it’s here on purpose to bring Christ into the lives of adults and youth through a great variety of year round camping, and they are busy!

Lots of fun old western settings for a great time! We talked with Walt (one of the founders) and learned that he went to school with Del Fehsenfeld founder of Life Action Ministries. (We served as Missionaries with LAM for 11 years in Michigan – small world!) Chuck Chastain and Walt Brock, along with the help and support of their wives Sarah and Betty, founded Ironwood early in 1972. What a vision and amazing stories of God’s provision to transform this property from a cement block building into what it is today! What a priviledge and adventure to help with the building and maintenance of this special camp!

The RV sites were very nice with cement pads and this fire ring. We served with David & Laura (Clark) Pincus (GL) and Bernie & Andi McGovern (from Colorado). We had a great time right from the beginning sharing stories by a cozy fire in the 70+ degree evening!

During the week, we met with Sam the camp director (Walt’s son) and the camp staff at their morning meeting and prayer time. The camp staff also met with us during our morning break time. It was fun to get to know each other, learn all the inner workings of the camp, and the different functions of each ministry taking place. This is a well organized and well run camp with a history of helping other camps be successful as well. They have purposed to train their staff with personal development skills, life skills, and spiritual maturity that they can take with them throughout their life! A great investment into the lives of these young people!

It’s off to work we go…………..

During the previous month, the SOWER team remodeled this bathroom in the Art Building. Our first job was to continue with installing a vent and finishing the drywall. We eventually applied three coats of mud with sanding in between coats, and then painting inside and out.

To start with, the gals worked on sorting the laundry and getting it ready for the staff to begin the washing and drying cycles – everyone worked well and had fun together!

HA! The guys assembled the new toilet for the bathroom and Dennis had serious moment of thinking! We also helped work at the local church on the same property in their current remodeling project by installing drywall. They kept us busy with their construction projects!

Our ladies transitioned from laundry to upholstery! The camp is consistantly blessed by the abundant generous donations of so many people and businesses. These chairs were donated but the upholstery was worn. Our servant hearted ladies tackled this job even though it was a challenge and a learning experience. The chairs kept coming and coming…even different styles! They did a great job!

…also, several location and directional signs needed to be refreshed and some new ones made. Laura did a great job!

Whew! For the last two weeks of the project, the guys were assigned to the “Abilene” cabin. This is a two room cabin that is being reconfigured to include new bunk beds, bathroom, and showers for multiple guests. It had already been worked on by previous volunteer groups – we were assigned the task to finish up the walls and trimming. There were four bathrooms and lots of tongue & groove walls. We had fun as we worked with some of the staff. We also learned a lot of useful tips and tricks on this project that I’m sure we will use again.

Did I mention “The chairs kept coming and coming…even different styles!” Here are the additional chairs that the camp started to bring to be re-upholstered. They changed the look from a burgandy pattern to a solid blue. It was a lot of work to remove the current panels, measure, cut, and attach the new fabric. Lorree estimates that they completed 50+ chairs!

Laura posted this on her facebook page…what’s the difference in these two pictures? The mountain disappeared! YIKES!

There has been so much wind that the consistant blowing desert sand is blocking the view! We learned to live with the constant hot wind and fine sand drifting in everywhere – but definitely not our favorite environment. We were thankful it was still spring and not during the dry hot summer months!

SO . MUCH . FUN! We all went to Peggy Sue’s just 15 minutes from the camp on old Route 66. Great food, great nostalgia, great company – we’ll remember this little outing for a while!

Speaking of fun – we had a great time fellowshipping with our SOWER friends, the camp staff, and the campers. So different than when COVID was restricting everything. The leadership of Ironwood invited us to join in an evening served with bar-b-qe’d Tri-Tips and a staff talent show – it was great! The campers that we interacted with the most was during our third week when they facilitated their “Horsemanship Camp”. The high school age campers were taught how to cook using only dutch ovens and the menu? ….brownies and apple crisp – and we were the tasters! SO . MUCH . YUM!

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Ps 51:!7

This is the official registered brand of Camp Ironwood. No need to explain the broken “I” . (see God’s Word above). They have it branded on all of their vehicles, and we received this gift of a magnet for our RV. This was a great adventure for us – another experience that we will remember for a long time to come. We are so thankful that we joined this amazing SOWER ministry and we get to experience so many different adventures! I wonder what’s next?