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Jan.11,2012
We arrived Thursday afternoon at CIT (Center for Intercultural Training) here in Union Mills, NC. Upon arriving we were met by our contact Don. He instructed us as to where we were to set up our RV and a general orientation of the campus.
This is what your sewer discharge hose should look like …..
In Harrisburg, NC our hose went up hill a little. We got a cold snap right before we left. This caused a 4” hose full of poop to freeze in place while we waited for the gray water tank to fill.
We dump the poop and then dump gray water to flush the sewer out. We did not have enough gray water to flush the hose so we had to wait. The next morning it was all frozen. I could not open the waste valves, they were frozen shut! I checked the hose by gently touching it…POW…Semi frozen poop in my face all over my clothing and in my mouth. Not a pretty site or wonderful experience. Over 2 hours later we finally had it all taken care of and a new hose in place. I got a shower ASAP!
Recently, I helped at a retreat for worship teams sponsored by FIRE Church. I was one of the two ladies who helped prepare the meals. The other lady, Jill, rode up to the conference with me. As we drove, I told her I am the oldest child in my family, and sometimes had a reputation for being controlling. I told her that I do not really want to be that way. I just want to make sure I complete everything that is expected of me as I serve others.
Toward the end of the retreat the worship leader was thanking everyone and handing out Christmas gifts to all. At this time Jill said, “On the way up there Stephanie told me that she can be controlling. I did not see that at all! She was always asking what I thought. When I think of Stephanie the word ‘hanani’ (here am I) comes to mind…” Her comment brought tears to my eyes. It explains exactly how I feel about my life… here I am… how can I help you? The retreat was set in the mountains of North Carolina. The drive was beautiful! Mountains remind me of the majesty of God.
“Recently our worship team went on a retreat up in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. During the planning of this retreat we realized that we did not have anyone to come along and help us with the preparation of meals, snacks, and other services. As our leadership team was contemplating on who we should ask, we felt the Lord lead us to ask Stephanie Forbes. I had not formally met Stephanie until this event but I was fully aware of who she was, as Brian and Stephanie Forbes are a household name in our church community. Over the course of two days I saw Stephanie work so diligently in her gift of service and hospitality by making sure that everyone on our worship team was taken care of. It was pretty amazing to see someone who is not a part of our music group extended herself in the direction of others and never once considering herself or her own well-being. Stephanie was an example to our team of what it means to give of yourself expecting nothing in return. I told Stephanie when we left the retreat that I hope she will be available to help us at our retreat next year.”
- Mike Motley, Worship Pastor at FIRE Church.
Unconventional teacher:
The midterm was oral. I asked each student to tell me what they have learned so far this
semester. We went around the room. I was happy the students keyed in on the cultural
integration concepts I’m teaching, as well as the hands-on concepts. Then we processed what the
students learned from listening to all the missionaries who attended the conference after
class was over.
Missionary to Africa, Alice:
Spoke to my Practical Life Skills class about her daily life. How does she handle the
challenges of dealing with people, and how does she handle the challenges of dealing
with stuff? Most of my class is about handling problems on the mission field. We
had a great time! A guest missionary who is candid about life leaves a great impact on the
students.
Just started class!!! I have 5 students ready for a hands on experience. I was able to acquire an engine and cut away the components to reveal what happens inside.
Each time one of us utilizes the skills God gave us, we help others – whether it is a family, an organization, a community, or a church body. When Preston palpates the cows himself, he saves Mercy Ships veterinary costs. That money can be used elsewhere – to support the teaching Ken does in Africa or the surgeries done by the crew on the ship. The Ag Department’s director of procurement, Russ Holmes, suggested Brian think in terms of the monetary value of his work. That is, for the dollars you contribute to support us, what is the value of our contribution to, in this case, Mercy Ships? Here is a sampling of the items Brian worked on during the past two months:
truck manifold – truck door handle – tractor – wood chipper – brush mowers – hay rake – air compressor – toilet – air conditioning units – hay baler – truck’s steering unit – equipment transportation – search for a replacement truck for the farm…
I figure the value of Brian’s work is about $3,000. That figure does not include the work I did: cleaning, painting and office work. That is more than double our monthly income. We want to thank those who support us – your support increases in value through skilled and willing hands.
Then there is the unquantifiable help – through spiritual uplifting and counseling. Much like a pastor, Brian aides in the spiritual life of those whose paths we cross. We support marriages, families, those in leadership positions, and those under the authority of others. Our ministry is not just about fixing things that ‘moth and rust destroy.’ The ‘treasures in heaven’ are people, their relationships with each other, and their relationship with Jesus. It is about how we carry ourselves into eternity.
I have been swamped with work here at Mercy Ships Agriculture.
I arrived at Mercy Ships without Stephanie. I thought it was a good idea for her to have some time with her family. I hit the ground running, diagnosing potential repairs needed as it often takes time to procure parts. I started with the bailer. Over the years we have replaced all the bearings and seals. I was pleased to find it was in good shape. The hay mower did need attention. The metal had worn away some bolt heads. The bolts hold the replaceable blades to the cutting head. If the bolt-heads are worn away, you can’t remove them with a socket to replace the blades. I also worked on the hay rake and the batwing mower.
The farm’s pick-up truck needed attention. It is not unusual for the intake manifold gasket to fail on a multiport injected 5.7 Chevy engine. A friend of mine had this engine in his truck. One day the gasket let loose and caused several thousand dollars in damage. I did the repair to prevent such damage and expense for Mercy Ships. By the time I was done working on it, in the grass next to my motor home (where I have my tools) I was covered in chigger bites.
I had a chance to go out hog hunting and fishing. I got a Hog on the run at 75 yards. NICE!!!
I love the diversity of my work for Jesus
Here is a video of my wife going down a zipline for the first time. In 2002 I had a zipline experience in the jungles of Costa Rica. I was there working on a Royal Ranger boy’s camp.
We had a fun and productive month at Fort Lone Tree in Cpitan, NM. I decided to stay another month because there are a few more truck/van repairs in store.
We hope to do more camping, however we are looking for overnight temps to be over 40 deg.