Ditch Digging and Muck-Muck

We did a lot of different things at Crowleys Ridge College the last two weeks but I excelled at one. Ditch digging! A local Christian brother volunteered his digging machine but there was plenty of opportunity to use a shovel to cross over existing cables and phone lines. It is really amazing how dirty you can get digging in red dirt four feet down in a 8 inch wide ditch!

Gail excelled at cleaning dorm room walls and painting them. She says it is amazing how much food and general muck-muck college kids can manage to get on their dorm room walls! She and her friends painted and planted flowers in a large planter at the entrance to the college on the last day. Sure looked nice. Overall we had a great time meeting new friends and just helping out the school.

Russ and Rosemary Burcham

Last weekend we visited with our friends Russ and Rosemary Burcham who live in Kennett Missouri. Paragould Ar. Is only a thirty minute drive from Kennett so we decided to visit with them on Sunday morning and attend worship services with them. Their preacher is Spencer Furby who served with Gail’s dad as an intern years ago. It was great to get reacquainted with Spencer and their whole friendly church family!

Russ and Rosemary stayed with us on the Ship of Life longer than any other guest we had. Russ is a dentist and he helped me tremendously. Rosemary can do everything and was a great help to us also. They drove over to the college where we were working last week to video and interview several of the SoJourners about the work we do. They have been doing a weekly cable show for 35 years! Imagine that!

Crowley's Ridge College Sojourn

We are into our second week here in Paragould for a sojourn helping at Crowley's Ridge College. Living in Arkanasas for thirty years you would think we would have been up in this Northeast corner for some event but this is all new to us. The college is situated in a beautiful wooded area with a lake in the middle. It is a small college of only 200 plus students, but this next year they will have a record enrollment. The good comes with the bad in that they do not have enough housing to accomodate the enlarged enrollment. And yet in a time when some Christian colleges are having financial problems, they are in a solid situation.
We are enjoying meeting new and seeing old friends in this sojourn. Rick has been working outside and I have been helping inside the dorms.

Graduation from Law School Fayetteville, AR

The sun came out after a night of storms to help celebrate Greg's graduation from the School of Law. We are so proud of him and his accomplishment. He will take the bar in July and move to Little Rock to work for a firm downtown. Janice has accepted a teaching position at CAC as choir director for all levels. We are very blessed!

Mother's Day

What a wonderful surprise to come in from town and see some beautiful flowers from our kids! Then to wear the corsage to church sure made me feel loved! Ha! Thanks to Brit and Zac, and Greg and Janice. I love you!
Rick's physical therapy has been encouraging. His leg is responding well and is walking with a cane. Our departure date of May 17 looks promising!

Road Trip

Rick got a little cabin fever so he decided to visit a friend who was in worse shape than him. His friend, Michael Rogers, was in an auto accident that broke his back, pelvis, and I don't know what else, but needed three surgeries. So Rick took off in the Toyota by himself to Tulsa where he spent the day visiting and encouraging Michael. Anytime you try to help someone else, inevitably, it ends up you are the one helped the most. Rick got back with a great attitude to finish his therapy.

Staying Busy

We have been able to get some important things done in the village since we were unable to leave for our travels. We had a garage sale, which every time we have one we promise to never have another! It wasn't about making money but getting rid of so much stuff! And that we were successful of. We had a very busy day on Friday and a little more on Saturday, but the blessing was being able to take all the leftovers to Northside on Sunday because the Hispanic congregation was going to have a yard sale next weekend to benefit their mission trip. Whew! that was great! Now tables are gone, the garage cleaned out and ready to start packing boxes and storing them. We are going to take down the elk and caribou mounts and store them in the garage storage room trying to make the house more seller friendly! Ha! Rick has been getting around great helping weed, plant, clean and even shop at Walmart. Although, he had way too much fun driving the cart.