These are the reports of how the summer colporteur program went in 

Columbus, Ohio 2006.

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Greetings from leadership training! I arrived at my destination in Maryland at 2:30am this morning and got a couple hours of fitful sleep before rising at 7am to prepare for breakfast and training. Today we got to meet our beloved “boss,” Ron Clark, assistant publishing director for the Review and Herald, as well as some of the other people we’d be working with. It was a pleasant surprise to see that most of the other leaders who had come for training, were former classmates of mine from Ouachita Hills College, so it was a great reunion! Today was a full day of training and the evening was spent meeting with the two leaders I’ll be working with this summer—David Armstrong and Paul Robinson.

Friday, June 2, 2006

Talk about busy! Thursday was another full day of training, running on minimal sleep and suffering jetlag besides! Thursday evening we picked up our vans from Budget rental, took a tour of the Review and Herald publishing building, met with our other “boss,” Conrad (my friend and classmate from OHC) and prepared for an early departure this morning. David, Paul and I each drove a 7-pass mini van from Hagerstown, MD to Columbus, OH. We got to meet the pastors of the church where we’re staying, as well as some of the school staff and the daycare center next door. Then we were shown our rooms and found out what cleaning projects needed done before the books arrived. We’re spending the weekend with a church member, since the place isn’t ready to move into yet.

Sunday, June 4, 2006

Yesterday we were able to be up front for both church services (it’s an 800 member church) and share with the church members what we are doing. We also made some good contacts with several members and even were able to meet the Spanish church, who meets in the same gym where we’re living this summer. Had a delightful hike in the afternoon and spent Saturday night working out accounting issues and plans for today.

Today was a BUSY day… started with our first student arriving at 9am and we set to work cleaning and getting the place ready to move in. David and Paul made several airport/bus station runs and the rest arrived by car. I had to make a trip to the grocery store so students could get lunch items for the week, and had to do the week’s breakfast shopping. By 9:30pm, everyone was here and moved in, and we are ready to start…. But still have no books!

Tuesday, June 6, 2006

Yesterday we spent the whole day doing training because we had no books. Also had some time to play with the students and it created a great icebreaker atmosphere to help us work together. Today we spent all morning in training and the books finally arrived around 1pm! The pastor came to help us unload them and we all formed an assembly line to pass the boxes from the door into the “book room.” It was neat to be with the pastor, and he took time to get to know all the students in our group, as well as talk with them! Praise God for support from the pastoral team! :) We sent our first van out with David to work, while the rest stayed behind for more training. A couple hours later, the second van went out with Paul, and the last group worked on their canvass with me for the rest of the evening. The work has really begun!

Friday, June 9, 2006

What a week this is turning out to be! We have a great group of students, dedicated, spiritual, and determined to reach people for Christ. Their attitudes are great and they are so much fun to work with too! Wednesday and Thursday I had the fun of taking a 5-man team out without a map! :-O God was good, and He helped me never to loose a student and not to get lost—PTL! It’s exciting to see the new students making progress too!

Today was more of a busy, hustling sort of day. We’ve had some challenges learning the new accounting program, so had to spend the morning working out a few bugs in it. Then it was laundry mat, grocery shopping for the next week, and cleaning for Sabbath. I was able to flee for 2 hours to a church member’s house (Dianne—pictured in photo album) to relax in her Jacuzzi spa and shower. That really helped relax my tight muscles after the stressful week! This evening we had a pleasant singing/music time and a short worship to welcome the Sabbath.

Sunday, June 10, 2006

Talk about adventures!! Yesterday and today have really fulfilled that description… Yesterday morning started early, as I took a group of students to the first church service starting at 9am. It was a blessing to be able to share with the church members what God had done this week and even a canvassing experience! Sabbath School and second service brought the rest of the group to join us and many more opportunities to mingle with church members. It was such a blessing to feel their love, support and prayers in the work we are doing! Praise God!

We were invited to drive 30 minutes north to another church for lunch, but the excitement changed into challenge when one of the students had an allergic reaction and I spent the rest of the day with her in the hospital! At 6pm, our group presented the vespers program back at the church where we’re staying, so Paul took over for me at the hospital the rest of the evening. Praise God, she was released around 8pm and was feeling a bit better. However, the doctor advised her to go home, because of some other complications, so this morning, her and her friend who was staying with her, had to fly back home, putting us at 13 students.

A couple students were sick today, so I stayed back with them and David and Paul took out the rest. I was able to work one house with one of the students and a set of books went out there! The lady worked at a daycare, and when I prayed with her, asking God to allow her to meet some of those children in heaven as a result of her work, she burst into tears. "I never thought of that before," she sobbed, "that I might meet some of those children in heaven!" God blessed in spite of the stress and sickness, the books went out today, and lives were touched! Praise God for strength when we need it!

Friday, June 16, 2006

The week has flown way too quickly, filled with more adventures, challenges and blessings. I led a team on Monday and Tuesday, and we’re doing only two teams now, instead of three, so I have a map now! :-D Paul worked with students as a ground leader, at doors, and God truly blessed. Every day this week was a continual climb, and Thursday was our highest day this program so far—over $1900 worth of books went out on Thursday! 

We were also blessed with visitors. On Monday, Jonathan Bennett came to share about his ministry in England, and encourage the students to continue on with the Great Controversys. On Wednesday, Eugene and Heidi Prewitt arrived to help with worships, training and leading a team for two days. They really were a boost to our program and we were truly blessed by their encouragement, wisdom and support. Praise God! We had some other challenges and battles too, but that’s just more assurance that we’re doing God’s program and BY FAITH WE CONQUER!

Today was more hectic, because the 12-pass van we were getting to replace two of our mini-vans needed some interior work done and we had only one 7-pass for all the errands of the whole group today! Praise God, He helped us to get everything done before Sabbath, in spite of the trouble and we got our 12-pass this evening. Now it’ll be easier to transport students!

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Yesterday was another big day—we went to the Ohio campmeeting for Sabbath School and Church! More opportunities to share about colporteur blessings with church members, and I was able to meet a few leaders from other SDA churches in Columbus. Ended up with a speaking appointment for our group this coming Sabbath—PTL! We had a relaxing picnic lunch and a nice long hike for the afternoon. Had another adventure on our way back when one of the vans nearly ran out of gas! God provided a church member at campmeeting with some gas to help us on our way, so we didn’t have a disaster. God is so good, and even watches out for the little things!

Today I took part of the day off to rest and rejuvenate, which was a real blessing. Another one of our leaders from the Review & Herald, Derrick Williamson arrived this evening, so he’ll be helping us for a day or two. The students did fairly well today, though a few of them weren’t feeling well, so we had a bit slower of a day. But God is good, as always, and over 55 books went out, as well as over 80 Happiness Digests (SC)! What a blessing to know that we are reaching people with the good news of salvation! Please keep praying for us, as we strive to share His message with the people of Columbus!

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Another week has flown by already! Sickness threatened our ranks, but God gave everyone strength and courage to keep chugging. Derrick Williamson came to visit us on Monday and part of Tuesday, so it was a blessing to have his enthusiasm to help the group make it through. He led my team on Monday, giving me one more day to relax—and I actually got some good rest, too!

Tuesday and today I was out leading the teams again and we had a LOT of fun! :-D Was in pain this afternoon, but God gave me energy to make it through until we got back this evening. I’m going to bed early tonight!!

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Today was a real blessing! Had some interesting experiences, too. We had a terrible thunderstorm with wind, rain, thunder, lightning, and even a tornado nearby! Thank God, it hit just as I was picking up for lunch, forcing the student to take shelter in whatever business they were canvassing, and some even sold books because of it! PTL! :-D The afternoon brought even more adventure!

After lunch and dropping everyone off, I stopped and parked on some grass next to the railroad tracks, right between two long gravel driveways. A few minutes later, a man comes up to my window with a baseball bat in his hand! :-O He asked what I was doing, so I told him I was resting a few minutes while some students were working. He asked why I had a Maryland license plate and I told him we were working with the Review and Herald from Maryland, doing work in the area. He interrupted me saying that this was private property and I had no right to park my vehicle there (there was NO private property signs or anything there!). I told him I was sorry and immediately left. Paul was working on some houses just up the road, so I told him what happened. He had seen the man with the baseball bat, and was glad to know the man didn’t do anything bad. But as I drove away, I had a feeling that man would call the Police.

“Mobile Mantis, this is Paul, I need Administrative Assistance.” I knew it! I went back to Paul, but strangely, I found a Police car sitting on the side of the road, the police was talking on his cell phone, and Paul was 3 or 4 doors down, still canvassing! Finally I went to Paul to see what was going on. He said the Police had asked what we were doing and he’d told him, but he didn’t have a letter from R&H in his bag, so the police wanted to see it. Just then the Police car drove up next to me and he rolled down his window. “I just called headquarters,” he informed me, “and they said that you’ve already faxed them the letter and info we need and you’re good to go. They just don’t communicate with us, so we don’t know what was going on. You’re fine here,” he continued, “I wouldn’t have even come out at all, except someone called saying that your van was blocking their driveway!” Some people….. He asked how long we’ll be working that town, so they know if they get calls, and then left us to work and went on his way. PTL! :-D

I should tell you about our nicknames here at this program. We’re having a “creepy crawly” summer! lol My name is “Praying Mantis” (hence, Mobile Mantis), David is “Kangaroo”, and Paul is “Grand Daddy Long Legs.” The students names range from Gecko, Ant, Bumble Bee, June Bug, Firefly and Parrot for the guys, to Lady Bug, Honey Bee, Chameleon, Katy Bug, Dragonfly, and Grasshopper for the girls! It’s fun keeping all the names straight on the radio! ;)

Sabbath, June 24, 2006

Yesterday was a very busy day, but it was worth it. We got all the laundry and shopping done before breakfast, so we had some free time in the afternoon. Most of the guys went to a museum and the rest went with me to a church member’s house to relax and enjoy the afternoon.

Today was a real blessing. I was able to take the SS Superintendent time to do a short nature presentation from Discovering His Treasures. All of us pitched in for the church service—Scripture reading, special music, responsive reading, sharing experiences, etc. David and I split the sermon part, and it went very well—especially since we didn’t have more than a few minutes to prepare. The members were very kind and made us feel at home—they provided a nice meal for us and had beautiful acreage for us to walk, enjoy the creek and relax for the afternoon. What a treat!! :-D Now we’re looking forward to another week! Keep praying for us this week! God bless you all!

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

This week is flying by WAY too quickly! We had more challenges, especially with sickness among our ranks. Every person has been hit with some sort of sickness in this program, except me! But God is more powerful, and we've had a continual increase in sales, in spite of students having to stay back. Two students stayed back with me on Sunday, three different ones stayed on Monday, yesterday everyone went out, but today one had to stay back with me because of a fever! However, God turned that into a blessing. That evening, he was feeling a bit better and asked for a street to canvass. There was one right near the church which hadn't been done yet, with about 10 houses on it, so he set out to work. An hour later he came back with a big smile--he'd gotten $70 of books out on that one little street! God is simply astounding!

Friday, June 30, 2006

Yesterday everyone was able to work again, and God truly blessed with miracles. Yesterday my team of 6 had only about 11-12 books by lunchtime, and because of some funny circumstances, we had an extremely late lunch. By the time we started work again, there was only two hours of time left to work! I dropped everyone off in a subdivision and then I pulled over to pray. Soon the students started calling for "bread" (books) and the next two hours kept me busy just delivering books and moving students. We ended up with 38 books for the day! PTL!

Today was my 23rd birthday and they made sure I didn't forget that fact (even threatening 23 spankings, but they only managed to get 6 in)! They sang happy brirthday to me 5 or 6 times, plus made a special breakfast and bought some special gifts. What a loving, caring group of students--I wouldn't trade them for ANYTHING! This evening, we went to a church member's house for supper and vespers. Esther and Titus' family arrived tonight and are spending the weekend with us--another special treat for us all!

Sabbath, July 1, 2006

This morning began with a crashing start and brought many adventures. We drove to Grove City church and did the church service for them, which was a real blessing to all. It's a small little church, but the members made us feel welcome and we really appreciated their hospitality. I didn't have much energy, but God blessed with enough to play the organ and do the sermon, so I'm thankful for His goodness! This afternoon we had a relaxing time at the park, walking on the trails and enjoying the grass. What a blessing Sabbath is! Now we're ready for another week....

Wednesday, July 5, 2006

It seems that the weeks just seem to fly, and to think we're already into our 5th week! Where is the summer going? Sunday I stayed back to catch up on some things and get rest. Monday two students were sick, so I stayed back to nurse them to health. Yesterday was the fourth of July, so we took the day of for rest and recreation. After some laying down time in the morning, we had some play time, a special lunch (prepared by me--first time I've cooked anything this entire program!!), and ended the day with freeze tag and a water fight! We sure had a blast... what a blessing!

Today was a LOT of fun! I functioned as a ground leader for part of the day, and got some rest and hydrotherapy in a church member's spa this evening. This week is truly a turning point in the program. The students are finally getting over their sickness, and sales are increasing too. Each day this week has brought steady increase in books going out and today was our highest day so far: 125 books for 12 students!! To God be the glory, great things He hath done!

Sabbath, July 8, 2006

On Thursday, I was able to lead a team in London, Ohio and we had a fun day! Even though we didn't end up with quite as many books out as yesterday, God still blessed us with rich experiences and opportunities to witness and share His love with others. Luke met a man walking down the street, and he enthusiastically got a Happiness Digest. Later that afternoon, Luke met the same man on a different street, while he was waiting for pick-up. The man was walking down the sidewalk, reading the book and thoroughly enjoying it! Praise God for the souls being reached through our work here! 

Friday was the usual rat-race all morning long, trying to get laundry, shopping, chores and showers all done by 2:45pm. Then we drove an hour north to a church member's home for lunch and a relaxing Friday evening. We did worship for them, singing and sharing experiences around the room, which we all enjoyed. Another student arrived, Elisabeth (we call her Lizzie, or her nickname: Buckeye), so the girls are glad to have even numbers with the guys now! ;)

Today was even more of a blessing! We had a special nature Sabbath, rather than doing the church service at a church. We've had a busy 5 weeks and were ready for some rest. For Sabbath School we studied the story of Peter and John being released from prison by an angel, and finding object lessons from birds and how they fly. It was very thought-provoking and we all learned a lot! This afternoon we had a nice walk and some good "crash time," providing a great boost for the coming week. The students are all calling me "Mommy" now, so that gives you somewhat of an idea of the joys and challenges I'm having as head leader! :-D

Monday, July 10, 2006

Sunday brought a fair amount of excitement! David and I both decided to work the same little town of Pataskala, on the outskirts of south-eastern Columbus, and complete the town in one day. We entered the town and immediately books began going out left and right! It was a funny little town--hardly any main streets, but you drive down the little country roads, thinking you're going to end up in the woods somewhere and suddenly out of nowhere appears a huge, brand-new subdivision packed with houses! 

However, Satan wasn't too happy with our progress in the town, and after 1.5 hours, David's team was stopped by the police and ordered to leave the town. It wasn't even 3pm yet! David called me and warned me that we'd been kicked out, so immediately I started praying. We picked up both teams for an early lunchbreak, and I set to work calling the Review and Herald. Praise God, by the time we'd finished eating lunch we were totally cleared to continue working, and we finished the town without anymore problems! We ended up with over $1300 worth of books in that town by the end of the day. PTL!

Today was a partial resting day for me, as I took the afternoon off to gear up for the rest of the week. Can't wait to see what God has in store for us next!

Thursday, July 13, 2006

The last working day of week six already--our summer is over half-way gone! This week was a real blessing for me--as I was able to work Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and had more energy than the past couple weeks. Tuesday and Wednesday I worked in Grove City, Columbus, which is kind of the older section of Columbus. It doesn't have the ghettos of downtown Columbus, it's just the lower-class section with lots of apartments, "ma & pa shops", etc. It was here that God demonstrated to me an important lesson in an amazing way. Tuesday, our first day here, we had five students working, but only ended up with 2 books before lunch and 20 books by the end of the day. That can be a bit discouraging for a leader and it was tempting to wonder if I'd made a mistake in choosing that territory. 

However, after much prayer, I took a 6-man team there on Wednesday, picking up on the same streets--right where we'd left off the day before. By God's grace, we had 17 books before lunch and ended up with 51 books for our team! Lesson learned: it's not the territory, for God can work miracles anywhere. Our success is not what we can accomplish, but what GOD can do THROUGH us!

Today I had the afternoon off, as another student, Gabrielle (we named her Butterfly), arrived after flying all night last night. It was a blessing to get caught up on a few projects, soak in a church member's spa, and prepare for the busy weekend ahead. Today wasn't without a bed of roses, however, with students facing frustrations at doors, leaders having challenges finding the right territory, and even a student getting bit by a dog! But in spite of the apparent difficultities, our faith remains unshaken and we're looking forward to seeing what blessings God has in store for us tomorrow! Please don't forget to pray for us, that we may stand as good soldiers for Christ. May God bless you all!

Sabbath, July 15, 2006

Yesterday was the usual Friday bustle with driving here, there and everywhere trying to get everyone's needs accomplished before Sabbath! Finally had a chance to breathe in the evening, and I was VERY grateful when Sabbath arrived... We were blessed with a visit from another student's family, Mr. & Mrs. McFeeters this afternoon, and they spent Sabbath with us, as well. What a treat!

Today was a real blessing. We went to the Grove City Church and did the whole church service again for them. This time our sermon theme was "Prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven's storehouse where are treasured the boundless resources of Omnipotence." (SC 94-95) The students did a wonderful job with the special music and sharing experiences, and David and Paul both helped me with the sermon. Praise God, it was a real treat for the church members, and they were all sad to hear that we won't be able to visit them again this summer... We had a relaxing afternoon in a nearby park, where there were enough shade trees to help us escape from the heat. Today the students started calling David, "Daddy" so we've got a whole family now! LOL Tomorrow begins another week of canvassing! 

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Sunday was a blast! I worked as a ground leader on Paul's team today, giving me opportunities to do some doors with the students, as well as give Paul some more leadership training in the van. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute, Paul appreciated the help, and I had some neat experiences at doors, as well! The one experience that stands out most was when I was working with Robert doing some apartments. We were walking up to a door, when suddenly, from the McDonalds parkinglot (behind the apartment complex), we heard a bunch of kids yelling/singing. At first we ignored it, but as it got louder I picked up some of the words they were chorusing, "I love Jesus!" Robert and I didn't wait a minute longer--we both took off running in the direction of the sound. 

There, sitting in the parking lot, was a big school bus full of children with "Baptist Church" written in big letters on the side! They were just boarding when we walked up, but the staff were more than happy to talk with us and look at our books. We had a wonderful conversation with them, and found out that they were on their way to a Bible Summer camp with the children. We were able to pray together and it was such a blessing!! That experience brightened my whole day!

Yesterday and today I stayed back for a few hours to get some rest and work on administrative projects and phone calls, etc. Did manage to get a bit of rest, but projects keep me hopping even when I'm not out working in the vans. But that's ok--I LOVE this work and there's nowhere I'd rather be this summer!! God is truly blessing our group--in many ways! Conrad (one of my "bosses" from the Review and Herald) came to visit the other day bringing good news and encouragement. I just praise God for the many miracles He has worked for our group this summer, and especially for me! My health has held out extremely well, even better than I'd anticipated, and the students/leaders are SO supportive. Last week, the students had a special meeting in the kitchen and voted to take turns making lunches for us leaders, so we don't have to worry about our lunch! God is so good! Please keep praying that we have wisdom to lead the students and that God will reward our efforts in reaching many souls and distributing even more books than ever!

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

This morning we had a real treat! The publishing director for the Review and Herald, as well as the assistant publishing director for the General Conference, both came to visit us for a few hours and spend some time interviewing our group. They did an encouraging worship for us, as well as did some taping of our group for a promotional video to advertize the canvassing work around the world. It was encouraging to be able to talk with them and see their response to our group. Another blessing was when they interviewed Pastor Seibold about our program. His response was very enthusiastic and he really appreciates our work here. Praise God! "The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad!" (Psalm 126)

Sabbath, July 22, 2006

The past couple days have been busy, as always. Thursday I was planning to go out, but plans changed last minute, so I had to stay behind. Nevertheless, the Lord provided a blessed day and we ended our week with thanksgiving to Him. What a blessing to see so many people receiving books! So far this summer we've distributed over 5,000 pieces of liturature and I know that number will increase dramatically before the summer is over! To God be the glory! :-D

Friday was the usual bustle of laundry, shopping and chores. We had some free time in the afternoon, and then spent a couple hours at a church member's house playing in the water and swimming. That water felt SOOO good after a long, hot week! It's been in the upper 90s with 99% humidity for us for the past week or two, so we've had our share of sweltering. Another blessing: I had a good visit with our host while the guys took their turn in the pool, sharing some of what God has done for us this summer, and getting to know their family better. What joy it is to minister to others, while they minister to us!

Today was a busy day for us. I was able to share a nature slide show at the Eastwood Columbus, SDA church during the Sabbath School time, and our group had a 10 minute sharing time during the church service, to give a report on how things are going and share a couple experiences. We had an enjoyable afternoon relaxing and singing together, and this evening we headed north to the Delaware Church (not in Delaware state though) to do a vespers service for them. Whew! Turned out to be a full day, but a real blessing to the people we ministered to, as well as to us. It's time to begin another week!

Monday, July 24, 2006

Yesterday was SUCH a blessing! I worked with Paul, leading a team in Grove City, and God truly blessed us with many miracles. Two of our students ended up with "Bakeries" (a set of 7 or more books to one person) in unexpected places, and Paul was able to canvass a Church of the Nazarine. It was a massive church, but while searching inside for people to talk with, he met an earnest lady who was seeking for truth. She ended up getting a Great Controversy and Desire of Ages from him, and said she was sure that God sent her there just to meet Paul and get those books!! Praise God for using us to be his messengers right on time. We ended up nearly tying with our second highest day this whole summer in donations today, so God truly blessed! 

Today I had business to take care of, so spent the afternoon back with a couple students who weren't feeling well. Once again, God poured out blessings, and we ended up with 1 or 2 less books than yesterday, despite having two less students working!! Please continue to keep us in prayer--we have just over 2.5 weeks of working left, and God has much more for us to do! By Faith We Conquer, in HIM!

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Only two weeks of cavassing left! God has truly been working wonders for us, and we have nothing to complain about--despite the seeming obsticles. I was able to work with Paul again on Tuesday, and then took Wednesday and Thursday afternoon off to rest and take care of business.

Tuesday and Wednesday brought a steady increase in sales, ending with our highest book day for the summer on Wednesday--131 books! Today brought even more blessings, ending us with our highest week of the summer--over $7,000.00 worth of books went out this week! Our lowest day this week, was nearly as high as the highest day of last week! God is working in mighty ways, getting the truth to seeking souls! PTL!

Sabbath, July 29, 2006

Whew! Another busy two days to keep us hopping.... Yesterday we did our usual Friday chores, laundry and running errands, and then spent the afternoon/evening at the home of Lowell and Margaret Hatch--local church members here in Worthington. We had a pleasant meal and a delightful evening of music and sharing. What a blessed way to begin the Sabbath!

Today we hit the road at 8:00am and drove two hours north to Boling Green, Ohio--just south of Toledo. We did the entire church service there, joined them for lunch, and then took a hike at a nearby nature preserve with Pastor Matt Mattzela. He had come to visit us on Thursday to do worship for us, and in return we did worship for his church. We were blessed, and God used us to be a blessing to his congregation. We got home this evening in time to close Sabbath with worship and head to bed. Time to begin another week! Please continue to keep us in prayer, as we begin our last two weeks of canvassing!

Wednesday, August 2, 2006

This week has flown by way too quickly! Sunday I had a blast leading a team again, and Monday I had business to take care of so I could lead on Tuesday. We were hit with an extreme heat wave this week--every day has been in the triple digets, with VERY high humidity. That really took a lot of energy out of the students, walking between doors all day, but God has kept us working. Though our sales haven't been quite as exceptional as last week, we're still ending up with our third highest week of the summer! Praise the Lord! 

Sabbath, August 5, 2006

Thursday we ended the week with 430 books and over 600 Happiness Digests! God is so good and it's hard to believe that next week is our last week! I had the afternoon to work on business things and had a chance to soak in Dianne's spa, so that was a blessing for me.

Yesterday was quite the adventure! We spent the morning doing our laundry, shopping, changing oil in the van, and cleaning chores. Then we hit the road and drove to the Proctor family's house up in Powell. (The Proctors are a family that our students met while canvassing!) They provided a bountiful meal for us, and let us use their canoes, paddle boat, and water torpedos and swim in their private lake! Mr. Proctor and his daughter even came out with us and join in the fun. Did we ever have a blast--probably the best Friday of the summer! We even experienced tipped canoes and some of the guys were thrown into the water by Mr. Proctor himself! You'll have to look at page 7 in the photo section to see what fun we had...

Today was a very busy Sabbath. David and I took a small group of students to the first church service at Worthington, at 9am to share a 5 minute report on what we've been doing this summer. Paul brought the rest of the group to join us for Sabbath school, and our whole group did a 10 minute report for second church service. As soon as that report finished, we couldn't stay for the rest of the sermon, but drove straight to the Spanish church to do a 10 minute report and sing special music there!

When that report finished, most of the students stayed there for the sermon, while a small group left with me and drove to the Westerville Church. We got there at the end of the sermon, and did a 15 minute report for them and shared special music. Then we headed back to the Spanish Church to join the rest of our group for lunch there. Then we had a couple hours to crash, practice music, and prepare for the evening. 6pm found us back at the Worthington Church doing an hour vespers program. Whew! We were ready for bed when the day was over!

Tuesday, August 8, 2006

This week has been such a blessing--the summer is nearly gone! By God's grace we've hit over $55,000 for the summer already! That represents a LOT of books and Happiness Digests. We've had another attack with sickness, but By Faith We Conquer, and we're still pressing forward. Keep praying!

Wednesday, August 9, 2006

Our last day of work...it sounds so sad!! :'( David and I each led a 7 man team in the same area today, and Paul worked as a ground leader, so we all were able to work our last morning together. It was a lot of fun too! :) Lunch was our stopping point for the day, and Pastor Bobby graciously treated us to a delightful meal at the Olive Garden! Then we headed back to the school to break the awful news to the students--that the summer was over! They all cried, but eventually they forgave us and forced smiles as we took them and their laundry to the laundry mat. The afternoon/evening was a rat race of work, doing cleaning, laundry and shopping for the retreat, and doing the last minute planning. Our final accounting figures showed us breaking $58,460 in sales this summer, with an average of 12-14 students! God has been so good to us--by faith, we have conquered!!

Friday, August 11, 2006

Yesterday and today have been a blast! Yesterday started with a bang--or maybe a tie-down? The guys roped the girls' door shut, locking the cooks in their room! (Guess they weren't hungry that morning??) Thank God for pocket knives, the girls succeeded in breaking through! LOL We spent the morning packing and cooking and getting things ready. Then we headed north to the Mohican River for a 7-mile canoe trip, which was great fun and exercise, and a great way to cool down in the heat! Luke and Alex begged me to ride in their canoe and we learned great lessons about paddling, working together, and the importance of leadership! LOL From there we headed to a church member's property for a camping trip. We ended the evening with an after-dark game of hide-and-seek before crashing in our sleeping bags for the night. What a day! 

Today was more of a relaxing day. We laid on the grass, tumbled in the weeds, bounced on the trampoline, explored through the woods, and just enjoyed each other's company. All too soon it was time to go back to school for showers and getting ready for Sabbath. This retreat is just going by WAY too fast!

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Yesterday was a blessing and a day of memories. We spent the morning at the Delaware church, doing the sermon for them (they have the sermon before Sabbath School). From there, we had a delightful picnic lunch and afternoon at the Delaware State Park. Just before leaving the park, we presented the students with their special gift for the summer: a small hymnal with "Ohio LE 2006; By Faith We Conquer" imprinted on the front (see picture on page 8)! That was a total surpise for the students, and so rewarding to see their faces--made it worth all the effort! 

Saturday night was a busy one. We had a precious sharing time together, telling blessings from the summer, and revealing our secret prayer partners. Our last photo together was piling all 17 of us on that one famous couch--thanks to our visiting friend, Caleb, taking the picture for us! Then it was time for packing, signing hymnals, and filling out exit forms, making a short night for us all. 

Today was SOO sad, yet terribly busy! Packing, cleaning, more packing, more cleaning, running errands, taking students to the airport and bus station (multiple trips), loading vans, saying goodbyes, making last-minute memories, and all too soon it was 3:30pm and our last students, along with David, had left, leaving Paul and I to wrap up the last bit of cleaning and accounting. Oh the memories, the smiles, the hugs, the prayers, the tears... 

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

It's OVER!!!! Yesterday (Tuesday) Paul and I drove the vans from Ohio back to the Review and Herald in Maryland, finalized the accounts, delivered the left-over books, and finished up business with our bosses. At 7pm I took Paul to the bus station, and my friend, Kyla, picked me up and drove me to her house in Pennsylvania, which is where I'm writing this from. I'm here to crash for a few days before flying back home on the 23rd. 

Looking back over the summer, I wouldn't have traded it for anything! I thought that my first summer canvassing was the best summer in my life, but this was FAR better than I ever could have dreamed! We truly felt like family, and it was like saying goodbye to family to part from them all. I hope and pray that next summer will be even better, and that many of us may be together again too! My prayer is that each person we met in Ohio may be changed because we were there, and that each one of us students and leaders may continue growing and working for God through this coming year! 

I think my thoughts can be best summarized in the poem that David, Paul and I composed to write inside the student's hymnals:

"As you leave this summer with memories galore, 

We pray that your work for Christ is not o'er. 

Keep trusting and praying, 

Keep growing and sharing, 

And together we'll meet on that everlasting shore."

I want to be there, don't you? Let's do something about it!!