Moving Day II

Our daughter Sarah, her husband Scott and the two little ones moved this weekend, from a townhouse in Mount Joy to a single family home in a development near Etown.

They were still doing some painting Friday night and called for help. We headed over, stopping to pick up some food for dinner on the way. Larry was putting vents and outlet covers back on for awhile, then started painting. I was mostly tending the children. At 8:30, I brought Jade (23 mo. old) back to our house and put her to bed here, since I was keeping her Saturday, moving day, anyway. Larry didn't come home until about 11:00. This is why we were painting:


The carpeting had been replaced in the bedrooms as well. The plan was wait awhile to install new carpet downstairs. However, when they steamed those carpets, they learned something about cats and cat pee . . . it soaks through the carpet into the padding and never goes away . . . it just waits to be released by the next steam treatment. Whew, the whole place stunk. So, their friend, the carpet installer did a rush job, replacing the carpet first thing on Saturday.

Moving day, Saturday, dawned hot and miserable. Too bad everyone was too busy to enjoy the water features. Maybe another day.

The Big Move

This past weekend, we helped son Nathan and his family move from Lancaster, PA to Fort Mill SC. They are moving as a part of a team training for missions. They packed the Budget moving van on Thursday, then came to our place to spend the night. Larry and I had worked a full busy day, and we arrived home to find our daughter Fran was there starting supper. She and and our other daughter Sarah had planned this meal so we had one last family evening together.

Friday morning, not quite as bright and early as we might have hoped, we headed for South Carolina. The trip went well. Larry drove the truck, pulling our car on a trailer. Nathan started out with him, and I drove their car, allowing Nathan's wife Terah to interact with the children. At New Market, VA, we stopped to refuel the truck and ourselves. At that point, Nathan and I switched places for the remainder of the trip. There was one traffic jam on Rt 77 north of Charlotte NC that slowed us to a crawl for a few miles, but other than that, we did well.


When we arrived at our destination, a cabin on the old Heritage USA property, Fort Mill, SC, their team and other friends from the community were there to greet us....the other two couples who are part of their team also live in cabins, all three just a few yards apart. The truck was unloaded promptly, the bedrooms were set up, and and we ate a delicious meal prepared prepared for us.


Being on the old PTL grounds which we heard so much about in years past was an interesting experience for me. Here is some of what we learned and experienced . . . this property was purchased by MorningStar Ministries about three years ago . Some of you are familiar with Rick Joyner and his ministry in the area of praise and worship. Anyway, they are in the process of restoring some of the main buildings, beginning with the Grand Hotel and the Conference center, for use as Christian retreats and conferences. If you go to the website and follow the H.I.M link, you can see some interesting pictures of the renovation process. They have the hotel and conference center up and running.


Rooms in the Grand Hotel are available just like a motel and that is where we stayed. They are very nice, much like a Comfort Inn, or Holiday Inn Express, except that it is meant now to be a retreat center, so there are barebones amenities, no TV, phones, or hairdryers in the rooms. (And no coffee either!!) Anyway, we stayed there, just across a lawn and parking area from Nathan and Terah's cabin. The huge atrium is currently used as the place of worship for MorningStar Fellowship, though they are "off" for the month of July, so it was quiet around there.


We walked around the old Heritage theme park property, sad and amazed at the decay of what must have been quite a place. The "tower", 20 or so stories, is deteriorating, the brick falling off, windows broken. We walked around the lake (with grandchildren Bella and Noah, giving Terah a chance to set up her kitchen). Buildings crumbling, grown over. Is desolation too strong a word? That's what it felt like out on the back side of the property where the water park used to be.

In addition to renovating for their own ministries MorningStar also rents space to other ministries. That is why Nathan, Terah, and the other two couples on their ministry team/community are renting cabins on this property. Their training, with World Outreach Center, will also take place here on the property.



Anyway, an interesting experience, being here, thinking about all the people who lost money, the poor widows who sent their mites, who believed in the PTL ministry. Larry commented, not only is it sad that Bakkers lived lavishly and exploited people, but we also observe how the place was poorly built and has not held up over these years. And as I was sitting in the mezzanine of the Grand Hotel, where there was wireless internet, I read online that Tammy Faye died on Friday. Another moment for contemplation of all that had happened on that site.

On another note, while planning this trip we realized that Fort Mill is only 25 miles from the JAARS center at Waxhaw, NC. When we visited Yarinacocha, Peru, back in 1978, we learned to know several dedicated people who spent their lives serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators. We have kept in touch with a few of them, most now retired. One of them, a pilot named Doug Deming, lives at Waxhaw. We called

him, met with him and took him out to dinner Saturday night. He is a very interesting man who has had a life full of jungle experience. His wife Sue is in the final stages of altzheimers. He said tonight hospice has begun providing assistance. He also mentioned that he is putting together a power point presentation of her life . . . he speaks of her with such love and tenderness.

Sunday morning, after breakfast together, we said our goodbyes and headed back to Pennsylvania.

July 12-15

We left Thursday, July 12, to spend the weekend with my husband Larry's extended family. The tradition of spending a weekend at a hunting camp in Slate Run, PA began in 1968, the summer after we were married, when Larry's grandmother and all her children were still living. The group will be celebrating 40 years next summer, and we haven't missed a single weekend. Our children grew up with this tradition, and now they all come, bringing their children, four generations spending the weekend together.

Larry's parents are the only ones of their generation who were present. An uncle and his wife are still living but reside at Garden Spot Village and are unable to participate. This year was the biggest group ever, with seventy people present. Larry's entire family was present, coming from as far as Kona, Hawaii and San Francisco, CA.

Larry's folks packed their car and drove to our place . . . then Dad rode with Larry, and I drove their car with Mother. We had a pleasant trip. I enjoy driving, and it gave us a chance to visit.

The weather was very pleasant, cooler than normal. We had a couple of showers on Saturday, but they didn't last long. Pine Creek was very low this year, and for the first time in a long while, there was little swimming and no one went tubing. The creek was so shallow that the little ones could play freely along the edge.


The cabin is in a prime location. Pine Creek is on one side of the property, relatively new "rails to trails" bike path is on the other side, and the store is a stone's throw down the trail. Most of the families bring bicycles and spend a little time on the trail.

Larry took his bucket along when we went out, and found some ripe raspberries.

When he got back he shared them with the grandchildren who quickly gathered round and chowed down.

There is always multi-generational volleyball, and usually a whiffle ball game with the younger ones. We used to play a rowdy game of softball, but as the group has grown in size, there are more and more tents and campers and there is hardly room to play. Also, there were nasty injuries a couple of times, and so softball was retired to the past. The one that clinched it was about 10 years ago when a cousin got hit in the head with a lightning throw to first. He was knocked out with a serious injury and spent the rest of the weekend in the hospital at Jersey Shore. It put a damper on the weekend for sure.




There is a campfire that burns the whole weekend. We use it for cooking food.(Larry brings a grill hanging from a tripod) and families roast hotdogs and make mountain pies (or hodgie podgies as we like to call them). We had steak and corn
on the cob one dinner.

In the evenings, the whole group gathers around the fire, often staying up until midnight. I don't stay up any more. I enjoy some quiet and don't need the interaction. Besides, I have too much to do when I get home not to get some sleep.

On Sunday we have a worship time around the fire. There is some singing, some "special" music, a scripture, sharing and prayer. Then everyone packs up and heads out pretty quickly. And so it goes, year after year, with slight variations.

The reunion that was . . .

. . . was not quite as planned, but we had a great time anyway. Kansas sister never did make it to Harrisburg but was redirected to Pittsburgh. Florida brother had his own flight frustrations, but we gratefully gathered, just a bit later in the evening than originally planned. The setting, Tranquil Lodge, near Belleville, PA was a perfect setup for a large family. We were a group of thirty-four spanning four generations.


Hubby and I stopped at Hershey Medical Center for a quick visit with our brother-in-law who is receiving treatment for lymphoma and wasn't able to be with us at the reunion.


Some of the group hiked "One Thousand Steps", the little boys discovered a natural fort, some played pool and air hockey, there was lots of time for conversation. The upstairs loft was lots of fun until someone took the ladder down. We never did get around to the service project.


On Saturday we took group photos on a big rock along the lane. We thought about the two siblings, the grandchildren and great grandchildren who were missing. Maybe next year . . .