MMAP Cedar Springs Wesleyan Camp, Floyd, Iowa May, 2014

I can’t believe we have been home a week now!  Prior to going to Iowa, we went home for four days.  Paul needed to get a tooth replaced, and also during the time we were home, we made a trip to the ER with a flareup of Paul’s diverticulitis!  He needs to stop scaring me!

During that time, we also attended the ground breaking ceremony at the new site for the Church at Station Hill.

We are excited to be a part of a new, fast-growing church.  Part of me wants it to stay small.  Growing up and as young marrieds, we were both part of small churches, and the fellowship you have is so sweet!  But our “Sunday School Class” are empty-nesters and we have found great fellowship with them and look forward to getting to know them better.

We left leaving plenty of time to enjoy the scenery, with fields of mustard plants,

going through St. Louis.  One of these days I want to stop and visit the arch.  I heard you can go inside to the top!  Definitely on the list!

We arrived at Cedar Springs Wesleyan Camp a day early since we were coordinators.  

Two of the rigs took advantage of the “valet parking” when they got stuck in the mud.

They were new sites on grass and it had recently rained.  

We had a great group of workers!  Out of the five couples, two could only stay for two weeks, as they both had grandchildren graduating from high school in Colorado.  But we took advantage of them while they were there!

The priority was a staff cabin started last fall.   

Due to lack of eaves and some window issues, water was getting into the building.  So the guys added eaves.

They removed windows, corrected the leaking problem and reinstalled them.

The construction and siding were completed!

Redoing some electrical gave a chance to play with the big toys!

Another project during the month was part of a renovation of the basement of the dining hall.   They were removing carpeting from a meeting room and replacing it with carpet squares.  

Bunk rooms were also being constructed in the basement.  About 1000 feet of carpet squares were installed as well as rubber kick board.  

The ladies painted two of the rooms

and spindles for the front porch of the staff cabin, and window trim,

as well as prepping, 

painting undercoat plus two coats of green on two triple bunk beds!

Sandy is a veteran sewer and quilter, so she designed and sewed a set of curtains for the new staff cabin.   Another set will be made for the second staff cabin that is scheduled to be built.  We went shopping for the material and came up with this inspirational material!

We ladies managed to get two days out, one to St. Charles while we had the full crew, 

where we followed a historic house walking tour that included this Frank Lloyd Wright home 

and these beauties across from the park.

We also took an afternoon during the last week to visit the town of Osage

Devotion time was special in front of the fireplace.

We also took break there, and one day were blessed to have five associate MMAPers who live in the area come visit; the Bergs, .Betty Hanna and  Larry Neely, who happens to be on the camp board.

There is always an immediate kinship when meeting other MMAPers for the first time!

Socializing is always a part of the project.  We took time for a potluck and games.

Our weekends off went quickly.  There were repairs and maintenance issues on the RV that Paul was able to take care of, and we did a lot of relaxing.

The camp is located on a beautiful, scenic site, right beside the Cedar River.

We took the time to walk along the river

where we saw a couple kayak down the river toward Charles City, about 15 miles away.

We planned to take a canoe ride, but it was raining and stormy the days we were off and were able to do it.

A Frank Lloyd Wright inspired home was on the property when it became a camp and is now the manager’s house.

We could watch the eagle nest from there, looking across the river.  We were told there were two babies (they are totally black until they are one or two years old), but we were only able to see one each time.

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One day we were enjoying our campfire, and saw the eagle and the baby were soaring above...but they were gone too fast to capture on camera!

It was a great experience to see this eagle's nest.

One weekend, we took advantage of the $4 movie in Osage, and saw Heaven is For Real.  

And ate at Lucy’s Lunchbox, a tribute to Lucille Ball!

On Mother’s day, we attended the Little Brown Church in the Vale in Nassau. The men’s choir (which included all males in the congregation, including our four!) sang an ode to the ladies~

Again, we were blessed to be a part of another ministry which was new to us.