Special Notice

We are home from the Rally and I will talk about that another day.

For now --- just received a phone call from Janey (for those of you who have been following us it's Janey and Logan) and Logan passed away this morning. Janey said he had not been feeling well for the past couple of weeks and this morning was his day to go and join the Lord in heaven! Please keep she and the family in your prayers. We all know that Logan had been through some terrible health problems and we thank God for allowing us to get to know and love he and Janey.

Also, while we were gone we received a call saying a member of Monty's family passed away. The family has asked Monty to officiate the funeral this Wednesday. We met with the family this afternoon to finalize some details and also ask that you keep the entire family in your prayers.

We all know our days are numbered and we should all thank God for each day we have on this earth. Although it's sad for us when a loved one passes away we are to rejoice and celebrate their life and their new life in heaven!

Until next time . . . call a family member and tell them you love them! Susan and Monty

An Amazing Honor

These past 2 days have been like a whirlwind! As you know, we are in Kentucky at the Good Sam Club annual Rally where we won the RVer of the Year award.

Yesterday we were honored to be a part of the first days activities. A tour for all those who won "best this or best that"; like Cracker Barrel being the RVers favorite sit down restaurant because everyone knows they have special parking in the rear of their places for those of us pulling campers, the Flying J truck stop for best gas, and so on. From there it was off to appetizers and then a wonderful dinner where each of those listed above received their awards.

Then it was our turn to receive our award. It was so extremely humbling! We are not nor have we ever been about awards and to receive this one, hearing them describe our work, our ministry --- it was tough to hold back the tears. The showed everyone the video we have of Ms Faye and Mike (see March of 2007 for their full story) and by the end nearly everyone else was in tears. We received a standing ovation! What an awesome God we serve!

Immediately after the dinner we were wisked away to the stadium where we were honored once again -- this time in front of who knows how many people! The spot lights blinded us while we were on stage and I think that might have been a good thing! The video of us being featured on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams was shown to give everyone just a taste of our ministry. Camping World took the stage as one of the major sponsors and decided to give us a nice gift certificate -- we can now replace the broken down chair and couch in our trailer! Incredible! It also meant the world to us to have Monty's parents sitting right in front for the whole thing. My parents weren't able to make it as my mother is ill -- both of us broken hearted!

Right after the honors we were all entertained by Bob Newhart! We all remembered his TVshows and seeing him in person --- especially with front row seats --- fantastic!

By the time we arrived back at our room we were exhausted mentally and emotionally but still wound for sound -- a tough set of emotions to make sense of!

This morning we were up and back at the Rally bright and early. They had a dog show that I wanted to see and we all laughed at all the categories, the dogs and their owners. Since we were unable to bring our camper we left our dogs at home and today I really missed them. I know they could have won something!? :)

After the show we grabbed lunch and headed into the room where all the vendors were set up with everything imaginable -- and some not imaginable -- needed or wanted for campers! It was alot of fun.

By the time we were finished -- and we didn't even see it all -- we had to grab a bite for dinner so we could be back for tonights entertainment ----- Tanya Tucker!! And once again -- FRONT row seats!!!

As we traveled throughout this day we were constantly stopped by folks wanting to shake our hands, give us hugs, and thank us for serving God in what we do! We were prayed for and thanked and loved on all throughout the day and into this evening. Even after the concert we had people coming up to us and going so far as to stopping us in the parking lot as we tried to leave! This is something we are not used to and admit that although it is an honor beyond description it is a bit uncomfortable. All we are doing is following the call God has placed on our lives. Our mission statement isn't very long or detailed; "help the people" --- but somehow God has managed to work through us to allow thousands to see Him at work! THAT is more than humbling!

Tomorrow we are scheduled to be at what's called "Meet and Greet" where we will be set up at a table where people can talk with us or ask questions. We do have our business cards and I did make a letter of sorts to try and describe what we actually do when we are in the field. Please pray that God will give us the words and that all we do and say will be to His glory!

People are asking how to come and help -- they are giving us their cards -- they are praying for us -- they are smiling and thanking God for the work we have been doing.

The problem?????????????? All the work has been done by YOU ---- the volunteers who have come and rolled up your sleeves and done the work! YOU have rebuilt lives by rebuilding homes and YOU should be the ones receiving this award -- the thanks -- the hugs -- the smiles and the prayers!

But I guess we'll have to do what they do elsewhere --- "we accept this award on behalf of all of YOU who weren't able to be here!"

Thank you Good Sam Club!

Until next time . . . feel better Mom! Susan and Monty

Louisville -- Day One

We made it to Louisville for the Good Sam Club RV Rally. It's the largest rally of its kind and today was the "early bird" day. It was great to finally meet some of the folks we have been talking with only by phone. They took care of getting us the hotel room and then getting us registered. We are now "official" with name tags and a parking pass!

We didn't have much time to do anything else but we did get a quick stroll through the building housing the most amazing RVs ever -- the ones you drive! Some of them are longer than our house!

There is so much to see and tomorrow is a very busy day for us. It is the opening day and we are to be in attendance for the opening tour of the grounds. From there we have appetizers and then dinner and then the awards ceremony. They had asked if we had any videos of disaster work and we provided them with two. They will review them in the morning and we'll see what they think. The entertainment to close out the evening is comedian Bob Newhart. Both Monty's parents and my parents are making the drive down here and we are so thankful that they will share this moment of honor with us. We are humbled by this award and pray everyone here will see the blessings that come from volunteering and how we are rebuilding lives by rebuilding homes! Publicity can be a good thing to keep awareness levels high but it's something we have never sought out. This entire mission we are on is NOT about us but about the Lord and letting him work through us and all the volunteers we work with! Pray that is the end result!

We did get a phone call from Texas as we were driving. Ben, the camp manager at the Presbyterian camp is back to volunteer again! It was so good to hear from him and it made me miss seeing him and his smile!

I also talked with our UMCOR supervisors in Texas yesterday. They tell me work has resumed at Rosaland's house and she should be done very soon. Ms Joyce is done -- except for Ben taking her special prayer bench and planning on rebuilding it for her --- which will be a dream come true for her!

We thank you for your continued support and please pray that we are able to reach the multitudes while we are here -- with the blessings of God that will touch their hearts and move them to reach out and help others in their time of need!

Until next time . . . blessings to all of you! Susan and Monty

Preparations

If you look really close you can see one of our hummingbirds off to the left of the feeder. They swarm this one and the one in the back, not even caring if we are sitting out next to them -- one of the things that's nice about being home. Just one!

These early days of this week are being spent preparing for the RV Rally being held in Louisville, KY this week. Since we won the RVers of the year we have some responsibilities to fulfill. It was our hope and plan to be taking our newly rebuilt camper trailer and parking in the number one spot -- but sometimes plan B has to be put into motion. This is one of those times. Monty's '95 Ford that we use to pull the trailer has major front end and engine problems and will be in the shop for quite some time. It's what happens with older vehicles and thankfully we have a team of local guys who take care of our vehicles for us. They said it was a miracle we even made it back from picking it up at Elkhart last week! God is in the business of miracles so . . . thank you Lord!

Today I spent quite a bit of time at the church office copying a newsletter of sorts. We were asked if we had a brochure of any kind and since it takes money to do such a thing we decided to create a letter with basic information describing what we do and how we are supported. Since we have absolutely no idea how many people to expect during the "meet and greet" on Saturday I made about 2500 copies. It would be nice to run out in this case! Time will tell.

Thursday night is the Awards night and we have no idea what to expect. Both our parents are making the trip and we are honored to accept this award. They plan to show a couple of videos that we have to explain disaster missions. Should be a great evening and alot of fun even if we don't consider ourselves as "campers" or RVers.

Yesterday was alot of fun for me personally -- I was honored to preach the sermon at our home church! Pastor's daughter is in labor and we are all awaiting the news that this baby has finally arrived. With him needing to focus on family it was an honor for me to deliver a message. I think everyone must have been okay with "third string" as they ran out of CDs to make copies on -- or else they just had a few CDs on hand! :)

And yes, we are still awaiting word on this baby. It's their first and they made the decision to not know ahead of time if its a boy or girl. Whichever it is -- it is taking its sweet time and mom is being a real trooper in all this! Please keep all of them in your prayers!

Until next time . . . speedy delivery Lord, speedy and safe delivery! Susan and Monty

Plan B

As some of you might know, next week is The Rally! Good Sam Club's largest RV rally in the US and the club that will be honoring us with the "RVer of the Year" award. It's being held in Louisville, KY which is only a couple of hours from us here at home. We've known about this since last Sept and didn't know for sure if we would make it.

Since it falls in our sabbatical time we have been putting things together to leave next week. With the awesome news of the camper being repaired beyond our dreams we thought we were set to roll. Think again! Now Monty's truck, the one that pulls the trailer, has major mechanical problems! Major! We knew it was going to need some "help" but nothing like this and not at this time. So . . . plan B is in effect. We contacted the Rally reps and told them we could not make it with our trailer. They stepped up and we will now be staying in a hotel nearby and once again our dog sitter is on hold waiting to hear when she needs to come and stay at the house! Isn't God amazing! He knew all along that we needed the "rest" that will come with not hauling the trailer, not needing to keep watch over the dogs and not putting the extra stress on the trailer!

So --- we are leaving next week and are looking forward to meeting thousands of folks and making some new friends! Please keep us in your prayers for safe travel and that God will use us to reach out and spread His plan for our lives!

In the meantime days go by along with the time. Yesterday I spent the day with my mom, a real treat! I need to do it more often and hopefully will! As usual, we laughed together and cried together -- God blessed us each with the gift of doing both easily.

Monty spent the afternoon with some guy friends from church and really had a good time! He needed that as much as I needed my mom!

He also spent time getting this computer ready for me. Mine died -- really died! We have it with one of our friends who will hopefully be able to fix it but in the meantime I have "confiscated" Monty's. It's amazing how we get used to our own and changing is tough! Of course that has nothing to do with aging!! :)

I also made a hospital visit yesterday while with my mom. One of our church friends took a terrible fall a couple of days ago and managed to break both arms! Yes, both! She had surgery yesterday to rebuild her shattered right shoulder and see what they could do with the broken left one. And all she was worried about was how she could still pray for her friend at church and who would pick up the bagels for Sunday morning! Now that's a heart of service and love for others! Please keep Jeri in your prayers!

We thank you for ALL of your prayers!

Until next time . . . bless another today! Susan and Monty

PS I got an email saying Collier and Justine's house is nearing a House Blessing! Praise the Lord!

God's Priceless Provision

14 hours after we started this day we are still in shock. We shouldn't be -- God promised us He would take care of us when He called us into this disaster ministry. He always has, He's never gone back on that promise. So why are we in shock?

Isn't a miracle just an answered prayer?

Isn't God in the business of sometimes answering prayers above and beyond anything we could imagine?

Today He did just that -- WAY above and WAY beyond!

If you have been keeping up with us you know our camper trailer was damaged in a storm while we were in Texas. The insurance company totalled it out as they said the damage was more than 80% of the value of the trailer - and then they cancelled the insurance on it. We had a couple of estimates and realized that they were way out of our ballpark. We weren't sure what we were going to do.

And then --- don't our Moms always have the answers? Mine did! She reminded me that we are the RVers of the year and that we might want to contact them and just let them know what was happening with us. Why not? One never knows.

Long story short -- they asked us to bring it to the plant which is located nearly 4 1/2 hours from us. We did that only days after coming back here for our sabbatical. It's been there for over a month and Monday they called to say it ready today.

We headed out early this morning and when we arrived we were shocked -- in a really good way. Ever seen the show "Overhauled"? We were overhauled!

Our much used trailer now has a brand new roof, complete with rafters and every inch caulked. That includes all new vent hatches on top and a new TV antenna. The ceilings inside are all new along with lights. They took care of every little detail -- way beyond what we could have imagined. The old nasty carpeting that we had removed months ago -- now new carpet has been installed. The damaged piece of siding on the exterior has been replaced with new. The broken window latch -- which is the fire escape window -- is no longer broken. Our tires and wheels won't be subjected to blowouts anymore -- new! The exterior walls and ceiling on the slide are also new -- no more leaks to be concerned about. There might even be more but I can't remember and when we got home it was dark so I'm excited to open it up tomorrow and start moving our things back in and see what else I find.

It was so exciting to meet the men and women responsible for all the work. It brought tears to our eyes and when they smiled and hugged each of us it only brought more tears of joy!

When we are in the field we live in this trailer 24/7 -- we don't "camp." When things begin to go wrong and need repairs we do the best we can. But when the big things start happening it gets extremely tough. What this company and these people did is priceless! Until we reached home on June 4th of this year we had lived in our camper day after day after day since January 2008! And now when we start out on the next adventure God has for us we will be able to go worry free when it comes to living!

I just can't find the words to express how I feel. When we go in and rebuild folks homes they try and thank us and can't find the words and now I know how they feel.

God is such an awesome God and we are so thankful to Him for His constant provision! Just when I think I've seen so many miracles He steps in and reminds me that He is all powerful and with Him nothing is impossible.

To those of you who have kept us and this trailer problem in your prayers -- we deeply appreciate each and every prayer and please know that God heard each one and acted on each one -- in a huge way!

What an awesome God we serve! How blessed we are to serve Him!

Until next time . . . may God bless those who made this possible! Susan and Monty

She's my youngest?

Tomorrow she turns 28 -- the age I was when she was born -- and she's my youngest! My how time flies -- but -- Happy Birthday Lindsay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Speaking of time -- these past days have been a bit difficult for me -- age isn't helping either.

If you are avid readers of our blog you remember a few months ago when I took a rather nasty fall from our camper trailer -- when preparing to walk my dogs they took a hard right out of the trailer door without telling me and I managed to fall down all the steps -- sideways -- turning a complete flip. And now . . . time has not helped me heal -- nor have my construction "habits." I saw the xrays of my neck and upper back this morning and it isn't pretty but it's not anything that weeks and weeks of chiropractic adjustments won't take care of. I guess that explains the excruciating headaches, feeling off balance, having blurred vision and some rather nasty pain. Thank the Lord for a wonderful chiropractor just around the corner! As they say, "time heals all" and thankfully we are home for some "time."

Yesterday was a treat for us as our neighbor, Shelley, went to church with us. We felt bad for not asking her sooner but it was all in God's timing. Hopefully she will be off work and able to go with us more often.

We are still keeping in touch with our friend, Jeremy, who is undergoing treatments for his brain cancer. Next time they are down here from Indianapolis we can hopefully get together and meet his wife and 2 children.

Wednesday we will be heading back to the Elkhart area to pick up our camper trailer. If you remember we had to have the entire roof replaced due to some storm damage while we were in Texas. It's been up there for nearly a month and we are excited to see the finished product. The thought of no more leaks is a good thought!

Each day of being home to get caught up on things around the house, see friends and family and squeeze in some rest is such a blessing! We thank those of you who continue to help us financially. In these tough times with our economy we realize it might not be easy to continue helping us but without you . . . I don't want to think about that! Thank you so very much!

Until next time . . . be blessed and be a blessing. Susan and Monty

A meeting awaits

Referring to my last blog entry -- we've been in touch with Jeremy through email and are making plans to get together. He, his wife and their 2 children will be moving to Indianapolis to stay in a condo (donated for their stay) and will be making the hour long trip back and forth for his treatments here. We will be getting together as soon as their time allows and we look forward to that meeting. Somehow I think God is getting ready to expand our family once again.

Once again -- be sure and listen closely the next time God nudges you to do something that you wonder why in the world He is asking you to do that! He is definitely nudging you into a new found blessing.

Until next time . . . help a stranger, gain a friend. Susan and Monty

No Strangers

Yesterday Monty and I were headed to Columbus to spend the day with my family at a lot my brother and sister in law just purchased. It was going to be a relaxing day just sitting outside visiting with each other and enjoying some good food.

God stepped in very early in the day!

Normally I have been cooking since we've been home -- breakfast being alot of fun. Yesterday we decided to stop by Bob Evans for a treat. Nothing really special, just someone else cooking for a change.

God and His Almighty plans -- and Monty with his amazing obedience!

As we were sitting at our table we noticed 3 young men at the table next to us. We couldn't help overhearing bits and pieces of their conversation -- all mixed with thoughts of God and the Holy Spirit. Monty was sitting closest to them and now I realize he probably didn't hear one word I was saying as he had a discerning ear leaned over to those young men. He was listening to the urging of our Father.

At the end of our meal he just abruptly got up and took the one remaining seat at the table with the young men. He introduced himself and for the next nearly 10 minutes they were totally captivated by his words to them. It was amazing to watch -- it brought tears to my eyes and I didn't even know what they were saying!

At the end of their conversation he made sure they each had one of our business cards. He then said he wanted to pray for them. Four grown men sitting in the middle of Bob Evans, hands clasped together, heads bowed and prayer going up to an amazing Lord. I watched the heads of others turn and also bow -- and they couldn't hear any of the words either but the words didn't matter.

We left the restaurant and were in the truck driving out of the parking lot when the 3 young men approached Monty's side of the truck, smiling from ear to ear, saying they wanted to deeply thank him for taking the time to come and talk with them and how much they appreciated it. They all talked for a few more minutes when they asked if they could pray for him! And pray they did! Somehow God had tuned them in to exactly what to pray for -- and they didn't even know Monty! It was so powerful that I wondered if he could concentrate on the road enough to drive!

I once again found myself in awe -- at how well Monty listens to that still small voice of God when He tells him to go and talk with folks he's never met and who he knows nothing about! I also smiled inside as I realized just how that obedience had filled Monty with emotions that I hadn't seen in awhile -- I think the God ordered rest is helping!

And then came today when I finally got around to checking email! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of the young men had emailed a thank you for yesterday. He explained that he was in the army and stationed in New York. The reason he and his friends were here in Bloomington, Indiana? He has been diagnosed with brain cancer and is here for special treatments!!!!!!!!!!!!

My jaw dropped to the table, my heart both sank and smiled!

"What if" Monty had not followed that tug from the Lord and not spoken to them?
"What if" Monty had not prayed with them?
"What if" whatever he said to them he had not said?

The Bible is very plain and very adament about telling us to reach out to others, to do what we can whenever we can, wherever we can.

Are there strangers in this world? No! Just folks we haven't met yet!

This was NOT a "chance" meeting! This was NOT a "coincidence"!
This was GOD!
We will most definitely be keeping in touch with this young man!

I now know why God told us to be home at this time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you reached out to a "stranger" lately? Doing so just might change both your lives!!!!!!!!!
Until next time . . . I thank God for the husband I am blessed with! Susan and Monty

1 month already?

Yep -- this is resting!??

Monty worked on mowers and got them both working -- one of our neighbors donated a new blade and after he did some major repairs on the old back up mower and got it working he decided to "test it" by mowing the back yard today! The neighbors had to take a seat as mowing is something he does NOT enjoy and something I do! And when he even got the weed eater out and not only did ours and 2 neighbors but took to the weeds in the street cracks we all began to worry! :)

I have spent the past week sanding our decks -- using a belt sander to get through the peeling layer after layer of paint! This is the task I wanted to take on and thanks to some perfect weather it's actually been fun for me. The back one is done and the front only needs the floor done and they will both be ready for primer and paint!

We've been busy but we've been having fun getting things running and looking like someone actually lives here.

Last night we got to see the grandkids again when our daughter called for a decorating opinion which she and Monty were in total agreement on! The rug had to go! We all had a laugh over it and the kids are always fun to spend time with.

This evening we are headed to some friends who called with a major mold problem in their basement. Since she is pregnant this is a priority so off we go to assess the situation and see what needs to be done.

What we can't believe is that one month ago tomorrow we left Texas! The time has flown by and before we know it our 3 months will be up and off we will go -- where? Just listen to the hurricane forecast and watch what happens and you will know when we know.

In the meantime -- we've got a bit more work to do and a bit more visiting with family, friends and neighbors.

Until next time . . . have you helped your neighbor with anything lately? Susan and Monty

Pray!!!

First and foremost we ask for prayers -- that what is currently tropical storm Alex will not become hurricane Alex and will not come crashing into the Texas area! Our God is almighty and ruler over the winds and the waves in the seas and with all our prayers coming together miracles can happen. After all, miracles are just prayers that have been answered!

The past week has been filled with all sorts of things, things we have missed out on while in the field. The photos show our grandchildren -- Luke at his final baseball game where they received their trophies. It was so fun to see them hit the ball off the tee and run the bases! The other photo is them when they came to our house yesterday and saw a small dog for the first time! They have a rather huge chocolate lab at home and their other grandparents also have large dogs. They were amazed at how Bitty can jump and how fast she runs! It was such a joy to see the expressions on their faces and to hear Liv beg to bring Bitty home with her! Oh how we have missed those small priceless moments!

We also spent most of the weekend once again working outside in our yard. We got some of the trees trimmed and more weeds and quite unruly and unwanted shrubs removed. Monty got a bit overheated as the heat index here was near 100. Without the humidity we are used to he forgot to drink enough water but a bit of rest and he was good as new.

Today has a couple of things in store. One is a trip to Monty's heart doctor for a long awaited check up. Although he has been feeling fine he is way overdue for that annual checkup.

From there we will be headed to see the grandkids again -- the family needs a ceiling light fixture hung and a large mirror hung on the wall. They've been doing a bit of work in their own house and need a bit of help with these. It's a good excuse for us to see everyone anyway.

We heard from Timothy this morning -- always a good way to start the day. He and his wife are busy getting their own house completed -- too bad it's just not closer to us! :(

Yesterday was church and it seems our assistant pastor will be undergoing surgery sometime this week to remove the cancerous area on his colon. Another friend of ours is facing surgery to remove both his stomach and esophogus --- not a simple surgery and so both can use your added prayers.

Although the days seem to fly by we are trying to get some rest. Not being awaken by an alarm is a pleasant change and I think Monty is enjoying watching television way into the night! The thing I find most awesome is being able to wash clothes and not have to put quarters into the machine -- and to wash whenever I want to! It's also nice to have full sets of pots and pans and dishes and to cook meals once again -- real meals! Those little things that aren't so little when we are out in the field.

Once again, please pray for all who might be in the path of this storm -- pray that it blows out long before any damage can happen anywhere!

Until next time . . . blessings to all of you! Susan and Monty

58 Years!!!!!

Happy 58th wedding anniversary to my parents!!!! Awesome! What a blessing you have been to all of us kids and who knows how many others over the years!!! I love being your daughter and love both of you!

Today was the day when we had to face reality --- Timothy could not stay with us forever! This morning we sadly put him on a plane home. He was a blessing beyond words over these past 3 weeks, helping us pack up and make the long trip home, helping us with anything and everything we needed to try and get settled in and being a friend like no other! We thank his wife, Lindsay, for sharing him with us for so long and we look forward to meeting her some day soon! To Timothy -- we love you more than you know!

My brother Ross and his daughter Katy and her two boys also left for home this afternoon. It's hard to believe how quickly the weekend past by. It was good to see them and my only wish is that we could do it more often.

The rains continue to fall here -- and the winds with it. Monty's mother and step fathers home was hit hard last night. They said they were just straight line winds but they took out a barn, many trees and one of those trees landed on the truck. They were without power for quite some time but saved by their generator. Seems like every day the alarms go off for some kind of warning! Welcome back to the midwest!

Until next time . . . blessings to all. Susan and Monty

Happy Fathers Day

Of course, I am the one who forgot my camera!!!! Go figure?

Anyway, we had a fantastic Fathers Day, one that ended all too soon! Pastor Dave had a wonderful message about the importance of fathers -- something we all needed to hear whether we are fathers or mothers!

From there we were off to my parents for what turned out to be a family reunion! My brother and a daughter and her two boys from Florida were there, his other daughter and her daughter from Missouri were also there along with the rest of the clan that lives right there. It was awesome to see them -- first time to see the baby from Missouri and who knows how long it had been since I saw her mother! My son and daughter in law along with my daughter, son in law and two grandchildren were also there. My youngest daughter spent the day under the weather and was missed greatly by all.

As always with my family, the laughter was most likely heard in the next county! The stories went on all day long and into the night. The best had to do with my brother in Florida and his pink house and his guy who mows his lawn!!!!!!!!!!! Priceless and left us all in tears with sore stomachs from all the laughter!

By the time we arrived back home it was nearly midnight --- and I felt both happy and sad inside. Happy that we were all together and sad that it was only for a day! One of the things we miss so much while we are out in the field is family. Yes, we meed so many amazing people who welcome us into their homes and lives and they do become family to us. But . . . there's nothing like being in the midst of blood relatives, feeling the warmth and love and sharing in the stories and in their lives and seeing us all "sort of" grow up!

I will admit that having one brother and myself referred to as grandparents takes some getting used to! :) Even though we are all getting older it makes no difference. As we all sat around the table sharing our meal and lives and seeing the smiles on our parents faces --- I think -- I know it was a great blessing to both our parents and all the rest of us.

It was the best kind of Fathers day a family could have!

Ross, Sarah and Peyton, Katy and Logan and Dylan and the rest of the "crew" -- it sure was good to see all of you and it feels so good to be home!!!!!!!!!! I love you all and only wish we could get together alot !!!!!!!!!! more often!

God bless each and every one of you as you head back home! I know how much of a blessing it was for me to see all of you and I am so very thankful to have such an amazing family! Thanks Mom and Daddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We all turned out pretty good didn't we!!!!!!!!!!??????????

Until next time . . . how about calling one of your family members that you don't see very often!
Susan and Monty

Happy Birthday David

Today is Monty's son, Davids birthday and we would like to wish him a blessed and great day! We miss you but hope we can see you sometime while we are home (he lives in Detroit).

With Timothys continued help we are still making progress in getting things put back together around home. He has worked on both trucks with still more to do. The gears in Monty's Ford need some major work and we are weighing our options along with costs. Mine just needs some tire alignment and our local Tire and Wheel buddies can take care of that for me.

Yesterday I met my old boss, his wife and their boss for lunch. It was good to see them and spend a bit of time with them.

Monty and Timothy were asked to meet with the missions Pastor at one of the local churches here. We have done presentations to them over the years in hopes of raising some financial support but to date . . . This meeting sounded a bit more hopeful and I will be putting together another presentation next week so please keep all of us in your prayers!

Speaking of prayers, we just learned that one of the pastors here at our home church has been diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his colon! Please keep both he and his wife in your prayers as there are also some other complications. Our God is all powerful and all healing and we pray for both for Tom.

This afternoon Timothy and I got to spend some time with my nieces. Katy and her boys are up from Florida to visit and with it being her birthday we knew exactly what she would want to do to celebrate --- go horseback riding! We had a great time, laughed alot and I know Katy has the pictures to prove it! My brother (her dad) also flew in today and Katy's sister will fly in tomorrow so this Sunday is a big family reunion for all of us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!

Until next time . . . blessings to all. Susan and Monty

Tune Up -- Fill Up

Yesterday Monty and his family attended the funeral of his grandmother's brother. It was a good time to see everyone and I know they were glad to see him.

Timothy and I headed off to dig up some hosta plants that seem to be flourishing at my daughters house. She was thrilled to have us dig up some and bring them here to replant where I pulled out some old and dying shrubs. Timothy also measured for some new flooring that they want us to "help" install sometime in the next month. It was a quick chance to see them and the grandkids once again! Priceless!

The rest of the day I spent powerwashing -- the decks that have more paint peeling than sticking on them! What an enormous mess! I also managed to clean most of the exterior of the house and guttering. I think I had more water and chipped paint on me than anyplace else! It was good to get it done which means my next step is to sand the heck out of each deck -- clean down to nothing and then prime and repaint them both!

Timothy worked on trucks -- and then worked some more on trucks!

By the time Monty arrived home we were both quite tired. And then the storms came in -- black skies and blowing winds and pouring rains -- along with 2 tornado touch downs someplace near here. We escaped damage but tonight looks like it might be worse!

Today I got the first chance I've had to get some refilling of my own. I returned to a Bible Study held in the next town to the south and it was awesome!!!!!!!!!!! A woman pastor holds it each week and as we were driving home God was quite clear in telling me I needed to be at that Bible study each week! He was right! It was all about fear and the power it has when we let it in! Believe me -- I'll be there next week and each week here after.

And once again -- the guys were under the trucks working on problems and getting things done. Timothy and his "gear head" is amazing and such a blessing to us. Having older trucks and putting the amount of miles on them that we do is tough on them. Keeping them maintained is also tough and now that we have the time and Timothy with his knowlege - thank you Lord!

I also spoke with Alan back in Texas today and all is going well there. This is a big week of over 200 volunteers so many homeowners are getting closer and closer to being done while others are just beginning! He and his family will be heading up here to Indiana in August and we will be sure and get together and catch up on all sorts of things! Family!

We are so thankful to be home, to be able to get some much needed work done on so many levels and we are thankful to all of you for continuing your support of our disaster ministry. This is catch up time along with preparation time -- catching up on needed things and preparing for the next adventure.

Until next time . . . bless you! Susan and Monty

Family!!!!

The past few days have been nothing short of a whirlwind!

Accomplishments -- the yard is now free of any dead and/or overgrown shrubs. The grass has been mowed and the shrubs trimmed. The trees are still waiting for their turn. The mower was also repaired to make the mowing even possible. The garbage disposal is now "unlocked" and working like a charm. The broken kitchen drawer is also repaired and rolling once again. The "items" removed from the camper trailer are more organized and atleast findable (if that's a word).

Things remaining -- you don't want these things listed! Being away from our house for 3 years makes this list just way too long . . . but . . . we will get to them in due time!

Yesterday was a great day -- a reminder of the blessings of family and being home to enjoy them! It was the celebration for my granddaughter's 2nd birthday. She and her 5 year old brother had a blast! She had already made the decision, and was quite vocal about it, about the kind of party she wanted --- a Princess party! Princess it was!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The dress up shoes, bracelet and earrings she had on when she greeted us at the door were only the beginning -- there were plenty more Princess gifts waiting. She got everything from more dress up clothes, shoes and jewelry to a Princess phone and a Princess big wheel! She smiled with each one and when it came time for cake she had to have one of the flowers! Priceless!

Prior to the party we went to visit some of our old friends and had fun remembering and laughing and sharing life in general. It was a double blessing to see that all have "grown up" and are doing well!

After the party we were able to have dinner with my parents and share even more laughs. By this time Timothy either thinks we are all insane or . . .

At the end of the day I had a feeling that I haven't had in a long time --- the ability to see family and friends is indeed priceless. Having all my "kids" in one spot -- long enough to even get a photo -- really warmed my heart and was just what I needed. Being out in the field God has always placed an abundance of children in my path and getting to know and love them lessens the pain of missing my own. But . . . yesterday was great and I thank God for allowing us to be here and share in all the joy of family!

This morning we were able to see more of our church family and Monty and Timothy are actually taking a much needed nap as I write this.

Tomorrow we will be back at it. Monty has a family funeral to attend, the brother of his grandmother passed away last week.

Timothy and I will come up with more to do, no doubt about that. He plans on staying with us another week before heading back to his awesome wife in Florida!

I did get an email from the UMCOR team in Texas saying how much they missed us. I think of them and the homeowners every single day! I have talked with some of the homeowners and all are doing well. Next week is a huge week of volunteers and I will check up on them all and see how they are progressing! It's tough to have your heart in more than one place!

Until next time we thank all of you who continue to hold us up in prayer and help support us financially. Without YOU our ministry would not be able to continue. We WILL be back out in the field at the end of our sabbatical -- exactly where God sends us!

Blessings and love to all. Susan and Monty

You want me to do WHAT?

First of all -- I can't believe that the last blog entry was number 1,000!!!! Sure surprised me!

Anyway --- what a whirlwind the past days have been!

We have unloaded and unloaded and tried to find room for everything but . . . impossible! Having to unload every single thing in the trailer was unbelievable but it was successful. Monday took us to my parents house for dinner and to meet up with one of the case managers I had there. Eric wrote a book about the Columbus floods and it was so good to see him and a few others that worked on the long term recovery team. It was soooo good to see my parents --we both have missed them so very much!

Yesterday was our trip to Elkhart to take our trailer for its roof replacement. The trip seemed excruciatingly long -- just too many hours of driving over the last week! We did make it there by very late afternoon and were back here quite late at night. They assured us they would take care of the roof and give the entire thing a "good going over" so we are very thankful for that. The heat has taken its toll on the caulking and some other things. They should have it done in about 2 or 3 weeks and that's fine with us since we don't need it until the end of July for the RV Rally in Louisville, Kentucky.

The above photos are priceless! Servanthood at its finest! Timothy was trying to make his feet smell better and Monty knew the remedy using tea. He soaked forever and Monty got a kick out of washing his feet for him! These two are amazing and have made life such a joy through all this transition!

Today they headed off to get some repairs done on trucks while I continued working in my landscaping and yard. When you're gone for over 3 years things get a bit grown up and are a real mess --- but --- a day at a time and I'll get it all back in shape. I so enjoy working in the yard so it's a form of therapy for me!

Tomorrow . . . who knows! What I do know is that God is blessing us with Timothy for the remainder of this week and hopefully all of next -- even with today being his 3rd wedding anniversary!!!! Thanks for sharing him with us Lindsay!!!!

Until next time . . . blessings to all. Susan and Monty

I almost forgot

I almost forgot what space was like, what it was to be able to walk all the way around the bed to make it each morning, for both Monty and I to be able to be in the bathroom at the same time, to stand side by side at the sinks and brush our teeth, to be able to open windows and feel the cool breeze pouring in, to have a full size refrigerator, to be able to wash cloths without putting quarters in both the washer and the dryer, to be able to shower and leave the water running knowing there is plenty of hot water . . .

I could go on and on . . . seeing my youngest daughter and holding her in my arms while tears stream down my face, playing with my grandson and his Hot Wheels and with my granddaughter as she asks for the Jesus book to be read before taking her nap, seeing my middle daughter and talking about helping them install new flooring in their home, having breakfast with my inlaws and having my mother in law sit with us in church, going to our home church and soaking up each and every hug wishing they would never end, talking with church family and realizing we will be able to be here when Susie has her first baby (Pastor Dave's daughter), seeing how the kids have grown and how some have kids of their own now . . .

I could keep going but . . .

The above photos --- we will NEVER be able to thank Timothy for everything he has done, is doing and will continue to do over the next couple of weeks while he stays with us. The laughter has been unlimited and side splitting and life giving.

You can also see how it is an "episode" for us all to gas up while traveling! And of course Monty and Timothy -- priceless!

And last but not least is Bitty while riding for 27 hours in the truck! Her face says it all! They have done nothing but run and look out each and every window of the house the past 2 days at home. And they are exhausted!

We have managed to unload every single item in our camper trailer, thanks to our neighbor Shelley's help, and have it packed in a spare room for now! And I truly mean packed! This week, most likely Tuesday, we will be taking it to Elkhart to the factory for them to install our new roof! And then we will bring it back and reload it with everything! It has to stay ready to roll, all things inside stay there, they aren't brought into the house for use, they have to be in place and ready for the next adventure God has for us.

Many, many things around the house need attention -- 3 years is a long time for it to sit empty! One by one, day by day we will get them done! Timothy will be a blessing beyond words because when Monty says "we" will be doing this or "we" will be doing that ---- it doesn't mean me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Until next time . . . look at your own home with a new appreciation and realize how blessed you are! Susan and Monty

HOME --- after nearly 3 years!

Yep -- 27 hours of drive time in a 3 day time period -- and we arrived home late this afternoon! The trip was uneventful -- thank you Lord -- and the scenery was beautiful. It was just a very !!! long trip. Home looked so good and feels a bit weird right now.

Having Timothy with us is a blessing that cannot be fully expressed in words! He has guided us, he has a sense of humor that is priceless and that helped us with a couple of "events" that go along with traveling! :)

Now we get things settled, or as much as possible for the next 3 months.

Tomorrow will be the unloading of every single thing inside the trailer to prepare for the trip to Elkhart to have the roof replaced and necessary repairs done. Monty and Timothy will be taking care of the unloading to allow me time to spend with my grandchildren!

My youngest daughter and her boyfriend came over to see us this evening and what a sight for my sore eyes! I haven't seen her in nearly 2 years and I just couldn't hold back the tears of joy! I am continually amazed at how quickly they grown into adults and so proud of each of my children and thank God for the blessing they are. And tomorrow I get to see my grandson and granddaughter!!!! And next will come our parents, siblings and extended family along with all our church family! How awesome that will be!

For now, we try and unwind, try and let our minds relax a bit, try and spread out in our home, try and get used to the spreading out, try and catch up with hugs with neighbors, family and friends and thank God for this break!

We thank you for keeping us covered in prayers. Remember to stay tuned as we will still be in touch with our team in Texas and at the same time seeing what God is planning for our next adventure.

For now ----------------- REST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Until next time . . . Lord, thank you for our home! Susan and Monty

Miles behind us and miles to go

Yep -- we are officially out of the great state of Texas!

We were up at 4am this morning and were on the road by 5:30 -- we knew we had to get through that Houston traffic very early!

The roads were great, a couple of missed exits and some recalculating but we did very well. The camper trailer is pulling great, especially since Monty and Timothy were able to lighten the weight by putting tools in the trucks and not the camper.

Thank goodness Timothy is with us! Not only is he making the trip easier -- the laughter is awesome and priceless! He has taken the lead with his all powerful GPS and I am bringing up the rear keeping watch over the back of the trailer as Monty pulls it down the roads.

We made it across the Texas border into Arkansas and that was it for today. The guys were exhausted and are both asleep as I write this -- fully clothed and most likely won't wake up until the morning!

We still have many, many miles to go and most likely won't get home tomorrow either. The weather has storms predicted so we'll see how it goes . . . but each mile north is a mile closer!

Please help keep us covered in prayer as this is the most important thing we need.

Thank you and bless you for everything you do to keep us following God's calling on our lives!

Until next time . . . blessings and love to all! Susan and Monty