Well, I am back from Wisconsin and it was a wonderful visit! I didn't see many friends this time, just planned to be with family and see all the little babies that are growing so quickly. Had a great time with Mom and we spent each morning sitting in the backyard near the garden having our morning coffee. It was just beautiful to sit out and watch the birds feeding their babies and having their morning breakfast. Mom's garden looks great and I swear everything grew a few inches while I was home. Looks like it will be a good year for the garden.
The trip home to Kentucky was long and the construction was all over the place. Just need to relax and enjoy the time alone in the truck to think and listen to some good music. Thankfully no mishaps along the way and all in all was a good trip back to the mountains.
I have been doing alot of thinking about this blog and I have come to the end. I have enjoyed sharing this experience with you but I think you all have a good picture of what life here with CAP is like. If there is anything major that happens I will fill you in. Otherwise, I thank you for joining me and I pray that each day is a new and exciting journey for you.
God Bless and keep you safe.
In His service
Jane
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
ASP is Here!
ASP is the Appalachia Service Project based out of Tennessee. This Christian organization comes to Clay County each year and assists home owners with repairs on their homes. This is truly a God send for us because sometimes we have a waiting list that gets up to a 2 year wait for some of the jobs. I had been trying to get in touch with ASP, but was not having any luck. Then I received a call that they were arriving last Saturday. YEAH!!!! Angie and I met with some of the crew leaders and were able to give them about 22 referrals for the area. Some of these jobs we knew we would not be able to do for lack of ownership for the family that was residing in the home. Sometimes many of these homes are "in heirs" which means there could be as many as 80-85 owners. If that is the case, CAP cannot do any work because we require that the home be in the name of the person or family that is currently living there. ASP does not have the same guidelines and they are able to do the work regardless of the status of the deed. This is really a gift that we can get so many families taken care of and CAP can continue with the other homes that need repair. Thanks ASP!
Angie took me and Janet out on some new roads this week and it was beautiful. We traveled one pretty sketchy road up a mountain that had almost no homes on it. Much of the road had been washed out at some points and there had been some stones and rocks held up by heavy mesh netting that holds it all in place. It was an amazing drive, but some of it was pretty freaky. Always eager to head out to some new areas and get another look at the beauty of Kentucky.
The house is turning over and I have very mixed feelings about it all. It is exciting to get new people in but is also difficult to say good-bye to the housemates that are leaving. I realize that some of these people I may never see again and that is hard to accept. I have hopes that some of them I will see again somewhere along the way, and that is a good thing to think about.
It is a rainy Saturday and many of us are just staying in for the day. Hope you are all doing well and I look forward to being back in Wisconsin this coming week.
God Bless
Jane
Angie took me and Janet out on some new roads this week and it was beautiful. We traveled one pretty sketchy road up a mountain that had almost no homes on it. Much of the road had been washed out at some points and there had been some stones and rocks held up by heavy mesh netting that holds it all in place. It was an amazing drive, but some of it was pretty freaky. Always eager to head out to some new areas and get another look at the beauty of Kentucky.
The house is turning over and I have very mixed feelings about it all. It is exciting to get new people in but is also difficult to say good-bye to the housemates that are leaving. I realize that some of these people I may never see again and that is hard to accept. I have hopes that some of them I will see again somewhere along the way, and that is a good thing to think about.
It is a rainy Saturday and many of us are just staying in for the day. Hope you are all doing well and I look forward to being back in Wisconsin this coming week.
God Bless
Jane
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Longer Commitment
Well, it's official. I am staying for a longer term than I had originally planned. My one year commitment would be done in early September, but I am going to stay on for another 9 months after this first term is completed. I am planning on coming home for the full month of September in-between starting another term of service. I talked it over with my mom and she understands that this is where I need to be right now. Thanks Mom. So starting October 1st I will start a new program and stay until the end of June 2011.
I talked it over with the volunteer manager and my program manager and I am going to be involved with helping the volunteer program with all the work groups that come in throughout the year. I am pretty excited about this! There is prep work and then hosting, cooking, commandeering the groups and also educating them about the Appalachian area. I think the education part will be great! Many times groups come in from anywhere in the USA but they might not know much about this area and the history of the culture. I will be able to explain more about this beautiful land and the wonderful people who live here. How cool is that!
Another bonus is that when I have some slow time I can still be a part of Family Advocacy and be able to spend time with my families. That is really the gift in it all. I know that I would miss being able to see the families and making those home visits. I am very greatful and very fortunate to be able to make this transition. Thanks to CAP for allowing me this wiggle room.
The weather is heating up and the storms are rolling in. Love the thunder storms but could do well with some 70's weather. I guess that is the benefit of living in the south.
Hope all is well with you and yours. God Bless
Jane
I talked it over with the volunteer manager and my program manager and I am going to be involved with helping the volunteer program with all the work groups that come in throughout the year. I am pretty excited about this! There is prep work and then hosting, cooking, commandeering the groups and also educating them about the Appalachian area. I think the education part will be great! Many times groups come in from anywhere in the USA but they might not know much about this area and the history of the culture. I will be able to explain more about this beautiful land and the wonderful people who live here. How cool is that!
Another bonus is that when I have some slow time I can still be a part of Family Advocacy and be able to spend time with my families. That is really the gift in it all. I know that I would miss being able to see the families and making those home visits. I am very greatful and very fortunate to be able to make this transition. Thanks to CAP for allowing me this wiggle room.
The weather is heating up and the storms are rolling in. Love the thunder storms but could do well with some 70's weather. I guess that is the benefit of living in the south.
Hope all is well with you and yours. God Bless
Jane
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Wonderful Visit, Wonderful Friend
It has been a few days since Ann left, but what a wonderful visit we had! Ann is a good friend from Sheboygan and she came to the Appalachians on Thursday, May 20th. I cannot believe all the things that happened that she and I could be a part of. There were volunteers in from Ohio and we were able to have dinner with them at Camp AJ and then share a devotion with them. They were some great, hard-working people and we really enjoyed sharing an evening with them.
The days at work held some interesting home visits and I was delighted that Ann got a good view of the area that I work in. We traveled up the mountain and had to take one of those driveways down that you can't see until the front end of the car nosedives and then there is the road in front of you. Ann was a little freaked but was a trooper and held in there with us. The homes were on the meager side and it showed the poorer side of Clay County. Some of the homes in another area were beautiful and very well kept up, so I was happy that we got a view of all types.
Ann and Angie, my co-worker, hit it off famously. Sometimes I think they forgot that I was even along. :) I usually took the back seat when we traveled around the county so Ann had a clear view of all the areas that we were visiting. We stopped at a ministry that reaches out to pregnant women and Ann was able to drop off some beautiful caps and booties that a friend had sent along for the babies. The woman who runs the program had just gotten off of a phone call and we all took hands to pray for the situation she had just learned of. It was quite moving, and again I was happy that Ann could get a sense of the people that I have built a relationship with here in Kentucky.
We took some time for sight seeing and saw some really beautiful countryside. On Sunday we traveled up to Lexington and worshiped at Southland. This is a huge church on the edge of the city that does some amazing outreach in the area and all over the world. It was a very moving service and I was delighted to be able to worship with Ann.
I cannot thank Ann enough for her generous gifts for the people of Appalachia and also for what she has given to me. How can I say thank you to someone who brought me a taste of home. It was awesome to have Ann here and I am glad that she was able to come and get a good picture of what I do.
I pray you are all having a great Memorial Weekend.
God Bless
Jane
The days at work held some interesting home visits and I was delighted that Ann got a good view of the area that I work in. We traveled up the mountain and had to take one of those driveways down that you can't see until the front end of the car nosedives and then there is the road in front of you. Ann was a little freaked but was a trooper and held in there with us. The homes were on the meager side and it showed the poorer side of Clay County. Some of the homes in another area were beautiful and very well kept up, so I was happy that we got a view of all types.
Ann and Angie, my co-worker, hit it off famously. Sometimes I think they forgot that I was even along. :) I usually took the back seat when we traveled around the county so Ann had a clear view of all the areas that we were visiting. We stopped at a ministry that reaches out to pregnant women and Ann was able to drop off some beautiful caps and booties that a friend had sent along for the babies. The woman who runs the program had just gotten off of a phone call and we all took hands to pray for the situation she had just learned of. It was quite moving, and again I was happy that Ann could get a sense of the people that I have built a relationship with here in Kentucky.
We took some time for sight seeing and saw some really beautiful countryside. On Sunday we traveled up to Lexington and worshiped at Southland. This is a huge church on the edge of the city that does some amazing outreach in the area and all over the world. It was a very moving service and I was delighted to be able to worship with Ann.
I cannot thank Ann enough for her generous gifts for the people of Appalachia and also for what she has given to me. How can I say thank you to someone who brought me a taste of home. It was awesome to have Ann here and I am glad that she was able to come and get a good picture of what I do.
I pray you are all having a great Memorial Weekend.
God Bless
Jane
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Retreat of a Lifetime
Well, it has been two weeks since I last checked in. I didn't have too much to say last week, so I thought I would keep it all for this week. And what a week it has been. I just returned to Jackson House from the volunteer retreat held next door at Camp AJ. Wow was it wonderful!!!!!
First I was honored to be asked to help with the music. There are musicians on the east side that lead us in song, and myself and three of my housemates were also asked to help out. We were challenged to do some Taize music for the group. First of all I had no idea what that was so we checked on youtube and there it was. It is a type of chant that is used in worship and I think it was started in France. Anyway, we found two songs to use and it was beautiful! God used our voices and it really was a wonderful experience.
The highlight was the main speaker. He was amazing. His name is Todd Butler and he is a professor at Brescia University in Owensboro, KY. His main thought throughout the retreat was transformation and transition. Many of us are coming to the end of our year long commitments and it has been very difficult in some cases to say good-bye. Say good-bye to people that you have grown to love and also to say hello to the new volunteers coming in to take their places. It is a truly bittersweet time. Change is constant and sometimes it is difficult to keep up with it all.
Todd had us taking a look at the community (family of origin) that we grew up with and how that compares to the community that we have been living in currently. How do they differ and what similarities do we see. It was quite interesting to diagram the table where I shared a meal as a child and what the table looks like today that I share nightly with my community here. It is difficult to put into words all that he walked us through. I just know that I want to keep this with me for as long as I can.
There is a stray dog that has been wandering around Camp AJ for a few weeks. Yesterday morning a little girl was trying to use bacon held out in her hand to help lead this dog to a pile of food that had been laid out for the dog. This stray is very skittish and would not come to the little girl or follow her to the feast that had been prepared. We talked about this situation and compared it to this. What is God holding out to us that we are too afraid to take from His hand? What is He attempting to lead us to that we just cannot see? It may sound funny to compare this small child and a stray dog to our relationship with God. But to me, it touched something inside that I think will stay with me for a long time.
I pray all is well with you and yours. God keep you safe til we meet again.
Jane
First I was honored to be asked to help with the music. There are musicians on the east side that lead us in song, and myself and three of my housemates were also asked to help out. We were challenged to do some Taize music for the group. First of all I had no idea what that was so we checked on youtube and there it was. It is a type of chant that is used in worship and I think it was started in France. Anyway, we found two songs to use and it was beautiful! God used our voices and it really was a wonderful experience.
The highlight was the main speaker. He was amazing. His name is Todd Butler and he is a professor at Brescia University in Owensboro, KY. His main thought throughout the retreat was transformation and transition. Many of us are coming to the end of our year long commitments and it has been very difficult in some cases to say good-bye. Say good-bye to people that you have grown to love and also to say hello to the new volunteers coming in to take their places. It is a truly bittersweet time. Change is constant and sometimes it is difficult to keep up with it all.
Todd had us taking a look at the community (family of origin) that we grew up with and how that compares to the community that we have been living in currently. How do they differ and what similarities do we see. It was quite interesting to diagram the table where I shared a meal as a child and what the table looks like today that I share nightly with my community here. It is difficult to put into words all that he walked us through. I just know that I want to keep this with me for as long as I can.
There is a stray dog that has been wandering around Camp AJ for a few weeks. Yesterday morning a little girl was trying to use bacon held out in her hand to help lead this dog to a pile of food that had been laid out for the dog. This stray is very skittish and would not come to the little girl or follow her to the feast that had been prepared. We talked about this situation and compared it to this. What is God holding out to us that we are too afraid to take from His hand? What is He attempting to lead us to that we just cannot see? It may sound funny to compare this small child and a stray dog to our relationship with God. But to me, it touched something inside that I think will stay with me for a long time.
I pray all is well with you and yours. God keep you safe til we meet again.
Jane
Saturday, May 1, 2010
I Know a Man
Shackled by a heavy burden,
'Neath a load of guilt and shame.
Then the hand of Jesus touched me,
And now I am no longer the same.
He touched me, Oh He touched me,
And oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened and now I know,
He touched me and made me whole.
Since I met this blessed Savior,
Since He cleansed and made me whole,
I will never cease to praise Him,
I'll shout it while eternity rolls.
He touched me, Oh He touched me,
And oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened and now I know
He touched me and made me whole.
This past week we held the annual Women's Retreat at Camp AJ. I cannot begin to explain how wonderful this event is. Some of these ladies have been coming for 8 years, since it began. Some have come for the first time and already know that this is something they never want to miss again. We started out with some introductions and letting people know the lay of the land and what the guidelines were. Then one of the first group things was coming together and singing to the Lord. It was beyond beautiful! Carrie led us in this event and she is outstanding. Carrie has this strong and wonderful Gospel voice that just takes you to another place. Everyone joined in and we sang some of the old favorites. There were a few ladies that took the lead and it was like being in a movie. Their voices took me to a place in the Appalachian Mountains that I had never been before.
There were different activities all throughout the 3 days we were together. We all shared in the meals and then there were crafts, camp fires, fishing, more singing, speakers and more. The final day was the main speaker. She was one of the best I have ever heard, truly. She spoke directly to our hearts and told us her life story and how God has used her life to minister to other people.
At the close of her presentation Carrie started to lead us in song and the speaker went around to each person in the room to touch them, hold them and pray with them. Many a tear was shed. The song that Carrie started with is at the beginning of this entry. God was there that day and touched many a heart in that room. It is really difficul to convey the feelings I had that day. To see these women from all different walks of life ministering to each other was an amazing gift to see and experience. This is one of the best memories that will come with me when I go.
When I had first interviewed with Robyn, my manager, she talked about the retreat and how she will never stop holding the retreat for the women. I more than understand now what she was saying. This was one very special event and I know that these ladies hold it in a very special place in their hearts. If there is anything that I come back to do with CAP, it will be to attend and help with this God-filled three days in Appalachia.
I pray that all of you may have an experience such as this in your life.
God Bless
Jane
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Vacation Week is Over
The buds were down from Wisconsin last week and we had a great time! The first two nights were spent at Jackson House so they could get a better feel for how it is to live in community. They really enjoyed the house and the housemates. Thanks Jackson House for letting us stay a few nights. We spent some time in Berea and also went to Lexington for the Keeneland horse races. What a hoot! Two of us placed some bets and we had some winners. It was quite interesting to people watch at this affair. This is absolutely a "Kentucky" that I had not seen before. People were dressed to the nines, especially the women. It was really cool to watch the races, but I think I got more enjoyment out of watching the crowd.
The next day we left for Natural Bridge State Resort Park. OK, if anyone is considering coming to Kentucky for some vacation, this area is a "have to see" thing. We took the skylift up to the natural bridge, and then hiked around for awhile. The view is phenomenal!!!! After we returned to our Bee-yooo-tee-fulll cabin, I took some of the trails back up to the bridge and checked it out a little more thoroughly. The walk back felt like I was traversing through a jungle, way cool! Next day was Red River Gorge, which is a geological area. For those of you terminology impaired, this means it isn't a little park with well placed bathrooms. We had a bit of a struggle finding our way around, but well worth the search. So many wonderful places to check out and spend some time taking in the vistas. I just think Kentucky could do a little better with their signage.
Off to the east side to see more mountains and visit Diane. We all went to Pig in a Poke for dinner and enjoyed some of the best barbecued ribs ever tasted. Well done Pig! We spent the night at Floyd House in the upper area. Thanks for letting us invade, Floyd House. We appreciate the hospitality.
Our last leg of the journey was to Buckhorn State Resort Park. In my opinion not as cool as natural bridge, but still quite beautiful. All in all was a wonderful week and all made it home safely. Thanks to my friends for coming down and spending some time.
Tonight Jackson House has been invited to dine with some CAP-related people. John lives near Natural Bridge, so it will be another beautiful drive. Can't wait to see what is all on the menu.
This coming week is the Women's Retreat at Camp AJ. I think this is going to be alot of fun. I am looking forward to seeing all the ladies and leading them in some different crafts. The weather is not looking all that great, but such is life.
Hope you are all doing well.
Jane
The next day we left for Natural Bridge State Resort Park. OK, if anyone is considering coming to Kentucky for some vacation, this area is a "have to see" thing. We took the skylift up to the natural bridge, and then hiked around for awhile. The view is phenomenal!!!! After we returned to our Bee-yooo-tee-fulll cabin, I took some of the trails back up to the bridge and checked it out a little more thoroughly. The walk back felt like I was traversing through a jungle, way cool! Next day was Red River Gorge, which is a geological area. For those of you terminology impaired, this means it isn't a little park with well placed bathrooms. We had a bit of a struggle finding our way around, but well worth the search. So many wonderful places to check out and spend some time taking in the vistas. I just think Kentucky could do a little better with their signage.
Off to the east side to see more mountains and visit Diane. We all went to Pig in a Poke for dinner and enjoyed some of the best barbecued ribs ever tasted. Well done Pig! We spent the night at Floyd House in the upper area. Thanks for letting us invade, Floyd House. We appreciate the hospitality.
Our last leg of the journey was to Buckhorn State Resort Park. In my opinion not as cool as natural bridge, but still quite beautiful. All in all was a wonderful week and all made it home safely. Thanks to my friends for coming down and spending some time.
Tonight Jackson House has been invited to dine with some CAP-related people. John lives near Natural Bridge, so it will be another beautiful drive. Can't wait to see what is all on the menu.
This coming week is the Women's Retreat at Camp AJ. I think this is going to be alot of fun. I am looking forward to seeing all the ladies and leading them in some different crafts. The weather is not looking all that great, but such is life.
Hope you are all doing well.
Jane
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