Old Union 2024 Mission Trip - July 23 - Tuesday

 Tuesday - July 23, 2024

How y'all doing.  Welcome again to our Mission Blog!

We woke to another cloudy day in Buckhorn, KY.  While some of us were up at 7 a.m. there were a few of us, hint-hint, that didn't wake until 9 a.m.  I wonder Clark, who that was?  Since we didn't need to drive to our work destination, that had caused some of us to sleep in.  We only had to walk down a short side walk to get to the pavilion, that is why some of us were able to sleep in. Over breakfast, we learned Pastor Peter worked as a DJ in a country musuc station in Somerset County (WVSC -- the Voice of Somerset County) in his younger years.  We have also learned that Carl likes white-water rafting.

Getting back to our duties for today, our responsibilities were working with the local children from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The children ranged in age from 5 years of age to 17 years of age.  For some of us, working with children was new and sometimes challenging for us as a special project on a Misson trip.  Usually our mission trips consisted of repair or construction projects.  This year, all week we will be working directly with the kids from Tuesday to Friday starting at 10 a.m.  On Wednesday, we will only work with the kids until 12:30 p.m.  Then finding some other tasks to do later in the remaining afternoons.

Pastor Peter started the day off with the kids playing music with his guitar.  He really worked up a sweat singing songs such as "Father Abraham Had Many Sons", "This Little Light of Mine", "I am a C", among many other songs, including a silly song about a moose.  The children enjoyed the songs and Pastor Peter enjoyed leading the children in singing.  Next we had crafts, lead by Sally.  She showed the kids how to build a Popsicle Cathedral.  She had the popsicles counted out in bags with the other pieces needed to make the cathedral.  After crafts, the children went to games with Carl where they played Kick Ball, Red Light/ Green Light, and Freeze Tag.  His leadership skills soon became evident, for he is a former Eagle Scout.  He had the children running all over the field.  After games the children excitedly delved into lunch consisting of hotdogs, chips, fruit gummies, fresh cut watermelon and juice boxes  that was provided by the cafeteria ladies of Buckhorn School.  OH! by the way, we had enough crafts for 27 children and ended up having 32 children.  (Amen!)  That meant while Pastor Peter was singing, Sally and Lorene had to frantically put together additional craft kits to build the Cathedral.  Everyone helped the children to glue the popsicle sticks together to build a firm foundation.  By the time 2 p.m. rolled around, the children, as well as the staff were hot and exhausted.  Through it all, we had intermittent sun and rain sprinkles and it was very humid.   At the time of typing this blog in the evening, we are experiencing rain.

After the children were picked up by their parents or grandparents, Pastor Jim Garrett showed us around the beautiful historic Log Cathedral.  We saw the big sanctuary that at one time held over 800 worshippers.  Now the congregation is currently worshipping in a smaller renovated air conditioned and heated annex of the church.  Since the original structure is a historic building, it does not have air conditioning or heating.  However, the big sanctuary is still used for funerals and high school graduations and other prominent events held in Buckhorn.  The graduations are held for 8th grade students as well as 12th grade students.  This demonstrates the close relationship between the church and the Buckhorn community.

See the attached pictures of the historic Buckhorn cathedral.  Trying to describe such a magnificent place is hard to put into words.  This cathedral had high ceilings, huge log beams reaching up to the sky.  The windows were two colors.  The old glass for the windows was not a smooth glass, it appeared to have some tiny dimples in it.  The yellow part of the glass was smooth with the placement of the yellow glass formed a cross.  The cathedral has a pipe organ that was the first pipe organ to cross West over the Appalachian mountains. Unfortunately, it is now hard to find someone who can play this beautiful instrument.  The one person that can play it comes up from TN.  Pastor Jim Garrett showed us a portion of the cathedral's basement that is the last room to be cleaned in the Cathedral from the flood.  The flood waters reached the basement steps that led down from the sanctuary hallway. The water height was aproximately 6 feet from the floor.  Thank the Lord the sanctuary was not touched by the flood waters.  

As soon as we got back in the afternoon from our tour with Pastor Garrett, Sally and Carl worked on tomorrow's crafts while Lorene and Geoff with Tim's help worked on dinner.  Today was "Taco Tuesday" Lorene planned for us delicious tacos with all the fixings of homemade salsa (muchas gracias Lorene!), chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, black olives, black beans, homemade guacamole, and cheese quesadillas and fresh cut watermelon.  

After dinner, Pastor Peter led devotions.  We discussed the first part of Joshua where Moses passed away and Joshua was chosen by God to lead the Isrealites into the Promised Land.  What a big responsibility that must have been for Joshua!  We discussed amongst ourselves new responsibilities some of us had thrust upon us this week, like leading the children in games, music, crafts and stories.  As God told Joshua, "Be Strong and Courageous".

Some of us did laundry for the first time utilizing the church's manse's washer and dryer.  I am signing off now.  Stay tuned in for tomorrow's adventure.  We thank God for our safe and  fun filled day with the children.

   A Late Breaking Bulletin!!!.  Mary Rae just arrived here at 9:43 PM.  She made the whole drive here herself today.  We helped her in with her stuff, which included some grocery items she brought for us.  Thanks from all of us Mary Rae, and thank God for your safe travels.  

   Now let me conclude by thanking my typist Sally for her time and effort.  And thanks for all you blog enthusiasts for your thoughts and prayers and please remember to always "Encourage one another and build each other up!"  [Hi Laurie and Pastor Bob]  God Bless Y'all!!!