Friends Are A Gift From God

Caroline and I went out for lunch yesterday. It was so good to see you Caroline! See you again in a few weeks.

Love, Erin

Dancing

Last night Scott and I went out to a local Contra dance. It was the last one of the season here. They will start up again in September. My friend Louise came too. It was great to see you Louise! I forgot to take pictures so here is a picture of Fred and Ginger instead...

Have a great rest of your weekend!

Erin

I posted a Cinnamon Roll recipe on my other blog. Come check it out!

Erin

Happy Birthday Daddy!

May 25th, 2010

Dad and the three kids

Slippers!

As you can see...they were very much needed

Fun cards

We love you Dad! We hope you have a wonderful year ahead. May the Lord shower his blessings upon you.

Love,

Erin

New York Mission Post!!

April 27, 2010. New York, NY.

This year’s Holy Week missions had a strong Manhattan contingent, with 50 young women, 10 young men, and about a dozen families involved in various service projects around the Big Apple.

The mission, running from Thursday afternoon to Sunday morning, was based out of Old St Patrick’s Cathedral in SoHo. During the mission, the youth reached out to the people of the district, inviting them to the church for the Easter liturgies. At the same time, they engaged in various corporal works of mercy in conjunction with some of New York’s charitable organizations.

Caroline and I

The service projects started on Friday morning with Meals on Wheels, as we youth teamed up to deliver meals to the elderly, staying to socialize and spend some time when they could.

Meanwhile, another group helped prepare and serve lunch at a center for the elderly.

A few of us- posing

Holy Thursday - washing of the feet

Talking to a lady on the streets

Preaching

In the evening, we participated in a Midnight Run from 10 pm to 1 am. A Midnight Run is an evening delivery of essential clothing and toiletries to homeless people throughout the city. The missionaries had been preparing in the months prior to the mission with a clothing and toiletries drive, collecting items as diverse as underwear, socks, rain ponchos, sweaters, jackets, pants, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and more.

Before we started our deliveries, two former homeless people came and gave all the missionaries a talk to help them understand what they would be experiencing, sharing their own stories of how they came to be homeless.

One of them had graduated from college and worked for the Pentagon and the Air Force. He had a family, a wife, and a house in DC. But when his wife died, he mentally broke down. He forgot to pay his bills and go to work. Before too long, he found himself on the street. One of New York’s programs for homeless people helped him to start getting back on his feet again, although he still lives in a shelter.

The other speaker shared how his drug addiction had lost him his job and landed him on the street for 16 years. It took him a long time to recognize that he had an addiction and start detoxing, but he finally did it.

One of the co-workers that Caroline has worked with in the past year and her cousin who came down for the mission :)

Sleeping

The kitchen "crew" serving lunch at the center for the elderly

Walking down the streets in NY


Saturday in Harlem

On Saturday, the missionaries headed over to the Children’s Day Society in Harlem. There, they organized five stations of games for the kids: basketball, steal the bacon, Easter egg decoration, musical chairs, and dodge ball. The kids switched off from one station to the other until they had their fill of games.

The games were followed by a cookout and an Easter egg hunt. One missionary spent the whole day with the same three girls, bonding

“The kids really liked the personal attention from the missionaries,” observed Caroline, noting that the boys started shooting hoops and playing pickup basketball with the young men, while some of the young women found themselves surrounded by a small posse of little girls.

Friends

Easter Eggs!

Some of the things in this post is from a great newspaper article that was written about the mission.

It is hard to put into words what a blessing the mission was to me. I think many of us there saw God working miracles in the lives of those on the street and the people who were helping on the mission. It re-emphasized to me that the smallest gesture can make a change in someones life. In closing I want to share with you two quotes that help me summarize my experience in NY city.

Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.

Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.

-Mother Teresa

God bless you, Erin

Lunch With Friends

As we walk our path of life,

We meet people everyday.

Most are simply met by chance.

But, some are sent our way.

These become special friends

Whose bond we can't explain;

The ones who understand us

And share our joy and pain.

Their love contains no boundaries.

So, even we are apart.

Their presence enhances us

With a warmth felt in the heart.

This love becomes a passageway,

When even the miles disappear.

And so, these friends, God sends our way,

Remain forever near.

Author unknown

It was wonderful to see you my friends - Caroline, Tannis and Louise! We will have to go out together again sometime soon.

Love, Erin

Disney Concert

This past Sunday afternoon was the final concert for the choir that I am in with eight other girls. We had a Disney theme this concert. It was so fun to sing all these classic songs! We had a great time the past few months practicing.

My piano teacher and choir director Ursula and I

The choir and our guest soloist

Laura, Ursula and I

Some Light Humour

After every flight, UPS pilots fill out a form called a 'gripe sheet,' which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight.


Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humor. Here are some maintenance complaints submitted by UPS pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers. By the way, UPS is the only major airline that has never, ever, had an accident.

P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.


P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.


P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit


P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.


P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.


P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.


P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.


P: Friction locks causes throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what friction locks are for.


P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.


P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.


P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.


P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.


P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.


P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.


P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.


As to whether these are all really true or not, DigTriad contacted UPS to ask. "We were surprised by the answer. Even UPS doesn't know if it's Fact or Fiction. The spokesperson did tell us, even UPS employees find it entertaining, but the one thing they do not joke about is safety. The company has not been able to verify the authenticity of the notes."

Post Credit

Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.

~Blessed Mother Teresa

Noah Update: Good News!

This was an email that was sent to my Mom-

Hi Sally,

Thank you so very much for praying for dear Noah. The Lord has most assuredly inclined His ear toward you and the others who've been praying, and has granted us our petition.

Noah is indeed home! He was discharged from the hospital on Monday. Imagine? A six hour major brain surgery on Thursday, home on Monday morning!! To God be all glory, honour and praise!!

He is doing amazingly well. Yesterday, I hear, he walked down to their barn and has been enjoying the WII Fit his brother bought as a physio tool. His swelling has reduced considerably and his healing has been taking place at a remarkable rate.

Please send the photos to me. I've already prepared 3 poster boards full of photos and comments, and am working on the fourth. The first three have already been delivered to their family. If you know of others who've been praying, please ask them to send along photos as well. Seeing the faces of the precious saints who've undertaken on their behalf has blessed them so very much.

Warmly,
Debbie


An update about Noah:

Thank-you for praying - please pass this around,

Sally H.


I received an email but it was a bit unclear about which day it was - I think the email went out Monday. Noah is walking in the hallways - only hooked up to a heart monitor and eating well. A final P.S. at the bottom of the email indicated that they had just heard from Steven (Noah's Dad) and Noah is going home - from what I can gather that would be maybe Monday or Tuesday. I'm really not sure exactly. Praise God! Thank-you for all of your prayers. This very serious surgery was just last Thursday. I know he has a lot of healing left to do but what a wonderful blessing if he can continue healing at home. Their home is not near the hospital so this will be another blessing for them. If you are able, "Debbie Y" is collecting photos and notes from people who would like to bless Noah in this way. Noah and his family has asked that they would like to see who the prayer "warriors" have been that have been praying. Joanna-Lynn (Noah's Mom) said that their family would like to pray for you too!! Debbie's email is: pauldeb@xplornet.com

P.S. I have since received word from Debbie and she has kindly updated me and sent along pictures of Noah as well.

Sally