Day 6 - Red Bird Mission

John and Bob left this morning for Carlisle after breakfast. John had bought two flats of marigolds and left them with instructions that people could take them home or take them to their work site. Norma and Lynne took a couple of plants and planted them at our prtoject house. They also took fruit from breakfast and gave it to our family. We finished our project today. Yesterday we finished the main roof and today we replaced the roof on the porch. We finished work a little earlier today so we had time at Red Bird before dinner to get organized for our return home. We sorted our tools and packed the trailer. Following dinner Red Bird had a closing program. We sang a couple of hymns, shared our expereinces of the week and had communion. Following that program then we held our traditional closing program. Pat had prepared a slide show from the pictures she has been taking this week. After viewing the pictures we presented each other with the present we had made and the Golden Hammer Award. It was a great ending for a terrific week.

Day 5 - Red Bird Mission

This has been a day of problems and disappointments. The day started with a power outage at Red Bird. Breakfast was cold cereal, bananas, apples and juice. Many people missed their morning cup of coffee. We left for our worksite without, Jerry, our Red Bird supervisor, who told us he would join us later. Jeriry drives the Red Bird work van. We realized after we left for the worksite that Jerry had the ladders we needed to get on the roof. We talked to the group working on the house next door and were able to obtain one of their ladders in exchange for Norma and Lynne working with them for the day. We next realized that Jerry also had the box of coil roofing nails that we needed so we began to hand nailing the shingles. Jerry finally arrived without the ladder or nails, drove back to Red Bird and then returned with the ladders and nails. We did finish the main roof today and we will complete the porch roof tomorrow.

Tonight was talent night at Red Bird, but since our group was lacking any talent to share we just watched the other groups perform. It was obvious that the other groups had prepared in advance for this night. John and Bob are leaving for home Friday morning so we presented them with their gifts tonight.

The last disappointment of the day was that the Penguins lost to Montreal.

Day 4 - Red Bird Mission

This is a non-work day at Red Bird Mission for the staff and camp workers. Breakfast was cereal, toast, juice and coffee. There were no devotions this morning. Most of our group decided to go to the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. It was a beautiful day, sunny and hot. We toured the park headquarters and then hiked to the overlook to view the gap that Daniel Boone and his party travelled through to the frontier. We ate lunch and then hiked to a cave in the park. While some of the group explored the cave other members just enjoyed the magnificent scenery of Kentucky. We had a difficult time finding a place to eat dinner so we went to KFC in Pineville, about 30 minutes from Red Bird Mission Camp. Tomorrow is another work day.

Day 3 - Red Bird Mission

It was another beautiful day in Kentucky. It was cool and foggy this morning but by mid-morning the sun was shining. By mid-afternoon it was quite hot. Dave and Alan had devotions this morning. Alan read the 23rd Psalm and Dave had a short devotion. Our group was responsible for cleaning the dining room and kitchen after breakfast and dinner today. We drove to our worksite over the mountain road again. We spent the day installing shingles on the roof of the house we have been assigned. It was hot, dirty work today. Everyone was happy when 4 PM arrived and we packed up our vehicles to drive back over the mountain road to Red Bird Mission. The mountain road is a dirt road, very narrow with lots of hills and sharp turns. Dave left first , and was a few minutes ahead of Dick and Carl, driving a Red Bird Mission truck, and our Red Bird Mission supervisor in another Red Bird Mission truck. The pictures show what we met on this mountain road on our ride home today. There is a new experience each day. Wednesday is day off from work and we plan to go to the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. This evening we were able to listened to the Penguins game on a computer.

Day 2 - Red Bird Mission

It rained overnight, the streams are high, there is fog in the valleys, and it was not possible to take a direct route to our worksite. Our ride to the job site, driving on very narrow, winding, hilly roads took 70 minutes. Our job is to replace the singles on our clients house. We immediately began to work, removing the old shingles and tossing the debris into a truck from Red Bird Mission. By 4 PM we had removed all the old shingles and roofing paper, replaced parts of the roof that were rotted, installed the drip edges and covered most of the roof with felt paper. We were reassured that it would not rain overnight so we could leave some of the roof uncovered. Let us hope that is true. Once the clouds cleared this morning and the sun was able to shine the temperature began to rise. By the time we left the worksite we all were hot, tired, thirsty and in need of a hot shower. By this afternoon the creeks had fallen so we drove a different route back to Red Bird Mission. Although we thought that the morning ride was eventful it was nothing compared to the afternoon adventure. Dick was sure that his GPS could find the way back to Red Bird. So with Dick in the lead and Dave following, they set off for camp. Suffice it to say that the views from the top of the reclaimed strip mine were spectacular and the back country dirt roads just added to the adventure. Following dinner we met to plan for Tuesday, when we will be responsible for devotions and cleanup after breakfast and dinner. We then had time to visit the craft shop, read, talk, work on a picture puzzle, or just rest. Tomorrow will bring new adventures.

Day 1 - Allison Park to Red Bird Mission

Eleven members of our team met at St. Paul's UMC at 6:30 AM Sunday morning. After putting our tools and personal belongings in our mission trailer, we prayed and then left on our 450 mile trip to Red Bird Mission. During our drive, in three vehicles, we skirted the edge of the large storm that was moving from the south to the northeast of the U. S. Most of the drive we were able to avoid rain but there were several times when we drove through heavy rain. We arrived at Red Bird Mission around 5: 15 PM. We met with Dennis, the camp director, and received our cabin assignments. At 5:30 we assembled with the other work camp groups in the dining hall for a short orientation from Dennis and ate dinner. At 7 PM we assembled for the evening worship service. We sang several hymns and Dennis had a short sermon. We received instructions for Monday morning and warnings about snakes, mice and poisonous plants we might encounter while working this week. After we had our own short orientation meeting the rest of the evening was free time. Some of our group played table games, others read and others returned to our cabins to prepare for Monday morning. Two of our team, Art and Audrey, having spent the night in Columbus, had to return home to New Castle because of a medical problem encountered by Art. We pray for Art. We are currently waiting for two other members to arrive from Carlisle.

Red Bird Mission Work Camp May 2 - 8, 2010

Fifteen members and friends of St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Allison Park, PA, will be traveling to Red Bird Mission in Kentucky to provide much needed help to those people living in the Appalachian region of Kentucky. The group will travel from Pittsburgh, New Castle, and Carlisle, PA, and meet at the Red Bird Mission on Sunday. Follow our postings as we daily report on our experiences at Red Bird Mission.