Almost Heaven, West Virginia

No television,

no Internet,

not much cell phone service....

and it is amazing the knitting you can get done. 

Last Wednesday night a group of us

from my church left for

West Virginia on a mission trip.

This is the second year that we have gone there to work.

World Vision

has an amazing ministry there helping to meet the physical needs of many people

and partnering with the local churches to meet their spiritual needs also.

You can read more about it by clicking the link above

or here

http://worldvisionusprograms.org/appalachia.html

Personally, I always thought of World Vision as some big, impersonal organization,

until we got involved there.

Their work is amazing!

We stay at the Barbour County

4-H Camp.

Brings back church camp memories!

Below are pics of the warehouse.

They receive surplus from companies and individuals... 

and process it through as needed.

This is a pic of the Teacher Resource Center.

Everything here has been donated by companies and individuals,

and it is provided free to teachers throughout much of    West Virginia.

We worked at a home of a young family.

For obvious reasons of protecting their privacy,

I would not post pics here. 

We did some demolition work,

we roofed,

we cleaned up,

wired,

and generally helped out for three days.

A drop in the bucket of what they actually need,

but it is a start.

If your church or youth group is looking for a project,

this is a great place to check out.

No passport required!

And now on to my puzzlement.

Every muscle in my body hurts.

I have blisters on my blisters.

I have hammered and shoveled and been in positions and used muscles that

my poor old body has not seen in awhile. 

Worked full eight hour days of constant movement.

Ate meals,

but nothing in between

and

nothing after 7:00 in the evening.

How is it that I gained three pounds on this trip?