Home!

It is 2:08Pm and I am home.  Actually, I've been home since 12:05 this afternoon.  The reason why I got home so soon and why I am just now blogging, is because yesterday at the Root Cellar I started coming down with the flu.  Two days before I got caught in a huge downpour and I had to walk back to the Root Cellar...20 minutes away with the rain and the wind blowing directly in my face.  Naturally I started to get sick.  Because I didn't want to end up in a Portland hospital, I left sooner than later and I went straight to my Doctor's office.  When I got home I took some medication and passed out but as soon as I woke I knew I had to round out this week's blogs.  I am sorry to tell you that I missed the Food Distribution and the Teen Center today but I was assured to that they had more than enough help and I should get home as soon as I could.  All in all it was a great week and I had loads of fun with the kids.  Hats off to all the people who volunteered their services this week because their presence was very much appreciated.  I love and I thank you all.  Until Sunday!
David

Kids Club!

     Today it was Team #4 who arrived at the Root Cellar and they were Rob and Elijah Morris; Joanne and Luke Farley; Cherith, Alexis and Hannah Smith, Barbara MacDonald, Sara Long, Matthew Beish and his close friend Brigget Raferty.  One of the first things Matthew did with the kids was to teach them a song called, "Making Music In My Heart."  It was not just a song, it was an entire song and dance routine.  Kind've like the "Funky Chicken" (if you remember that dance you're old) but instead of singing and doing all these crazy motions for fun, we sang and did all these crazy motions for the Lord!  You would have to see it to really appreciate it.  Shortly after the kids heard a couple of brief narratives on Jesus washing His disciples feet, Jesus in the Garden, Jesus on the Cross and Jesus rising again.  Then they were broken up into small groups to discuss what they had just heard.  I was amazed as I heard different children recount what they'd heard and read a passage from the bible.  You have to remember that the only spiritual food these children are served is when they come to the Root Cellar.  That is why we come here; to help bring spiritual food to the hungry! 

     Once again, Cherity pulled a neat trick out of her little bag and taught these kids how to make big, beautiful flowers out of tissue paper and pipe cleaners.  That was a project I learned as a kid but one these kids had never seen before.  While that was going on, some of the kids were outside enjoying a brand new parachute!  This is something that the kids (kids of all ages) can and do enjoy.  We fed them a snack of watermelon, oreo cookies and lemonade, prayed with them and then walked them back down to the park where we played some more games.  It was a great day to be a kid!

Beach Day!

Today is Wednesday and here at the Root Cellar that means Beach Day!  Well, not so much a beach as it is a lake but we still had a lot of fun.  Cherith, Alexis, Hannah, Lisa Werner and Karen Nawoichik came up and they were fantastic.  Hannah and Alexis went swimming with the kids along with Karen.  The kids all thought Karen was a life guard so they behaved themselves around her in the water.  Too funny!  Yesterday Lori made a creamy spaghetti Casserole and left it in the refrigerator with instructions to eat it.  I am about to go do that with the family that is also staying here with me.  So stay tuned.

Tuesday: Kids Service Project, Kids Club

                                            Jamie and Breydon

                                             Chelsea leading a small group

                                               Now, who are these two cuties?

                                         Working hard under the sun to make things grow!

                                           Listening to Pastor tell a story

                                                         "Little Piper"

                                             Pastor teaching the children

                                             Edward helping things grow

                                                    Clark showing them how!

                                               Matthew & Edward

As you can tell from the pictures above, today was a very busy day here at the Root Cellar.  Team #2 arrived this morning ready to roll up their sleeves and dig right in.  Matthew, Pastor and Lori, Cherith, Alexis and Hannah Smith; Joe Boechetti and Chelsea Giovanniello all pitched in together to make this one happy and exciting day for the kids here.  Pastor told the story of Jesus walking on water. Cherith and Chelsea did this amazing art project with the kids.  Matthew broke the kids down into small groups and they discussed the story and played games related to the story.  It was just like being back home in OSLC with our kids!  Lori made this amazing lunch of Spaghetti with sauce with very, very sweet lemonade courtesy of Matthew!  Alexis and Hannah kept the kids entertained all day too.  In fact not only did they entertain the kids, they also pitched in to help with the Kids Service Project.  We took the kids to a house around the corner from the Root Cellar where they had planted a beautiful vegetable garden in late May.  Last year, this same house, in the same back yard, was  a jungle!  In fact, some of last years team will recall hacking their way through the yard to try to find the fence.  Since last summer this yard as been transformed with the help of a grant from the city and the grace of God!  Not it is a sight of beauty and the best part is the veggies grown all go to the kids to take home or to the Root Cellar for their food distribution program.  See how God works?  O the wonder of it all!! 

Monday in the Park

                                                             Deidre and Company...

                                                                 Channel 6 News

                                                  Lisa and Judy passing out 'dogs and burgers!

                                                                   Jenn, Joe and Peggy

                                                        Jenn and her new  girlfriends

                                                                   Who are we?

Monday In The Park

 Today Jenn Pituck, Judy Terhune, Lisa Werner, Kathy Kishbaugh and Joe Boechetti arrived for the weekly cookout aka "Monday in the Park."  And God was faithful in that He had someone in mind all along to work besides us this week. The Guerrette Family from Biddeford, Maine are also here to serve. The family consists of Mom, Dad, 1 daughter and two sons.  And, if I do say so myself, we made quite an impressive group which made today a complete success.  But just to remind everyone of some of the different backgrounds people have in this area, this is the week of Ramadan.  It is a time when most muslims fast.  So, today in the park we were missing quite a few people and that is because they are of the muslim faith.  We still had a large crowd but I noticed that the usual number of people (particularly kids) were not there.  But a good time was had by all.  Lisa Werner and Kathy Kishbaugh organized a table under a shaded tree to paint nails on all the girls who wanted it done.  Which included....well...all of them!  Judy Terhune and Lisa also helped out at the food tables by handing out hotdogs and hamburgers and putting the toppings on them for the kids.  Jenn Pituck was in the playground area having a rousing good time with all the little ones.  She is quite the expert at bubble blowing and swinging jump ropes.  Joe walked around and talked to all the kids.  He was quite moved by some of them and told me he thought they were all "very sweet kids."  I agreed with him.  The highlight of the afternoon was when a camera man showed up from channel 6 (NBC) news in Portland.  He was there conducting interviews because the Root Cellar lost a large portion of their funding through the United Way.  So, this is something we all definitely need to pray about.  That God will start to open doors that will restore the funds the Root Cellar lost.  I got some nice shots of the team and the kids but there is one picture I want you to watch out for.  Two of the ladies allowed the girls to paint their nails some pretty wild colors.  I took a picture of their hands.  Can you guess which members of the team they belong to?

Here Safe & Sound

Hello OSLC!  Well here I am up in beautiful Maine for the 4th year in a row and I feel like I'm home.  Peggy sends her love to every last one of you and I already took the liberty of sending yours back!  I have been pretty busy since I arrived here shortly after 9:00AM this morning.  I've been going over a check list for the Root Cellar's Monday in the Park which, some of you remember, consists of games, a bible story or two and food, food, food!!  A good time is always had by all.  I was delighted to find out that I will be joined by a family from Biddeford, ME this week.  I have met the Mom and her four children.  The dad will be joining us tomorrow.  As you can tell I haven't learned their names yet.  O wait a minute!  The mom's name is Deidre.  Yay for me, I got it...  Anyway, I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of team #1 from Topsfield.  I will check back in with you all tonight and this time I'll have some pics to go along with my ramblings.  Blessings to you all.
David