Zeba 2014 - Tuesday

The weather report for Tuesday... Cold. Rain. Colder. Fog.

We woke on Tuesday to the sound of thunder.  Lightning was prominent and the rain was coming down hard.  Not what we'd hoped for, but we're here on a mission - so off we went to VBS.  When we got there, the rain and the mud and the cold convinced us to move operations inside.

It's a hallmark of this group that they are nothing if not flexible.  In a very short time, we moved the entire VBS operation from the campground to the Zeba church about a half mile away.  This historic building is the oldest Methodist installation in the state of Michigan - which is another way of saying it's really, really small.  What's more, the rain brought out MORE kids, not fewer.

Our kids were great. They figured out how to adapt to the small space and everyone still had a great time. The Zeba kids were smiling and chatting as they left.

After VBS, we all piled in the vans for the 100 mile drive to Copper Harbor.  The drive is along lovely, wooded, winding roads and the destination is beautiful. We let the kids loose to explore the metropolis of Copper Harbor (it has several streets!) for a couple of hours. They had fun buying snacks and trinkets for their prayer pals.

When we regrouped, we headed just out of town to Fort Wilkins State Park.  There, we had our traditional fish on the grill dinner - prepared under the expert supervision of Chef Wendy.  It was delicious - we didn't bring home any leftovers. After dinner, the kids played on the play structure, explored the fort, and/or made the short walk down to Lake Superior.  They also took turns standing close to the grills because it was unseasonably cold (in the 40's) and the warmth felt great on cold fingers.

On the way back to Alberta, we took the scenic route by way of Brockway Mountain.  This drive along the bluff overlooking Copper Harbor offers spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.  It also offers many interesting photo opportunities - which everyone had a lot of fun with.

The drive home is always a late night and on this particular occasion, it was very foggy as we approached Alberta. In fact, the fog was so thick that two of our four vans missed the camp and logged some "bonus miles" before we even realized what we'd done.

Maine: Day 1 Tabitha's Closet

One team spent the day at Tabitha's Closet where children's toys, clothes, and supplies are offered for free to people in the community who need them.  Open two days a week, over 150 families rely on these donations to be warm in the winter and well clothed throughout the year.

We evaluated and sorted donations so that the clothes were available for the new families arriving the next days, some of whom travel over 45 minutes to find what they need.

Maine: Day 2 Log Splitting

When they said log splitting, we were thinking axes.... But luckily the camp has a hydraulic splitter instead. This would make great campfire wood but it will actually be packaged up and given for free to elderly residents who cannot afford to heat their homes this winter.

Zeba 2014 - Monday

Monday started out with the rain coming down hard at Camp Alberta where we stay and we were concerned about the condition of the campground for our first day of VBS.  As it turned out, it was raining gently at the campground when we arrived and so we were registering kids under the chapel roof and doing crafts under the cook shack.

As the morning went on, the rain stopped, the sky gradually cleared, and the sun came out. We had about 40 kids and everyone had a great time.

Lunch was back at the L'Anse park (where it was chilly), followed by a short walk up the hill to the cascades of the Falls River Falls (where it was warm). Our kids had a great time wading in the river.  There is even one place where you can jump from the bank of the river into a swimming hole.

After dinner, we prepared for the next day and played an energetic game of Capture the Flag before evening small groups and devotions.  Everyone went to bed tired.

Maine: Day 1 Boardwalk Team

Melanie and Bill lead a team (Quinn, Alex, Taylor, Jack, Laila, and Ani) that pulled and replaced some old boards on a boardwalk path. They then moved to the site of a 100-year old cabin that was being torn down. Removing century-old square nails proved particularly tricky!

Maine: Day 1 Special Needs Building Construction

On day 1, Ben's group (Sam, Hannah, Jackson, Kristine, and Jazz) was working on floor joists for a building that will accommodate special needs campers here at Mechuwana.

Maine: At Work in the Community

For our Monday service projects, Melanie and Bill split us into teams to begin construction work at Camp Mechuwana and head out into the local community to help out.  The camp provides a summer outdoor experience for all ages so repairing old buildings, building new ones, and improvements enables the camp to host more people with diverse needs and backgrounds.  The efforts of every two volunteers makes room for an additional child who would otherwise not have the financial resources or opportunity.

A flat tire on our bus delayed but did not stop groups from organizing VBS activities with children, visiting the elderly, or helping sort clothing donations.  Here is one team (Sophie Eli, Ben, Angela, Griffin) starting the renovation of a church kitchen and meeting room.