We have had such a wet week in Montreal!
As always, wet weather can certainly dampen one’s spirits so there has been a general aura of “gloom “ around here, fed by a string of negative messages as I slog ahead trying to find host churches for our keen and expectant Teams!
There have been a few bright spots…news of a couple more potential Team Leaders, confirmation from a 2nd Training Camp Team Leader, the production of some lovely bookmarks to go into the Team Retreat Folders. These were plasticised, free of charge, by our amazing copy-centre man, Henry, who said “well we like to help you whenever we can”. What a Blessing he is to us!
All week my workdays have been accompanied by the bangings and thumpings of the “Brickmen”. Until yesterday they made do by hacking up the driveway retaining walls and building a form to pour new concrete, which they were unable to do because of the continuous rain.
Yesterday afternoon the Boss, Miguel, announced that they were going to move ahead, erect the scaffolding, and begin the brickwork on the South Wall, under a plastic tarpaulin. I have no idea how they did it in the dark and rain but they worked until 10pm last night and were back
( STILL in the rain) at 7 am today!
It is now 530pm and they are still at it!! I have tried very hard not to look at the devastation on my deck, which appears to be submerged under a thick layer of mortar sludge. As previously noted, most of the crew only speaks Spanish and when questioned, cheerily inform me “we clean!” I’m just not sure if their “clean” and my “clean” are exactly the same thing.
I’ll keep praying for all of them and peering,dolefully, out the windows!
Since gardening was out of the question, today, I have been doing some more baking for the Training Retreat Week.
Earlier in the week I made Raisins loaves and Coffee Cakes, mid-week I baked a big batch of Baking Powder Biscuits and today it was Brownies and Bagels! There is still a rather daunting list but a couple of friends have made offers of some help over the next couple of weeks so we are going to see if our schedules can be made to coincide.
Next Saturday is Kick-off Day at Isaiah 40. I am fervently hoping that this week will bring a breakthrough in the hunt for host churches. Every single suggestion has been followed up on, surely some will bear fruit.
I just cannot believe that the Lord has favoured us with so many eager and enthusiastic young volunteers if He does not have places where they will be able to exercise the Ministry for which we will train them.
When I was baking on Wednesday, my Boarder Klara’s Mum,sister and brother dropped in with her camping kit (yes, the poor soul is currently camping in this deluge!). I could not let a 12 year old boy pass through the house without offering him a warm “Breakfast Cookie” from the batch I was making for us.
He enjoyed it so much that he asked for the recipe! Since I typed it up for him, I thought I would share it here too!!
Breakfast Cookies
- ½ cup butter or oil
- 1cup honey
- ½ cup nut butter (I used organic Nutella)
- 2 eggs
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1cup raisins or currants
- ½ cup chopped nuts ( I used cashews)
- ¾ cup wheat bran
- 1 cup shredded coconut
Cream together the butter or oil, nut butter and honey. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, then beat well. Stir in the flour, salt and baking soda until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Use a ¼ cup of dough for each cookie (I use an ice cream scoop for measuring). Place on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake at 375F for 15mins.
Makes about 24 large cookies.
Sunday Reflections……
Today has not seemed very “Sunday-ish”. Last evening,at 7pm when the work crew departed, they informed me they HAD TO come at 1130 am this morning to clean up and dismantle the scaffolding. I was reluctant to miss church but they insisted it was the only time they could come. So I stayed home. Fortunately there was a fine “Choral Concert” program on the radio, so I read the Morning Office, after walking Wil (in the continuous rain) and then I waited, whilst sewing together the “Tigger” upon which I have been labouring since February.
Needless to say, they did not arrive until 1pm, but since I’m rarely home from church by then, and I could not have biked today, I would have been much later so it was just as well I had stayed home. As predicted the clean-up bears no resemblance to my understanding of the term. They have dismantled the scaffolding,revealing several nasty gouges out of my decking, and they made a half-hearted attempt to hose down the windows and back door. A ton of water and silt came through the back door, which I’ve just finished mopping up and the 4 windows are all covered in streaks of brick dust and mortar. I will not even try to describe what the surface of the deck resembles.
Meanwhile I am trying to focus on the beauty of a vase of Iris and Lilac which I picked this morning and am carefully averting my eyes from the windows!
Since it is Trinity Sunday (Whitsunday, in the UK) I’ll close with a link to St. Patrick’s Breastplate. Perhaps a rousing rendition of same will give me courage to gird my loins for the week ahead! At least the household devastation can serve to temporarily take my mind off the Day Camp woes!
Actually, I think Whitsunday is Pentecost Sunday, not Trinity Sunday. But maybe I am wrong.