One Week to Go! – Crosstalk Ministries Day Camps

That is one scary title if you are in my shoes. Yes, things are way better than they were last Saturday but we are not out of the woods yet.

As of last evening we have 11 Team Members. It was certainly a major milestone to hit the double digits, so if we can find 3 more we will be in business. God is good! So many people have committed to pray and to fast, laying before the Lord this urgent need, and He has heard our cry.

Within the next six days the information must be sent to the Western Provinces so that they can have a full two weeks in advance of the flights and thus, hopefully be able to secure lower airfares. As of today we still do not have enough people to send two, three-person Teams, and that is still the goal. If the other four Teams have only two members each, so be it, they will manage but all of us feel the two Western Teams REALLY need those extra members.

I guess the three preceding paragraphs pretty well sum up the past week for me. Pray, badger, pray, cry, pray do other stuff like gardening, pray sleep (or try to)!! One week from today we will be in the midst of Team Training Day, and getting ready to Commission our three Training Team Leaders. This Monday afternoon I shall be meeting with those Leaders (two in person, one via Skype) and last evening we put together the three Training Teams, as it now stands, fervently praying that more names will be added to each group.

Of course there has been other work. The Team Leader’s Binders are half way to completion, the Team Supplies have been purchased (but not yet all packed), almost all of the advance cooking for the Retreat is finished and sitting in my freezers, and the grocery lists have been emailed to the two stores from which they will be picked up two weeks today.
And this morning news came via email that the filming of our brand new slideshow is completed. Yay!

I’ve spent as much time as possible in the garden because that is just one of the BEST places to think and pray. I also completed my Godson, Tighe’s, Birthday Crown (I’m pretty proud of how it turned out!) and will be presenting it to him at Church tomorrow.

And I bought the cotton & linen yarn to knit a cardigan as a Christening gift for my fourth Godson (funny there hasn’t been time to start knitting yet!!)

The coming week is already rapidly filling up with various interviews and meetings and there are so many “to-do” lists around here I think I could wallpaper a whole room with them. It can be rather galling when people who do not know me very well ask about my “summer holiday plans” HA! Summer is not holiday time around here. However, once we reach that magic number of 14 Team Members the title of this year’s Day Camp Program will take on a whole additional meaning, as we will certainly have “Something to Celebrate!”

And so this afternoon I’m about to dive back into list making and trying to set up a Skype call with a Team Member in the UK. The Mango Soup for the Retreat has just been concocted and placed in the
freezer and of course Wil is hoping for his next “perambulation” So I suppose I should wrap up this post, but not without a recipe.

One evening this week I made a particularly tasty Asian Salad using some of the chicken which the Huyers brought me as a gift on one of their recent visits, what a nice treat!

Hoisin Chicken Salad with Plums

4 ripe red plums
1 boneless chicken breast, cooked
2-4oz. cakes instant brown rice ramen noodles
1 cup alfalfa sprouts
¼ tsp. hot chilli sauce
2 tsps. Rice vinegar
1 tsp.soy sauce
2 Tbsps. Hoisin sauce
½” grated fresh ginger
4 Tbsps. Olive oil

Cook the ramen according to the package directions and rinse under cool water. Place on a serving platter. Spread the alfalfa sprouts over the noodles. Slice the chicken and plums and arrange over the noodles and sprouts. In a small bowl, whisk together all the other ingredients to form a dressing. Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently.Serves 2, easily multiplied.