Nice day in western Texas

A beautiful day was on hand here in west Texas! We enjoyed the drive to and from Iraan this morning and of course the fellowship at the church there was a real blessing for us. Then it was back to McCamey and worship at the First UMC there followed by chapel service at the McCamey Care Center.

In between the McCamey service and the care center was a quick lunch at Elena's (which Belinda has dubbed "the home of the best burger in west Texas"). We joined Sylvia and her daughter, Ashley and Bill & Bobbie Lester for a wonderful time and great food!

Now we're in for the night and enjoying a quiet night. We hope you had a great day wherever you are today!

Saturday @ McCamey High School

This was not to be a "normal" Saturday for us as we had been invited to help with an academic meet at the McCamey high school. This was a dress rehersal for the students from eight area schools for the upcoming state academic meet.

We arrived at the school (very early for a Saturday!) and got our instructions for the day's activities. Belinda had been asked to be a judge for the first two rounds of the poetry competition and Charles was going to be the time-keeper. We had a great time hearing the students though the modern poetry does take some getting used to (or so it seemed to us).

We came home during the lunch break and rested up before returning for the afternoon's final round. Belinda went over to the golf course where a benefit was being held for a local family. She came back with a wonderful looking take-out meal which thanks to Bill & Bobbie Lester, we have lunch already for us tomorrow.

For the final round of the meet, there were three judges for each event and both of us were tagged to be judges in the prose competition. We really had a great time, there are really talented young people in our communites!

A quiet night has been our reward though there has been time at the church this evening, getting the final touches in place for Sunday.

Friday in McCamey

The rain we had yesterday is gone and it left behind a breezy, chilly Friday for us to enjoy. Our day was really in two parts, Charles spent most of the day focusing on his sermon for this coming Sunday and meeting with a family to plan a funeral for next week. He took a break later in the afternoon to clean up some of the litter that had blown into the cacti behind the parsonage. Belinda in the meantime headed 48 miles south to Fort Stockton where she had some business to attend to.

 

This evening was given a beautiful start with a full moon rising over the desert landscape. We are enjoying a quiet one at home before the busy weekend really gets underway!

A rainy day in McCamey

It was the sound of thunder was the music which woke us up this morning, along with some rain which out in west texas is always appreciated.

Charles went to theMcCamey Convalescent Center this morning to share in the weekly fellowship time with the residents. There are several members from our two churches who reside at the center. They are such a joy to share the coffee and muffins with!

This afternoon Charles had a welcome visitor, Jim Witcher (from the McCamey church) who helped Charles to set-up the button panels for Charles' collection. With more floor space came the possibility of using the reverse side of six of the panels which will allow Charles to dislay more of his 6,800+ buttons. Come visit and see the collection for yourself!

Our Wednesday in McCamey

We had a busy day today, with Charles working on the parish e-newsletter and Belinda baking brownies for a funeral supper the church was hosting this afternoon. Belinda also joined the McCamey's choir practice, what a joyful sound we enjoy from the sanctury tonight!

Monday in Iraan & McCamey

Charles has been making Monday his day in Iraan and today was was a busy day there to be sure!

We went to the Iraan Senior Center for lunch with two of the First UMC members, Lee and Dottie Mann. We also chatted with several other church members and other Iraan residents, learning more about this part of Texas. In the afternoon, we spent about three hours cleaning and clearing many years worth of stuff out of several of the classrooms at the church. A busy time, but the results were worth it! We rewarded ourselves with a stop at the deli in Iraan and shared one of most amazing coconut cream pies ever! Yum!!!

This evening we saw another of the wonderful sunsets this part of the country is known for. A great day, and a great way to see it conclude!

Sunday recap

We had our typical busy Sunday and forgot to blog yesterday! Just to summerize, Charles got up at 5:30am and spent 2 1/2 hours at the office next door focusing on the morning's sermons. Leaving for Iraan at 8:30 and the 9:00 service, we had a great worship time with the good people at First UMC.

Then it was the mad-dash back to McCamey for the 11:00 service. Belinda sang with the choir and enjoyed the view from the choir loft! There is a lot of potential in both churches and we are excited to see what happens next!

At 1:00, we went to the McCamey Convalescent Center and the weekly chapel service. The residents certainly enjoy the interaction and the singing!

The winds are howling tonight!

The day began with what may well be the most pleasant sounds found in west Texas: rain! We were blessed with a steady rain until nearly noon which was a real treat for us. The rest of the day was listening to a strong wind rattling the doors of the parsonage. The wind was measured at a steady 30mph with gusts of over 40mph!

After enjoying the day at home, we ventured out to "Crazy John's Pizza" and had a tasty meal "out on the town."

Another blustery day in McCamey

What a blustery day this turned out to be! The wild weather coming out of the west today made the day rather interesting. It had to have been at least 25-35 mph winds and there were more than a few tumble weeds seen going down Burleson Ave. by the parsonage!

Charles spent some time this morning painting the garage door frame and touching up the gates that he painted yesterday. As a treat afterwards, he went to the McCamey Country Club and made his way around the nine hole course. It was an interesting course to be sure, a long way from St. Andrew's (the home of golf), but it is nice to have a course so close to the parsonage.

Belinda in the meantime had a great afternoon, catching up on her thank-you cards and doing some shopping in town.

Another beautiful day

Another beautiful day here in west Texas! Our day began with a gorgeous sunrise and continued throughout the day with many other pleasant experiences!

Charles spent the morning working on his sermon for this coming Sunday. In the afternoon, we got our Texas tags and driver's licences - since we've been married, we've had car tags in Nebraska (twice), North Carolina, Cornwall, and Texas (twice)!

After that bit of excitement, Belinda attended a "grandma shower" being given for our pianist at First UMC in McCamey. Her first grandchildren were born last week, twin girls! It was a fun experience and Belinda got to meet a lot folks from the community.

Charles in the meantime continued his painting project at the parsonage. He has been working on getting the gates to the backyard painted, trying to make the place look a bit more attractive.

In the evening, we attended our first McCamey school board meeting. We were excited to be "in the mix" and Charles was thrilled to be asked by the School Superintendent, Donny Wiley (a member of our church in McCamey), to offer the invocation.

Badgers and more!

It was a full day for us here in McCamey and Iraan. We took part in our first "Badgers for Christ" gathering here in McCamey at lunch time. This is an outreach program where the church hosts students and staff from the high school for lunch and a very brief talk. We had over 50 in attendance today!

 

Later in the day, we went to Iraan for the Administrative Council of the First UMC. It is so wonderful to be together during the week like this. When we got back, it was in time to visit the choir practice at First UMC - McCamey. What faithful witnesses these ladies are!

Beautiful day in McCamey

The weather couldn't have been any nicer than what we had today in McCamey! Capped off by a spectacular sunset, today was a definite make-up for the dreary weather of earlier this month!

Charles spent much of the day in the office, sorting out end-of-year reports and going through old files in his desk. Belinda kept the home-fires burning, taking care of the insurance adjustor (there to see about the damage from the pipes leaking) and putting the finishing touches on our popcorn efforts for "Badgers for Christ." For more about Badgers for Christ, read tomorrow's blog!

In the evening, Charles began the touch-up painting that needs done to the parsonage's exterior. His first "brush" was on the north-side gate to the back yard. Belinda went off for the bi-monthly Woman's Reading Group, tonight was a business meeting. Belinda sure does enjoy getting together with these energetic ladies!

Our Sunday in Iraan/McCamey

Another full Sunday for us here in McCamey & Iraan! With two worship services in the morning, a chapel service at the McCamey Care Center, and an Ad Board meeting with the McCamey church, it was a full-court press for us! We are sure tired tonight, but it is a good tired!!! It looks like a busy week is ahead for us, stay tuned for the latest news!

A San Angelo Saturday

Our day centered on the San Angelo District's "Epiphany Celebration" held at the First United Methodist Church (UMC) in downtown San Angelo. There was a nice turn-out from around the district, including two members from the First UMC in McCamey. We had a great time, and after saying goodbye to Belinda's mom, we headed back home to McCamey! Praise God for a lovely day!!!