Saturday, May 30, 2015

Our Last Week!

The mission is now finished and the camp is getting ready for guests to arrive. During the last week we completed many tasks that were on the list. At the end we had completed everything that was on the list to complete.

The lower level of the dining hall has a humidity problem, so we installed dehumidifiers and connected them to hoses so they will drain outside. Don made small tables to mount the units on so they would continue to operate and no one would need to empty the containers.

The entrance to the Leadership Lodge was in bad repair and each day I wondered if someone would fall through the old platform at the door. The old platform was removed and a new deck was built and put in place. This not only improves the appearance of the building,but makes it much safer as well.
The cabins in the "Grove" area will be needed this summer, so one of the tasks was to clean and check each cabin to insure it was ready for guests. The windows were washed, curtains washed, mattresses were sanitized and the building was completely cleaned. Preparing for guests is a large task for the camp each year.
The plumbing in the bath house at the groves was repaired and the facility was completely cleaned. The entire building was power washed and then wiped down. The campers should appreciate this when they need to shower after a day of activities.
 A leak in the drain line under the kitchen was discovered and the Don helped remove the old cast iron pipes and make repairs to the facility.


The last day we were on site, a special lunch was prepared for the group.It was Eunis first chance to prepare a meal in the kitchen after the cleaning and renovation work. We appreciated the wonderful meal and the fellowship with the staff of the facility.
The "Thank You" goes both ways...as NOMADS we must thank the camp for accommodating us and allowing us to have the privilege of working and staying in such a wonderful place.

Our Thanks to Grant and his family for accommodating use. I am sure the hours he will spend with his family for the next few months will be limited.

Linda and I were the first to arrive and the last to leave. As we traveled home out thought were about how many children would enjoy the camp and have a life changing experience at the camp. At the same time we were wondering where our next mission will take us! It was great to work at the camp, but is is also great to be home.

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Our Last Sunday

This will be the last Sunday our team will be on the Pine Creek Project. Normally we worship at the Pine Village UMC, but we had been invited to attend services at the Oxford UMC (a neighboring town) so the team elected to attend the worship at Oxford. The service was interesting and it worked out that we were able to get a table at the restaurant in Pine Village because the service was later so all the other people had eaten and left the restaurant.

 The team consisted of three couples. There were to be five couples, but two cancelled for various reasons. The team members (from left to right) included Bruce and Beck Peterson (Indiana), Don and Lavonne Carlson (Wisconsin) and Lindell and Linda Whitelock (Wisconsin). Linda and Lindell were the team leaders and coordinators for the project.


The campsite is so much improved over the last two years that words can not describe the changes. The grass is cut, leaves cleaned, restrooms and showers functioning, and a very low mosquito population. This is due to the efforts of the camp manager (Grant Crumbaugh) and two volunteers that do a lot of work on the campsite. They are Don and Marilyn McFatridge. Thanks to all for a wonderful experience.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

A Lot of Work, and A Little Play!

This week continued with its challenges, but the work continued. The cleaning and organizing the kitchen finally was finished on Wednesday afternoon. Now to the dining hall and preparing it for use.

One of the major projects was to upgrade the kitchen sink from a two basin sink to a three basin sink. This required a lot of work, planning and revising plans, plus a few trips to the plumbing supply house.
Installing this sink was a major challenge to get it to fit into the allotted space and match the existing plumbing drains. Bob did an excellent job of working through this part of the project.

Monday was extremely hot and humid, I wonder why these ladies chose to clean the walk in cooler and walk in freezer that day? At least they were cool in their work that day!
The screen door was in very bad repair, so the installation of a new door was in order. Guess what, the new door was 2" wider than the existing opening. A little engineering and a saw blade made it fit!
Some of the base boards had deteriorated and were water damages, so they had to be removed and the old glue stripped off. A paint job was in order for this part of the project.

A cover for one of the exhaust fans was constructed so the opening could be closed during the winter to protect the interior of the dining hall from some of the elements.

On Tuesday night we gathered, fired up the grill and built a campfire. Following a meal that featured Brats, smores and roasted marshmallows were in order. The team enjoyed an evening of fellowship with the Camp Director and his family. Wonderful day to finish a hard day!

More work on the way, but a little excursion is planned for the weekend.



Sunday, May 17, 2015

Update on Pine Creek Camp Project

The weekend was very rainy, so much so we thought about trying to contact Noah to see if we should start pairing up the animals for the ark!

The pool was last week and was filled with water this weekend. It should be filtered and treated this week so it will be ready for the campers.


The final step of cleaning the pool was to power wash the liner to remove the last of the debris and grit from the surface. Once the power washing was done, the filling began.

Finishing touches on cleaning the kitchen and painting the areas that had been missed with the previous painting were finished. Now the task of putting everything back in place is next on the list.

One of the projects was to build some "A" frames to be used in team building activities for the campers this summer. The frames will be tied to ropes and then the person standing on the beam will need to maintain balance as the frame moves about.

Before we finished the week, one of the team members had a birthday, so we celebrated her birthday. Fellowship and building relationships is a very important part of NOMADS.

Over the weekend, we made an excursion to Fair Oaks Farms were we toured the swine and dairy facility. Following the tour, we enjoyed a cheese sandwich lunch at the gift shop.

The entire team enjoyed the day very much and recharged their batteries so they can start with the next weeks activities.


Friday, May 15, 2015

First Week at Pine Creek Finished

The first week at Pine Creek is finished and the team has made some accomplishments. There is so much to getting a camp ready for the youth, but we work hard and have a lot of fun along the way.
 Pine Creek is a relatively short distance from Janesville, we were only on the road about 4 hours before arriving at the camp. It was a nice day and we had a smooth trip southeast.  Once we arrived, we started to work on the pool.
Not only was the pool filled with stagnant water and winter debris, the deck area of the pool had to be cleaned as well. The pine needles and pine cones were cleaned away from the pool and the process of starting to pump out the stagnant water began. It took three days to pump the pool then another day to scoop up the leaves and debris before filling the pool. The pool is filling now and and should be filled in three days.

Soon this pool will be filled with smiling childrens faces and not the muck and stagnant water we had to remove.

The kitchen area was also a major project for the first week. Everything was removed from the cabinets, a thorough cleaning and inventory was conducted. The ladies did a great job or cleaning and preparing the kitchen for the upcoming camp season. The Health Department has insisted the 2 basin sink be replaced with a 3 basin sink, so that was accomplished this week as well.

Several small projects such as leveling the steps on some of the cabins, building some recreational equipment, and other small tasks were completed so the work has progressed as well.

The camp does not have golf carts, but has invested in a Gator. It sure makes getting around the 300 acres site, picking up supplies and chasing parts much easier and quicker than in the past. No I have not had the opportunity (or desire) to go "four wheeling" or "mud buggying" with it

Monday, May 11, 2015

Back To Work!

The team all arrived safely this weekend and we are working with people we have  not been on a project with before. One of the couples is on their first mission project, so we are doing all we can to make life a little more enjoyable for them. I has rained all weekend and throughout today. The campsite is more like a mud bog than a campsite! For Mother's Day we attended Pine Village United Methodist Church and followed the service with lunch at the Windy Mill Cafe on main street in Pine Village....nothing fancy but good food!

Our plan was to finish cleaning the pool and start filling it, but things changed with the heavy rainstorms that rolled through. Instead we all convened in the dining hall and began work there. Everything was removed from the kitchen area and the cleaning started. The health department required a 3 basin sink in the kitchen area, but there was a two basin sink so out came the old sink and assembly of the new sink began. Many other small projects were started during the day.

I will  start posting pictures tomorrow, and yes hopefully it will be nicer weather and there will not be rain!

Friday, May 8, 2015

Our Mission....Pine Creek Camp, Pine Village, IN

Our NOMADS mission for the spring of 2015 is Pine Creek Camp located near Pine Village Indiana. As we prepared to leave Wisconsin, I was able to hook and load the trailer with out getting wet, however just as we started to leave  town, the rain started. By the time we were to Beloit the rain had stopped and the sun was shining. We had a very smooth and uneventful ride south on I-39 to El Paso, Il, and traveling east on Illinois State Rout 24 to Gilman, Illinois where we stopped for lunch. Following lunch, we were back on the road and headed to Kentland, Indiana. From there we took US 41 south to Pine Village. We arrived and checked in with Grant Crumbaugh about mid afternoon.

We were very surprised to see the condition of the RV camping area.  Our memories of the previous stay were in our mind, but up on arrival we found the campground clean, the restrooms working, the grass cut and not  mosquetos! It was such a change from what we had experienced in the past we were totally surpirsed and happy the grounds wer in such good shape.

After dinner we simply relaxed and enjoyed the quiteness of the country!

On Thursday I met with Grant and we developed a plan for the balance of the week. Linda and I were to pump the rain water that had collected in the swimming pool over the winter. The pumping was slow and it took two days to get all the water out. While the pumps were running we did some cleaning around the pool area and did some repair work as well. The round table that is used meetings in the Leadership Center was legless...so I built some legs so the table could be used.

The only excitement for the first two days on site was the fact that I broke a tooth. My first thought was finding a dentist in a farming community that would be able to get me in would be almost impossible, but as luck would have it a dentist was able to take care of the problem...and in relatively short time after I called.

By Friday afternoon the pool was pumped out, the table repaired, my tooth in good shape, shopping for the week was done and we were waiting for the rest of the crew. However we did have excitement on Friday night. There was a competition on the camp that was similar to an iron man contest, however this one involved walking and completing tasks in the woods, creeks and pond. The competition lasted for 4 hours and certainly created some excitement for Greta.

This weekend will center around greeting the new NOMADS team members, helping them set up, preparing for next week and attending worship services in Pine Village.