Weekend A Time To Relax!

After a week of working on projects a chance to relax and unwind is always in order. Tom and Carol Lee Iverson, another NOMADS couple, invited the group to have lunch at their home. The invitation was accepted and we traveled to Pardeeville for lunch and a tour of the lake. Brats were in order for the day, however the real treat was venison brats. After a full lunch and desert, the group had the opportunity to tour the lake via pontoon boat.

The afternoon was absolutely ideal for cruising the lake. We had the opportunity to see the unique features of the lake that was formed by constructing dams for mills on the Fox river.

 For those that were more adventuresome Tom did put his sailboat in the water and took folks out for a ride on the sail boar. The wind gave the boat quite a push and sent the group speeding acorss the lake.

On Sunday morning the group was up bright and early so they could have breakfast on the farm. The Marquette County Dairy Breakfast was held at the Malpe Lawn Dairy Farm near Westfield. We were able to have a "farmer sized breakfast" and still make it to church on time.

First Week Completed

Each morning as a group we meet for a period of devotion and planning for the day's activities. Each team member will conduct one of the devotional times. To me spiritual growth is an important part of our work and it gives me the strength to carry on.

The playground equipment was stained and repaired this week. It not only looks much better but will give youngsters a great place to play this summer. A little paint and some elbow work will make such an improvement in the appearance of the campground.

All of the water connections have now been marked with bright blue posts and the leaks have been repaired. This is just another part of making the campground not only more attractive, but also more inviting.

Many of the picnic tables throughout the camp need to have boards replaced and in some cases completely rebuilt. The lumber arrived this week and now the boards are being stained before the tables are assembled. The staining and varnishing process will take several steps.

One of the projects has been to build two cabinets for the dining hall. The cabinets are to be used for storage and are designed to open and close as needed . Basically they are base cabinets on casters. The only part of finishing the cabinets now is to put the trim work on and stain or paint them. I have one more set to build next week. The greatest challenge was to build the cabinets without a plan:

We finished the week with dinner together. Fellowship is also a great part of the NOMADS experience. We did invite John and Nancy to join us for dinner. John and Nancy are campground hosts and they have gone out of their way to accommodate our needs.

Our First Week!

Our NOMADS team was divided into 4 groups to work on different projects at the Camp. The Camp promptly supplied all of the materials and has been very supportive of our work.

Linda and Cindy was one of the work groups. Their task was to stain and repair the playground equipment at the family camping area. This required staining and some painting as well as some minor repairs to the equipment itself. 

Ruth and Janice was the painting team. Their task for the week was to prepare the outhouses near Loop C for painting and then to paint them. They were able to complete the task during the week. 

 Bruce and Ricci comprised team 3. They were responsible for replacing the marker posts at each of the water connections and make any necessary repairs to the water lines. The were also able to complete the task this week.

Mike and I made up the final team. Our task was to build two rolling cabinets for the camp store. One of the cabinets was for Lake Lucerne and the other is for Pine Lake. This has become quite a task, and we should have one of the cabinets completed this week, and hopefully the second will be completed next week. 

Our Camp Hosts and the entire team at Pine lake has indicated they are well pleased with the work we are doing here and appreciates our efforts. 

Our Mission Project for June, 2016

Our first NOMADS mission for the year is a project at Pine Lake United Methodist Camp near Westfield, WI. The camp was established in 1948 and has been in operation since that time. During our stay we will be working on various repair and improvement projects that will enable the camp to provide an improved atmosphere for the young campers. The camp not only offers programs for children, but has several camping opportunities as well.

The team consists of 8 members. The team members are from the states of Connecticut, Indiana, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Linda and I have been designated as the team leader for the project. On Sunday we all worshiped at the Faith United Methodist Church in Westfield.

Linda and I were the first to arrive so that we could be sure everything was functioning and the sites were ready for the other team members. The camp sites are not designed for the size of rigs that are common today, but we were able to get everyone in place. The camp does offer electrical service and water connections for the campers, however the sewage is another challenge.

My first task was to cut the grass in the camping area. It had not been cut in some time, and I wanted the sites to look nice when the guests arrived. Following the grass cutting, I inventoried the picnic tables so we could build the additional tables that were needed and repair the ones that needed to be repaired. I also had to locate all of the water connections so we could install posts to identify the locations of the connections. Soon after I completed these tasks the other team members arrived.

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.

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.

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.