Let the Adventures Begin!

Hello friends and family! Welcome to our first blog of 2025. We’ve been on the road for 3+ months, beginning with three SOWER projects in Florida as well as the beginning of our adventure travels. For those who might be new to our blog, the SOWER ministry (Servants On Wheels Ever Ready) has been part of our lives for four years now. What joy it has been to serve as volunteer property staff at Christian youth camps, schools, retreats and retirement communities while living in our RV.

With joy, Skip and I returned to the Africa Inland Mission in Minneola, FL as the year began, working in January and February with many other SOWERs and volunteers (see above). We made new friends and enjoyed time with friends we met last year. It’s rather like going to camp as a kid. In fact, we refer to these winter months of SOWERing as “Winter Camp” at AIM. Work of all sorts was tackled by a crew of about fifty SOWERS and volunteers…building, remodeling, cleaning, landscaping and more. We worked hard and played hard, including a corn hole tournament, lots of pickleball and a PB tournament, Western night, potluck picnics, dinners out with friends, axe throwing, card games, and of course Pegs and Jokers.

Between the January and February SOWER AIM projects, Skip and I opted for an excursion to visit Miami. We had the joy of visiting my Uncle Jim and Aunt Cate, as well my cousins Phil and Sarah, on our drive south. Neither of us had ever been to Miami, so as Skip says, we wanted to put a new pin in the map. We particularly enjoyed a food and history tour of Little Havana while we were there.

Our March SOWER project offered the opportunity to make new friends while serving at the Lake Swan Camp in Melrose, FL. Women painted and stained while men worked on a kitchen addition to the camp’s chapel.

Other joys of our journey have included spending time with dear SOWER friends for a weekend in St. Augustine, a visit to a Harvest Host farm, and visiting one of my dearest friends and her husband in Virginia, including a boat ride on Smith Mountain Lake where they live.

Soon, we’ll move on to Shenandoah National Park, New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia, and then Erik and Haley will join us as we explore the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter in Kentucky. We hope you’ll come along for the ride!