Wahoo!!!!!!!!Fall Break

Your body and mind just know when it is time for a break, a release, and sabbatical. For teachers, it is called "Fall Break". Even Energizer Bunnies need to refuel and charge.
My fall break will be exciting; a new adventure; rewarding, but a bit sad/melancholy/scary. Another lady and I will be travelling with our men's group from the church to Redbird Mission in the Appalachians of Kentucky. This was one of James's favorite "homes away from home" and where he had his mountaintop experience 6 years ago. Our church usually sends a women's team the last week of September and a men's team the first week in October. They travel there to work in and around the mission trying to help people's lives to become a little more comfortable. The women usually work at the school, in the store, in the offices, or doing light repair work on some of the homes - like painting, cleaning up, etc. The men usually have a major repair or construction project. They work very hard and diligently for a week so that their project is finished at the end of the week. They have replaced roofs, added rooms on, added disability ramps, etc.
Six years ago, God called James to Redbird through Jerry Flippin, a lovely 80ish gentleman of our church who organizes the men's trip each year. After almost talking himself out of the trip, he finally went and came back a changed "man of God". God touched him as only God can. God began then preparing us both for James' journey into the valley of the shadow of death. So each year after that year he planned one of his vacation times around the Redbird trip.
He so wanted me to go, too. However, the ladies trip was at a time when I was teaching. I just felt that my mission was to my students, here in Tennessee. He and I had planned on going just for a visit and to introduce me to the Redbird/Appalachian lifestyle in April of this year during my spring break, but alas, it was not meant to be. I had planned on going with another group from another city maybe in the summer, but it didn't happen. Leave it to God to get you where you need to be and to work out the details. The team from our church this year is a coed team, since there are only 2 women able to go.
I have been to Redbird only once and that was to scatter James' ashes in a place that God picked out for him. It will be a bitter sweet return to the mountains.
Please pray for our team and that God's will will be done this week.
Enjoy this glorious fall weather.
Grace and peace be with you.
Cathy