Hill Country Camp, Kerrville, Texas

We've put a few miles on since I last posted. I'll try and fill in the blanks eventually, but for now... We're in Texas! Back home everyone is digging out of the snow. This week I'm diggin out my sandals because it's in the mid to upper 70s.

What are we doing in Texas? We're working at the Hill Country Camp in Kerrville!!!

Dan is getting to play in the dirt, digging trenches, moving dirt, and digging in the hillside in preparation for a new sewage treatment facility and a new conference center.

Judi is working in the office, and, as soon as camps begin in Feb., the kitchen.

Here are some pictures taken today from around the camp. The sun is out,there's a slight breeze is in the air and birds are chirping.  A great day for a walk and capturing some of the sights.
Y'all enjoy!




Let's take a walk up Prayer Mountain!




Some of the vegetation...Prickly Pear Cactus





Were almost there...





The Cross, where campers can go to be closer to God...




..and leave their troubles.




Some of the trees waiting for spring





 Hill County Cedar




A lonely oak



 



Back side of Prayer Mountain... that's the driveway to a huge ranch house on the top of the hill




A neighboring ranch's pond




The digging site from Prayer Mountain (in the center)



  

A little closer. A cabin in the front






Filling a large dip in preparation of laying pipe




Filling the Dump Truck. That's our friend Jonney walking




Dan Driving past the waterslide




Dan on top of Prayer Mountain





This is a picture of a youth camp on top of Prayer Mountain. This is why we do what we do. Isn't that just awesome?

 

Sightseeing in the area

We took a couple of days off from the project and headed to town!

Actually, Helena is a very nice town. There is a great History Museum where we spent a long time. It depicted the Montana area from basically the ice age though today.Unfortunately, flash pictures were not allowed.

The capitol, did allow pictures. It is a very elegant building. Lots of stained glass, and murals.In fact it was the first state capitol to be wired for electricity!

From the entrance



Original stained glass that has been though 2 major earthquakes

House of Representatives... note where the Speaker of the House' podium is



Story has it that the artist commissioned for this mural was not too fond of the Speaker at the time. So... every time he rose from his chair he had to turn and face a snarling wolf.



Next up was the Ghost Town of Elkhorn. South of Helena is the town of Boulder MT. just east of Boulder was the town of Elkhorn. There are still a few living inhabitants, but during it's heyday, there were nearly 2,500 miners pulling gold, silver and lead from the hills.

After driving along a hot, dusty, dirt road for about 15 miles you enter a beautiful canyon with trees, and a stream. Just a little farther and you are there. Judi found the old buildings fascinating. Dan preferred the rusty stuff.

Signs are a great thing for telling the story!

Look though the bugs on the windshield, and you see the town. And yes, there are still people living here, maybe a half dozen or so.



The 2 biggest buildings. The Fraternity Hall on the right, and store/bar on the left. The Fraternity Hall was used for a meeting place as well as community dances.





Inside the Hall. Dan either heard a ghost upstairs, or had a premonition that Judi would be here forever taking pictures!



I think the premonition was right-on

Part of an old mine

...from the front. Note the chute



Mine shafts. they would go into the side of a hill, then dig down. The above pictures were at the base, probably where they ended up, and pushed the rock out.



This might be some one's house or cabin today.





From a burned out house. Note the foundation is rocks mortared together






Some of the "Newer" cars in town.

The "Oldest" car in town

Wooden spokes on the wheels

An old stove. Note the stamped date on the upper Right corner. Imagine the effort getting this from Denver to Elkhorn in 1905!

Finally figured out why there is a sand dune in the middle of Montana next to a Ghost town. Remember the Lime mortar? Well there are kilns all over the area outside of each town. The settlers would take the rock (limestone) drop them into the kiln from a chute above. The rock would burn and produce lime ash. The ash would get mixed with water to form mortar.The settlers would and mortar together rock to form foundations, fences, or entire houses. The kilns were always outside of town because of the risk of fire. This one was about a mile down the road from Elkhorn.



The beautiful stream that lead the miners up to Elkhorn.





Evidence of one BIG bear





Portrait of a "Good" Rattlesnake.
The only good rattlesnake is a dead rattlesnake!

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This was a long day! If there is this much to see and experience in this area, the entire state would take a lifetime! Not to mention the US.

We are truly blessed to be able to see everything that we can. But it is exhausting! Just ask Dink and Duke!

MAPS

So what is MAPS and Why are we MAPPERS?

MAPS stands for Mission American Placement Service  through the Assembly of God Church headquartered in Springfield, Missouri. We help with construction projects at AG churches, campgrounds, Teen Challenge Centers, and children's homes all over the US.

We are in a division called   RV MAPS. We live in our RV when we go out to projects. It may be on site of the project where there are RV hook-ups or off site at a campground nearby.

We usually go as a team, meaning 2 or 3 couples work together. While working as a team we get to know other MAPPERS and develop very close friendships. This team may go to another project together, or split apart, each joining another team at another project.

Every year there is a MAPS Convention in Carlinville IL where we are united with our extended family and catch up on where we've been and where we're heading. It is  a great time!

So how many of us wanderers are there out on the road? Surprisingly, close to 1,400!

Some are considered full time, like us. That means we live in our RV all the time.

Many full time MAPPERS spend their winters in the south, and move north in the summer, like any other "snowbird". MAPPERS, however do so with the purpose of using our God given talents to further His kingdom.

Check out the US MAPS website for more information.

Helena, Montana

Where did we run off to this  time you ask?

Well, we are helping out at Neighborhood Assembly in Helena Montana for the next couple of weeks.

The entire project includes a new 8,000+ square foot addition and remodel.  They have hired a contractor to build and enclose the addition before the weather turns.

Dan and Judi are charged with tearing off old siding and replacing the old windows with bigger and heavier ones. At this point the destruction has taken place and new windows are going in today. John, the project manager, had to recruit some manly men to help Dan.  Judi has not been power-lifting for some time, so her muscle mass was not up to snuff for this job.

All work and no play makes for not ideal retirement, so we did do some sightseeing yesterday. We went on a boat ride up the Missouri River to the Gates to the Mountains.  Named by Merriwether Lewis because the mountains seem to block the passage. However, as you continue upstream the mountains appear to move. These 'gates' open the passageway to the entrance to a limestone canyon though the Rockies. It was a great way to spend a hot Labor day.

The Gate is closed

Wait... What's happening???

A passageway is revealed!

Once we entered the Gate we discovered we were in a limestone canyon. It was beautiful. The perfect place to be on a hot day!!!