Shocco Springs

The project has ended here at Shocco, and we will actually be leaving....contrary to rumors that are circulating.  It has been a wonderful four months here (if you rule out the encounter I had with the 18-wheeler - see post from Jan. 16th), and we WILL miss the wonderful friends and staff here.....they have made us feel like a part of the family!  But in the next week or so it will be time to start heading the Beast (our motorhome, as Willie so affectionately calls it) toward Virginia Beach, where we will be spending most of the summer.  God has truly blessed us with the privilege of being "on the road" for Him, and it is always interesting to see where He leads!

But before we head out, I want to share a few pictures of the group from our last month here......there were supposed to be nine couples, but due to mechanical difficulties and then a death in the family, one couple never quite made it to Shocco.  Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the Webergs.

Our group of SOWERs was led by Doris and Frank Hutchison, whom we had worked with before, and we also had worked with Bill and Linda Crawford and Gary and Bev Carter.  We had never had the pleasure of working with the McRoberts, the Bergs, the Carpers, or the DeMasters....all of whom we are now privileged to call friends!

It was a great month with lots of work accomplished.  The ladies, for the most part, worked in the laundry...

...tho' there were a few odd jobs here and there (cleaning up after the men....aren't we accomplished at that?), a little touchup painting,

and on Wednesday of this last week several of the ladies assisted in the dining hall and bookstore....help that was greatly appreciated!  As I have been doing for the last several months, I worked in the office working with text and website issues.

The men were involved in a number of projects, including the continued renovation of hotel rooms..

 (How many SOWER men does it take to hang a picture?  Too many, by the count in this picture!)

They also straightened out a large wood pile,

"re-formatted" a bouldering wall in the gym (a challenge, to say the least)

 We DID get a lot accomplished, but we also had a lot of fun.  There were a lot of game nights, a potluck dinner on Easter Sunday, and we will be enjoying a hot dog roast tonight.  Buster and Mary Taylor, the director of Shocco and his wife, had us all over to their home for a relaxing evening of dessert and fellowship....we even braved the pollen and sat out on the back patio!  The group also participated in several tours, including the Alabama Industries for the Blind and a tour of the Blue Bell Creamery in Sylacauga....

....complete with a scoop of ice cream at the end of the tour.  And for those of you interested, Willie did NOT get the "SuperHero" ice cream this time....he opted for a much safer choice...."Southern Hospitality"!!
We also enjoyed lunch at the Marble City Grill and a quick tour of the VERY small yard sale for Relay for Life while we were in Sylacauga.

The ladies also enjoyed a Day Out with Mary Taylor, the director's wife, which included a tour of the Silk Stocking district, lunch at Cafe Royale on the Square, and stops at America's Thrift Store and Elijah's Barrel in nearby Pell City.

(I think everyone came away with something...I know I did!)  It was good to be able to spend time together and enjoy each other's company and learn more about the area from our wonderful tour guide, Mary!

As we get ready to leave Shocco, one of the images that I will carry with me is of spring as it burst forth!  We had been here in the cold and the snow, when the first signs of spring started to show, and now as we leave the trees are covered in the fresh green of spring/summer, the flowers are blooming, and life has once again come to what once looked dead....

....just as Christ has brought life to our lives....lives that were once barren and for all intents and purposes....DEAD!  But He has brought life, and we sing praises to His name!