Saturday Update, MMS, and Video

We were going to be visiting in VA this weekend but health issues with our host family and flood issues with other expected travelers from PA led to our staying in OH.

Karen's in the basement sewing. I'm upstairs in the "Cabana Room" typing. The Cabana Room is our little in home "hideaway" where we've created something of a soothing, tropical motif. It's kind of our own little indoor oasis where we can escape for some alone time...some clear head and heart time.

Geoff & Celia Linkleter
With our change in travel plans we were able to get up this morning and welcome Geoff, Celia, and Miriam Linkleter to the United States. The Linkleters are the latest family to come over from England for apprenticeship with MMS. They're staying a few doors down while they locate long-term housing.

We took them on short walking tour of the neighborhood to include: Collins Market (our local, old-style, still has a real butcher, family market), the Farmer's Market at the Coshocton County Fair Grounds, and the Cheese Cake and Old Fashioned Donut Shop just across from the fair grounds. Now there's the ticket...homemade cheesecakes AND some of the best donuts in Coshocton County all under one roof.

Miriam, the Linkleter's 4 year old daughter enjoyed a popsicle from the market and an M&M cookie the size of a manhole cover from the cheesecake/donut shop. It was sunny then, but now it's clouded over cooling things down to the low 70's with a cool breeze.

Jake & Cayton Heath
At MMS, I was excited to call Jake & Cayton on Thursday to give them the go-ahead to make their move to Coshocton in December. Jake & Cayton have spent the past two years raising the financial support necessary to begin apprenticeship with MMS and are finally at the point where they can start packing their gear to make the move from Redding, CA to Coshocton, OH.

They'll arrive fresh from California just in time to experience their first Midwestern winter. Considering they intend to ultimately serve with a mission agency in Florida...they'll need to benefit from every REAL winter they have a chance to endure.


Candidate Evaluations
Last week I was also pleased to confirm two upcoming candidate evaluations. The Pottners (Wisconsin) will spend a week at MMS in October and the Everts (Ohio) will spend a week at MMS in November during which I'll oversee their evaluation as apprenticeship candidates.

Video Production
I'm still working video production into my MMS routine as able. It's amazing to me how long it takes to shoot, edit, sound track, title, narrate, and produce even a one minute clip. While video is a nice distraction from my otherwise steady diet of administrative duties, it does present its own challenges. The learning curve never stops, and I now have two computers in my office. One for my administrative responsibilities and the other for all the video work.

Speaking of video...here's the latest clip I put together. No narration in this one, just a sound track and titling. I hope you enjoy it.