A Stripper

There's just something about Estonia that makes sleep less necessary. In Oklahoma I'm up by the crack of 10:00. On a bad day in Estonia I roll out of bed about 4:15; well after Javier and most of the other men have been up tromping through the room, digging through their suitcases and slamming the door; but on a good day I get up about 5:00. Today was a very bad day! The ladies get up about, well lets just say not so early. Since breakfast was at 8:00 and after showering, shaving, dressing, and having a cup or two of coffee it was only about 6:15 I decided to go fishin' in the lake behind the mission. The Mission has fishing poles already equipped with lures. I had my eyes set on "Nessie" the giant pike rumored to haunt the deep of the Mission lake. With rod in hand I headed for the dock. I have never claimed to be a fisherman and today's experience was proof positive that indeed I am not. My first two casts went straight ............. down and landed at my feet. Javier witnessed my inept fishing prowess and when I asked, he volunteered to show me how to do it. True to his word his cast was straight and true. I tried again. My cast went high, far and straight........into a tree on the far bank. The largest tree bass I have ever snagged. Again, Javier volunteered to show me how to put the lure right where I wanted it. He flipped the rod back, brought it forward with a flick of the wrist and released the line. It went not straight nor far but directly into the high bushes on the bank next to the dock.. while his tree bass was not nearly as large as mine it was much more difficult to reach and release. More than one of it's leafy fins were broken to retrieve the lure. Giving up on Nessie, we returned to another wonderful breakfast prepared by our friends Tairi and Pilve.

After breakfast Larry, Wayne, Maurice along with Rein headed to Torku, about 40 kilometers away, to buy materials for the projects that were to begin today. Their trip can best be compared to Gilligan's Island, you remember, the four hour tour that lasted until, well until the TV series ended several years later. How long can it take to drive 40 Km (about 25 miles) to buy 12 sheets of sheetrock, 12 rolls of wallpaper, and a couple of cans of paint? Generously, we'll give them 1 hour to get there, 1 hour back and, and 1 hour to pick up supplies right? WRONG-O-RAMA!!! Eight hours! It took 8 long hours to make a 50 mile trip! Unlike Gilligan's Island, there was no storm. I take that back, their was a thunderstorm reminiscient of Oklahoma's finest but it didn't hit until long after they should have returned.

With Larry, our construction leader, gone the rest of us were unsure exactly what to do. Then it happened! There was a picture of Jesus on the wall. Casi, knowing she couldn't do what she wanted with Jesus hanging, had him removed and put in the closet. AND THEN SHE BEGIN TO STRIP! Becca and Callie were so excited that they joined in. Folds of fabric begin to gather about their feet. Lauri started to strip, even Kay was stripping. Javier recommended some water and soon a fine, warm, soapy mist was accentuating the stripping experience. When the girls had removed all of their fabric the guys joined in and we all stripped together. By the time the wayfarers had returned at 5:00 we could strip no more. Four layers of wallpaper had been stripped in one Sunday school classroom, fabric wall panels had been removed from another Sunday school room, two doors taken down and paint removed from the hardware. All molding had been pulled off and the nails removed. The rooms were bare.

Between 4:00 and 5:00 we received a load of sheetrock for the walls of the smaller classroom. When Gilligan, The Captain, Mr. Howe, and the Professor...uh... I mean Larry, Maurice, Wayne, and Rein returned, they brought wallpaper, paste and sizing for the larger room. Since their return there has been some reconsideration about the larger room so another SCHEDULED 3 hour tour may be required.

In all seriousness, he Mission here in Ahja is a blessing to this community. Know that your continued prayers and you financial support are benefitting a wonderful ministry where the love of Christ is taught through word and deed.

Because all of the day was spent at the Mission there are no site seeing type photos to share. I have included photos of the remodel work that we are doing. See Monday July 14 at the bottom of this post.

Oh, by the way, while the fishing story is real, Nessie is a figment of my imagination.

Randy Mac