I've used yesterday and today as work days, yesterday had me welcoming home a very dirty motorhome from Burning Man. In prior years the renters carefully had the motorhome washed in a truck car wash so all the exterior was sparking clean, then they put a 3 person house cleaning crew on it at their home in San Francisco. Let me tell you it came back as clean as when it left, yes there was damage to the undercarriage from acidic sand which can never be removed but that goes with renting to Burning Man. This time there was no effort to clean it at all, the frig was a mess, carpets were bad, dust covered everything and the windows were filthy so now I charge a cleaning fee and the renters won't like it, but the contract clearly says it need to be returned clean or a cleaning fee can be charged, the renter promised that he knew how to keep the coach clean, he had rented 4 times before so I trusted that, well it was wrong.
So that weights on my mind, I don't like conflict at all. My Ellen also weights on my mind, we have both come to the conclusion that this is the week for God to help us meet and begin our live together in SFO. We are praying so hard that God will touch hearts of key people in Ghana to let you her travel, so far they have found various ways to block her from traveling this final leg of her journey. We talked a long time this morning, over an hour and a half and she lifted my spirits so much by her encouragement and positive comments. I woke feeling very rough, with fever and very dizzy, not as bad as yesterday but still rough. During the night the fever broke again so my bed was wet and I was cold as a result. She said the right things to encourage me and walked the entire 3 miles with my by messenger and then stayed with me for a long time after I got back. I love this woman and I hope God can help us find a way to facilitate the trip to SFO. We both can't for that to happen, we just want to be in each others arms but its really up to our loving Heavenly Father.
This morning after the walk all I wanted to do was come in and rest but I decided on a different direction. I drove the motorhome into the driveway and dumped the tanks. The renters brought it back with full tanks too, I'll charge for dumping. Then I drove to Safeway to top off the fuel. It only took about $14.00 so they did a good job of filling the tanks, the propane was down a bit but I didn't feel it was worth driving to Brentwood for 2 gallons when it would take 2 gallons gas to drive there. So I went to Starbucks and had a multi grain bagel and a decaf with Splenda. I drove back home and determined that the coach was driving correctly, the oil was up OK. It was just dirty every place I looked, so disappointing, the last people have been so careful about cleaning, that was what I expected from these guys, did not happen.
Well I looked around after parking the motorhome and plugging it into electrical power to make sure the frig is working and the AC. Then I started trimming roses and then with blood running down my hands from the thorns I loaded up the trimmer and trimmed the whole front yard area, then I moved to the back yard. In my conversations with Ellen I had mentioned that I wanted to get the paddle boats back into the water but was not sure I was strong enough or steady enough to do it. She wanted to be here to help me but said she would pray that God would give me strength. God did help me, I felt very rough all day but I was able to carefully clear a path and then pull the paddle boat on its side to the back deck where I could let it down and then I could slide it toward the water. Of course just before the water it has to be turned up on its side one more time to fit through a gate and then it was down to the dock. It took time to hose the spiders out and then launched it. In a few minutes I was out on the water paddling easily to the middle of the lake where I took a photo of the house and email it to Ellen. I sat under the awning and sipped a Coke and then water before coming back in, I was so happy that I had accomplished something I've been thinking of for weeks and something I wanted done before Ellen arrives. Then it was back to get the second paddle boat, this one came easier as it is lighter and it now sits on the dock. Then looking around I tackled a very sticky and emotional spot. Nan had a lemon tree for perhaps 20 years and kept it alive, it produced a couple lemons each year and amazingly made it through freezes, storms, heat and winters. But a couple years after losing her I lost the lemon tree too. So it has sat there with it very sharp branches looking terrible year after year. Today I removed it, not an easy task at all but it totally filled a big garbage sack from Home Depot and I had to move it with a hand truck gut its gone now and I feel good. Once it was gone I look around and discovered a lot of leaves and debre everywhere. So I went for my garage vac and using it worked for over an hour picking up stacks of trash and leaves. What an amazing device and it did a great job so tonight the entire deck looks much better than it did and I hope that Ellen can come and will enjoy it.
Will you please continue to pray for my health, this continual fever has me emotionally low and very low energy, that is why I pushed so hard today, I know that if I get outside and work hard my body responds well and tonight while I am beat, sore and tired I also feel good and my balance is the best it has been for 4 days. How I appreciate having Ellen praying for me and encouraging me to trust in God's power, to drink lots of water and to get rest.
Will you pray that God can help Ellen to be allowed to fly to me. We are so close now and we both long to this final chapter to be over. Please pray that God will challenge the forces of evil that are against her as a young woman. Women in Ghana are not respected very much or even listened to, Ellen longs for the freedom that living with me will afford her. She is anxious to meet the church friends and to join the family. Her most frequent desire is to be in my arms and to be SAFE. We take being safe for granted, she does not take it for granted at all.
This afternoon Carol called from N Carolina, it was so great to hear from she and Roger and we talked for awhile. They are doing well and it was good to hear from them. How Nan and I loved them, great friends in Christ.
Sending love to all,
If you feel like helping in our quest to get Ellen here contact me privately. My cell is 925 998 9855.
Tim
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