The Old and the New

This was the last of Dennis Pendleton Water Color Lessons 2018 calendar. I really enjoyed trying my hand at adding watercolor to the weekly sketches and then turning them into cards. I have always preferred to follow the original as much as possible.

This week I tried something new--a lesson following a VanGogh technique using two complimentary colors, broad strokes, observing lights and darks--basically just playing. And the result looks like it!

The whole week was a mix of the old and the new--delving into the many memories from the past and making new ones. 

My goal was to settle on the direction for the next chapter, and hopefully write it. I read letters from 1946, researched the historic context, and got started. I think I will need another week to work on this one.

Among the multitude of papers rescued from my father's desk, there are decades-worth of sermon notes. Eventually I'd like to put them in order. Each one I pick up is interesting to me. I recognize Dad's handwriting. I admire his carefully planned outlines, good illustrations and great use of the Spanish language. I learn from his Bible teaching, and the fact that he never wasted paper. I also observe the different periods of his ministry and can tell how busy he was at the time.

In the mix I discovered a tattered yet valuable document--Reseña de la Iglesia de los Hermanos - Don Bosco (1952-1962)--the ten-year history of the church I grew up in during my most formative years (8 to 18). 

After their first year-long furlough, my parents were given a new assignment--to start a church in a totally new town and area. The mission was branching out to another province, into one of the suburbs of Buenos Aires, the capital.

Even though that was the period I remember best, I was struck by how little I knew or understood of the challenges and struggles my parents faced during that new beginning.

The first paragraph describes how lost they felt when they arrived in Argentina for the second time, at age 30 with three children and five suitcases. They were in the main train station and had to figure out which train line to take to get to Quilmes where they had a contact, an English woman who had one room available for the five of us in her pensión. 

Mrs. MacLeish's boardinghouse

I think we spent several winter weeks in those cramped quarters before locating a house and retrieving our furniture from storage in Río Cuarto in late September. Yet another story for some future chapter.

I decided in chapter 8 to summarize the story of the Foreign Missionary Society in Argentina, and set the geographic stage and historic background for the existing mission points at the time of our arrival on the scene.

I came across interesting tid bits. The Coche Bíblico purchased by the mission in 1913, was still playing an important role during my childhood, thirty or more years later!

A few memorable moments of the week:

Tuesday, I volunteered for the first time at Madjax, serving snacks and cleaning up after. During build-season, the team meets for four hours Tuesday and Thursday evenings as well as most of Saturday.
At 7:00 o'clock they pause for snacks and sharing. Every one present stands up in turn and explains what they've been working on.

Michael surprised to see me.        Elijah describing his accomplishments.

Wednesday, we began celebrating our 49th anniversary on a leisurely afternoon/evening, knowing that the 31st is a Thursday workday for the robotics team. We enjoyed Ivanhoe's food, a special puzzle, and games--a sweet time, indeed.

Sunday, the 27th, was Elijah's 14th birthday. He is grandchild number four, grandson number three.

The growing boy

This year Elijah joined the PhyXTGears Team 1720, the robotics team that his grandpa Mike mentors. Here he is working in the woodshop area. Is he following in his father's footsteps? Son Sam is an excellent custom woodworker--Sam's Custom Woodworking.

Note: If interested in learning more about me, my writing, and to view the collection of watercolors, go to my website.