Only at Sand Creek . . .

 Ethan worked his other job today so that put me in charge at Sand Creek.  Our first zip contained the three cousins, the Russians and the latecomers.  

The cousins were great.  One went to Lakeville North and when he named his least favorite teacher there, I responded with, "Oh, the crazy cat lady."  Yikes!  Now how did I know that, Micah?  

The Russians were just a fun family with dual citizenship.  I learned some cultural things from them and enjoyed watching their faces go from fear to fun!

The latecomers were just unhappy, bordering on crabby.  Now, it certainly wasn't my fault they were late, but somehow I was the one to blame!  For everything they didn't like.  Which was mostly everything.  Oh, well . . .

Thanks to the latecomers, we missed our lunch time and hurried to send a family from Nebraska zipping.  Never have I ever been unable to put someone on the cable on platform two, but I couldn't get the oldest (unbelievably short) daughter up.  I finally got the step stool, put it on the platform and was able to hook her up.

Another fun day at Sand Creek, also known as "Terrific Tips on Tuesday"!  

Who Needs a Graphic Novel?

Really.  Who needs a graphic novel when you can have Matt share his day in graphic detail!  He had us all in stitches Sunday night when he shared about the "high guy".  Was it drugs or alcohol?  Who knows?  Fortunately, he left before the fist fight.  Two mothers were throwing punches at each other on the pool deck.  Matt's description of he and his supervisor running over to save the day had us all cracking up!  Add a little police action and he was ready to come home Sunday night.    

On the Way Home . . .

. . . From church tonight, we passed by a car on the other side of the road with a young lady standing by her trunk in the rain fiddling with a gas can.  We turned the car around and asked if she needed help.  Sure enough, her car had run out of gas and we were given the privilege of taking her to a gas station, filling up her gas can, returning her to her car and putting the gas in.  May the love we showed bring her one step closer to Jesus!  

Only at Sand Creek . . .

 Our first group on the zipline this morning included four friends and six Girl Scouts with their leader, Missy.  It was a cloudy, dark day with threatening rain.  Our conversation went something like this:

Girl Scout on Platform One:  "I felt a raindrop.  It's raining."

Me:  "I'm sure a bird just flew overhead and you got a drop of bird pee."

Different Girl Scout on Platform Two:  "I felt a raindrop.  It's raining."

Me:  "I felt a rain drop, too, but that only means it's sprinkling."

Different Girl Scout on Platform Three:  "I felt a raindrop.  It's raining." 

Me: "You're right!  It is!"

And so the rain fell, through the rest of that zip, over our lunch break and on into the second zip of the day and into the third zip.  I bring up the third zip only because we had two sisters from Portland on that zip and they were overheard saying, "Hey, this is just like home!"  

Fortunately for Ethan and I, all of our 4:30 p.m. zippers either cancelled or rescheduled and we were able to go home soaking wet.    

Only at Sand Creek - My Mistake!

As I drove out to Sand Creek this morning, I mentally planned my team build for the Steele County YOUTH.  When I arrived, Ethan was down setting up the high ropes and two big burly guys were looking out on platform one.  I asked them if they were with Steele County and they said they were.  I asked when the students would be arriving and they looked at me strangely.

"Um, everyone is driving themselves."

"Really?  Why?"

"Because we're the Steele County PROBATION OFFICERS."

"All of you?"

"Yup."

"No students?  Man, I've got to change my plans!"

Not what I was expecting, still great fun!  And, yeah, they were mostly big and burly!

Thankful Thursday!

A few weeks ago, we had Ben Pierce with Steiger International give our Sunday sermon.  Micah and I had originally met Ben when we went to Ukraine with his band "No Longer Music".  At church, Ben mentioned his podcast, "Provoke and Inspire".  

Since then, Sam and I have been listening to it while doing mulch in our back yard or on road trips or basically whenever and wherever we can.  

We are thankful for this podcast as it attempts to answer the question "How do we live for Jesus in a post-Christian culture?" in what we find to be a very Biblically sound way.         

A Belated Happy Father's Day!

We were able to celebrate Father's Day with my Dad on Tuesday:

 

2400

 QUESTION:  What do you do after you swim your 2400th mile at the Y?

ANSWER: Go for 2500!😁

You'll Never Believe . . .

. . . What happened at church today!  Of course, the story goes back to our first zip of the day yesterday at Sand Creek.

We had two sisters in the group, Heidi from Pennsylvania and Renee who had moved to Minnesota when she got married.  Heidi kept saying, "Here I am, ____ years old and ziplining! Can  you believe it?"  And I kept thinking, "Hmmm . . . I'm the same age and I'm working here!"  Then she'd say, "Renee is _____.  Do people this old often zip here?"  And I'm thinking, "Some of us who are even older work here!"

When I got home, I told the fam about the sisters and I'm like, "Do I just look or act younger?  It was SO funny!"

Fast forward to church this morning.  We had just sat down and here came Renee.  She's goes to Berean, too.  The sisters had seen me walk in and were nudging each other, "There's the zip line lady."  Renee came over to say "hi".

Naturally, the story could only get better.  I felt a God-nudge so I asked Renee her last name.  She told me and I was pretty sure we had worked together almost twenty-five years ago teaching swimming.  I asked her.  I was right!

Only God could orchestrate such a story!  We gave each other hugs at the end of the service knowing we might not see each other again until heaven, then Sam, Micah and I walked out.  And they agreed . . . I did look younger!

Only at Sand Creek . . .

I arrived at Sand Creek this morning knowing that from 2:00-4:30 p.m. we didn't have any groups.  My plan was to use that time to clean up and work on our team building equipment.  Unfortunately, that wasn't God's plan.  

Knowing that tomorrow is supposed to be stormy, Ethan and I called tomorrow's guests to see if they wanted to reschedule for today.  Not a single response.  Not a single returned phone call.  Not a single text.  

They just came.  At 2:00.  At 3:00.  At 3:45.  It was awesome.  Great people.  Lots of fun.  Wonderful day!  

This snap was provided by Jared who showed up unexpectedly early and was currently taking a photography class.  You should see all the pictures the other three women in the group got!

    

A Father's Perservering Love

 

Father’s Day is a day to celebrate the men who have worked hard for their children and families. For Mory, being a father meant sacrificing everything to find healing for his young son.

One day, 5-year-old Drissa was playing near the open fire where his mother was cooking. Drissa accidently bumped into the pan his mother was using and hot oil spilt over him covering the small boy’s neck and chest in painful burns. His parents took him to a local clinic, butthey were only able to afford temporary relief for the excruciating pain he experienced.  “I used to have enough money to buy food for my family — but, we had to find money to buy his medicine and pay for his care at the hospital,” Mory said. “I couldn’t provide enough food for my children anymore.”

Over time, without proper treatment, Drissa’s wounds scarred forming painful burn contractures on his neck, which made it difficult for him to move. Mory searched for ways to help his son but with little money, there was little he could do. Then, nearly four years after Drissa’s accident, a friend told his family about a hospital ship that was coming to Guinea with volunteers that would provide free surgery to those in need. Mory quickly set out on a two-day journey with his son, traveling to the Africa Mercy for the surgery that Drissa needed.

Once onboard, Mory exclaimed, "I have never experienced this type of kindness before. They took care of my son even while he was sleeping. The way they treated him is the way that God wants us to be treated, so I can see that people on the ship really know God. When we go home, I will tell everyone that Mercy Ships is real — Drissa is the proof that help is possible, and that we are all equal and deserve to be treated with kindness.”

After surgery to release the burn contractures, physical therapists worked with Drissa through exercises and games to increase his range of motion. Soon, Drissa and his father were heading home, ready to show their friends and family his transformation. Now that Drissa is healed from the painful scars, Mory dreams of a brighter future for his son, one that includes returning to school as soon as possible.  “By coming [to Mercy Ships], I have seen the importance of education,” Mory said. “What happens on the ship is not magic — it is possible because many people have studied and are now putting their education to use. I want my son to have that same education and to know that anything can be possible."

Thankful Thursday!

This week, I've been working at ISD 196 teaching eighteen thirteen-, fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds how to be swimming instructors while mentoring four other staff in how to teach the water safety aide class class.  To say it's been insane would be an understatement.  To make it worse, those in charge had forgotten that not only would we be out of ratio for CPR and First Aid (1:10, not 1:18) as I was the only instructor on our team, but two additional people were allowed into the CPR class (now giving me a 1:20 ratio).  To bring it over the edge, two of the staff I was mentoring I had issues with.  They would bicker and disagree in front of the class.  They would share incorrect information that I would then have to correct.  They would try to correct the information I was giving to the class even when I was the only one certified to teach the class.  I was worn out by Monday!

Today, I am thankful for

• Anya and Rain who were my stalwart trainees throughout the session;
• Eighteen wonderful students.  They really were a delight!
• Teija, who heard my cry for help and removed the staff-in-training who was creating the most challenges for me ALL-DAY-LONG.  It couldn't have been better!       

Only at Sand Creek . . .

It was a most beautiful day at Sand Creek, filled mostly with fun, friendly people.  We did have one birthday party we could have lived without, but only because it was a squirrelly group of eighth grade girls with attitude.  When I spoke to the mom later, the God-story far overshadowed the behavior exhibited.  Sadly, it was a tip free day but we got done early because everyone arrived on time!  

Lunch with Friends

Since we were almost in Canada, Micah and I joined some friends in Lino Lakes for lunch.  We had not seen these friends since Christmas and were wondering how it would go as the wife has early onset Alzheimers.  Micah was so gracious and good as she was asked for the third time what she was doing this summer.  We really had a delightful time and are looking to returning soon to "tackle the pink flamingo".  Stay tuned . . .  

Scott, Jacki and Me

 This morning, Scott Pelley, Jacki Huestis and I shared "Mercy Ships" with twenty-seven nursing students at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul.  Scott came via his "Sixty Minutes" segment on Mercy Ships that was filmed in Togo in 2012 (our last time on the ship).  Jacki's sister, Melissa, and I worked together in the children's summer program in 2011 in Sierra Leone.  I contacted Melissa who talked to Jacki who's been a nurse on the ship eight times.  Jacki and Melissa sent me the following from Bisbane, Australia.  I don't know if you'll be able to open it, but if you can, it's absolutely amazing!

https://wwwdropbox.com/sh/w1dmvlm14efnh2h/AACIehW4eP8XshvAoPf-2joea?dl=0  

I guess that made me the only "live and in-person" speaker!  It was a most excellent opportunity to share not only Mercy Ships, but the faithfulness of God.  To Him be the glory!

Thankful Thursday!

 In all honesty, I can only say that I was so "peopled out" by yesterday that all I wanted to do was sit in the backyard and pull weeds.  I am thankful, that besides my family, I only said "hi" to two men who biked past me and one neighbor who I hadn't seen all year.  And I pulled a lot of weeds! 

School's out for summer!!!

Today was last day of school in Lakeville for elementary students!  We brought out a bucket of chalk so that the kids could mark up the blacktop.  Second grade recess went fine.  First grade recess went fine.  Then came fifth grade recess . . . 

One of the fifth grade girls came over to me and said one of the boys had written a naughty word in Spanish.  Naturally, I asked the fifth grade boy if he had and sure enough, his friend told him to, so he did, but he didn't know what it meant.  I guarantee you his friend did!

About that time Aimee came out with her fifth graders and came over to see what was going on.  One of her Spanish-speaking students verified that it was a naughty word and would not tell us what it meant because it was so bad.

That left the writer and the instigator coloring with chalk in the heat of the day until the word disappeared.  They also got disciplined by the principal.

I asked Aimee later what it meant.  She said it was really bad and I should Google it.  I Googled it.  It was really bad.  But, hey, school's out for summer . . .

Only at Sand Creek . . . on a Sunday!

Saturday night, Ethan asked me if I could work at Sand Creek on Sunday.  I said, "Ethan, I have had one day off in the past thirteen days.  No."  But as I drove home and prayed, I decided it would not kill me to come in for the one hour of extreme client overload which was absolutely NOT Ethan's fault and relieve his pressure.

Sam and I talked about it when I got home and we decided if he stayed home from church and got his report cards, he would come, too.  Decision made, Ethan thrilled, I went off to church this morning while Sam stayed home to work on those dastardly report cards.  

Speaking of off, our internet went off this morning which meant not a single report card was done before lunch.  Sam, being a man of his word, said he would still come to Sand Creek since it would only be an hour.  He was going to do some low ropes with a group of Girl Scouts and I was going to do a zip-line tour with twelve.

Naturally, his Girl Scouts were all fifth graders from the Roseville area and he had an amazing time with them.  

On the flip side, I had a soon-to-be-married couple and ten family members who had been together at a wedding yesterday - ALL twelve believers!  Even better than that - some of them were YWAMers*!  We had a blast!  Faith is such an amazing bond!  As they left, we were able to say, "See you in heaven!"  Glorious.

Sadly, due to the high winds today, Blaize GOT to do four or five rescues off of platform two (we lost count!) which made us late finishing up.  Sam's 1.5 hours of work ended up being 2.5.  He's downstairs now, showered, eating and using the internet which came on at 1:00 p.m. to finish his report cards.  No regrets, just lots to do.

*Until 2003, Mercy Ships was a part of YWAM, leaving an amazing bond between these two organizations.  Shippers and YWAMers share lots of love!  

    

Only at Sand Creek . . . on a Saturday!

It was a toasty 101º on my car thermometer when I pulled into Sand Creek around 4:00 p.m. yesterday to do a team build for the Air Force.  I was pretty excited because, as most of you know, Sam was in the Air Force for almost six years.

I got to do a quick zip-line tour before they arrived - always fun!  Then I got the unexpected.  It wasn't the Air Force.  It was the Air Force Reserve with their families and they didn't know each other.  We made a quick change of plans and had a blast!

We did some low ropes team building, the leap of faith and the giant's ladder down in the high ropes, and ended with a three-zip. tour.  Unfortunately, co-worker Blaize never got the memo on the zip line.  He was supposed to keep some people at platform two so I could zip down and send them to platform three while he caught and sent at platform three and Ethan caught at platform four.  I must have asked five or six people to use their best military voice and COMMAND Blaize to hold people at platform two.  Eventually he did and the rest of the night went great!    

CPR, the Y, and HIPPA

The American Red Cross came out with new Covid-19 guidelines for teaching CPR just recently.  Yesterday was my first class under them.  According to the Red Cross, if everyone in the class has been vaccinated for Covid, face masks are not required.  I checked with the Y.  If everyone in the class has been vaccinated, face masks are not required.

So as people came into class yesterday, I simply asked if they had been vaccinated.  Nobody gave my question a second thought except Gabe.  

"Isn't that against HIPPA to ask?"

"I don't know.  But what I do know is if one person comes into this room unvaccinated, we will ALL be wearing our facemasks."

No more questions asked.

Thank You, Mrs. Bakke's Fifth Grade Class

Aimee asked me if I could come in to her classroom after lunch today and I said, "Sure."  I'd heard rumor that her fifth graders were going to do something fun for me, so I set my expectations low and walked in the room at 12:35 p.m.

Boy, was I ever wrong!  First, Aimee handed me the most gorgeous hanging plant in our school color - purple!  That was followed by a card from the class that just made me laugh.  Next was "Droolin' Moose Mint Meltaways" with a card from Aimee.  

But she wasn't done yet.  No, played a game of "Cahoots" with the answers always being "Mrs. Bakke", "Mrs. Zupke", "Both" or "Neither".  It was hilarious as the kids tried to figure out which one of us was born out of state (both), who was a lifeguard (Zupke), who painted their fingernails (Bakke), and more!  

I couldn't have had a more phenomenal ending to an already excellent year!

Thank you, Mrs. Bakke and your 2020-2021 fifth grade class! 

Thankful Thursday

My Thursday started off with what was supposed to be a quick lab, until the phlebotomist said, "I can't take your blood today.  It hasn't been six weeks since your last lab."  

Maybe you remember my post on Mr. Incompetent?  I was pretty sure he had taken the wrong tests on May 4.  Yesterday proved it.  Now, instead of running in and getting a lab, I had to contact my doctor's office to see when to reschedule the labs.  I got to contact the clinic liaison and explain what the phlebotomist on May 4 had done wrong.  I got to contact my insurance company to let them know I was being billed for tests that were incorrectly taken.  I had to reschedule my labs and eventually will return again.  I was in a rather foul mood.  

Until I got home and read my friend's CaringBridge post.  She's having her fourth brain surgery, one with limited options:

• Twenty percent chance of chance of catastrophic failure, which could mean death, a severe stroke or a debilitating stroke;
• Do it now or watch a decline.  The surgery might show a slower decline.
• This surgery might offer a better opportunity to live life to the fullest.
• Scary, but necessary.
• Remove tumor up to carotid artery to remove pressure on the brain.   
• The possibility of speech and physical therapy for six to eight months. 
• There really is no other option. 

Wow!  That was one quick way to end my private pity party!  I sent her a text.  "Lunch.  When?  I'm off work at 12:45 p.m. today."  She met me at my house and we went to Red Robin where we spent a couple of very good hours together.  When she dropped me off at home, I told her I was having a crappy day until I read her post.  Then, I was very thankful I was not her.  My concerns are absolutely nothing compared to hers.  She just laughed.

The Dishwasher

I can't even remember when the dishwasher died, but I do know that after the first repairman left, Sam just said, "Misdiagnosed."  

Doing what he didn't want to do (isn't that why we have repairmen?), Sam took apart the dishwasher, found the problem, and was able to jury rig a solution until the repairman returned on Wednesday.

This repairman agreed with Sam (way to go, Zupke!) and ordered the correct parts on Wednesday.  Just two more full weeks of dishpan hands and we may be back in business . . .   

Christina

The kinder class I was assigned for recess this year is full to overflowing with opportunities - and I don't mean the good kind!  With only four days of school left, I could tell their teacher was getting overwhelmed and exhausted, a problem I knew could be helped with some "chocolate therapy".

I stopped by Christina's room on my way up to the lunchroom yesterday with some Droolin' Moose Amaretto chocolates and set them on her desk.  You know every kinder in the room wanted to know, "What's that?", "Who's it for?"  "Can I see it?"

"Well, it's for your teacher and if she wants to show you, she will."  

I left.  An hour later Christina met me at the door to bring her kinders in from recess with a huge smile on her face.  "That's exactly what I needed.  All I did during my lunch break was eat chocolate.  I feel so much better."

To God be the glory.  

Ibrahima

 

One evening 22-year-old Ibrahima pulled his motorcycle over to help a woman on the side of the road. While moving a can of gasoline, he lost his grip and spilled the fuel down his clothes. A nearby cooking fire ignited his soaked clothing, and before Ibrahima could register what was happening, his clothes were in flames.  Strangers ran to help put out the fire from his body and rushed him to a local clinic, but the medical resources there were extremely limited. Ibrahima spent the next month lying curled up in bed, immobilized by the excruciating pain.

Over time and without proper wound care, Ibrahima's open wounds closed forming into ridged scars which left his legs locked and permanently bent at the knees.   No longer able to walk, Ibrahima went from a man able to work and help others, to someone who had to be carried everywhere he went.   "It makes me very sad ... I can't work.  I can't get money. So I just sit inside the house."      -Ibrahima

Activities of daily living were now impossible alone, and involved being lifted on his older brother's back to move about. The knowledge that his independence was gone broke Ibrahima's heart.  "I couldn't be with people the way I was before," Ibrahima said."Sometimes, I felt helpless, like I might really be this way forever." Ibrahima dreamed of being able to walk again, but the limited medical care available to him made surgery seem impossible.

Then, one day, hope arrived when a local doctor told him about a hospital ship coming to his home country. Before long, Ibrahima came to the Africa Mercy with tentative hopes that change might be in sight. It took the help of his brother and several Mercy Ships staff to bring Ibrahima up the gangway steps and onto the ship for his operation.

Ibrahima's rehab process was grueling and intense. For several months, he visited the ship several times a week for exercises that stretched his healing legs, strengthened his muscles, and improved his mobility. It was in this exertion that his resilience shone through — Ibrahima had his independence back. "I feel taller,' he said. "I was always sitting and seeing the world from a lower level. It felt like everyone was looking down on me." "Now, I see everything from high up!"    - Ibrahima

Now able to move freely and with a renewed ability to return to work and earn a living, Ibrahima feels like a new man. The surgery he received on the Africa Mercy has allowed him to see the world in a new way — a way full of hope.

Coagulated Organic Coconut Milk

Earlier this year, my neighbor asked if we ever used coconut milk.  We have ONE recipe that calls for it, so I said, "Sure" and took the can of coconut milk home.  

Today was the day I decided to use it.  I opened the can and it was NOT a liquid, no, it was pretty solid.  Now I haven't used a lot of coconut milk in my day, but I was quite sure this wasn't a can I wanted to use.

Sure enough, I checked the expiration date - 2018.  Naturally, I was half way through the recipe so I ran off to Cub . . .