We have already been doing some travelling, but come January we will start on the long trips. For now though, I have really enjoyed the time at our home church- I know we all have. Of course we miss our people at home in Japan, and our lifestyle over there (sometimes more than others). But for right now it is God's will for us to be here, and it has been very good.
Our Pastor's family has been letting us stay at their house all this time, even moving out of their own rooms for us! It has been SO much fun being here, and getting to know them better! The Lendts have such servant's hearts, and hearts for the people here. They have a fun sense of humour too, and there is lots of laughing and groaning every day. :)
The Lendts raise chickens, pigs, and cows, for eggs, chicken, bacon, beef, milk, cream, cottage cheese, etc... But with these animals there are always chores to be done each morning and night. It has been lots of fun learning how to milk Buttercup and how to do the other chores. It has mainly been Kristen and I who have been going out to help with chores. Of course its work but its fun, and we four have lots of fun talking and laughing while we're working. :)
Buttercup is really a very pretty cow! She has the prettiest BIG brown eyes!
This is Meatloaf. Sorry he's hard to see. He's about 1 1/2.
These were the Fat Boys. We helped butcher them. It was a good experience. :)
The feather plucker was so funny! It made me laugh!
Kristen and I have an interesting 'chores' story that I hope makes you laugh too. :)
The Lendts had Basketball games to go to on Monday night and after that were going to pick up their oldest girl from the airport and wouldn't get back until after midnight. So, they asked if we could do the chores. Kristen and I said 'Sure!' I thought "We can do this!" After all, both of us knew all the things to do for milking the cow-get the soapy water to clean her off, give her her food, lock her head in once she's on the platform thing, brush her off, scrape off the platform, wipe her clean with the soapy water, then start milking! And I knew how to feed the pigs, and that the hens needed shutting in. So, Pastor and both of the Lendts kids told me what to do to feed Meatloaf, and how much hay to give Buttercup etc.
SO, 8:30 rolled around, and Kristen and I headed out. I was going to wear Alyssa's boots, because hers didn't have any holes in them, and they are rubber and the ones I normally wear aren't. And I had Kristen wear Jeremiah's so she wouldn't have holes in her boots either. I was out sooner, so I was going to get the soapy water ready for Kristen, because we decided she would milk the cow, and I'd do the other chores. But, the bucket we always use wasn't in the sink where it always is. Then I remembered. That morning after milking Buttercup I scattered saw dust on the ground, but I forgot the little bucket still on the platform thing. I ran down to the barn and decided that while I was at it I'd get Buttercup's food and get her locked in and everything while I was at it. So, after that was done, I took the bucket back up to the garage for Kristen. By the time she had gotten the water, and the milk pail, Buttercup had proceeded to 'do her business' on the platform! (This was not a new occurrence, but its kinda gross, especially if she steps in it.) I was in the barn getting the food for the pigs, and Kristen goes in to milk Buttercup and I hear her wail "Katie, guess what she did!!!!!!"...."She stepped in it!!!!!" I felt kinda bad for her, because I was the one who put her up! She then started cleaning it up, and I went to feed the pigs all their bags of bread. The Lendts make a bread run to Costco every other week, and get all their old bread they can't sell, so the bread that the Lendts and the church people don't eat goes to the pigs. That went well, then I went to shut the hens in. I couldn't see though, because the light from the barn and the milk shed doesn't reach that far. Finally I remembered Jeremiah saying that the flashlight goes on the windowsill. I was really glad I remembered! When I went back to get it, Kristen had me turn on the radio then, because its fun to listen to the classical music while you're milking the cow. When I flipped the switch on, it was someone singing a Christmas song who sounded kinda like Roy Rogers. I went back to my hens. It took me a while because the door was a little stiff, and I wasn't sure exactly I was supposed to put the stick in to keep the door shut, but I finally got it and in the morning Alyssa said it was just right. Phew! After a while I hear Kristen yelling "Kaaatttttiiiiiieeee!!!!! Can you hear it?" I said 'No.' When I got closer though, it was really bad music, so I switched it. It was kinda funny though, because poor Kristen was sitting there milking the cow, and this junky music came on, and she couldn't reach it or do anything about it so she just yelled. :)
I gave Buttercup her hay, and that wasn't too bad. It just took a while because I didn't know there was a little flashlight thing I could turn on in there.
Next I was going to give Meatloaf some hay. The really nice alfalfa and grass hay is all dry and in the hay barn, but Meatloaf's is just under some tarps held down with boards and bricks tied to string. So, I pulled down the boards against the hay, and pulled back the tarp, and tried and tried to pull some hay out! Those are big bales though, and I wasn't smart enough to wear gloves, so they are very pokey, and for the life of me I couldn't pull it out! It took so long! Pastor said I didn't have to give him a lot, so I was trying to pull the hay out of the bale, and its in there pretty tight. I did get him some, but not as much as he was used to, I'm sure! So, I took my little bit of hay, opened his pen, and threw it in the corner and as he came running I got the door shut before he got there. He might be pretty nice, but I don't think he's probably as nice as Buttercup. His corn was easy, I just threw it over the fence and he'd eat it. By this time Kristen was done, and I still had to give Buttercup her water, and clean up the piles. Kristen offered to clean up the piles. It wasn't a very cold night, and the ground was very squishy and mucky in many places. So when I came back with the pail of water, she was heading out with her shovel full to the manure pile. I dumped the water in for Buttercup and then I hear Kristen- "I just stepped in a puddle!!!!!"... "THERE'S A HOLE IN MY BOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!"..." I HAVE A PUDDLE IN MY BOOT!!!" "I THOUGHT YOU SAID THESE WOULDN'T HAVE HOLES!!!" I'll have to admit I was laughing really hard! It was so funny, but it's also really yucky, and I felt really bad for her too! Bless her heart! I honestly thought I had given her the boots that didn't have holes! "I'm SO sorry Kristen! Hehehe!!" I was truly sorry, but it had a funny side too. So, I finished cleaning up the piles and she went in. Rachel gave her sacks for her feet, and she went down to the shower hanging on to the handles of the grocery sacks as she walked.
I came in and was about to strain the milk when I remembered the hay! I had forgotten to cover it again and put the boards up!! So I ran back and covered it up. I was so thankful I had remembered! I don't know what would have happened if it had been open all night, but I didn't want to find out! I was glad I remembered it when I did, otherwise I probably would have thought of it while I was lying in bed just before I fell asleep, and I wouldn't have wanted to go fix it then!
So there is our interesting story with the chores. Since then though, I've been out almost each time, not milking the cow, but learning how to do the other ones better and faster, so hopefully if we have to do it by ourselves again, it will go much more smoothly! This morning it was so fun, I was getting hay for the pigs, and I was getting it from the HUGE bales that are 6 ft. in diameter. I climbed up on top of one and threw hay down from another bale with my pitchfork. It was lots of fun! I'm glad we get to help with the chores because the Lendts have done so much for us! It has been really good to learn, and Jeremiah and Alyssa are both good teachers. :)
~Katie~
