Sunday

It was 21 degrees when we got up this morning.  Our little electric heater couldn’t keep up so we had to turn on the propane furnace for a while.  Other than a rather cold floor and 49-degree interior temperature when we got up, we were otherwise fine.  Several others had frozen plumbing in their RVs.

But it wouldn’t last long.  It turned out to be a beautiful sunny day in the low 60’s.

After a chilly walk to another great breakfast, we decided to attend the 9:30 service at the First Baptist Church in Giddings.  Seems like we always end up at a First Baptist Church wherever we go.  Every town has one.

We had just sat down when an older guy plops down on the seat next to me, puts his hand on my shoulder, and said, “You’re Tejas people, right?”  This started a conversation about how he pinned us correctly.  I guess we look like out-of-towners.  He also invited us to have lunch with him and his wife after the service.

Nice church, good sermon, we’ll probably be back next week.  We had a reminder from Genesis 37 that God often shows you his plan before you’re ready to do it.  Whether it’s a burden, a nudge, a sense, or, in Joseph’s case, a couple of dreams, God pulls you in some direction.  It may be some time before that plan is actually realized and the space between what God is stirring and when you actually carry it out is filled with your growth.  In Joseph’s case, he was a tattletale and also showed poor judgement in revealing his dreams to his brothers, who hated him all the more because of it.  When the plan was carried out, however, he was a high leader in Egypt.  The time in between was some pretty frustrating growth times for him and probably seemed like forever.

This is one of my favorite stories in the Old Testament.

Mike met back up with us after the service and we followed him to Reba’s, a downtown restaurant where his wife, Carolyn, was waiting.  We had a lovely time chatting about the fast growth in the church, in the area, and the changes he has seen in the lifetime he has lived here. 

This is one of those small towns where everyone knows everyone else.  They were continually greeting those that came in and out of the restaurant, who greeted them back with a handshake or a hug.  So we got to participate in some of this small-town Texas hospitality.

After we parted ways, we walked several blocks to Poco Loco Supermercado, a Mexican grocery store, just to check it out.  We came away with some fresh queso, which we like to fry in a pan and eat for a snack.

Back at the camp, it was time to address the puddles of water that are starting to form under the toilet in the RV.  Seems like something is always in need of attention.  I have some new seals on order, should have it fixed sometime on Tuesday.

Then on to the dining hall where we shared dinner and RV stories with fellow SOWERs. Seems like we do a lot of eating.

Tomorrow starts week 2.  Starting the day at just above freezing will be an interesting test of clothing choices.  Layers will be in order, as the afternoon temperature is supposed to be 65 degrees.