Enchanting Sisters

In yesterday's blog, I described how Tim and I, along with a great group of Habitat Care-A-Vanners, labored under less than ideal circumstances during the Milli wildfire to complete the exterior of a house in Sisters, Oregon.  If you read that post, you might conclude that the job was horrendous, not to mention, hazardous.  But it wasn't all work and no play.  The local Habitat affiliate in Sisters unrolled the welcome mat for us and showed us why their town is an enchanting tourist destination.

First of all, there's the magical downtown with its art galleries, antique stores and handicraft shops.  My favorite was the Stitchin' Post, a quilt shop where I lost myself in ideas for future projects.  Too bad we weren't here the second Saturday in July for the Sisters Quilt Show, the largest outdoor quilt show and sale in the world.  Over 10,000 people from across the United States as well as 27 foreign countries flocked to the town to attend workshops taught by master quilters and to view the hundreds of quilts on display.

Next, the town fed us!  Beginning with a potluck picnic on our very first night at Creekside Campground, the Habitat affiliate wrecked havoc with my diet.

There was a community cookout that segued into an awards ceremony for local Habitat volunteers before ending with a band concert on the Village Green.

Almost daily, the local ladies brought tasty home-cooked lunches to the job site.

On the day of the total eclipse, a brunch at the hillside home of Darleene, our construction manager, began with the distribution of safety glasses for viewing the spectacle.  As the moon passed before the sun, the sky grew darker and darker until at last there was a mesmerizing 34-second period of total darkness.

In addition, we had happy hours back at the campground until smoke from the Milli wildfire forced us to cancel these gatherings.

Finally, we went out to dinner both Friday nights we were there and sampled two of Sisters' top-rated restaurants.

Oh, my!  You'd think we would need larger sizes of clothing after all this wining and dining, but we worked it off on the job site.

And most importantly, we made great friends, friends that we hope to see again!  

So I guess you could say our stay in Sisters was spellbinding!

Wildfire Threatens HFH Build

In mid-August, the Milli wildfire, rated the number one priority of all wildfires in the nation, threatened the tourist town of Sisters, scene of the most recent Habitat for Humanity construction build in which Tim and I participated.

Street lampposts before and during the fire

The wildfire nine miles west of the town originated when lightning struck in the Deschutes National Forest on Friday, August 11th.  

Habitat home

Eight days later, subdivisions in the outlying areas of the town were evacuated.  

Over 670 fire-fighting personnel rallied to try to contain the blaze by building backfires on the ground and dropping fire retardant from the sky.  However, they could do nothing about the smoke.  The community's air quality index climbed to the upper 500s, the highest AQI level and labeled hazardous.

Under the threat of immediate evacuation, Habitat volunteers, including eight participating in the organization's Care-A-Vanners, a program that recruits anyone who travels by recreational vehicle, labored to complete the house for homeowner Sharyn by this fall. 

Bottom: Cindy, Larry, Margot, Darleene (construction manager), Fred
Top:  Tim, Kamella, Joyce, Bryan

Local volunteers installed cabinets and baseboard inside the house while the Care-A-Vanners, including Tim and I, donned respirators and air-filtered face masks to paint its exterior. 

Our Care-A-Vanner crew included:

Larry & Margot Durham from Goleta, CA

Fred & Joyce DiManno from Boulder City, NV

Bryan & Kamella Modrall from Depoe Bay, OR

During the first week of the our two-week build, the air quality was just rated "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups," so it was still possible for us to repaint the Habitat Thrift Store before we moved to Sharyn's house. 

However, as the wildfire spread to engulf more than 18,000 acres, the smoke laden with ash drifted over the town, making it more and more difficult to breathe.  Still, a little determination can go a long way.  Our goal was to complete the exterior of Sharyn's house and here's how we did it.

By the end of the week when we gathered on the front porch, Sharyn's house was no longer primer white but a tasteful bluish gray.  

Our objective was achieved.  Now, if only the firefighters could contain Milli!

The Rocky Coast of Oregon

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge."  Psalm 18:2

That verse came to mind as I gazed at the rocky coast of Oregon.  The bluffs and sea stacks and boulders that rise from the Pacific Ocean here create a beautiful landscape that supports an abundant marine ecosystem.

Similarly, I thought about how God has upheld me over the course of my life.

Spouting Horn near Yachats, OR

There have been blow ups in marriage, 

twisted turns at work, 

Raucous sea lions on the dock in Newport, OR

mouthy children,

A solitary seal near Yaquina Head

loneliness and

Thor's Well near Yachats, OR

empty periods of depression 

Thor's Well

as well as times of fulfillment.

But through it all, God has given me refuge during times of struggle.  Psalm 46:1 reaffirms that "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble."

So to look back at my sometimes rocky journey clears away the fog.

A bridge built by the CCC in Florence, OR

It reminds me how God has built bridges for me to carry me through those times, 

even when I couldn't see the forest for the trees

Hobbit's Trail near Florence, OR

or the way through the brambles.

Hecata Head Lighthouse

Hecata Head Light

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Looking at these lighthouses, I was reminded that "His Word is a lamp to my feet, a light on my path." (Psalm 119:105)

Like the tide that continuously breaks upon the rocky shore, He has reassured me repeatedly in the Bible, "Do not fear for I am with you!"

God knows my fears, even before I voice them.  He wants me to trust Him when life's storms assail me.  There's a sense of security when I pray and turn these cares over to Him.  Prayer drives away my fear, shifts my focus from the world's turmoil to God's character, and creates a quiet confidence that the Lord is in control.  I come away with a peace that only God, my rock, can provide.

"My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus name.
On Christ the solid rock I stand;
All other ground is shifting sand.
All other ground is shifting sand."
~ a hymn by Edward Mote, 1797-1874