2013 Sanctuary Report #4: Thursday, May 23 from Yakima, WA
Dear Family and Friends:
There is only a little time before breakfast and then off to the Exhibit to continue setting up the Sanctuary. At least I’ll get started.
We left the very hospitable home of Ron and Dena Larson on Tuesday after dismantling the Sanctuary and repacking it all in the truck. The drive to Yakima was bright and beautiful. The scenery includes many neatly cultivated vineyards and orchards. They have a special way of planting the apple trees so that the sun reaches all parts of the tree and gives even ripening of the fruit. Also it is much easier to harvest without tall ladders (and insurance liability.)
Some of the pastors were present at the lot for the exhibit and warmly greeted us. A businessman made this lot available without cost. It faces a main street with lots of people passing by. That should increase awareness considerably. We are next to a major grocery store with lots of traffic also.
I wish the weather had been welcoming also but it was cold and misty. Yesterday (Wednesday) we worked much of the day in 39-degree temperature with lots of rain. It had rained throughout the previous night. That made it very challenging. Also the ground is hard and filled with large rocks. The rain softened the ground a bit but the rocks remained steadfast, of course. That put an extra burden on driving the stakes and multiplied the time and energy needed to accomplish the task. We heard that many years before, the city had demolished an old jail to build a new one and they had dumped the concrete onto this lot to get rid of it. That old subsurface concrete is what has been bending our stakes as we try to drive them in deep for maximum security of the ropes supporting everything. So, now our Sanctuary is standing on the crumbled ruins of an old jail—a fitting symbol of how God redeems an old life of sin and fits us to live once again in His presence.
Several church members came out to help and worked really hard as we all did. It is always good to see enthusiastic labor for the Lord. We prayed for the rain to stop, but the farmers need it very badly. They have to irrigate a lot here to get the beautiful fruit they do. We have all been enjoying the fruit in the meals prepared for us by two of the churches in Yakima.
We were all very cold and wet but the Sanctuary erection got a good start. Then Thursday was sunny again and dried things off. We got much more done that day and thanked the Lord for it. Being so involved in erecting and taking down the Sanctuary has added a new dimension to my understanding. Also more appreciation for Messiah’s Mansion and the work they have put into building and keeping in action three different ones. (Two in USA and one in Canada. We will help with two exhibits in Canada following our two mission trips to Peru and Ecuador)
Today (Friday) it was raining and cold once more. It had rained most of the night and there were puddles all over. I quipped that Israel crossed the Red Sea BEFORE they built the Sanctuary. We had the water WHILE we were building. We had special prayer again that the Lord would care for it all and He did. The sun came out in mid-afternoon and we got the final things done ahead of the first VIP tour for pastors and the Media. The Media did not show up but we have had some good coverage anyhow already.
The lot where the Sanctuary sits has a lot of gravel and many rocks. This helped to drain off most of the water before the first tour. It did not get too muddy in the tent and building where the tours will be, but the area for parking and getting to the Exhibit sections took a lot of water and will dry off more slowly. It could affect our tours tomorrow after Church. We appreciate your prayers in behalf of this project. You see, the same rocks that made it more difficult to drive the stakes were beneficial in getting rid of the standing water after the rain. So the farmers got their rain and we were able to endure it without getting sick. It seldom rains here and one pastor had said about the black clouds we saw coming the first day, “They will probably be dry by the time they reach us.” Famous last words! God never promised that we would not have troubles, but He has assured us of His presence amid them and He has kept His word.
Here in Yakima we are all staying at the All Nations Center that is on the Yakima Reservation. SDA’s own the Center and have church and Sabbath School as well as a strong outreach to the Native American community. We are staying in Sabbath School rooms and sleep on air mattresses on the floor. Messiah’s Mansion bought new sleeping bags for Mary Alice and me and we bought pillows and sheets. We had no spare room in our luggage for the airline even if we had known we would need to sleep as we are now. There is a building nearby that has showers we can use. It is a part of the Center.
Our Sanctuary crew this time has eight girls (Shaina, Larissa, Inga, Heather, Anne, Priscilla, Samantha and Sonya) besides four adults (Linden and Monica from Canada, Mary Alice and me) and Clayton Leinneweber when he is here. That is the same number as Jesus with His disciples and our task is similar to His. Four of the girls are from Brazil, Costa Rica, Lithuania, and Romania, so we are a sample of the “All Nations” where we are staying.
The boys who are usually with the Exhibits are now at home base at Oklahoma Academy repairing one Sanctuary for the next Exhibit. Yes, there is a lot of wear and tear in repeated dismantling and setting up the Exhibits. That includes also the people who do it. The girls are very strong and work just as hard as the boys would if they were here.
One of the perks of participating in the Sanctuary Exhibit is that three of the girls came from Andrews University and had strong music backgrounds. One night after work while still at Walla Walla in the home of the Larsons, the girls played beautiful music on piano and violin. We look forward to the music of heaven when we can also participate actively rather than just enjoying the passive experience.
Clayton Leinneweber had to fly back East today to drive the other MM truck to their next appointment in Georgia for the other group. Then he has to come back here to drive this truck to New York for a later showing. Having three units does keep them juggling. Our group here will fly to Atlanta for the Exhibit in Georgia. We will not be with that one, but think of our kids living nearby.
One of the girls (Shaina) had a surprise visit from her father who drives truck for a company. He got “a load” at the last minute that takes him through Yakima. So he pulled the truck into the big parking area at the Sanctuary and can spend Sabbath with Shaina. God gives little blessings like that when we are in His work and can use a special lift.
I still wake up early and have a little quiet time before Mary Alice and the others awaken and the busy day starts. During some of that time I have been reading Dr. Ben Carson’s book, America the Beautiful, on my Nook reader. That way I don’t have to turn on the lights and it is very quiet without even turning pages. Dr. Carson has some very good ideas about how to change USA back to the ideals on which our country was founded by very wise men who understood the dangers of too strong central government and their massive give-away programs that demand so much tax income to keep going. If he ran for President I would not hesitate to vote for him. Even though I know how hard it would be to change the entrenched system.
It is good to know how our world will end and the good things that await those who choose to serve the Lord faithfully. It is that good news that the world needs so badly and that is why we choose to spend our time and money sharing that good news wherever we can. It feels so good to have the Exhibit up and ready for the tours. Now we just might have a little extra time for deep study even while getting enough sleep.
With love,
Glenn and Mary Alice (Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma)