Nothing Like PA in the Fall! 

As most of you know, Peculiar People has cut back their travel schedule in recent years, so when we do get a stint on the road it is a real treat! Such was the case when left our wonderful city of Greensboro, NC to perform for friends and ministries in the great state of PA. It struck me as we went to our first booking in Ephrata, PA that we live "charmed" lives. I don't use the word "blessed" because like so many "Christian" words - it has lost much meaning for many of us. So the word 'charmed' seems appropriate to me because it brings a sense of mystery and spiritual uniqueness with it. 

We started off the tour with a wonderful dinner with Tim & Kathy Sheetz.

They have a ministry which helps the handicapped. We were performing for their fundraiser. We were performing for their fundraiser the next day. After the fundraiser we left Eastern PA for Central PA where on Sunday we performed "Martin & Kate" - our show on Martin Luther. to Abundant Life Church (great church, great pastor: Nick Cook!)  We then left for a show later that night back in Eastern PA at John & Eva Stauffer's home. The next day, Monday Oct. 4, we went to breakfast at World Harvest Missions, where we had the most delightful time. It was their Board Meeting and we saw friends & heroes that we have not seen in years. The most special was Rose Marie Miller. She does not age and her spirit is indomitable .What a woman! Later that night we performed for World Harvest & friends at a local church. It was magical.

The next day we met with a good friend, Wayne Houk at CCEF. We performed for the chapel there, out to lunch with Wayne & then to dinner that night with some of Wayne's fascinating friends.

On Thursday Oct. 7 we traveled to Central PA again where we performed for the homeless and less fortunate with Bob back to  Cook at Christ United Methodist Church. Then back to Lancaster for a dinner with Brett Rush & family. We had down-home PA/Dutch food like I have never tasted! It was great. The next night we were on our way to Brett's church, Shiloh Community Fellowship  and the unexpected, the bad news, the inconvenient, the woeful moment of car failure hit us. Our Ford Expedition bit the dust in the middle of the highway. At first I thought it we were out of gas but that was not the case. The car sputtered, stammered and quietly went to sleep. We jiggled, kicked, prayed and tried burning incense... but to no avail. To make VERY long story a bit shorter. The car was towed to a local garage, then 5 days later towed to a Ford dealership where we were told it needed a new engine: $7000. The car was then towed back to the other garagefirst with the promise of installing a rebuilt engine for about half that cost. We are keeping our fingers crossed. It is now Nov. 2 - we are still waiting for our car to be fixed. Golly, we suddenly have a new interest in prayer!!