Lebanon, Oregon

Today is Saturday, the first day of August. My, how the summer has gone by so fast. My calendar says Mars is supposed to be really close to the earth this month. I read that it will look as big as the moon. I don't believe it! But I am blogging today because I probably won't have internet connection for a week.

About Lebanon? I can say it is hot!!! Although not any hotter than it has been all over the northwest. Records fell all over the place last week. We had about 4 days of 100* plus -- I think the high was 103*. In Grants Pass it hit 108*. Fortunately the RV is air conditioned. I was at the church most of each day; the main office and the pastor's office are air conditioned. I have set up "camp" in the room connected to the main office. It is sort of a work room with storage for all the paper and similar supplies, plus the copier is in there. There is also a nice desk. I let Trevor have the pastor's office. Some of the cool air filtered over to my side so it wasn't too bad. Joyce, Jana and the kids spent a lot of time down by the river. Tuesday evening, it was so hot we drove to Corvallis to see a movie. It worked out that we got to see "G Force" in 3-D. Kind of expensive but it was really good, especially with things flying out of the screen at you. The kids really loved it.


Joyce left me Wednesday. So did Jana and the kids. I get them back tomorrow. They went home to make the final preparations for Fir Point Camp. We are teaching the Bible story again this year. This meant the RV was quiet and cool (with the air going), so I came back here each afternoon when it got really hot and worked on my sermon in a little more comfortable style. I'm preaching tomorrow.

I started to tell you about Lebanon. It is a small town -- about 15,000 population. Corvallis (home of Oregon State University) is about 15 miles west and Albany (larger) is about 15 miles NW. We have a Super Wal-Mart, a nice Safeway, lots of fast food places, and a few nice sit-down restaurants. Plus lots of churches. I'm anxious to post some pictures. We are going to get high-speed internet at the church so I can use that -- maybe a month away. Lebanon is about 170 miles north of Grants Pass -- straight up the freeway and 8 miles east. It is about 30-35 miles south of Salem -- right in the heart of the Willamette Valley. A lot of grass seed is grown in this area.

We had a little scare this week. Jana's husband, Korak, is back in LA working. He had been feeling a little chest pain so finally went to the doctor. They ran him through the treadmill test which he passed easily. Then did an MRI. It showed some occlusion in one the blood vessels around the heart. So yesterday they did an angiogram and found it was 95% blocked. They put in a stint and will run some more tests on another blood vessel they couldn't see very well. He spent the night in the hospital and goes home today. Jana felt bad that she couldn't be there but Korak's mother is in LA to give him lots of TLC. We considered flying her back for the weekend but that presented it's own set of problems so they elected to let Jana comfort him long distance. He is supposed to fly up to join us next Friday and we're hoping that will still be possible.


Oops. Just got word that changes the above paragraph. Jana really wants to be with Korak -- and she should be. He is spending another night in the hospital. Roy and Twyla came to visit just before Ginger got here. After lots of phone calls and a little encouragement from dad, Jana is driving home tomorrow. Ginger was going to have dinner with me tonight and attend church tomorrow. But now... a change. Roy is taking her to Grants Pass and she will help Jana drive back to LA. Then help her sister with the kids for a few days. She'll fly back to Portland in the middle of the week and bum a ride down to Lebanon to get her car. This means we won't have Jana to help at Fir Point but we'll manage -- probably get someone to take her place. It also means I don't get to hug Jana, Josiah, and Lilly again before they go back.

Trevor and Shanette moved into the parsonage last week so they are having an open house after church with hamburgers and hot dogs. I'll preach, grab a quick bite, hook up the RV, and head south. It is about 150 miles down the freeway to Glendale where the camp is. Joyce will get a friend to take her to Fir Point.

And speaking of houses -- we got one. Well, one to rent, that is. It is a duplex in a really nice complex of townhouses and duplexes. Our back deck (very tiny) looks out over a small canal. They do all the yard work!!!!!!! We take possession today so we are now looking for furniture to put in it. Getting it now means I don't have to pull the RV back up to Lebanon to live in while we continue to house hunt. Our neighbor on the other side of the duplex is an elderly lady so she probably doesn't throw any late night parties. I hope. We are keeping our Grants Pass house so will have to go back occasionally to check on things.

Probably this blog sounds a little disjointed because I typed it at various points throughout the day. And plans kept changing throughout the day. But you get the idea. And you know what to pray for.