August 13, 2025 - Old Union Mission Trip - Canton, NC

 August 13, 2025 - Old Union Mission Trip - Canton, NC

   Hello ya'all.  This is Clark, the mission trip journalist, with my invaluable assistant Sally.

Today, as all the other days, it started out mostly cloudy, but there were brief peeks of sun early.  It did get even better as the day progressed. 

As usual we had breakfast between 6 a.m. to 6:45 a.m., and the usual fare was offered.  This included cold cereal or hot oatmeal, bagels, juice, fresh fruit, and hard-boiled eggs.   And of course coffee for those of us who need a morning wake up call.  We got to our work site today by 7:50, as the route has become more familiar.   The HfH men were already at the worksite planning our day as we arrived. It was going to be a short work day for us.  Today in the first house where I have been working, Mary Rae (with both skill and grace) and I started caulking the baseboards in all the rooms, as well as around the window and door frames.  Bob Y. also helped us do this task.  (Lorene would be so proud!) Jeff and Carl were busy putting in the storm door for the front door of the house.  Pastor Peter was applying pink spackle to help smooth out the drywall.  (Oh, I have decided when I get home, I will be sure to plant a peach tree.)  

At the second house, Geoff and Mark started priming the posts that separates the kitchen and living room.  Lorene and Cassandra put the second coat of paint on the baseboards.  While Sally and Judy put the second coat of paint on the interior doors as well as the second coat on the window panes.  Pastor Bob got the corners cut in for the walls ready for the second coat of paint. And Jeff and Carl were there to put on the storm door handle.

We stopped working at 11:30 a.m. to have a free afternoon.  By now the sky was mostly sunny.  Everyone went to Looking Glass Falls in Pisgah National Forest.  We drove through the center of Hendersonville and saw some real pretty churches (I love pointing them out.)  These included the Hendersonville Presby Church as well as the Reformation Presby Church.    (I was surprised to see even that many Presbyterian churches, because when I visit my brother in central Virginia, Baptist churches are very common, and Presbyterian churches are rare.  Once we left town we had a delightful drive through the country, on a road not unlike those we are used to back in PA.  The Falls were beautiful, and definitely worth the trip.  There were many other people there.  Most of us walked down to the very end of the trail at the waters edge to see the Falls.  The mist blowing in our faces was nice and cool.  I was most impressed that such a modest stream could produce such a spectacular and thunderous scene.  Now the trip from the Falls back to Canton took us on a very windy and difficult road.  It was mostly uphill until we hit the top of the mountain (part of the Blue Ridge Mountains) and we passed the turnoff for the Blue Ridge Parkway, and then drove right underneath the bridge that carried the Parkway.  Then for a long time it was almost all downhill with many more bends in the road.  But the forest and the views of the mountains and valleys were gorgeous. Then we were finally in the valley and followed this creek most of the way to Canton.

After wards, we came back to the church to have lunch of meatball hoagies or ham bbqs, or both, before going our separate ways.  My group, made up of, Pastor Peter, Bob Y., Mark, Geoff, Jeff, Carl, Dave and me went to Junaluska Lake.  Peter and Carl shared a kayaking adventure around the lake.  Jeff and Mark walked around the lake.  Bob Y. sat in the shade to relax.  I, of course, stayed off the water, but did walk on some of the paved walkways around the lake, looking for birds, utilizing most of the benches to take a rest, staying in the shade as much as possible.  And while on my walk I ran into this lady who comes up to me and says "I have a shirt like that!" referring to my blue PDA shirt that many of us have been wearing. She is from this area, and has been on mission trips to South Carolina and Louisiana.  I of course excitedly had to tell her what our group has been up to, and what I have doing this week.  It is indeed a small world! 

  After our adventure, as we were ready to leave the Lake, the sky was turning cloudy and dark.  Our group of 8 at dinner at Fat Buddy's Restaurant, that specialized in bbq and ribs.  They also had excellent French fries and hush puppies.  The health nut (me) among us had a shaved turkey salad with two slices of garlic toast.  We were ushered into a more private dining room because of having so many in our party.  On the walls were various unique things, such has boots, saddles, and saws with pictures painted on them.  Most of the dinner conversation centered around football.  As we were ready to leave Fat Buddy's it was really raining, with occasional thunder.  And it rained all the way back to Canton.

Mary Rae decided early on to stay back at the hotel to relax as her knee was bothering her.

The other group made up of Pastor Bob, Joe, Lorene, Judy, Cassandra and Sally went antiquing and then visited various shops in Wayneville.  Pastor Bob and Joe walked around town while the ladies enjoyed the various shops on Main Street.  Waynesville has various delicious places to eat.  They ate at the Main St. Diner.  After dinner, they walked down to Kilwin's for ice-cream.  Hmmm, they told me that was delicious.  

   This evening we skipped devotions.  We were hoping to meet at Inspiration Point but the rain cancelled that.  Maybe another day, I hope, it sounds really neat.  So let me speak now of our gracious host church, Canton Presbyterian.  It was started in 1904, and is fairly big.  Downstairs is the Sanctuary and several small rooms we use for sleeping and the showers.  And upstairs is the dining hall and kitchen, and more small rooms set up as sleeping areas!  That's right, with so many sleep designated rooms our team of 15 can all split up into small groups, or even go solo if we wish.  No more trying to sleep in one or two rooms with others snoring!!   Others are downstairs now playing the card game Phase 1.  I am about to finish up here and brush my teeth, and say my prayers.  And of course I will include Gloria, Chris Ann, and Laurie, and I hope you readers will too.