FIXED WITHOUT a Service Call

Prayer is amazing, Diane got to the Berean office early, figured out the problem and FIXED it. The copier WORKS! We have not called in an expensive service technician since we moved from Meisters. That was the start of a very productive day. From our slightly older volunteers to the very young volunteers we all extremely stayed busy.

 Above Edie, Anna, Eva Jean and Roma are busy opening mail and below Jordan is taking a snack break.

 Above Rebekah, Rachel and Anni are busy stamping the studies and then the Bibles arrived. Below we formed a line to unload around 600 Bibles. Rachel would hand them to Anni who would hand them to Shelby who would hand them to me or Rebekah to be stacked

 Once the Bibles were all stacked they all had to be stuffed, wrapped and labeled. Below Jordan is helping with the labels. 

 In the other room we had a full group of volunteers helping with the Thursday's mail.

 Deb and Diane were put in charge of reading the request letters that came in on Thursday.

 Eva Jean had to take a break to show us a couple pictures of her great grand daughter.

 Diane was busy trying to install our new printer.

 Below Tiffany has joined the group wrapping Bibles. 

 We had to eat our lunch in shifts today, there was just so much to do. 

 All the Bibles were loaded into Rachel's van then after lunch Rachel and Anni drove to the post office praying for someone to show up to help unload, preferably someone with muscles when Jake Gerst walked out the post office door to help. Praise GOD! Tonight a bunch of the singles, and not just the young group singles, met at church to grade Bibles studies. These pictures were sent by Sarah of the studies spread out on the lunch tables with wonderful volunteers busy grading. A BIG BIG thank you to all who showed up to help.

 We have a slight problem with our group at the Berean office, they kind of fight over the 'lickers' and we have a standing joke about how dependent we are on our 'licker' so of course no one reminded anyone to take our  'lickers' to church for this group. Yuck looks like they had to use their tongues!

Broken Copy Machine

We had a lot of letters today, more of that kind of mail came in than the studies. At first we were suspicious but then remembered yesterday was a holiday. Each time there is a holiday the studies are delayed. We didn't have a big crew working today but each one that came were so much appreciated. Eva Jean arrived first even before we got there with the mail. She brought the lunch today. More on that later. Below are a few pictures of our day. The best thing that happened today was Diane H showed up. She has been on vacation for the last 10 days so we were a little worried she would forget how to work but that just wasn't true. She sat down at the computer and went right to work making certificates.

 Once those were finished she started entering studies and between the 2 of us we easily kept up with the study openers. Today we had Chuck, Shelby, Eva Jean and Marvin L opening and processing the studies.

 Justin was put to work organizing the cupboard while looking for more stamps. We were short today and were praying he would find a roll but that didn't happen.

 We broke for lunch a bit early and Eva Jean served us her delicous famous meat balls, a big vegetable tray, chips, and she served TWO desserts. She knows the way to get the most work out of the boys is serve chocolate peanut butter scotcheroos, AND ice cream bars.

Marvin and Jeanette decided to work while the food line was long then Marvin joined us for lunch a bit later. Jeanette is just a working machine. She worked all through lunch today. 

Timmy was so full after lunch he needed to take a quick break and relax before he was put back to work. 

 After lunch Justin joined the readers. 

 We just had so so many letters that needed to be read that every eye and brain were needed. On the table above Marie, Jeanette, Chuck and Justin are still reading while in the picture below Marvin has moved to another table and is working on letters. This is such a big job and an important part of this ministry.

Eva Jean and Marvin L finished up the studies after lunch.

 Diane and I did not finish entering the last letter until 3:00 pm. The copy machine broke today and even though Marvin L prayed the machines would work it just wouldn't. Diane had to call the repair man. This is the first time this machine has quit on us since we moved from Meisters. Marie and her children have been making thousands of copies each week. We are amazed it has worked so well for so long. Please join us in praying this can be fixed.
We will have a big Bible day on Thursday so are asking in advance for any STRONG MEN of any age (college kids are more than welcome) to come help unload, load, stuff, wrap and label Bibles. We will be working on Thursday starting at 9:00 am and hopefully finishing around noon. Please come, many hands make light work.

Another Load Sent Out

This post is published one day late, it was suppose to be written and published on Thursday but the writer was just a little too busy to get the job done last night.
We were very thankful for everyone that showed up on this frigid day to help get another load of Bibles on their way to grateful prisoners.

 Not to brag or anything but when Rebekah brings Jordan it brightens up the entire office. It is just SO much fun watching this little one trying to 'help'.

 Of course us workers in the other room have to take a break and watch him through the window separating the 2 rooms.

 The piles of mail today were a little overwhelming and we were short a couple of our usual Thursday volunteers. Both Diane's couldn't make it in today. The huge amount of unexpected mail didn't seem to bother these diligent workers, they just sit down and start with big happy smiles.

In the other room Rachel, Tiffany, Rebekah, Shelby, Justin, and Anni were busy stuffing, labeling and loading Bibles.

 That is until they ran out of the 1 through 4 folded studies to stuff then had to start folding which slows the entire process down. 

 Jordan was sitting on the unfinished boxes showing the workers exactly how many more needed to be stuffed. We ran out of Bibles for this week short about 3 boxes. We still have 1 more pallet at the shop so hopefully Monday I can bring out a load and finish this weeks. 

Below are a few random pictures of the day. 

  The letters got read but not processed, but we were able to get the studies done but not before breaking for lunch. When Fedi heard about our youngest volunteer he had to make a special stop in to visit.

After lunch it was back to work to finish stuffing the studies finishing up around 2:00 pm. We will be totally out of Bibles by next week so Tim Martin was called to order another 2000. After each week of work we walk out of the office and say, "we survived another week!" That is truly how we feel. Grateful that the job was able to be accomplished one more week.

Busy Volunteers

Marvin H made a few changes to the answer keys with a cover page explaining how the studies should be graded then brought it in to the office today.  Marie and her boys worked on making 50 copies of them. We sent 10 copies to the Princeville church with Marvin L, kept about 20 at our office here and will send 10 copies to the Peoria church.
We had a brand new volunteer today, Shelby came and was put right to work reading letters with David O.

One of our long lost volunteers found his way back today after his vacation in Arizona.
We were pretty thrilled to have him back. Especially when he was willing to take the answer keys with him.

Kathy left before our meal so she could eat lunch with her dad. 

We didn't have a terribly hard day today, finishing up just a little after 1:00 pm. Mom provided another delicious lunch for us all, a hot delicious soup filled with meat and vegetables, that was served with crackers and different cheeses. Then for dessert  we had fresh baked brownies, Marie made tapioca pudding plus mom brought cookies. We really do work for food around here.

 The letters still need to be processed but the studies have all been sent out for grading this week. A box was mailed to South Carolina for grading and another box sent out to Charlene. Speaking of our pay around here, this just seems to be right on.

Lots of Bibles Lots of Volunteers

So thankful today. Spark and Jake brought 2 pallets of Bibles to the Berean office and unloaded them by the door. When we arrived we formed a chain to get them all inside. That was a lot of Bibles.
We had new volunteers today and the youngest volunteer ever arrived with Rebekah. At first Jordan was given some toys to play with while mama worked but he soon saw everyone else helping and wanted to help too.

 He would hand the studies to Rebekah so she could stuff them in the Bible.

 He got quite good at this. Of course the volunteers in the other room had to quick come to the window to see. Rebekah offered to take another box of studies to be graded to the Roanoke church.

Edie, Anna, Eva Jean, Vonnie and Roma were busy opening the mail while David, Kathy and Diane R worked on reading the mail. We had a LOT of mail today. Anna took an entire box of studies to be graded to the Princeville church. 

 In the other room we had quite an assembly line going stuffing, wrapping, labeling and stacking Bibles. LOTS of Bibles.

 Trevor was another new volunteer, he saw Rachel's plea on the Peoria Young Group Facebook page and showed up to help. He and David S had the van stuffed full of Bibles, drove the first load to the Peoria post office right after lunch.

Rachel and Tiffany were keeping David, Rebekah, Anni, Trevor and Jordan busy while Vonnie filed the studies she had the volunteers at Skyline  fold and fill.

 Getting the Bibles out was a big job and we were so so thrilled for the man muscles. No reason to work out at a gym on volunteer day at Berean. The weight training is FREE, the fellowship is FREE, the lunch is FREE and the pay is out of this world. 

 Below is the parking lot today, Rachel counted 16 cars and trucks today all of people here to help.

 When we broke for lunch we left a mess of studies laid out on every available table surface.

 We had a simple lunch of hot soup but that hit the spot and gave us enough energy to finish the job this afternoon.

Just a little after 2:00 pm the last envelope was stuffed. We still needed to finish the last load of Bibles. David O, David S, Eva Jean and I stayed to finish and by 3:00 the van was stuffed with another load of Bibles and the huge amount of trash left from wrapping almost cleaned up.  So very thankful for the many hands. Today was not light work but it was a job well done. This precious gift of the Living Word was sent out to over 700 prisoners today.