Desert Trails RV Park, Tucson, AZ

From our campground, we have a path

into the desert. "Indian Path" is a mile. Rufus loves the hike if he doesn't step on a cholla! There is also a dog run at our RV Park which he loves. I am "training" him in agility! We had 100 folks at Thanksgiving dinner and 23 choices of desserts! A noisy, fun, filling time was had by all!

Finishing Nomad Project

We created a rock wall by moving rock in our pickup over to the area, unloading them, and beginning the moving process again. Barbara, our Prescott, AZ, Nomad, was the genius on this project. Willie, the maintenance supervisor, was a great help to all of us. Alice and Bob McCune

have led over 40 Nomad missions and assisted us in obtaining our Leadership Certificate.

Tuscon Metropolitan Ministries

The new 12 children unit that we

cleaned for the inspection.

Shahela as "Little Red Riding Hood" for Halloween!

We NOMADS are here to serve this organization for three weeks. What have we done so far?

1. We've cleaned a unit just constructed for twelve children under Children's Protective Services; a unit on each end for six children each with two apartments in the middle for the house parents. Some siblings can live in one side; sometimes just six various children. That took us two days.

2. Always, Barbara paints a dumpster container! It is a three sided concrete block structure...now we have to paint the metal gate. That will take another morning.

3. Three of us women went to Mission Vista to create files for each apartment there for weatherization possibilities. Refugees from Bhutan, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Mexico live there with their children. TMM supports these people for two years as they adjust to America. It is low income housing and they pay rent and the utilities. They all have jobs which we listed on the files.

4. Earl has sheetrocked a bathroom and will paint a kitchen in the activity center. Filters, fire alarms etc. have been replaced in every apartment.

5. Finally, we three women have sorted clothes at the Restore which serves refugee families of TMM who receive vouchers. Earl has a new silk shirt and I have a new pair of pants!!!

TMM is a ministry to 36 children who live with 6 house mothers in units. The director of this program says that it takes three months for a child to adjust. So many house mothers and staff have been here for over fifteen years. There is also low income housing here for mothers (mostly rehabilitating drug addicts) and their children where they are taught all the necessary skills to operate in the world within two years. The children are precious and just love Rufus!!!!

The director, Don, is such a visionary and EVERY building on this campus is already paid for.

WE went to "Men Who Stare at Goats" Friday night - George Clooney was fantastic; the movie was OK. Then the highlight was dinner at Mimi's.

Today we visited a fancy-dancy RV resort close to Nogales. Not for Earl and me...just too sterile and everyone lived so close together but great for people who live there...lots of activities, discussion groups and charitable work to do.

We will travel there Wednesday as we have been selected to be leaders for NOMADS so will be trained by a retired Methodist minister who lives there.

Tuesday night we are going to a dinner theatre. Our leaders went to the theatre Saturday morning and watched The Metropolitan Opera - a three hour production live from New York! So much to do in Tucson! We just love it here. Enough for now! More later...

We miss ALL of you!!!