Another Trip to NAEIR!!

Paul and and friend went all the way to Galesburg Illinois to pick up our Naeir Order.

This was two catalog orders, we barley got it all in!

I'm so excited to see what we've got.  I love free stuff!!   I've got lots of ideas how we can use this items in ministry!  I'll try to show you later what I've got!

I can tell you this... wrapping paper, gift bags, bows, dance outfits, party supplies, shelf units, costumes, christmas wrapping paper and bags, all types of cards, tools,  bathroom fixtures, t-shirts, Cold Water Creek shoes, scrap booking items...... and the list goes on!   Oh Happy Day!

200 Madagascar Cockroaches

After yesterdays post I just had to go back down Memory Lane... This takes us to 2005 while we were on staff at The Freedom Center in Fenton.   

200 Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches

I told you Paul and I have done some crazy things for the looser of the offering contest.  This one takes the cake, surpassing even the chicken suit my hubby had to wear for loosing yet another contest!  

It's a good think that kids like me!! There was no way in a million years I'd loose this one!  Thankfully I was pregnant with Lillie and the Ladies of the church would no way allow me to loose!!  I did lost prior to this contest have to have sport blue hair and even kiss a pig!

The kids love these by the way.  Me however would not step foot in the Children Aflame room.  I couldn't look at these things for weeks!!   Your asking why weeks?  That because Paul kept them in the garage for about a month later renting them out to youth groups who wanted to do the same thing!!!  I just got a shiver!!  gross!   That was a easy way to make our money back for buying the roaches!!

Paul is laying in a coffin that the local funeral home donated to us just for this specific event.  Wasn't that nice...  they didn't want it back when we were finished.  I wonder why??

Anyhow, another day in the life of the Dietzels.   Never a dual moment around here!

Back from the South

Paul and I are back from a week in Georgia!   Do you know how hard it was passing chick-fil-a at exit after exit!   This 21 day Daniel fast has been hard.  It's hard to fast when your away from home.  And you know me with resturants in the South...  Chick-fil-a,  Zaxby's,  Sonic,  Bonjangles, BBQ ... ummm   

Being on the road Paul and I could have made exceptions or excuses, but this fast is so important to not only us, but for others who we are fasting along with us at our church.  We need God to do great things  and the devil is not stealing that from me by temping me with fast food from the south!  Although I must say it was hard when I stepped foot into the BBQ restaurant and the overwhelming oder of sweet BBQ smacked me right in the face!  At the moment I realized how hungry I was!   The good news is that they had a veggie platter at the restaurant.  The bad new... no BBQ for me!  lol

We did programs for a church that was having revival with several different guest speakers,  kids were coming as early as 6:00 for Choir practice.  The program started at 7:00 and ended every night after 10:00.   One night the speaker went until 10:40.  By the time we went out to eat with everyone and got back to our room it was 1:30!   Yikes.  Were getting way to old for this! lol 

Lacey came to stay with the girls, which they love so much!!  I appreciate Lacey so much and what she does for our family.  If I had an extra room I'd move her right in with me!

We seen Avatar3D one afternoon.  Wow, it was neat.  It gave me a huge head ache and by the end I felt sick to my stomach, but it was a cool movie.   It was nice for Paul and I to just get away together.

Detroit Children's Hospital

This Saturday we headed out to Detroit to the Children's Hospital.  This marks our 10th year here.  We just can't seem to shake'em!!  They must like us!

Santa show up every year to greet the children, give gifts and to smile for a photo.

We've seen these kids grow through the years.  All of these children and families have had someone in their family with a heart condition.  Thats why this group of kids is called, "The Ticker Club."

We go on before Santa, the one everyone is waiting for!

It's always a treat for us!  We feel very privileged to speak here every year!

Naeir (Not like the hair remover)

Naeir is a company for non-profits. This place is amazing. It is an 11 acre warehouse full of awesome stuff! Naeir contacts companys and asked them to donate product. Just a few examples of the companies are: American Greeting, 3M, Pier One and Department 56. Paul and I have a Naeir membership. We get 4 catalogs a year along with 4 grab bags. The items cannot be sold, it has be given to children, elderly, poor and the needy. When Faith Family did their outreaches, this is how we got all that wrapping paper and scrapbooking items.

These photos below are not of the wearhouse but of our order that had to be picked up and of our grab bag. You have 2 hours to fill a flat cart that must be able to fit through the door. On your mark, get set, dig!!

You never know what is on the floor, this time there was furniture and carpet, tools... the list goes on. It's the luck of the draw, sometimes its good and others not so much.

Here is our cart. Only two people are allowed into the grab bag. This trip we found some awsome treasures. Photo frames and scrapbooking items, gift wrap, tools, books, desk, carpet...

This was our catalog order that we came to pick up. You can choose to pick up your order or ship it. I thinks it's cheeper to pick up! lol It is definitely worth the 8 hour drive out to Galesburg Illinois.

Now I just need to find a place to store it!!

the last program of the season

We've finally finished our last crusade of the year! What a summer! We just got back from Lenoir City, Tennessee. We had 158 kids on the last night. This was our largest crowd here ever and we've been here for 6 years!

So for now, Paul and I just have some equipment rented here and there. We start a once a month children's ministry workshop starting tomorrow. We'll be teaching that until April. Were hoping for some more school assemblies to help bring in some more income. It's always nice to slow down, but yet when we do the income also slows way down :D The Lord has provided for us over the last 10 years of being full time with only the support of our own business Servant Hands. I expect no different this year. He is our Jehovah Jireh-God our Provider!

A Weekend in Review

Yup, I did it again ladies and gentleman! $12.00 whoo whoo!

What a week! Friday we had equipment out into the schools in Swartz Creek for their Halloween party. At the same time we were over in Durand at Bertha Neil Elementary and we did two school assemblies.

Saturday we headed out with equipment in the morning and then an evening program for a harvest party over in Attica. I was disappointed in the harvest party.... no candy for the kiddos! And they even played carnival games and didn't win prizes! They had a great turn out but I was surprised. Good thing the girls went to a few different trunk or treats :D Needless to say this year I only received two peanut butter cups.

This Sunday we had 43 people at Faith Family! We were so excited! Following the service we had a bake sale at Krogers to raise money for Chairs. We rent them at this time. Not a bad price at .25 a chair per sunday, but we need our own.

We head out in the morning for Lenoir City in Tennessee the last family crusade of the year. It's 3 days long and Lacey is staying with the girls. It will be a nice, quick weekend away.

Thank you Kimmy

We have been to Mentor Ohio Church of God for several years! We alway stay with the Zinni Family, they treat us like family and we love them dearly! The girls got a special blessing this week with trip to the Disney store! I love it when others love on my girls like they are their own!

Happy Time Camps Video

I just wanted to show you all what it sounds like to have 300 screaming kids in a pool barn with a tin roof at 80 degrees!

Bay Shore Family Camp

We just finished up our week at Bay Shore Camp here in Sebewing Michigan. It was a great week. It's looks like we'll be back here next year! It's funny how places book us again before we even leave! I guess it's a good thing!

In case your wondering Pastor Paul is doing the white boy. lol

... and here he is trying his best to hola hoop! lol

This week at camp we had about 100 kids grades 2nd through 5th. Family Camp is really a neat concept. Families camp together and then go off to their own scheduled services. During the day there are all types of family things to do.

Just FYI our Theme this year is Whoville playing off of Dr. Seuss. Who do you say that I Am?? I Am Father, I Am Son, I Am Spirit 3 in one!! We like to find topics that kids need more knowledge in and we found that the Trinity is not taught nor understood by children. Paul is doing a great job at this and kids are getting it!

Paul is working on our ad for Faith Family it's going into the YMCA paper for August. We schedule in office work anywhere we can. It's really hard on the road.

The many faces of Pastor Paul

I going to start off by telling you that my husband is not the same man that I married!! Over the years he has developed and changed into a man of God that I would have never dreamed. So here he is the man with many faces...

We used to use all sorts of stuff (puppets, chalk art, magic..) while communicating to children. Over the years Paul has developed his God given gift.

And if you can't tell or you've never heard him speak, that gift is story telling. Over the years we have put all that stuff away, bringing it out only on occasion. Paul is the best Children's communicator that I've ever heard. Sorry he's my husband I have to say that:-) Not only does he communicate well with the children, but the adults love him as well. This is why we are starting our own church here in september for young families at the YMCA. For more info go to faithfamily.info Our goal is to reach the family as a whole.

I'm sure you are wondering about that sweaty man! Gross I know! Usually Paul does not sweat this bad during a program, but those stage lights are so hot. And if you've seen our program it is an aerobic workout.

FYI... Notice Paul does not sweat under his arms! Crazy I know, it all runs off his head. He's never wear a lick of deodorant in his life because his skin is so dry. Lucky him he doesn't stink! I guess I should say lucky me. Okay to much information!

Talking to a doctor and scientist friend, they claim that Paul's brain is thinking so fast and working so hard that he perspires from his head. Interesting.

At camp in Mississippi one kid call his condition "sweats a los sis" hehe!! That nick name has stayed with him the last several weeks. I don't think it's going away.

These photos here I took during the morning devotions.

There you have it... the man with many faces, the Greatest Story Teller Ever. In my book anyway.

Whoville

We finally made it! Camp Whoville!

What a week! We truly could not do it by ourselves! Thanks to all who helped out! Children's lives were changed this week. Children learned this week who God is. I AM Father, I AM Son, I AM Spirit three in one!!

In this photo here, Paul is getting the kids in order for the group photo. Notice his hair, it was Wacky Wednesday. Cabins received hair paint to make some really cool Seussical hair.

I was so busy this week that I didn't get any other photos besides our Worship service. I should do better next. I love this photo that I took of Paul.

This slip n slide has been in the making (or the mind) for several years. We had the vinyl but it needed to be sewed. The cost is what was keeping us from doing it, being 100 feet long it would be several hundred dollars. We ran into a someone at camp who had the right sewing machine! Yeah God! He sewed the edges so we could slide noodles down the sides and made places for the stakes to hold it in place. It was the biggest hit. A little baby shampoo helps one slide fast and go long! Of course Pastor Paul had to be first to try it out!

This was where we held our morning devotions and held our One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish competitions. I just love Paul's face here. He cracks me up, he is such a creative story teller. That is definitely his God given gift.

There is no internet connection at camp so I see you guys next week! Keep us in your prayers.

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July 4th

I'm so gratefull for our inflatables.  Who knew??? God knew!!  The investment in the inflatables has really helped Paul and I stay on the road traveling like we do.    Paul has to twist my arm 10 years ago to get me to purchase our first moonwalk and now we can't seem to stop!  I think we have a total of 17 pieces.  

This photo is were we've been for the last several years on July 4th.  The Freedom Center in Fenton does this event for the community every 4th of July free to their community.  I have no idea how many people come through here during the event, we provided for them 15 inflatables.

Thank You Lord for providing for our family through those silly inflatables.

Duck a-Grams

We've seen it all but this is a first!  We've had balloon-a-grams, candy-grams, but never duck-a-grams!  This week the canteen has sold 600 duck-a-grams and who know how many candy grams.  This is Pastor Pauls stock pile from just our first day.

It's obovioue that Lillie is loveing them!  Today was a hot day in Illinois sooo we went swimming in the bath tube.

Crazy husband here playing the Oreo game.  You spray the orea with water and place it on the forhead.  Using only your face try and get the oreo in your mouth!

Camp is going great.  Were giving them a diffent kind of program than they've had before:-) Were having great responses.

The family laid down to take a nap today... 2 hours later we all woke up.  I guess we needed that!  It was more like a bear nap than a quick little cat nap.

This is our last evening service and were heading home in the morning after breakfast.  Time to get busy at Michigan Youth Camp.  This weekend I have lots of shopping and pre-planning before camp starts on Monday.