Paul Alton MBA

We worked our first SOWER projects in 2006 at the age of 58. SOWER project work is done with four, six-hour days a week. An incredible amount gets accomplished during those work days because the work starts on time, and continues to the end of the work time and is done at a steady pace throughout the day. I noticed that I had to work to keep up with 80 year-old SOWERS, but that by Thursday afternoon they were ready for the weekend and I had a few more days of energy left. However, with my present job at the modyard working six, ten-hour days my energy well is dry most evenings and Sunday is for recuperation. There is little enthusiasm for updating this web site. It shows it.

Today, November 11, is Remembrance Day in Canada. It is a statutory holiday and a day off from work. Juanita is still in Edmonton until tomorrow and we elected not to return to Meadow Lake for the weekend. With only two days off it didn't seem worth it to spend a day of that driving. A few things will get written and added to the web site and some errands might happen and perhaps some sloth as well.

Anthony Watts of the Watts Up With That climate web site has created the logo above and linked to the Philippine Red Cross donation page at http://ushare.redcross.org.ph/  

As he explains in the article: “Be sure to select the campaign first in the menu pulldown to be Supertyphoon Yolanda (Haiyan), then select the monetary amount and the payment method.”

I encourage you all to donate something and I put my money where my mouth is by donating something. There are other organizations that may have a closer match philosophically, but the Red Cross is there and has boots on the ground and is helping now.

Ezekial & Eliana

Ezekial is an enthusiastic big brother, although today (November 11th) he is off to help his father help a friend build a house.

Before somebody made the intemperate promise that we would be in Canada every second Christmas and before we decided to reduce our tax exposure by staying under 120 days a year in the States we would have been at our favorite SOWER project by now.

Every SOWER project is worthy, but each SOWER couple meshes with some projects better than others. For us, it is the Way of the Cross in Harlingen Texas. We plan to work with them at their Medfest in January in Nicaragua, but here is a recent e-mail they sent about their work closer to home.

Greetings in the name of the Lord!

 Once again it’s nearing the end of the year and that means one thing to Way of the Cross: The Big Feed in Matamoros, Mexico! This is a time when we join together with brothers and sisters from all over the country to provide the poor and hungry in Mexico with food, toys and hopefully a little joy during the Christmas season. Most of those we will be ministering to will not have had anything during their Celebration of Christmas and this will be a wonderful opportunity to show them the love of Christ. As we’ve been preparing for the event this year, we’ve seen that the poor of Matamoros are even poorer. Though the violence in Mexico has eased some, the unemployment rate has risen and there’s still a great amount of fear in the hearts of the people along the border.

 We are expecting to feed 7 – 8000 people at the event this year. It will take a minimum of 4000 lbs. of chicken along with the beans and other items necessary to prepare a meal for this many people. We are also hoping to give each person a small bag of groceries along with their hot meal. As in years past, we will be giving each child a gift bag with toys, candy and other things. We estimate that we will need 5000 of these to provide each child with one.

 We need you to partner with us this year. Our greatest desire is for you to come and serve alongside us. There’s no greater joy than seeing the smiles on the faces of those who accept Christ for the first time. We also understand that many of you are just not able to make the trip. For those, we ask that you would keep the event lifted up in prayer; that thousands would come to know Christ as Savior. Some of you reading this may have a burden to help financially with this event and I can promise you that a gift of any size will go a long way in sharing the joy of Jesus with the Mexican people. We’re also planning to build some houses for some of the poorest of the poor in the Squatter’s Camp. The cost for each of these small houses is $1200. Again, any help with these finances will be a blessing to the Kingdom.

 God bless,

Brother Ben

 PS – If you would like to help with the children’s gift bags, you can find out more here:

http://www.wotc.org/upcoming-events/

 Benjamin M. Butler

Director, Way of the Cross Ministries

224 N. F St.

Harlingen, TX  78550

(956) 793-9801

wotc@wotc.org

It's been a while since there has been a book review in a monthly update. In the last couple of months I have read all or most of several books. Here are a few. There are others I am ashamed to admit having read (too trashy or purile) and a few that I have not read enough of to comment on although with a few of those the wandering away during the read is probably commentary enough.

 Dunn’s Conundrum

Can’t recommend it on language and sub themes, but this mid 80’s book pretty much nailed the current situation with the spying on just about everybody by the U.S. government.

 The Guns of August

This well-written, best-selling book covers the months leading up to the First World War. Reading it is like watching a horror flick where you want to cry out to the heroine, “Don’t open the basement door!” as a bunch of old fool leaders blunder their way to the inevitable deadlock which destroyed a generation of young men and planted the seeds for the Second World War which ended its share of lives.

 No Plot No Problem

November is Write A Novel Month (here and here). This book talks you through the process. It is a quick and enjoyable read and has some excellent advice that would apply to any large personal project. How do you find the time? How do you get started and how do you maintain momentum?