It Takes A Community

Photo By: Jennifer Rapoza Photography

Psalm 133:1

How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity.

From the instant I was diagnosed with Chiari and continuing even as I write this BLOG the community is blessing my family. When my friends and family found out about my upcoming brain surgery they rallied around with support. Then the church came together in prayers, dinners and financial support. The community then found out and we have been blessed over the years with not just one but 3 benefit dinners.

I must admit all the attention was overwhelming and we even sought out spiritual support from the church as we were overwhelmed with how to handle the giving that was taking place. While we were humbled and blessed I must admit that as the man of the family there were times I was embarrassed that I had to depend on others. I was reminded time and again by Pastor Mark Levering, Pastor Michael Roberson, church brother Steve Johnson and my buddy Kenny Mitchell that when others bless us they are then blessed. This was good to know because I did not know how I was EVER going to pay it all back.

Ever since then Krishna and I made a commitment to give all we could back to our community. We wanted to love give back to those that had loved us and to those that were in need like us. We did not have money so we gave of our time and energy. It also gave us the chance to say thank you while teaching our kids the importance of COMMUNITY.

I want to share just a little about our involvement in the community because it is important that I honor what others have allowed Krishna and I to be a part of in our journey.

Church

The first place we started giving back was at our church. Pastor Mark asked Kris and I to oversee the newly formed Faith In Action Ministry. For the next decade we worked for the community by doing food drives for ATCAA, blanket drives for the Pregnancy Center, money drives, and so many other cool outreach collections. We met great new friends in the process.

Relay For Life

When the Relay for Life cancer fundraiser needed a new chair I volunteered. I had done the food for several years so I knew how important the event was and I knew it had a great community support group. The event would need a whole new team. I was excited that so many great people stepped up to chair committee's for the event. Mary Freer, Sue Moore, Shelly Wyatt. Jenn Bick and so many others that I know I will leave out names.

We worked hard all year planning and when the big event came it rained. It Rained. It Rained. We spent 24 hours up to our elbows in mud. But what I learned about this community is that, like a cancer fighter, they do not give up. Through the cold and rain they walked to raise many and awareness for those fighting cancer.

In the two years as chairman I was part of a great cause and we raised a ton of money. Over $175,000.00 in those two years. That is a lot of money for this little county but it also shows the spirit of our Community.

Welcome to Relay for Life. At that years event we honored our service men and woman who were battling cancer. Made buddy Sharon Smales was honored as Survivor of The Year.

RIM Fire

When Tuolumne County was devastated by the RIM Fire we were on stand by to evacuate as the fire was right in the river canyon below us. One afternoon, as we were watching the activities I told Kris we needed to do something to help. So we baked cookies and handed them out all up and down the street to the fire men who were on watch. Men and woman from all over the country ate Krishna's cookies.

The next day our friend Chere Villnes came over to help with cookies. When she came through the back door she had a very concerning look on her face.I asked what was wrong and she said "I might have just invited some firemen to dinner." I asked her where she might have invited then to dinner at. "Here." I said that's cool, how many?' She says "5, 10 maybe 20." I said were going to need more food.

I put out a call for tritip and goods and with in  minutes I had enough to feed the 40 firefighters that came to dinner. I was using the big BBQ I use for 4-H catering and BBQing in front of the house and people were driving past looking at me like I was crazy.

For the next many nights the community came together and served those firefighters every night.Chere and I would start cooking at 8:00 in the morning and at 2:00 we would wash the last dish. The neighbors came to help and we started posting a daily menu for the next nights dinner. We were even delivering dinners to firemen around town that could not come to the house.

That was a great effort by all in this county. We served over 1800 dinners during that time and we did not pay much out of our pockets as the community gave and gave and gave. To this day we are friends with many of those men we met at our home. We fed them in our front yard, washed laundry for them. They prayed for us and we prayed with them. What a blessing.

Captain Bob and his LA City Fire Team. We were blessed to have them here each night for two weeks.

They came from all over California and the country. They were here form Alabama, New York, Florida, and so many other states. They protected us and we prayed for them all.

George Broekema lead us in pry. We prayed for protection of our neighborhood and for those in the fires dangerous path.

4-H ( I will give you the very condensed version)

When I returned to my 4-H roots I felt like I had returned home. Over the next almost 20 years 4-H would bless my family. Krishna and I would be leaders and our children would grow up making lifelong friends. All three kids would become Tuolumne County All Stars. Emily would be a State Ambassador and State Record Book Winner. Because of 4-H and this community Emily and Danny would receive scholarships that will change their lives and their futures.

There would be late nights in the pig barn delivering babies, long days working in the mud helping other members with their projects and so many hours doing community service projects. Krishna and I would be honored as leaders of the year, make new friends and cry when others in the group were diagnosed with cancer.

We have made so many friends and 4-H has blessed us tremendously. Friends like Terry and Sue Moore, Linda Mager and my new sister Sharon.They did a fundraiser for us, held our hands through many painful days and they helped raise our kids. They loved me when I had bad days and laughed with me when I had good days.

Sharon Smales and I at Ironstone.

In the end, after 42 years in the program it would be Parkinson's Disease that is leading me to retire from this great organization. You see what I have learned from this community is that family is most important and as I battle through the next chapter I want to give what is left of the good to Krishna.  Krishna has endured through so much I figure she should get the good that is left in these old MUSCULAR bones. God sent me such an amazing gift and I want to enjoy that gift while I still can.

So are you all ready? Because here we go. On Monday we will start "My Journey". On Monday I will start with my story of life with Parkinson's Disease. Thank you all for letting me tell this part of my life. It has been therapeutic. We have laughed, cried, held hands and kissed our way through the last two weeks telling my story. But really it is your story too.

So Monday I will shuffle along. My steps are slower some days then others. My words sometimes slurred and my arms sometimes shaking. But I take the next step knowing that I am blessed and knowing that when I stumble you will catch me. I have a lot of years of work ahead. I have students to see each day at school, a few kids to still raise and a wife to adore.

What makes it all so special is that I know you are here with me. So shall we? Lets take this first step together as I start the next phase of my life and the next adventure in life.  I love you all and I will need you each step of the way on "My Journey."