Reflections and Ramblings--Assistant Minister Pastor Dan Wilkie  

          I am sure that most of us have some experiences in our lives that stand out more than others and touch us in very profound ways. For me, it was the many years I spent working in orchards and fields harvesting nature’s bounty.
          When I was in the eighth grade, I went to work for a distant relative in her Palisade peach orchard. Being too young to actually pick the fruit, I was selected to be the water boy, and I would walk all day carrying a flax water bag to all the field workers, making sure that everyone was kept hydrated.
          As I grew up I worked picking the fruit, then graduated to orchard boss, tractor driver, shed boss, truck loader etc. I also worked for a friend’s family in their orchard, and the family that would eventually become my adoptive family in their tomato and sugar beet fields. As I worked in these many places over the years, I had the privilege of working with a great many folks who came to Colorado searching to fulfill their dreams as they harvested our many agricultural commodities. I remember the retired couple from Oklahoma who traveled here each year, bringing their camper. They never really needed the money but enjoyed working in the orchards for the experiences they had each summer. They also happened to save my life once when the tractor malfunctioned, and I was nearly ran over by my own machinery.
          There were the many immigrants who came to work, both legally and illegally, who patiently struggled to learn enough English to be able to do their work, and who taught me enough Spanish to be able to help them do their jobs and the dignity of hard work with one’s hands. There was the extended Navajo family from Window Rock, Arizona, who shared their fry bread and the stories of their culture, and whose one teenage daughter developed a crush on me, causing both her family and me some embarrassing moments.
          The greater lessons that I learned were that no matter the differences we might have had in our cultures, we were so alike in many other ways. We each had a great love for our families and our homes, and we took pride in the work we did together. I learned that no matter what language a person spoke, laughter and an occasional well placed cuss word could help ease the tension of trying to communicate when language was not readily understood.
          I also like to think that for a kid in a small town, who at the time did not have opportunities to explore the world, I gained a real sense of the world around me and the beauty of God’s amazing creation in the love of so many wonderful and exciting people.
          So I invite each of you, in whatever kind of situation you find yourself, to be open to the people around you, cherish their stories, try to experience life from their perspective, seek always to learn and grow, and who knows--you might just find God where you least expect.    Blessings, Dan

  TRUSTEES’ Report                         Chuck Burch

          The Trustees had their annual spring swamp cooler day recently during which we performed maintenance on the swamp coolers and brought them back into service. We repaired a water line in the CE building that froze over the winter. The CE building roof was damaged by high winds over the winter and needs a few dozen shingles replaced. Linda agreed to tackle this job. We also brought the irrigation system back on line and made a few minor repairs.
          The Trustees approved the annual Trustees Report to the Congregation, which will be presented to the Congregation at the meeting on May 25, 2008. MDS asked that we provide window tinting for two office spaces on the south side of the building that get hot in the summer. Cal Bilger said he would donate a roll of reflective window film from his supplies. We will apply Cal’s film to the windows in one office and assess the results before taking any further action.