Ned Erickson: UPDATE Week of April 20

Haley and her helper

Ned's helper taking his picture

Helay and I did some post-community preppin' this weekend by building picnic tables.

Haley did an amazing job.

Not to shabby - just don't look too close!

We are honestly craving community around here. (This guy is) We still have it, of course. We are a part of a community. The Bible calls it the Body of Christ. It exists and we can have it even if Jesus isn't physically here. Therefore, we can too. Something to think about...

REFLECTIONS ON THE WEEK

Blood Drive

On my way to give blood

After staff meeting, I went for a quick five miler and sweated through my post shower shirt! I would have to cool off in the waiting room because I had an appointment at the Red Cross.

On my way to give blood.

Long story short.

I didn't give blood. My blood pressure was super low (I guess I had gotten dehydrated). So it was back home to try again another day (I have an appointment this morning...I will save my daily run for afterward!)

On the way home from NOT giving blood

ROUND TABLE

We talked about blood at Round Table that night.

I mentioned this story from Radio Lab

https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/dispatch-3-shared-immunity

Replace beautiful with the God and you'll see...

I told my story and shared a few verses from Hebrews 9

We also shared answers to two questions:

(1) What has God been teaching you through this experience?

(2) What change are you going to make after it is over?

The answers were amazing.

Hef, Brianne and JM stayed on into the night

Tuesday

It was a back to back to back interview morning for me (three gals!) We need some men! Bring us the men!

Then, I jumped on a Zoom Rotary Meeting where Cindy Gordineer the Head of our local United Way shared about our community effort to provide for the critical needs and the most vulnerable in our city.

Call 211 or NC211.0rg for the latest info on the community effort.

and give!

at COVID19Forsyth.org

I'm proud that we are giving almost half of our Rotary dues this quarter to efforts around the city. Go Rotary!

Other highlights...

David caught a snake

A poisonous Korean Snap Viper - also known as a harmless ring snake

David also harvested a strawberry from the garden before the bunnies got it

Wednesday

In lieu of Leader Lunch this week, we encouraged the Fellows to take time to find a way to serve in the community.

Hef and I delivered food with Help Our People Eat (H.O.P.E.W.S.)

Partners in crime

Hef smiles with her eyes

Game on

We hadn't been together in a month! Not cool. But necessary. It was pretty awesome to serve side by side (at a distance) and catch up face to face (at a distance).

Bible Study

Afterward, we cleaned up and joined regular programming with afternoon Bible Study on Zoom. This continues to be a sweet time - very applicable - and two hours long! (and longer for the gals!)

THURSDAY

Happy Hour with last year's Fellows

We answered the same two questions I asked the Fellows at Round Table Monday Night (You'll see a theme here as we go through the week).

FRIDAY

Goal Setting and Mission Statement Workshop

"Minds are like parachutes, they only work when they are open."

Hannah has a great view for class

Hannah has an amazing start to her mission statement and goals for life. Ask her about it!

Nigel brought the heat once again

"Feel the fear, then do it anyway." - Les Brown

Jackson's turn

The Cycle of Personal Development.

(1) Attitude

(2) Knowledge

(3) Practice

(4) Skill

"Practice doesn't make perfect. Practice makes permanent."

Another great day! Thank you Nigel!

SATURDAY

Phillip Summers and Ned

Phillip Summers asked me if I would join in him and thousands of others by running a virtual Boston Marathon. I was supposed to run the actual one today!

Sigh.

So on Saturday, we ran half marathons together and combined our times. He forced me to start our run with a song. We sang "Build My life." It's a good one because it keeps repeating and repeating and repeating! Ha!

We had somewhat different goals. He wanted us to run happy races - if it meant running separate so be it.

My goal was to get Phillip to run sub 1:30 which is one of those big thresholds from runners. So I was determined for us to stick together.

The difference of opinion caused us to argue in good fun - but in the end - we both got what we were after. Phillip ran is first sub 1:30. And I was happy - so was he.

The girls were happy because they got to ride horses. David and I built a table.

David held things down

lining things up

The thing kicked my butt

Lia has become an expert at making homemade sangria. Practice has made perfection here!

SUNDAY

Small group was a bit smaller this week.

Guess what two questions I asked...

There were some tears, but a sweet time was had by all.

This is hard y'all!

RECRUITMENT UPDATE

Tori Ellingson

We are welcoming our third Fellow with an Alabama connection. Next year is going to get rowdy y'all. Tori is an all star. She is graduating from University of Alabama in Huntsville with a degree in Kinesiology. We liked her from the start and her references raved about her. AND she plays ultimate frisbee competitively, so we just might return to our winning ways next year at the Regional Conference! Come on!

Welcome Tori. You are another reason why we are so excited about the future!

GIVE

We will take anything...even goats!

Trent came over and helped move our hot tub! He is so strong, he later picked up one of our goats!

Financially, we are hanging in there. We have enough to get us through the next couple months, so we have decided as an organization to keep on keeping on and not ask the government for anything and trust the Lord and the good will of the people.

So be an answer to pray! Support the Fellows today!

Send checks to

WS Fellows

PO Box 20514

Winston-Salem, NC 27120

or at

wsfellows.com/give

Thanks! We will get through this together.

Amen.

THIS WEEK