Visiting friends at Homestead Heritage, Waco, Texas

I have been so busy enjoying life and helping with various projects here at Homestead Heritage that I realized I have not updated my stories in quite a while. Once again, God showed me clearly how He is taking care of me and keeping me safe. Here are photos of a spectacular sunrise I got to see as I was walking to the bakery early one morning, I am so glad I was awake and walking and saw this sunrise. The bright sun glowing behind the tree made it look like the tree was on fire. I don’t remember ever seeing a sunrise with the colors in layers and as distinct as these were and also I have seen bright sunrises but non having the sun rising where I see it behind a tree like this. All of us watching this extraordinary sunrise were in awe of what God can create. If God can create a different sunrise and sunset every day, I need to remember that God can take care of and handle whatever I am going through. I just need to turn it over to God and let God work in the situation and to be patient for an answer. Sometimes I know that God does respond quickly, other times it takes a while.

During the month I have been at Homestead Heritage in Waco, Texas, like my other many visits here I have been helping at the Cheese Shop, Gristmill, Bakery, and helping Rachel make soap and lotions. Working at all of these shops has not only been great fun, but I have been working with lots of wonderful people and getting to know them better, and also making new friends. Working at the bakery has been very inspirational and motivational for me. I love to bake, mostly I bake cakes and cookies. I decided to bring home lots of flour from the gristmill and when I get back home to bake all of my own bread and desserts.

When I left Albuquerque a few days after the Balloon Fiesta I thought about going to visit friends in Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia on my way back home to Florida. I checked the weather and saw how cold it was in Tennessee and decided I didn’t feel up to being in the cold and also to have to drive mountain roads on the route back home through those states. So, I made a decision to take my usual route home through Texas and stop in Waco to visit my friends at Homestead Heritage. I usually park in the front yard of my friends the Yarden family. Kim told me they were having company for a few days and asked that I not arrive until Monday morning which is when all of their company would be gone. I agreed to that.

I took my time driving the 700 or so miles to Waco, stopping at various places each night. I always pray that we all get where we are going safely. As it turns out I arrived in Waco on Sunday afternoon and I checked with the owner of the campground a few miles from the Homestead Heritage community and he had a space for me to stay in that night with electricity. I was very grateful for that. Monday morning I get up and put everything away and start the engine on my camper van to drive the few miles to the Yarden’s house. There was a loud squealing sound so I turned the engine off and started it again, and I heard the same noise. At first I thought perhaps a squirrel or small animal got up in the engine. I turned the engine off again, opened the hood and didn’t see anything that looked odd. I started the engine and it made the same noise again. I was afraid to drive it with that sound. I noticed that the belt and pulley were not moving properly and I decided that must be the problem. I didn’t want to do any damage to the engine, so I turned it off and walked next door to a mechanic and asked if they could come look at my engine and see if it’s safe to drive for a few miles. One of the mechanics came over and when he turned the air conditioner off the noise stopped. He said I should be able to drive it to where I was going.

When I got to Kim and Shahar’s house I parked in their front yard and I told Shahar about the noise in my engine. He said he would look at it either this week or next week. Guess what… Shahar is a mechanic, his mechanic shop is next to their house. Is it a coincidence that the engine problem happened when I got to Waco??? I think not!!!  Once again, this is God showing me that I am in the right place at the right time doing the right thing. Shahar checked my engine and found that the entire air conditioner assembly and belt needed to be replaced. If it doesn’t get fixed the belt and pulley could freeze up and then I wouldn’t be able to drive the van at all. While he was replacing the entire air conditioner assemble and related components, he noticed that a self adjusting part wasn’t self adjusting and he replaced that too. I also had an oil and filter change. I am so glad this happened when I got to Waco and not when I was in a rest area or in an area not close to a mechanic. It happened when I was in an area where I had a reputable mechanic that could make the repair.. I have found this to be the case the entire time I have had my camper. Whenever I needed something fixed, or something happened that I needed to get worked on I was where it could be done and I would be safe.

Anyway, while I have been in Waco, I go to the choir and orchestra practices, spend time with friends, and continue to help out at the various places. It warms my heart how accepting everyone is of me and allowing me to help them. I feel like everyone here is my family and I think they feel the same about me. I stayed here about a month and knew that although I want to stay longer I need to get home to help my mom with something the first weekend in December. So, I stocked up on some bread and pastry, flour to bake with, and of course cheese. I took wedges of cheese, and also some jars of marinated feta cheese which is great to add to sandwiches, pasta, any type of food, or put on crackers for a snack.

It was sad saying goodbye to all my friends here and hopefully I will be back for a visit in 2017. I didn’t take any pictures this trip, but there are photos in other stories I have written about Homestead Heritage. You can also check the Homestead Heritage website and if you are in the area, stop by and visit, especially during Thanksgiving Friday and Saturday or on Labor Day.

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1 Response to Visiting friends at Homestead Heritage, Waco, Texas

  1. MARIE CULBERT says:

    Hi Carol. Thought about you today. Weird. You posted today. You are on my mind. Glad you are living life to the fullest. We should all follow your lead. Hope your mom is good. Tell her hi.
    Love and Light,
    Marie

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