Yesterday was another gorgeous day here at the village. Bright sunshine, cooler temperatures and lower humidity. Our first two guests arrived at ten minutes after nine. We arrive at 8:00, so we started them on a tour immediately. Betty and I had a meeting with Dawn at the Calhoun County Visitors bureau at 10:00, so after starting them inside in the Discovery Center, I had to turn the couple over to Rachel. We have been working with the visitors bureau since May. This is a resource that has not been explored as much in the past and they are excited about what is happening here in the village and the potential that it has for the county as a whole. They are working at getting the area hotels on board with rates just for the guests of the village. Basically they are giving them the chance to “bid” for our guests. They are also working with the area restaurants to put out a guide for vegetarian and vegan food here in Battle Creek. We have quite a few places to eat in the vicinity, but none of them are competing for our guest with healthy options. They have also been working on getting places around Battle Creek for the Pathfinders that will be coming thru here in August of 2014 on their way to Oshkosh. We would like to have some options available for those that make prior arrangements, so they will have a place to camp either before the camporee or after, so that they can visit us here at the village. Pathfinders clubs do need to call us soon to let us know they are coming thru. We would “appreciate” knowing well in advance and not just have them show up in our parking lot a bus load that day. Just as we were about to leave and actually were already out of the conference room, Betty asked Dawn if she knew anyone in the area that did or taught the art of making rag rugs. This is something we would like to do as a demonstration for our younger school guests when we have them scheduled. Dawn thought about it for a few seconds and then said she thought she knew of someone, but that she would e-mail us later. When we arrived back in the village I had a tour of three ladies from the Edmore church here in Michigan. They were a delightful group and we had a great tour. Soon after arriving back at the Welcome Center, another couple showed up. They were from the Bay City area and she was a historian that had come “to just check us out.” Once again I started the tour in the Discovery Center and about 2/3 of the way thru I had to leave for another prior appointment. Rachel once again took over the tour and I left. When I arrived back on site, Rachel and her group of five (a family from California) we just going into the Deacon White home. It was now 4:30 though and Rachel has to be done at five. I let her continue on to the 2nd Meeting house and then when she arrived at the last place on the tour, James and Ellen White’s Home, I took over the tour again. We explained why we were switching because she had worked her allotted hours and I finished up in the kitchen of the home. Moving on into the display room, I told the story of the four boys that lived in the home and also about their death. Also about the death of James and Ellen White, and about the three funerals of Ellen. I then tell the story of the Great Controversy vision and how Satan did not want that book published. How he tried to take Ellen White’s before she had a chance to write it. This is our evangelism room. Here we try and read our guests that are not Adventist and determine whether they are interested in receiving a copy of the book. I could not read this couple. Because I had not been with them the whole tour, they were harder to read. We went thru the in-law apartment, into the parlor. Still I could not read this couple. Up the stairs to the bedrooms. I continued telling some about the history of the home, some more about the artifacts of the bedroom, telling also about Ellen and James’ sense of humor and finally the story of the rag rugs. At this time I usually have at least one of the guest have a rededication prayer before we leave the room. Because I knew for sure the man from California would give the prayer, I asked him if he would have a prayer for us in Spanish. He did and then as just as we were getting ready to leave, the lady from the first couple tells me that she is a historical storytelling and that she actually tells a story of Ellen White at the museum that she works at. Wow!!! She asks me if it would be alright if she took a few pictures with the rag rugs, because she makes those in the museum where she works also. You are kidding. Isn’t God good in how quickly he works. I immediately call Betty and tell her I have someone she needs to meet. Well this lady would not leave until she taught Betty how to make the rugs. God is there to help. All we have to do is ask
Posted on: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 14:08:32 +0000
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