Evergreen Outreach

By Mary Woolsey
As people were entering Evergreen Outreach on Monday, SoftFire was playing Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called to Say I Love You.” Other foot-tapping melodies, such as “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” and  “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High,” also were played.
David and Patricia Pence, known as SoftFire, provided the entertainment for the day. They brought their beautiful border collies with them – Daniel, John, Rufus and Gracie.
Looking over information on border collies, I have found that they can be many colors, but the primary color that we know so well is the black and white collie. The male weighs up to 45 pounds, while the female weighs up to 42 pounds. The litter size is six to eight puppies. Their lifespan is 12 to 16 years.
The border collie is a herding dog breed, developed in the Anglo-Scottish border region. The dogs are energetic, athletic and are cited as the most intelligent of all dogs.
Even before the 19th Century, many of the best border collies can be traced back to a dog known as Old Hemp. With the long history of the border collie, it is no wonder that the Pences love their animals so much.
When in New Zealand, I had an opportunity to visit a sheep station. A border collie was sent out to bring in the sheep. The dog sped out to a wooded area where no sheep were in evidence. After a few minutes, one sheep appeared, then another and finally the whole flock came down the hill. If one animal strayed, the dog would go out and turn the sheep back with the flock.
Cindy Hunter was the leader on Monday. She gave us new information on the St. Louis Cardinals. She then told about her 10-year-old grandson, who wears a size 8 shoe and is almost as tall as  she is. He calls her “Little Grandma.”
A birthday song was sung for Eddie George, Edna Penny and Don Carpenter.
New guests were Donna Smith and Velda Merriman. We hope they enjoyed the day and will return.
Hunter introduced the Rev. Roger Grimmett, who told us a story, “I Am a Gorilla.”
It seems that a corporate executive lost his job and could not face telling his family. Being depressed, he walked to the park and sat on a bench. Another man, also depressed, came and sat on the other end of the bench.
The corporate executive asked, “What is wrong with you?”
The second man said, “I run a carnival. My gorilla died, and I have no way of making a living.”
The corporate executive said, “Let’s skin the gorilla, and I will become the gorilla."
Many days followed, and the "gorilla" raged and drew a large crowd. They made a fortune.
One day, a large lion entered the pen. The corporate executive in the gorilla suit was afraid, and yelled "Help!"
The lion said, “Shut up! I’m out of work, too." Grimmett concluded, “You may fool some people, but you cannot fool God.”
Grimmett cited Genesis 3: 8-10. There, God asked Adam, “Where are you?” Adam was afraid and was hiding.
"When you are afraid, don’t hide from God," Grimmett said. "Before God, you are an open book. God will not reject you, but will draw you unto him. With prayer, God will change you from old to new."
There were two tables of pinochle on Monday. At table one, Richard Kruenegel and John Hunsley did not win a game, while Rosamund Hobler and Flo Lange won three. At table two, Wolf Schlicht and Peggy Lippold tied with Beulah Brown and Shirley Locke, with each team winning one game.
The afternoon closed with other songs from the Pences: “Victory in Jesus,” “Living Sacrifice,” “Joy Down in My Heart” and “Amazing Grace.”
Next week, Beulah Brown will be the leader, the Rev. Joe Lawson will lead the devotional, Pam Childers will play piano and Melanie Schaafsma will write.
See you then!