Week 220-223 - Phoenix Christian Unified Schools SOWER's Ministry - 11-21-2010

Phoenix Christian Unified Schools - SOWER's Ministry

SOWERs stands for Servants On Wheels Ever Ready. This organization pairs up Christian RVers with churches, Christian camps and schools and other Christian organizations. The host group (camp, etc.) provides the RV couples with hookups for one month. In return the couple works for the host. The work schedule is not too rigorous. The men work 6 hours a day, from Monday through Thursday for three weeks, a total of 72 hours. The ladies do not have to work, but generally do and work 36 hours. This leaves plenty of free time. Each work day, you are through at 3:30 pm. Each weekend you have Friday, Saturday and Sunday off. And after three weeks, you have the fourth week to stay with hookups without any work! Both the host and couples get a great bargain. Get more information at http://www.sowerministry.org/

Our map this week shows that we moved from Phoenix Christian School to two pickleball tournaments; one in Sun City Grand (Surprise AZ) and a second in West Valley (Goodyear AZ). And then we would head down to Casa Grande and Tucson, AZ.

Phoenix Christian Unified Schools has been in existence since 1949. Its roots go back to 1912 when the Weed family moved from Kansas to Peoria (northwest of Phoenix). There they founded a school called Old Paths, later to be renamed Old Paths Bible School. In 1949 it become Phoenix Christian High School. In recent years the school began a K-6 school across the street from the junior / senior high school and a second K-6 school in Goodyear, AZ.

The school's gymnasium was dedicated in 1957.

1) Our site was premium. Inside the fenced school property, we were right next to the showers, laundry and ice machine. 2) Below we met with Carrol (head of maintenance), Jose (maintenance), Joe (head of facilities), Howard (all around manager who has been at the school for 40 years and lives across the street), Gena (Joe's assistant), Nancy and Darren (from the development office where Ellen worked).

1) The football stadium includes a very nice rubberized running track where Ellen jogged in the morning. 2) The stadium lights have unusual toppings. There are cellular phone transmitters on the light poles, from three different carriers. One carrier purchased and installed the lights for the football field. The others pay a fee to the school for use of the towers.

There are dozens of buildings on the campus and every one has multiple scriptures either painted on the buildings or on plaques next to each classroom door.

1) One of the two softball fields. 2) The gym with six practice hoops, nice!!!

1) The computer workshop where Pete created parts for a new computer rack. 2) Carrol scooting around on his John Deere Gator.

A good example of the value of SOWERs is this project. Pete created 12 brackets to hold six servers in this computer rack. These homemade brackets took one day of free labor and saved the school $600.00! We also saved over $600.00 for receiving full hookups for the month.

Ellen worked for Nancy and Darren in the Development Office. Pete worked mostly alone. Normally these projects have four couples, but this project was new and we signed up at the last moment. Pete was the Group Leader, Ellen the Ladies Group Leader and the group. 1) Pete removed walls, installed new electrical circuits, did sheet rock repairs and painting in this modular building. 2) Using his welding skills Pete created a new rolling chain link fence gate for the softball pitching bullpen.

And now for the time off photos. We traveled out of Phoenix to play pickleball on several occasions. And on one beautiful day we hiked Squaw Peak (now called Piestewa Peak). When you drive in to Phoenix you generally view it as big and flat. However, it is surrounded by foothills. Piestewa Peak is only a few miles from downtown Phoenix.

The hike is 1.2 miles and you raise up 1,190 feet to an elevation of 2,608. It takes about 30 to 60 minutes to get to the peak.

This very popular hike is taken by around 10,000 hikers each week! The reason: the views of the Phoenix area a spectacular.

This view to the south of the peak shows downtown Phoenix.

Larger View From the absolute peak you have a 360 degree view of Phoenix and surrounding cities.

Having completed our SOWER's project, we will head to Casa Grande and Tucson, AZ to play pickleball. If you haven't guessed we are now crazed with pickleball and are on the pickleball tournament circuit.

We hope you had a wonderful time at Thanksgiving and are thankful for all that the Lord has provided for you.

Love, Pete and Ellen

P.S. Some say that SOWERs stands for Seniors Over Weight Enjoying Retirement. Not true, we are not retired!

Photos from Nov 2010