Transitions

Today we were welcomed into Minnesota and tonight we are camped at a Casino in the White Earth Indian Reservation. The Casino is huge and we are in the RV Camp that is very well equipped and located right behind the hotel. We were almost carried away by the mosquitos, but now we are safely seated inside the motor home for the evening. Every time we enter a new state, we we feel like some major transition has taken place. So the picture you see tonight is proof that we are now in our eighth state. First impressions of Minnesota are that it is "neat" and "tidy". Everything is mowed, painted, and clean. It frankly is a welcome change from some of the very poor towns we visited in Montana and North Dakota.

But today there is a bigger transition going on that has taken our numbers from four to three. Kathy Ossmann left us this morning to fly over to Michigan to be of service to her family. Her father is simply not able to live on his own any more, so the decision has been made to move him into an assisted care facility. These are very hard decisions for any family. Are we rushing into something? Will dad or mom be able to care for themselves for another few months? What if he falls and can't get to the phone? Are there other options that we should be exploring before moving him to a residential facility? These are all the questions that Kathy and her siblings have been struggling with, but now the decision has been made and Kathy knew that she needed to be in Paw Paw, Michigan to help with the transition. Our prayers are with Kathy and her family this evening.

Kathy and Cindy are our ground crew. They drive and manage the motor home. They search for and cook much of the food (and it has been outstanding). Now Cindy is on her own (except for our Golden Retriever, Ginger. So for the next week the ride that started with 8 is down to 3. But the Ride Against Hunger continues. Cindy did a new flyer that we've sent to both Stockton and Sacramento that reminds people that we are still on the road and that it is not too late to make a contribution. If you haven't yet contributed, please give as much as you can to either Catholic Charities in Stockton or the South Sacramento Interfaith Partnership in Sacramento.

I just received a message from Elvira Ramirez, the Director of Catholic Charities, that St. Anthony of Padua elementary school donated $500 to the Ride Against Hunger. Wow...that is terrific. Can other parishes or schools match that?