Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser - Peru 2012

Several weeks ago Calvin held it's annual Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser.  January 7 was a cold, but wonderful day for the breakfast.  This year we were raising funds for our Peru Mission Team.  

This year we also were privileged to once again have John in charge of making the food.  He's become a sort of icon in this role, though he's not one to jump into the lime light, so I'm helping him along on that.  

We began our preparations on the Friday night.  Some people came in to help John get the chocolate rolls completed.  It looks like Ben decided to begin by taking a nap......  : )  

This year John and three of his children are going to Peru, so the bulk of the crew on the Friday night was John and his family.  Here is Lucy washing something....

John is in full swing getting everyone working hard.  He's a master at delegating....he learned that from me....  : )

Here's Chris B measuring out flour, oh, and Ben woke up!  : )  

You can see John is wide awake an happy. 

I think he's happiest in the kitchen....

Dark chocolate.....one of the essential food groups.   

The kitchen beginning to take on that lived in look.  

Corinne being her usual self.  

Last year we had these wonderful chocolate creations filled with chocolate and then glazed with chocolate.  

Ready to go and wanting to be eaten....  :  )

Ben and Chris on to another job.  The important job of getting the donation envelopes ready.  

Well, it's now Saturday morning.  6 am.  You can tell that Lucy and Tobie would rather be sleeping.....

Ben seems much more awake this morning.  Ready to make all those recipes for blueberry pancakes.

Megan getting the coffee ready.  

Melanie and other young adults getting the fellowship hall ready.  

Michael...don't look so excited....!!

We need butter for the pancakes, so some mom's got into the act and made it happen. 

Melanie and Jeannine - The welcoming committee.  Pulling double duty.  Getting ready for guests, and getting the craft stuff ready for our VBS in Peru.  

Wilma and Mina...two crazy, but wonderful, people.  I think they did more talking than they did cooking....but I can't be sure....  : )  

We make sausages in the basement.  They take some time, but not a lot of people power.  Here's Chris turning them.  

Here's his fan club watching him work......hey, get upstairs and get back to work.  

John wanted us to sample his wares to make sure the pancakes were good...they were....  

Lucy is putting the final chocolate glaze on to the rolls.  

One of John's kids was also having a Bday party sleep over in the church.  They were served before the main group arrived.  They LOVED the breakfast.  

Each year I take a picture of the first people to arrive for our breakfast.  This year it was Tyler and Rebecca and son.  

Interestingly enough, Jason and Angela came in second this year.  

Soon the room was bustling with people ready for their food.  At times we had to remind some of our wonderful guests that we weren't a restaurant.  Things didn't happen instantly...but most were very understanding.  

Stuart and Christine and family.  I actually got a picture of Stuart this time....yahoo!!  

Judy and her boys.  Jeremy look like I scared him or something.  

The kids seem to be having a GREAT time.  

As you can see, we had lots of people come out for the morning.....

....and they just kept coming.  

Harold looking over at Leo...wondering what he's doing to his pancake....so am I!  : )  

Hannah is not going to Peru this time, but she brought some of her friends to support the cause.  Thanks Hannah, and friends, for coming out.  

Our welcoming desk.  Melanie's still smiling.  Great job...but boy you have a lot of pens there for people to use.  : ) 

People don't know all the work that goes on in the kitchen.  A lot of work goes on in the kitchen.  John kept things humming along smoothly.  

Four friends enjoying the morning together. 

Ian did a great job of making sure people had enough of the thin pancakes.  

Those chocolate rolls were loved by many....some more than others.  

Before we knew it, ....it was over.  The kitchen was cleaned up, the fellowship hall quiet.  You'd never know there was a wonderful pancake breakfast that just took place. 

Thanks to all of you who came out to support us.  We were able to raise just over $2,000 after expenses, which was better than last year.  

Thanks Peru Team for all your work. 

Thanks John for all your work.  Amazing once again. 

Until next year.........

we move closer to our departure date for Peru......

Youth Leader's Christmas Gathering

I love our youth leaders.  They do such a great job year in and year out.  We don't get much time to just "hang out"  though, so this year we decided to have a Christmas get together with all of us.  We held it a Janine's house.  

I brought the wine, and a lemon meringue pie that no one touched.  That didn't matter because there was lots of other  better food there.  Cream cheese, fruits galore, chocolate covered ginger, chocolate pudding.....notice the trend...lots of milk products.  For a guy who's lactose intolerant, you'd think these youth leaders were out to get me or something.  : )  

We socialized for a  bit, and then played a game that I've never heard of before.  In fact, I can't remember the name, but Jeannine will comment on it and tell us all what it's called.  

I have to say, I loved it, and tolerated it.  A crazy game for sure.  

 Mel had to sit behind a chair and make a fort and stay there until her next turn.  

 Jeannine, bringer of the game, laughed and laughed at us.  I ended up having to compliment her EVERY time she had a turn.  That was fun...really!  : ) 

 I had to wash my feet in Janine's sink  (sorry about that Janine, it wasn't my idea).  Janine gave me a spray bottle.  I then had to hold the card between my toes until my next turn....what kind of people think up these things......I also had to dance with Kevin, but he took the two backspace penalty rather than go a round with me  : )  I was hurt!!! bahahahah  I wasn't about to take a penalty, so I danced with myself.  We have video of that too, but I'm not putting THAT up....yet!  : ) 

 Janine had to speak like a gospel preacher  (so not her) as she read out her cards, and Andrea had to roll dice, pick her nose and yell every time she rolled  a 2.  I have video of it, but I won't embarrass her with it.  

 Janine had to wear this Christmas Tree decoration around her neck for the whole game, and do other strange things.  

This is what this game does to you.....  : ) 

Time went quickly.  I think we need to do this with a section of our youth group sometime.  It would be a BLAST!  

We soon departed ways.  

As we draw to the end of another year, let me just say that it is truly an honor and privilege to work with you Kevin, Ken V, Jeannine, Janine, and Mel.  Andrea it has been fun having you around too for this 1/2 year.  Blessings to you as you bring two new people into the world soon. 

Thanks for your work as youth leaders, and friendship.  Have a blessed Christmas time and see you in 2012.....

YAHOO!!!!!!!!!  : )