Behind the scenes at the Celebration

Friday, April 25--Often we forget what happens "behind-the-scenes." For the 50th anniversary celebration, the Chateau staff started early and worked late.  

Before the morning light, staff prepare the coffee, greet the baker Arno, who brings fresh, baked bread every day, and make sure the place settings are set.

So prior to the feasting there is a lot of work to do.  Bob & Lisa Keifer lead the Chateau team. Lisa assigned us various tasks. Some are souse chefs who prepare the food for cooking. Others set tables.  Our team was given the task of going to the supermarket for fresh food. What an adventure!

We left the Chateau with map, credit card, and eagerness to help in hand.  We had only limited French greetings and a handful of words under our belt. So we used a trick that Bob uses.  He takes pictures of what he needs and if he needs help he shows the grocer what is on his list. We did the same.

Sometimes in another culture you just don't know remember the exact word or you are so fatigued that you can't recall the word.  So Bob taught us that you can show a picture and say a thousand words. 

We drove through two small villages, navigated several roundabouts, and dodge one large truck on the thin, paved back-country roads.  The grocery is small about the size of an Aldi or a Dollar General.  We arrived at the InterMarche.

One thing we noticed is the price tags. Here in France the price tags are digital.  We saw a worker reprogramming a price with a handheld device.  We recalled that in the Wooster Kohls, in the reduced shoe section, you can find these digital price tags. It's the little things that you noticed.

We finished our adventure and returned to begin setting up for the luncheon. The Chateau staff not only cooks the meals, but also washes all the dishes, pots, and pans. Here is where we helped out.  

Along with the German churches of Aalen and Stuttgart, we got dish-soap hands and hand dried the cleaned items.  As each bowl or pot was cleaned, the kitchen prep team took the clean item for use. It was a never ending cycle of scrap, rinse and load; hand dry and put away; use and return it to the kitchen for cleaning. It takes more than one team to make things happen.

We praise God for all the hard work the Chateau team does "behind-the-scenes." Please pray for Bob & Lisa, Michel & Crystal Sala, Lisa Rupp, as well as many volunteers like Lydia Marsh and Emma Burgess. Please praise God with us for these fully devoted followers of Christ and many others who helped "behind-the-scenes."  

Chateau Staff & Wooster Team rest after working

Evening 50th Celebration