The Mountain Missions of the Southern Appalachians

My mom's uncle and his wife were Northern Missionaries to the mountains of northeast Tennessee. The ministry with which they served (& which he later directed for decades) also ministered in southwest Virginia. 

They had association with similar ministries throughout southwestern Virginia and southeastern Kentucky. I grew up hearing (great-) Uncle Martin telling of his friends working in the various camps & ministries that dotted the southern Appalachians. There was sometimes a flow of workers from one camp/ministry to another. 

In my experience, most of the missionaries were from the north, they lived by faith trusting God to provide for their needs (no salary was promised from any organization and neither did they mention financial needs, instead trusting the Lord to supply), they taught Bible in the schools, they started Sunday Schools in hamlets where there was no Sunday worship, they received missionary barrels from the north with donated clothes, quilts, etc. that were of immense help to the southern folk, and they started summer Bible camps.  These Northern missionaries also traveled back home to the North regularly (annually?) on "deputation."

If school children memorized so many Bible verses in a year, they earned a free week of Bible camp. As late as 6th grade, I remember the Bible teachers coming to our school once a month to teach the Bible, using flannelgraph stories. In elementary school I remember memorizing the first verse (or verses) and earning a little booklet of verses, and then memorizing those and earning a Gospel of John.  One could later earn a New Testament. 

Imagine my surprise to hear, when BK joined youth group this summer, that there is a Scripture memory challenge.  Any student who memorizes three consecutive chapters of the Bible gets a $75 discount off the registration cost for fall retreat! 

The Cutting Room Floor

In April, I purchased a 2026 wall calendar 90% off at Dollar General. 

I cut up Post-it notes (blue for BK & pink for LM) into sticky strips.

I researched two local Bible camps, a local community college's kids' classes, a university's sports camp, a Christian school's sports camps, and a parks & rec brochure for a nearby town. 

I asked friends when their sons are going to Bible camp. 

And then I wrote known summer plans on the calendar ... reunion, swim practice, swim meets, Awana water nights, youth group, & 4th of July.

I wrote possible activities, camps, VBSes, and classes on 21 strips of colorful post it notes and matched them to their date on the calendar. 

Whew!!

By the time the Farmer had an afternoon off from planting & we could look at our summer calendar & make decisions, one desired week of camp was open for waitlists only.  :( 

If you pray, please pray that a certain 12 year old will be able to go!  That camp's theme this summer is: 

Join us as we explore the life-changing encounters with Jesus that left people forever changed. Each day, we will unpack different invitations from Jesus – what it meant then, what it means now, and how it calls us to live as his disciples today. Whether you’re curious about faith, just beginning your journey, or ready to go deeper in your walk with Christ, The Invitation is for you. Jesus is still calling. He’s raising up a new generation to be His hands, His feet, and His voice in a world that desperately needs Him. The question is: are we willing to accept the invitation?

And their theme verse is:

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me 

Most of the post-it strips ended up ripped off the calendar and lying in a messy pile on the kitchen table.  Thus "the cutting room floor." It was good to have options, and I knew it wasn't humanly possible to do all of them.  

We ended up with what we hope & pray is a good map for our summer!  VBS, a week of day camp, one-day therapeutic pony camp, swim team, a youth trip to the Upper Peninsula, possibly an intro to EMT class, and potentially two day "camps" (one hour/day, 5 days/week) of reading camp :) and gymnastics camp.  Yay for entrepreneurs! 

I think I'm going to find a green sticky note and add "Mom's nap" on every square on the calendar. :)

Today's list

We are at the point in T-minus-summer-vacation where my to-do list includes: 

• get dressed 
• use inhaler
• brush teeth
• wash face.

I am happy to report that those tasks were crossed off my list today. :) 

Lunch had a question mark next to it on today's list, but I rallied and put some frozen salmon in the air fryer & heated some frozen green beans.  We had salad if desired. Good enough. :) No time for "Kate eats a fancy lunch" of Naptime Kitchen fame on IG. 

I filled two laundry hampers with dirty laundry found on a child's bedroom floor (!), washed & dried them, refilled my pill box, called the pharmacy, and picked up four prescriptions. 

I pursued three volunteer opportunities for BK ... several phone calls & emails. 

I stopped by the grandparents' after the pharmacy for a 10-minute visit. 

I did not do a lot of other things, but we are surviving.  

What was on your to-do list today?

Looking Ahead to 2026

Looking Back

I patterned my previous post on my friend Wendy's. She also writes a post, "Looking ahead to 2026." (As a missionary in a foreign country, this topic seems more applicable to her life perhaps, but I'm going to attempt my own "Looking ahead" post.)

Big Rocks 

The "big rocks" are 

• planting & harvest (though both come with lots of uncertainty & timing is weather dependent)
• school & summer, and 
• trips & extracurriculars (all to-be-determined).

In all of these areas, my big rock is logistics & background support.

Areas of Change

We always want to be growing in our marriage & as parents & in our relationship with the Lord. Practically I'm not sure yet what that looks like. Suggestions are welcome. :)  Our small group does not require homework or prep. And I'm not in a Bible study, though this year I'm trying to follow along with our church's Bible reading plan.  And I want to memorize Scripture, even if it's minimal. Minimal is more than zero. :) 

In addition, I want to read more in 2026. My piles of books to read are truly overwhelming. I have chosen 12 missionary biographies & 12 fiction books.

I listen to podcasts, but more for falling asleep, so I can't say those are expanding my horizons or helping me grow in knowledge. ;) 

In terms of blogging, I blogged more in 2025 than I had since 2010, and I hope to continue at this pace. 

Exercise is always something I want to change ... yet never do.  My rheumatologist recommended pilates with Move with Nicole on YouTube. In my dream world, I would do water aerobics. Time will tell. 

I'm hopeful I'll get down to 5 mg or less of prednisone daily in 2026 & hopeful that my body will be able to tolerate it. (My rheumatologist says the side effects diminish greatly once you get below 5 mg.)

My team leader in Japan always asked us how we wanted to grow in character, skills, and knowledge.  Hmm...

Our church is looking for a new senior pastor as ours plans to retire in the next few years, so that is a big prayer request and an exciting (and sad) prospect.

Lily Pads

Wendy mentioned the term "lily pads" in her post, and I will copy that concept.  

"It's a helpful concept for maintaining mental health and includes things that you've got planned for the future to look forward to. Here are some of my lily pads for 2026 (the one's I know about now):"

• long weekends off school (two each in January, February, and April, plus a week of spring break in March)
• possible trips on those long weekends (Chicago, ?, ?, ?)
• exploring new-to-us places in Chicago beyond the Museum of Science & Industry, Children's Museum, Aquarium, Planetarium, and Field Museum
• possible spring break trip (who knows where?)
• hopeful 24 hour date with Jim in February or early March
• summer swim team a few farm towns away (such a great team!)
• summer vacation (another 10-11 day road trip; the kids are voting for an exact repeat of last year's but I think it will be somewhere different)

I think it would be good for me to have small lily pads, like reading a few chapters in a current book, fresh sheets on Mondays, trying a new recipe every other week, or even my 1-2.15 PM rest time on school days.   (I'm going to try to incorporate reading into my school day rest time. Reading before bed is not a good option for me in this season ... zzzzz!) ;)

What are your lily pads or recommendations? 

Ultimately

Ultimately, we have no idea what tomorrow will hold, much less this year. May we walk into this year (and each day of it) with steadfast hope in the One who holds our hands and leads us. 

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all the day long.