Rancho Revivo

Well! Look who's back!! Lovey Dovey hijacked one of Connie's pansy baskets in which to begin her next efforts to insure that Rancho Relaxo has no shortage of doves. Bless her little feathery heart!

You almost can't see her but she's in the far basket with her head just barely visible.



Here's one of Lovey Dovey's babies. He sat in his nest wondering what happened after his momma and sibling flew the coop. He sat on the wheel barrow (15' from his nest) for about a half hour then, he too, took wing.

From left to right: Pastor Paul Breski and his wife, Sherry, Pastor John Appiah of Ghana Africa, Pastor Henry Aguilar of the Springville First Baptist Church, Sis Connie the Canner, and Pastor Brother Cousin Rancho Ran at the Porterville Free Will Baptist Church. We all like to refer to ourselves as the "Chicken eatin' neck huggin' Baptists".

Well.....I'll BEE! It's Pastor John Appiah and Ol' Brother Ran in their space alien outfits! If you get an outfit you can be a space alien too! John had never seen bee hives or bee suits (or probably better, "sting prevention suits"). He helped check out the bees and saw the wonderful honey in store. We gave him some to take home to his family. He couldn't put the stuff down!

Pastor John (aka "Pappa John" "Pappa" being a social status in Ghana) ministering. He taught Sunday AM (here), and Mon., Tues., and Wednesday evenings. It was our first revival meeting in over a decade. It will not be our last one.

Pastor Roy Bradford of Roseville with Pastor John Appiah.

It has been a busy month here at the Rancho (yeah. I know…that’s real news).  There have been many things experienced and a few things accomplished. But, the highlight has been the honor and privilege of hosting Pastor John Appiah from Ghana Africa in our home for a week.

Pastor John was my host when I went to Ghana. I had met him almost ten years earlier and had finally gotten to go there not quite two years ago. Now, it was time for him to come here and that has been a true blessing, to be sure.

 We picked up Bro. John in Kerman (ten miles west of Fresno) at Pastor Roy Bradford’s father’s home. I had known both he and Roy since about 1993 in Longview, WA. Roy and I had ministered together up there and his dad, Lee, was there from time to time and ministered as well. Kerman is a bit more than half way from Roy’s so that was the closest practical place to “midway” that there was. From there, we came back to Rancho Relaxo so that Bro. John could …(ahem)…relax… for a couple of days prior to ministering in our church. And, minister he did.  

 However, we didn’t come straight home. No, siree. It was lunch time so we headed straight to the “Home Town Buffet” situated at the far north end of the “Manchester Mall” on N. Blackstone Street in Fresno. I mean, just how could we not take our dear brother, John, to lunch at a “Home Town Buffet”?! It would be an understatement to say that we didn’t leave the place hungry.

 A week prior to the revival events, Connie and I had contacted Bro. Henry Aguilar of the Springville First Baptist Church to see if he would interested in having Bro. John speak and minister to his congregation. He was delighted at the prospect and immediately had us invite Bro. John to speak in their Sunday evening service! Then, he even invited us all to their Saturday afternoon picnic at Bartlett Park! Boy! Did we ever take him up on that! Few folks can swing a picnic like the Baptists and we at the Porterville Free Will Baptist Church can attest to that! We were not going to pass that one up! And, after the church service that Sunday evening, Bro. John invited Bro. Henry to Ghana! Would you believe that Bro. Henry had wanted to go to Africa for a long time?! We’re calling that one a “God thing”, to be sure!

Our Sunday morning service was excellent and our folks loved Bro. John and welcomed him like a long lost cousin. It was beautiful. After a super service, we treated him to a great pot-faith lunch at our fellowship hall. Everyone got to chat with and learn about him and his travels. It was grand!

We finished the revival with Bro. John ministering on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings. His ministry was recorded except for Monday evening when the computer program crashed and the recording was not recoverable (can you spell, “GRRRRRR”?). After a nice day off on Thursday (well, mostly), we loaded the Rancho Hoopie on Friday morning and headed to Roseville for that evenings meeting at Bro. Roy’s church.

 Bro. John ministered on both Friday and Saturday nights. I was then privileged to speak on Sunday morning and then Bro. John spoke again on Sunday evening. After Sunday morning's service, we had “hugs all around” and blessed one another then Connie and I departed for the Rancho.

 Roy and Bro. John will continue to minister on the streets of Roseville and in church for another week until time for Bro. John to head back east again. Bro. Roy and his wife, Liz, are planning a trip to Ghana in September to minister with Bro. John and his people. Perhaps we can remember them all in prayer that the fullness of the will of the Lord be done in all things.

 Are we sad that our African brother is gone? You bet we are. Bro. John is a servant of the Lord, a man who waits on the Lord and is led by His Spirit. He was a blessing the entire time he was here. I have met few men like him and it is a rare privilege to get to know him and receive of his ministry to America and to his brethren here. Yet, we are rejoicing that the Lord is prospering him and opening effectual doors of ministry in every place. The Lord willing, Connie and I will, in due season, take up the invitation to go to Ghana together to minister there. We didn’t have peace about her going the first time but it may be that she can go this next time. We will wait upon the Lord as happened the previous trip (I waited 7 years).

 On the trip home, we had to drive through Fresno. It just so happens that one of our favorite supermarkets is on West Herndon not far east of Highway 99. That would be the “WinCo” market and we did take awhile to knock that place over. Unlike the last time around we still had daylight and it wasn’t nearly closing time. Previously, the two travelers were already tired but after shopping that late, we were almost immobilized.

Actually, we made out fairly well this time and only hauled off a few things. The previous time, a few months ago, we could have used “Wooly Pully”, the little 5’ x 8’ trailer. We stuffed things into every nook and cranny of the Hoopie like she was a well laden buckboard wagon. This time I majored on getting coffee that I just can’t find anywhere else (or that I’ve already tried everywhere else). It was a real treat! They have a “WinCo” in Longview, WA and that’s where we first encountered them. Put “WinCo” on your list of “must go” places. You’ll be glad you did, neighbor.

Guess who’s back? Lovey Dovey! Only about a week after her babies fully fledged and flew the coop, she parked her feathery body on the same nest by the back door! We had wondered if doves had more than one brooding time per year and it looks like that they do! For some reason, after only two days, she found the previous nest uncomfortable or what all so she switched from the back porch to the front porch. She set up camp in one of Connie’s hanging flower baskets and called it a day. We can hardly wait to see the little fuzzy babies sticking their heads with their punk hairdos out from under their momma! It’s not likely that Connie will be able to water her pansy pot while the birdie is there so she will sacrifice the flower for the cause.

Connie’s long time friend, Aubrey Cassidy, and his wife, Sandy, came to visit from Florida! They come to the west coast from time to time to see friends and relatives on the way. She met Aubrey while he was in the Navy and she was working at the Naval Exchange in San Pedro back in the late ‘60’s. Her brothers are all friends with them as well so they stopped in Kingsbury, TX to see Roger too. We made a point to knock over the “El Tapatio” restaurant here in Springville for lunch while they were here.

We are in the throes of a drought here in the land of fruit, nuts, and flakes. It’s pretty severe and will likely cost the entire nation since Californy is the breadbasket and milk producing kings of the country (and you thought it was Wisconsin that was the milk and cheese capital. I don't recommended that you apply for a spot on Jeopardy). The Ol’ Ranch is looking pretty brown and it’s not even summer yet! Guess Ol’ Farmer Ran will have to put on his rubber boots and grab the hoses and sprinklers again.

My day already starts around 6 AM or so (I prefer the “or so” part and can get away with it once in awhile). But, it appears that I’ll need to change my clock to 5 AM so that I can at least get a start on drowning our drought. At least we do have irrigation water….for now.

Stay tuned for the next episode from Ol’ Rusty Ran and his sidecook, Dusty Connie and their adventures here at the Dust Bowl Ranch. There’ll probably be some canning going on.