After my family, the short list of my favorite people to spend time with would have to include Chuck Baker, the shop teacher at RVA. Long time readers might remember that I’ve written about him several times before (see the post titled “21 Years and Four Months“). Chuck came to RVA after the death of his wife when he was in his 60’s and became our head shop teacher. He is a man full of the love of the Lord and good cheer. It feels very strange to be a man in his 50’s writing about a man in his 70’s, but he may be the most lovable person I’ve ever met.

But all that pales in comparison to his unique ability to lead a meeting. The Chuck Baker School of Management produces meetings that this former corporate pig could never conceive of. Chuck is in charge of our Pinewood Derby and his meetings regarding it are legendary. It would be hard to put into words how truly amazing they are, but in lieu of a video, highlights include:

1. The meetings begin at 6:03, not six. According to the Chuck Baker School of Management, if you start a meeting at 6, it is just another meeting. If you start at 6:03, you get people’s attention. This concept gets a little funnier every year.
2. It is VERY important to have an agenda, but also a time scheme that goes with it. It then becomes more important to constantly reference the time in relation to the agenda. “Ok, it is 6:41 and we are on agenda item 17 and we should really be on agenda item 22, so we really need to pick it up here.”
3. Stories that have nothing to do with pinewood derby, cars, woodshop or anything that isn’t 7 degrees away become VITAL in the meeting. Somehow, every year, a Volkswagen ad that ran in Life magazine in the 60’s gets mentioned.
4. All meetings MUST include the phrase “I’m busier than a one armed paper hanger … with an itch.”

There is nothing better than a Chuck Baker meeting. I would write more, but I’m supposed to be on my second point right now so I really have to pick up the pace.

We saw God use you all to produce a miracle last month. We received enough monies to completely provide food for almost 20,000 students at 34 schools. We just made it; every gift was critical. We are grateful beyond what we can say. For many students, it is about the only food they are getting right now. Thank you so much. All monies collected now go towards the beginning of the school year in January.

I was getting ready to run to the states for a two-week trip to speak at a conference and visit some colleges. Tabitha’s mother came by my office right before I was scheduled to leave. She is very ill with full blown AIDS and just getting to my office was a huge effort. She brought with her the smallest box of tea you could buy so I could bring it to her daughter.

It’s almost impossible to understand, unless you live here, how much that box of tea represented. You might compare it to buying someone a car when you were out of work, but that doesn’t even get there. I’m sure there were missed meals and extra work found to somehow pay for that tea. I can’t quite imagine the sacrifice involved.

I held that smallest box of tea and I knew for the first time what the Scripture meant about how the widow’s mite was the most significant gift of all.

Your pal,
Steve

P.S. Kenya Kids Can is supported by the prayers and financial contributions of people like you, from all over the world.  If you are able, please make a donation today. Thanks in advance!