The Day Before...

Today is the day before tomorrow's Mennonite Country Auction. Tomorrow will be the 37th annual relief sale held at Menno to benefit the work of Mennonite Central Committee or MCC. I have worked at every one of them. The first year I helped in the Craft Booth, but ever since then I have manned the microphone and handled out the auction numbers and collected the auction money.

We arrived out at the church about one o'clock and Cleon and I began tagging the auction items for tomorrow's sale. It didn't take us long as most of the items were waiting in the foyer.

It is tradition to have a meal on Friday evening for the workers and the early sale arrivers. Curt had barbecued pork butts and we had pulled pork sandwiches with Diane's coleslaw and bar cookies. The meal is by donation and is actually a pretty good fund raiser itself. This is part of the crowd gathered for dinner -

The "elders" Dennis and Forrest did a good job of supervising and making sure everyone was doing their job -

Stan was busy loading the troughs with water bottles to chill for tomorrow -

Everything had been loaded into the big semi-trailers after last year's sale and now they're back to unload tables, chairs, fences, etc. ready for tomorrow.

Jeff, Gene, Curt and Gary are loading up a wagon with the supplies for their sausage sandwich and hamburger booths -

The forecast is calling for wind tomorrow. The fellows are trying to decide if they should plan on having the auction inside the big tent.

Curt is scrubbing down tables. They sure get dusty in storage!

Booths for crafts, et cetera, and baked goods are being put together on the other side of the church.

The Seatle church sets up for their booth with items from Ten Thousand Villages -

It was a busy afternoon. Everyone seems to know what to do and just steps up and does their job. It is amazing to watch it all come together!