How Important Is Christian Community to Health & Wholeness? (Wisdom Wednesday Post)
Reflections on why we will miss RVICS so much as we prepare to leave for five months.
Hebrews 10:24-25 - And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
I used to think Hebrews 10:24-25 was just about attending church services. But after spending nine months in our new Texas home, only leaving for RVICS assignments and Campers for Christ rallies, I’ve come to see it as a reminder to spend as much time as possible with fellow believers.
This is the longest we’ve stayed in one place in over four years, and the blessings of living in a community of believers are too many to count. Gathering with a home church on Sundays adds another layer of richness. While I’m excited for our next adventure, I can’t help but feel a little sadness at leaving.
A recent trip to Brennen with friends from the Village was a beautiful reminder of how important it is to do life together. Tommy couldn’t join us because he was repairing drywall at our church. It had needed attention for a while, and he was thrilled to put his talents to use. There’s nothing better than being used by God to do good. He also enjoys playing his guitar with the worship team.
That sense of giving back is why we joined Roving Volunteers in Christ’s Service (RVICS) in the first place. I’ve seen people retire and pass away within a couple of years. I genuinely believe that serving others keeps you healthy and happy in retirement.
However, as we age, health issues inevitably crop up. That’s one of the beautiful things about the RVICS community—how we rally around each other when tough times hit. Sadly, some couples we’ve worked with have had to retire from projects due to health issues. And with many unable to work, projects are being canceled, leaving camps without much-needed help.
This is why I’m passionate about promoting RVICS as an incredible retirement opportunity. You don’t have to live in the Village or even Texas to get involved. Volunteers of RVICS come from 29 states and two Canadian provinces. There are Christian camps all over the country—from California to Florida—that need volunteers. And believe me, there’s no greater way to stay healthy and engaged in your retirement years than giving back to others. Our first project was in Florida with a fantastic group of hard workers.
We only visited the Village because one of the lovely ladies we worked with on that project noticed we were in Texas, thanks to a Facebook post on my RV Living page. She suggested we check it out. And, wow, are we glad we did!
Now, we can’t imagine what we’d be doing or where we’d call home when we weren’t traveling. There is a requirement to have participated in three assignments before you can purchase a site in the Village. We were grateful that there were two in Texas that needed our help. As soon as we finished those projects, we secured our site.
It’s wild how the Lord works things out. You’d have to be crazy to call it coincidence. One of the lovely couples we worked with on a Texas project, John and Beverly, had purchased one of the homes in the Village, so their site was up for grabs. It’s a beautiful shaded site, and we jumped at the opportunity. They had a shed on the property, which we needed and were able to buy from them. We love our spot and are making improvements.
Our friends planned on continuing to work on projects, but Bev wound up having heart issues, and they can no longer work. They no longer needed their fifth wheel, so they sold it to Bill and Sandy, who had acquired a truck and were now looking for a fifth wheel. These are the friends I wrote about whose jeep caused them so much misery, and they wound up with the blessing of a donated truck—the perfect truck to pull a fifth wheel with. That story is here.
Bill and Sandy listed their smaller class-C on FB Marketplace and sold it in record time to a sweet couple, so they had the funds to pay for the fifth wheel. They spend six months a year in Australia with their kids, and when they are gone, they bless people by letting them stay in their home in the Village. It’s the one Tommy and I stayed in when we got our motorhome serviced. A couple who can no longer work on projects and will be spending the winter in the Village now have a place to stay.
Everyone is always looking out for each other in this community. I’m getting teary-eyed writing this, thinking about how blessed we are. Trust me when I say that if you want a great way to give back in your retirement years, RVICS is the best opportunity you’ll find. This is a Christian group. It’s open to believers of every faith. We work in Christian camps, so a $12.00 background check is required.
As much as we love our community and escaping the political climate of California, the humidity in Texas is not something we are fond of. It was 75 degrees at 5:30 this morning, five degrees cooler than at the same time yesterday, but the humidity was already at 84%. I’ve been taking Blacky, the neighbor’s dog, out for her walks at 7:00 a.m., and I’m soaked by the time I return. Shortly after stepping out of the shower, I feel like I need another one.
It’s a given that we will leave our happy home for at least five months out of the year. There are cooler places to work on projects. Montana is our next one. We leave here on Sunday and head to Nacogdoches, where we’re getting some warranty work and service done on the RV. I was thrilled to find Motorhomes of Texas, even though it’s 208 miles away. We’ll be heading northeast instead of west, but it’s worth it. There are very few service centers that have full hookups, so you can stay in your RV on-site while work is being done.
One of the disadvantages of living in your RV is the inconvenience of getting repairs and services handled.
I’m the navigator for our travels. I rely on RV Trip Wizard—it's my go-to tool, and I love it. I’ll have to tell you all about the advantages of using it in another post. This one has already gone on longer than I planned. Currently, I've secured us a spot at an Escapees RV park on our route to Nacogdoches, and I've planned a special stay in Colorado Springs for Tommy’s birthday and the 4th of July weekend. Apart from these stops, we're embracing the spontaneity of the open road.
I have no idea how many days we’ll be at Motorhomes of Texas. Dealing with dealership warranties when you need repairs is a royal pain in the backside. They charge you a ton of money and make you fight for every repair, making you jump through hoops and do their best to avoid paying for them. Thankfully, the repairs are minor, but that doesn’t mean they are inexpensive. Six non-working shades alone are over $2,400.00. Your prayers are appreciated.
Our travel tales will likely inspire my next Wisdom Wednesday post. Thanks for coming along for this one. If you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you. You can comment below or send me an email. If you’re thinking about volunteer work in your retirement years, I’d love to help.