The Little Church - Part 2

Anyone recognize this little cardboard church?  https://onlythemanager.blogspot.com/2011/09/little-church.html  I blogged about it several years ago.    We received it as a Christmas gift from our friend, Gwen, nearly 30 years ago.  It was actually just a cute container loaded with candies. I don't think it was meant to be used over and over. I am sure she didn't know we would still have it all these years later.  Mike has used it for children's sermons in Montana, New Mexico and now Wyoming.  He has hidden candies and other surprises in it, delighting kids over the years.  Our two oldest granddaughters would come to Grandpa's office and want to raid the little church for suckers or smarties.  That little church has been popular! 

But, as you can see, it is beginning to show its age.  I really hasn't noticed. But others had. This week Mike received this letter:

This fictitious  "building committee " is actually a friend named Ann.  She is so creative!.  Look what she made! 

I love that she patterned it after the much-loved cardboard church!  It is kind of like it's offspring.

It is so cool! 

The two churches get along well together.

And yes, the roof comes off on the new one as well, revealing an interior just waiting for some candy.




I love them both!  I especially love that they will always remind us of two sweet friends.

The Little Church

 

One year we received a sweet Christmas gift from our friend, Gwen.

It was this little cardboard church that was stuffed FULL of candy so when

I say "SWEET" I am being quite literal.

I am sure Gwen had no idea that we'd still have that little cardboard church some 20+ years later!  It has been used over and over and over.

It has travelled mile after mile after mile.

It has been the delight of children in at least three states!

You see, Mike uses this little church quite a bit when he does children's sermons.

He hides little things in it that are pertinent to the talk he is giving and children get excited to discover what he's brought. 

Sometimes it even has candy in it again!

Yes, he is good at making even candy tie-in with his sermon.

When he first started using it for children's sermons he was serving three small churches in three separate counties in Montana.  He'd travel up to 121 miles each Sunday and the little church would sometimes make that trip with him.

When we moved to New Mexico the little church moved as well, delighting little children there for 9 years.

Now, in Wyoming, the little church no longer sits in our house but resides on display in Mike's office.  It still comes to worship service from time to time as well.

One day Maria and I and Cordelia took lunch to Mike and Cordelia got to discover the little church and explore it a bit on her own.

     I don't believe she realized she was holding a family historical piece but she liked it.

This last photo is the uncropped version of the first.  I'm just putting it here so you can ponder why Mike also has a golf ball in his office.