We are Sam and Kim Wilkins, and we are retired full time RVers in search of 70 degree weather. Our home is now a 42-foot fifth wheel.
We sold our home and most of our belongings in order to see what this great United States has to offer by way of beautiful scenery. Along the way we have met some of the nicest people.
What a whirlwind it has been since the last article. I was so blessed to be able to join a great group on a trip to Baltimore MD to the Operation Christmas Child Processing Center and process Gospel Opportunities that were headed to Mozambique South Africa. My youngest grandson, Levi, turned 13 this year so this was his first experience at a processing center, and he makes the 7th grandchild I’ve been blessed to volunteer with for OCC.
I had the pleasure of meeting a few former coworkers for lunch. We worked at a telemarketing company where I was first introduced to Samaritan’s Purse and Operation Christmas Child back in 1993 so we’ve known each other for a bit. It is so good to take time to sit and catch up on old times and what’s new.
Sam’s family has had an annual Christmas get together for a meal at a local Ruritan Hall. This year there were 44 family and friends that gathered. It is usually the last opportunity Sam and I have to say Merry Christmas and goodbye before we head south. There were some new faces this year and it was great to see everyone.
The day before we left for Florida, we both helped out with butchering some hogs, a total of 9. Old time butchering is a dying art, so we loved standing around the rendering pots waiting for the potatoes to fry in the lard or watching the pon hoss be stirred waiting for a taste. It’s hard work but working beside friends cutting up the meat, eating side meat sandwiches and getting greasy packing it all up makes memories to last a lifetime.
The next day we packed everything up and headed south but first stopping in Charlotte NC to volunteer at the OCC Processing Center there. For three days Sam and I had the pleasure of volunteering alongside some great folks who share our passion for this ministry. We processed boxes that were heading to Peru, Columbia, Madagascar and two countries that couldn’t be named because of the secrecy and danger faced by taking the word of Jesus to children there. Go to samaritanspurse.org and check out why I’m so passionate about it and maybe we’ll see you there next year.
We are now in Florida for the winter and it’s a bit chilly here, not nearly as cold as back home in West Virginia but I’ll take temperatures in the 60s instead of the 20s any day.
Blessings to you all in 2024.
Kim
