Pumpkin Woes

I'll get some pictures up of the patch, I promise.

But one of the reasons I haven't written lately is something else has been on my mind and making me busy. "What is it" you ask? It is the many, many holes in the schedule at the pumpkin patch. Apparently the novelty of working at the patch has worn off. But herein lies the problem. You see, the pumpkin patch is a fundraiser for students who want to go on the mission trips to make money. So the question is, why should I have to work to make you money? The short answer is I don't. The long answer is you should be working! (The biggest hole is from 4-7 each day, a shift that any student can easily work).

To help you see the big picture, I added up Liz and my hours and using the dollar amount from last year, which may change depending on how many pumpkins we sell, but using that number we have collectively worked for almost $140. $140 in 6 days! That's money that could be in your account to pay for your mission trip. To help you see said big picture even more, the last mission trip Sr. High took inside the country (Mexico was a little more expensive), the cost of the trip was $125. Basically, Liz and I have paid for one of you to go on a trip. In less than a week. Imagine what you could do if you were working...

One last thing, again, bigger picture. (Please understand, I'm just trying to help you see why you need to be working at the pumpkin patch for your own trip). For any given missions trip, Liz and I have to sit down, figure out where we can go, book it, do all the financial accounting for it, organize it, make and collect all permission slips, collect all deposits and final balances (which means more accounting including student accounts), get all additional medical paperwork, hand it out and chase people to collect it on time, create and implement training, then spend a week (maybe two) away from our families leading the trips. I'm asking, is it really fair that we work in the pumpkin patch to pay your way too?

Please, parents and students, fill the holes in the pumpkin patch schedule.

T