It's been a long time but yesterday it finally happened again.  We plugged in two additional refrigerators and filled each freezer compartment to the max.  Having already filled our large upright freezer and ample freezer compartment of our main fridge, we were desperate.  Thankfully we found creative  ways to squeeze in every last thing that has to be kept frozen until needed.  And then we pondered how to put something (anything) in the two newly plugged in lower (refrigerator) part of the fridges.  We decided to fill all fourteen water carafes and turn one fridge into the "water fridge".   And the other fridge became the "veggies fridge".   As we progress through this week, if it  becomes necessary, we still have one more fridge that could be plugged in.  That would be the little dorm room size fridge that discretely lives in a corner of the dining room and functions as the "guest fridge".  It's never a good idea to let our guests mix their food in with ours, for a lot of good and valid reasons.

Why all this fuss over freezer and fridge space?  Good question!  This very evening they will start to arrive.  Five come on the night flight from Central Africa Republic, and the rest will join them on Monday evening, coming in from Europe.  This does not count the two flying in tonight from Chad who will sleep elsewhere but eat and attend meetings here at Shiloh.  Nor does it include a handful of refugees in their group who live in exile in Yaounde and will be included in the meetings and the meal count.  This is a great group of African men.  They come to Shiloh once a year to hold their conference.  The European missionaries who join them have become good friends down through these many years of our acquaintance.    Feeding them three meals a day plus morning and evening coffee break will keep us out of mischief.  We've brought in extra help for the occasion.  Last week we were in preparation mode, meeting ourselves coming and going.  Everybody has today (Sunday) off to attend church and recuperate.  Well everybody that is, except Papa Jim and Mama Alice who live at Shiloh and will be on deck this evening to greet our guests and install them in their rooms.  

So if the Old Folks start looking a little ragged around the edges as we move though this new week, you will understand why!