Pasadena
Update #1
Hi Everyone,
Saturday was a driving day as 23 Iowans
drove down to Kansas City where we flew out bright and early Sunday morning. We
left our Residence Inn hotel a little after 5 a.m. and made our trek to the
airport where we boarded our 7:05 a.m. flight to Los Angeles. We met our
partners, a group of 15 from Indiana, at Enterprise Rentals to make our group
total 38.
We checked into our Residence Inn hotel
and were starving so headed to a nearby Hometown Buffet. After making a stop at
the famous Ralph’s grocery to stock up on some food for the week it was time
for a short Sunday afternoon nap for some of the group. Nearly everyone brought an extra suitcase of
hygiene items to be distributed at Skid Row for the homeless so in the evening,
we started organizing supplies for hygiene kits. After a long and exhausting
day, we went to bed early to get ready for our car ride to Pasadena and start
working on the floats for the parade.
Monday morning we loaded up our 8 cars, leaving a little after 7,
and made the trip to Pasadena. After arriving at the Rose Palace, part of the
group went inside to work on the Lutheran Hour float, while the rest went out
to the flower tent where they vialed roses for most of the day getting them
ready to put on the floats in
We worked right up until 4:00 when our shift was finished and
headed back to our hotel. As we were getting closer to rush hour, the traffic
slowed down at some points during our trip. We made it back safely, and relaxed
our aching bones for a little while. Residence Inn provided a nice supper of
chicken fajitas and we enjoyed that before some devotion time and hygiene kit
making time. We discussed our thoughts of the day commonly known to IOWAY
people as “pows and wows.”
Tomorrow we will head
back to Pasadena to work another shift, beginning a little before 8. I know we’ll
be amazed at how different the float will look tomorrow and see how much has
progressed during the work of the night shift. The temperatures are higher
here, which affects the way flowers open and the time to begin installing the
final roses is being adjusted by the crew chiefs. We look forward to having all
the floats we are working on look absolutely magnificent as they head down
Colorado Boulevard on Jan. 1. The Lutheran Hour float is a knock-out this year
with such beauty and intimate detail. We wish you could be here with us to see it
take shape!
We will finish
assembling the hygiene kits in the coming days, with all of the items we
brought in our mountain of luggage to share at Skid Row on Jan. 3rd.
Many churches and individuals sent money for that purpose so a trip to the
local Dollar Store may also be on our agenda in the coming days as we fill all
the towel kits we have with us for the homeless as we show God’s love to them
in that special way.
God’s blessings to
each to you! Jeni Zeller
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