And finally we made it to Jackson, KY

(Let’s overlook the fact that we’ve been here for over a week,OK? 😉)

So, Jackson, KY. When we stopped at the welcome center the helpful guy stocking the shelves commented that he just couldn’t figure out why anyone would want to go to Jackson. Humph. Well, while Jackson is indeed pretty much out in the boonies, it is home to Oakdale Christian Academy which has been home to us this last week (and will continue to be for the next!).

Home Sweet Home April 14
It’s been a good project so far. Gary has been busy working on the plumbing at the under-construction girls’ dorm

and I have been helping out in the library and also processing mountains of “Box Tops for Education”.

We did have a bit of excitement earlier this week when it snowed! Really? Mid April? Kentucky?

(Must have been a tax day joke?)
But crazy weather aside, this is a great spot. I’ll let the school web site tell you more about the school and its interesting history, but currently it is a Christian boarding school with about 60 students from all over the world. The campus is lovely and in the process of updating and upgrading many of their buildings. I took a little “walk about” this morning…..

I knew they owned some property across the street, so I decided to check that out too.

Yes, those tracks are pretty darn close, but fortunately the trains, even though they are long coal trains, do not run all that often. (Could’ve been a long couple of weeks otherwise, right?) Getting on the other side of the tracks afforded a good view of the campus too!

That’s their new gymnasium. Oh, and they also own up to the top of the hill – though they haven’t quite come up with a great use for it yet. 😉

Classrooms and dorm rooms.
But back on the other side of the tracks there was some pretty interesting stuff too.

And

And even a small cemetery where the founder and a few others are buried.

Another view of the campus from graveyard.

Once I got back down, I checked out the stream that runs behind the buildings –

It’s really lovely, isn’t!

But the school isn’t just about buildings and landscape. We haven’t had the opportunity to get to know too many of the students, but we’ve come to know and love the staff. Especially the bluegrass playing ones!

So much fun on a warm spring evening! ☺️
As we’ve watched the staff, administration, and dorm parents interact with the students here, we can definitely see where it is being true to its mission statement –
…to change lives by providing a challenging educational program and a Christ-centered community for teenagers from a broad spectrum of experiences, leading them to lives of learning, serving others, and loving God.