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Santi speaks about mission experience at Golden K meeting

Joan Jouppi introduces Joe Santi as the speaker for the Monday morning meeting. Santi spoke on his mission trip to a small island off the coast of Venezuela in South America.

By JOAN JOUPPI

For The Daily News

KINGSFORD — Calendars are found, for the most part, on people’s phones. There are those that hang on the wall with printed important dates throughout the year. The calendar, at least in this part of the country, is the opening of the rootbeer stand that lets us know spring is on its way and when it closes we know school has started.

Summer approaches with boats, fishing gear, golf carts coming out of storage and the lakes are calling. Fall comes along with rakes, putting away the swing and the camouflaged hunting gear comes out and takes over the hallway and patio area. We all know what comes next.

However, we can look back on a fantastic year that provided all the beautify this area can muster. After a COVID slow-down it was like a baby bird who breaks out of its egg, stretches its wings and gets ready to fly, and that feels good.

Frost on the ground didn’t prevent the Golden K group from gathering early Monday morning.

Sue Proudfit, chairwoman, wasted no time getting the group to their feet, wishing a happy birthday to Mary Jane Nelson on Oct. 20 and Doug Machus on Oct. 22.

Nelson went on to win the 50-50 drawing making her birthday celebration a little happier. Happy Dollars reflected happiness in many directions, but the happiest of all was Bill Roberts, for Michigan Technological University win, Miners Cup for the 11th year.

Joe Santi, a Golden K member, spoke on his missionary trip some 30 years ago to a small island off the coast of Venezuela in South America.

Taking up an invitation from a friend, he and his wife decided to go along as volunteers. If one has ever gone on a missionary trip to a third world country you know there are limited resources and amenities.

The island is relatively small with about 100,000 people, which was his guess.

The people spoke their native language, Pot-a-Wa and some English. The island gets its power through large generators on the island, with most supplies are shipped in.

In World War II, the United States built a hospital for their soldiers to recoup there. After the war the hospital was shut down until some nuns from Milwaukee re-opened it. Thirty years ago Dr. Ted Fornetti and his companions Joe with his masonry skills and his wife who worked at the VA Hospital at one time volunteered their talents to the people on the island.

Santi helped build a school and taught some students his trade. The people there make their own bricks. He also learned the “Hilton” they stayed at six to seven weeks had no cell phones, newspapers or TV. They had a bed, no hot water, no roads as we know them, a store of sorts and a taxi, which carried many people at once with two seat belts and the rest hang on tight around the corners. They went to church daily and the people — young and old — were polite, humble and friendly.

The diet consisted of fish and bananas, or bananas and fish, whichever way you wanted, with coffee and cereal of some kind was available. Their main industries were fishing and banana plantations. When invited to dinner at one’s home be prepared to pay upon leaving. They do accept American money. The people do not leave the island.

The hospital is run by all volunteers and those come from all over the world.

They use lanterns at night, they wear clothing of bright colors and the police do not carry guns. They have no need for that there. It was an experience that makes one understand how some have to live yet remain happy and content. Arriving back home to the U.S. makes one appreciate life here.

Gilbert Engel announced the fall road clean-up will take place Monday after the Golden K meeting. Members are to meet behind the Pizza Hut parking area and dress according for weather and walking.

Golden K will have Crystal Hogan and Dawn Kranz providing the program at 10:30 a.m. Monday. Guests are always welcome.

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