ORC Youth Group has headed east....

This magnificent thunder head was the object of a lot of photos last night. And as the night worn on into midnight the lightning show was awesome. You get to view such things when sleep escapes you. Gary missed it all --- he was busy snoring!!!

We had a grand time with the ORC Youth Group. We are sure that the Detention Center kids will have many memories of the fun times they shared and the Bible Lessons heard. It had to be hard for ALL of them - ORC and JDC to say good-bye! We thank you Overisel Reformed for your support of this trip and all the prayers lifted on behalf of everyone. The group headed east this morning for more adventures on the Mississippi.

We know that you were hoping for a good update from the Youth Group. Andre' was planning on coming to our place to "steal" our internet.... But things can get very busy and hectic working with a group of that size and it just didn't happen. So we want you to know that --- all is well !! They had a lot of fun experiences but I'm not going to share something that belongs to them....and spoil their stories. So you will just have to wait.
:-) Sorry!

As far as the meetings with the released JDC kids goes...... The program put together by the tribal group has to be OKed by the South Dakota Alcohol and Substance Abuse and so we are on hold until we hear that it is a go. You can keep that in your prayers.

We have gotten into HOT --- 90 degrees the past couple of days. The countryside is so lush and green that it is truly beautiful here!! And we are enjoying all the sightings of new life. Baby antelope, pheasants, turkeys, killdeer, colts, have all been added to our long list. YUP!!! This is God's country :-) :-)

Continue to keep the youth group in your prayers as they travel and spend time on the river.

And now I am going to try to post this...... have really been having problems with this lately. Not even going to take time to proof read it this time!!!!!!

Gary and Barb

Power outages and computer freeze up......

I am on my third try to update..... It's been far too long! My first attempt was zapped by a power outage and the second --- the computer froze and I just finally shut it down. :-( Now I feel like all my news is too old to go there anymore.

Our Christian Youth In Action training camp went from very stormy (and not the weather) to very good. That update is going to have to come by word of mouth...... too long and too much...... And it's all over and things ended on such a positive note that we aren't concerned anymore about what the devil tried to do. He failed --- God's plan won. So we will just leave it at that!!! Two from our group --- Ethan and Bobby---- stayed for the second week and went out as groups for Five Day Clubs and VBS. They said they "want to do it again next year!!"

We can home to an email asking if we would do a "service of Hope" at the Alcohol Treatment Center -- for 12 adults. We didn't really feel prepared nor adequate to work with adults... But Ed said "use the same format as you did with the teens".... So we agreed to do it. We were blessed in wondrous ways again. Eight of the twelve prayed to receive Christ as their Savior. The four women asked for Childrens' Bibles for their little ones at home......so those are on order. We talked to Ed a week later and several had reported what had happened in their "highlights of the day." So they are receiving more materials from Ed and discussing the need to find a good Bible believing church.

Our Overisel Youth Group has arrived in fine shape. They left in a storm (and that WAS the weather).....actually they left the morning after all the rain....and arrived late Saturday night. I won't tell about what all they experienced yesterday --- will leave that for them ----- but it was a big memory maker I am sure!!!

Today is a beautiful day and the group will be going for their "work" at the Juvenile Detention Center. It should prove to be a wonderful experience!!

The country side is in glorious array!!!! The pastures all so green....sometimes brown is the shade -- but not now. The rains have been a blessing. The ranchers are busy with haying.

Thank you for keeping everyone and everything in your prayers.

Gary and Barb

So very cool!!!

It can be so neat going into the JDC to visit with the kids on a Sunday afternoon. Today we really only had 2 kids to visit --- ones that had previously asked Christ into their hearts. So we said -- "send in anyone who would like to visit with us." One young man came in carrying a Bible -- like the ones we give out....but we knew we hadn't given it to him. He said he found it in Booking and he was lonely and depressed and so he picked up the Bible and started reading in the Psalms. The Bible also had a sheet in it that we had handed out with "helps" of where to find certain passages - like .....if you are afraid...or angry....or lonely , and so on and he said he liked that. I guess that first appearances made us think - a hard case......but what a different view you get - once you get to talking to someone. We really shouldn't just assume things by what we see on the outside! We were blessed by getting to know this young man just a little bit in the 20 minutes we had.

Well, it has been raining lightly for the past few days....did get about 1/2 inch the other night, so that made the roads a mess again. Now today - right now -- it is pouring down rain. (The ranchers are VERY thankful - the rain is needed badly!) We are glad we are back in for the night......HOWEVER, tomorrow morning we need to be out bright and early to take some kids into Mission for a Basketball, Running Camp with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.....could be very interesting...anyway for the first 3 miles of dirt road.

Then on Tuesday morning - earlier yet -- we will be heading out for our week of CEF training with the young people from the Lakeview Church. We will be there thru Saturday.

Thanks for keeping all of this....JDC, CEF, FCA, and US :-) in your prayers .

Gary and Barb

A Place to do Bible Study!!!!!

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10........."Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."Psalm 27:15

Barb and I have been searching and praying for some time for a place to have a Bible Study with kids that have gotten out of the Juvenile Detention Center. We looked at the Veterans Building in Rosebud but it's kind of out of the way and they want $50 a night.

I thought we should get ahold of Ed Parcells and see if he had any ideas. We could not get ahold of him and gave up after a couple of tries. Last night Pastor Tom called and asked how our search was going. "Nothing so far.....we need someone who's favorable toward us." Pastor Tom started to give a few suggestions and then mentioned the name "Ed Parcells" ---- I said, "did you say Ed Parcells?!" Yes! Now with a different phone number we called Ed. He said he has been trying to get ahold of us but had lost our e-mail address and phone number. He was glad we called because the kids that get out of the JDC are still on probation and need to go thru a 12 week program with part of the requirement being "Spiritual Development".

That's us!!! Ed said he would fully endorse our program as the spiritual development requirement. (They could go traditional, or AA....) WOW!! God works in wonderous ways. The program should start in a couple of weeks and that works for us because next week we will be gone to CEF Training in Atkinson, NE.

THANKS FOR THE PRAYERS for a place to do this Bible Study!! We know that you have been praying....because God has answered your prayers and ours!! Now keep praying that we give the right message and in an understandable manner.

If you would keep next weeks CEF Training in your prayers - that would be great. We will be a group of 10 -- 7 of us from the Lakeview area (three adults and 4 young people)and 3 from Sioux Falls. And, of course, many other young people from around Nebraska.

Also keep Prairie Light Youth Camp in your prayers. Plans are being worked on. And there are always those many little things that need to be done. We have the Bible Lessons all planned out....the activities planned.....the songs worked out......a special speaker, Frank Love.....the volunteers to help us...... So things are in pretty good shape --- it's those little things.... like remembering the easel, the paint brushes, the glue, the words for the songs, the camera, the flannel figures, the water jug.............and on and on.

THANKS ! we know you are praying!! :-) Gary and Barb