So very neighborly.........

I just wanted to share this "precious" neighborly moment that I had last night. The phone rang and I answered it... "Pauline??" ---- "No, this is Barb - I think you have the wrong number". She told me who she was trying to reach...."I wanted to see if she could use some pickles."....."Do you have a garden?" She asked me. Now this person - whom I could tell was elderly --- did NOT know who I was at all!!! "Well, yes" I said "We do have a garden but we didn't plant any pickles." So she asked me "would you like some?"

Now you tell me........is this neighborly or what?!?!?!? I'm sure she knew she had called a local number and so it must certainly be someone nearby. And so she told me where she lived....and I know just where that is......so I will be going over there to meet a new "neighbor" and get to share some of her produce!!!

YUP!!! Life is like that out here on the prairies!! :-) The place is chock full of good people!!!

I'm thinking I should be more neighborly!!!!! You too?????

With love for all of you!!!! Barb

Lots of encouragement......

We have some really good things to share with you......

Tyler Left Hand Bull will be making profession of his faith in Lakeview Church on August 23....that's next Sunday. It's just so awesome to see God at work!! Tyler indicated at camp this summer that he wanted to ask Christ into his heart. We remembered that he had done so last year....... So we talked with him about the fact that he was doing the "g r o w" Go to church and Sunday School.....Read your Bible......Obey was the Bible says......Witness So we said maybe making profession of faith is the next step for you. This has been a wonderful community affair....so many people working with Tyler and encouraging him in his walk with God. Please keep Tyler in your prayers.....and his family. They will be bringing him to church next Sunday and this will be the first time for them in our church.

Also ---- we have started up again at the Alcohol Treatment Center in Rosebud....with teens. When we arrived this past Tuesday evening we were given a wonderful reception. We knew all of the kids from being in the JDC previously. It was so much fun to see them again. They were eager to sing too.....we really made a joyful noise!!!! There was a sign on one of the doors "please be quiet - class in session"...... I'm afraid we were NOT very quiet!!!

And then ------ this past Thursday at the JDC we had 3 boys pray with us to receive Christ. Riley, Thomas, and Jeremy. Then on Sunday we found out that Riley has a little one year old daughter. In fact, we got to see little LaShay --- she was there with her Gramma and Auntie. However, she didn't get to go in to see her daddy --- there needs to be special permission for a little one like that. PLEASE pray for his very young father!! He told us that he wants to take her to Sunday School. And we will be giving him a Toddler's Story Bible - just for her!

And then on another note.......just at the right time we received an email of encouragement from one of the directors of the Treatment Center. God knows what we need !!!!!

Thank you for your continued support!!
Gary and Barb

Canoeing at Merritt Dam..........

On Monday we took 6 kids along for a canoe adventure to Merritt Dam......the same place that we went for our "get-away".......Hillary, Dakota, Ethan, Robert, Shylo and Jon----- the first 3 listed are from our Lakeview Church (and kids that have been in our PLYC at some point in time) and the last 3 are Native kids (that have also been in camp). We had a grand time and we think the kids did too :-) !!

We picked everyone up between 9:30 and 11:00 and headed out to Merritt with 4 canoes on a trailer. We picked a camping spot in the same campground that we stayed in the 1st time....but this time there was a beautiful sandy beach, which meant they have been letting water out of the dam for irrigation purposes.

Gary gave some canoe instructions ---- different paddling techniques, parts of the canoe and so on. Some listened -- some were indifferent.....

When we got to driving out to our "put in" spot some of the kids got a little nervous ----- "how far are we going?!?!?!" As it turned out we didn't go far enough for Gary but just right for some of the group. For the most part the canoeing went pretty good.....a couple of boys did have their trials......round and round in circles---zigzaging across the lake....couldn't make that dumb canoe go straight for nothin'.!!!! Finally Gary got in the front of the canoe with one of them and gave instructions. There WAS improvement. Then the other boy got his turn for instructions...... The comment was "it's not as easy as it looks!"

It was a BEAUTIFUL day and we had plenty of time to pull off on the beaches and swim and cool off.


At the end of the day there was fun to be had just playing in the sand and in the water with the canoes. It was really neat to watch the kids play.....especially Robert -- who got buried in the sand with GiJoe taking him down......

We had a thunderstorm that evening......but in between rain showers we were able to have s'mores around the campfire..... And then every one was tired from a big day in the sun and water.

We woke up to a cloudy day --- but had an awesome Dutch Oven Hungry Man Breakfast - that got devoured along with bread and jam and juice. Then pack up the tents and head back home.

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On a different note........ My cousin Dwight and his wife Marvanne and son Rob left for a vacation with family in Montana and left us with ranch duties. We have been VERY busy.......but enjoying it very much. And now my sister Linda and her husband Dave are out here for a few days and so we have some company to enjoy and entertain. Life is good!!!!

God Bless!!

Gary and Barb