Some photos of camp..........

Started on Monday with the A-frames.















Gary doing his lesson on the "Gold Page".














The teams boards aren't as easy as they look.














We stayed busy several mornings drying the tables so that kids and adults could eat around them.














Sue helped Aleese make a "Witness"bracelet".














The kids made a "Jesus loves me" plaque.














Yes - everyone got to know our lovely roads.














Our wonderful cooks made good meals for us!














Basketball is a favorite - especially of the older kids.














Our group gathered in the Pastors garage for singing and Bible Lesson.














Glenda and Barb led the singing and the kids did great singing along.














The rocket launchers were fun and everyone got pretty wet. Seemed that the wind was against the launches .....not too many made it into the target.














Looks like the after burn.........














Teams of 3 kids - Load Master, Gunner, Range Master......














AND THEN a free for all water fight. It got pretty intense!!!!














YES INTENSE!!!!! Some weren't even allowed into school until they dried off..... but it was all good fun!!!

Hope you enjoy our photos......
Thanks again for the prayers.

Gary and Barb and the Wonderful Crew!!!

PRAISES-PRAISES-PRAISES

We can't praise God enough....angels are rejoicing in heaven!!! We went to JDC (Juvenile Detention Center) last night. Gary gave the "Wordless Book" lesson on the Gold Page......heaven and what IS in heaven and what IS NOT....and also included an invitation. We told the boys that if they wanted to receive Christ as their Savior to write it on their prayer request sheet and we would see them yet that night. FIVE boys wrote it down. And the one boys request almost took my breath away. Mike has been in the JDC for "forever" it seems and at first he wouldn't even take a prayer request sheet. We have been visiting with him on Sunday afternoons off and on......it is SO AWESOME to see God at work.

Please Please Please pray for these young men and also one girl......a couple of them just needed reassurance of their salvation (they have prayed with us before)..... Luther, Adam, Jesse, Jacob, Mike, and Serena. When they leave the JDC - they go out to that horrible environment that they call home. It is VERY difficult for these young people. But we know that God has a plan!

Today will be our last day for camp.....we are taking all the kids swimming at the Valentine pool.

Bruce and Glenda will leave for Michigan this afternoon after camp and Sue will leave us Saturday morning. We will leave for Michigan on Sunday afternoon with Trenton and Austin. We appreciate all your prayers.....we feel them!!!!

Gary and Barb and :) crew

MOVIE was good and one commitment

As I said in the last post --- we have had to change our plans everyday but the first. Today was wet and drizzly most of the day.....but it really didn't dampen any of the plans for camp.

Today was the day for Bruce to give the lesson on the "Wordless Book" - Red Page. He gave an invitation and one gal raised her hand. We said we would meet with her after the movie.

The movie was "Cutback"......and I think we would all recommend it for any young people to watch. The kids were great! I know full well that they watch a lot of TV or movies so it was nothing special to "get to watch a movie". Because of the rain (or other years - the heat)....we had asked Pastor Steve and his wife Lynn if they would be willing to share their home with us for the movie time. So we all of gathered into their living room - after shedding our shoes. The kids were really good --- watched the movie very attentively!!! And so we really felt good - they had once again received God's good news and in a fun (and sad) way. (the movie is a tear jerker for us oldies).

We then met with Christen - for her to pray to receive Christ. She told us that she had already done it before in another church --- but wanted to get "on the right path" again. She's a sweet gal and she quite a few tears. We would ask you to keep Christen in your prayers. We know Satan has it in mind to trouble her - just as he does all of us.

Tomorrow is reportedly going to be 95 degrees --- so we are looking forward to launching our water rockets. It will be a good day to get wet!!!

Bruce and Glenda and Sue headed into Valentine and the rest of us are here at the trailer having a cold pop! Trenton and Austin play basketball for a couple of hours every afternoon. We are really enjoying our time with our 2 grandsons!! and we are pretty sure they are enjoying their time with us :)

We so appreciate your prayers. Camp seems to be going well for everyone!

Gary, Barb, Bruce, Glenda, Sue, and Trenton and Austin

WET week but God's word still goes out!!

Well ---- I just had a bunch of pictures on the blog --- but hit a wrong button and ---- all messed up. So because I am running out of time - I will update and then when the week is done and we (hopefully) have more time --- will get some photos on for your enjoyment.

We had a very good day on Monday. We are a limited number of buses available this year and so we could only gather around 60 young people. We have the buses FULL!!! Our group numbers 14 --- NICE kids. Our plan for the day was the A-frame. Our group of 7-8th graders had a time of practice and racing --- we had a winning team.......and then we handed the frames over to the 5-6th graders for a time of practice -- then came the Big Race. Sorrowfully :) the 7-8th graders lost to the younger group. But they all did an awesome job with the ropes and everyone had a great time.

Tuesday was WET!!! Rained all night long.....the roads were a mess and on top of that --- we were without electricity right up until 9:30 that morning. However, camp had power (the church and the Community Center).....and so we headed out to see what had to be done. We are eating outside (was that a good plan or not ??!!??) and so we tipped all the chairs against the talbes and dried everything off.....then moved them out from under the trees that were still busy "raining" on us. It also involved a change of plans for us.....we had planned to set off Rockets that gets everyone nice and wet. It was already wet out and rather chilly.....so - we did Wed. plans on Tues. It all worked out fine.

Now as I type this on Wed. morning.....it is raining AGAIN - AUGH!!!! - and of course it is chilly. SSSSSSSSssoooooo we will do Thurs. plan on Wed...... ???? is my brain still working???? !!!!

Everyone -- Bruce and Glenda and Sue ---are really doing grand with all of this and things are really going well. We are having a great time fellowshipping with each other and reminiscing of days past.

It is now time to get headed out.....so better sign off.....

Keep the prayers coming!!!!
Thank You!!!

Gary and Barb, Bruce and Glenda, Sue and Trenton and Austin

Minnesota Boundary Water Trip

We picked up Trenton and Austin in Madison, Wi on Sunday (June 26) at 12:00 noon and headed out for our 8 +- hour trip up to Ely, Mn. We arrived in the rain at about 7:00. Seeing as how it was raining --- we didn't want to set up our tents and have everything wet before we ever started -- so we found a motel. We got all set up with the Outfitter and then went to the Pizza Hut for supper.
In the morning ---- rain.....so we went for breakfast and then took off for the Lake One Access point. Grandpa and Austin in one canoe and Grandma and Trenton in the other. We did an "oops" right off the bat. Instead of making
real sure on our Portage --- we just went to the one where there was another group. They had probably gone the wrong way too. Anyway, we got into the canoes after our portage and took off. Nothing looked right --- what is this island doing here...... That's when we realized we had gone the wrong way. So --- back to the portage - everything out of the canoes once again ......... then back into the canoes.....over to the correct portage --- everything out of the canoes......do the portage....everything back into the canoes.... and so you get the picture. We made a total of 16 short portages.....and we did like the "short" part of them!!
The scenery was grand..... this duck was a very
busy mama - 16 baby ducks!! It was the sweetest thing to see. Those little guys can really scoot along.....and some - when they get tired - climb on board for a ride. We saw lots of turtles sunning on the rocks and pretty sure we saw a beaver in the distance - but didn't pursue it.

The boys lost their first fish to a snapping turtle. They had put the pike on a stringer and tied it to a tree and tossed it in the water.....next morning there was nothing on the stringer. That evening when they had two more bass to keep for a meal they went again to put it in the water and saw the snapper. We now knew where the pike had
disappeared to.

This morning the lake was like a mirror and we decided to take a long day trip to a little lake that looked very deep and hopefully full of fish. However, even though the trip was great -- and the boys did a great job of canoeing with each other.....the fish didn't want to bite. We could see that there had been a Mayfly hatch...so the fish weren't interested in anything. Trenton did manage to hook onto a 32" Northern Pike. He was a pretty tasty meal that evening.




We all learned how to get in and out of the canoes in safe fashion......only once the whole trip did anyone get wet and that was right by camp as the boys were trying to get out. Trenton wasn't too happy getting wet --- but when no gear is lost and nothing nasty happens --- you have to just figure - oh well!







We had lots of fun ---- goofing off on this rock ......making dessert and cooling it in the bottom of the lake....making chili in the rain ....making bread around the campfire.....watching the boys eat whatever was put in front of them...
eating GORP on a rock in a pretty little bay....and
so much more. The trip was a memory maker!





































But all things come to an end and this was our ending spot. Thursday came way too fast. Grandpa is already thinking - next year. We keep getting older - so it's do it while we can or pretty soon - we can't. Hate to think of that day.
It's wonderful to be out in God's beautiful creation and we thank Him for keeping us all safe and sound. We thank Him too for the physical health and strength to do these things.

We had people tell us that they had prayed for us and we say THANK YOU!

We came back to South Dakota with the boys and they will stay with us until after PLYC and then we will take them back to their family. Our garden looked just as bad or worse --- there was a real bad storm on June 30 with lots of rain and wind. We have to take the weather as it comes...might not be happy about it - but nothing we can do about it.

It was good to get back to the Detention Center and had a real nice visit with two of the boys on Sunday. We asked Mike D.S. "what do you think of all the things we tell you about Jesus"? - his comment was "good stuff"..... "do you believe it?" "yes". We could then go on to talk about hanging on to that faith and asking God to help when those temptations come.

We now have to finalize everything for Prairie Light Youth Camp. Lots of last minute little things to be done. Pray that we keep our focus on what has to be done.

Gary and Barb