Visitors and camping......and Release Time begins.

What fun to have some of our friends from Michigan and Colorado stop in for a visit.  We had just gotten our new camper so we had plenty of beds and showers.  Jon and Sue stayed in our camper and the rest of us (Bruce and Glenda Peters and Ken and Sally Krueze) were in the house.   We needed to have some entertainment.....so our first choice was kayaking down the Niobrara.  We borrowed the 4 that we are storing in our barn and then got 2 more from a good neighbor and headed to Valentine, where we rented 2 more.  It was a short ride to our entry point but then we had to take the time to spot our vehicle.   What a beautiful day!!!  We kayaked for about 1 3/4 hour and then went on by truck to the Smith Falls.

 That water was SO cold!!!  But we all took a turn and stood directly under it.....  AH! refreshing!!

I just had to add this last picture.....it was taken at the same time ---- but half of us sure are leaning!!!!  Can't figure out how that happened - unless we had our camera sitting crooked. Maybe Gary grabbed me and we all started tumbling.... I don't know.

The following day we took a drive to Murdo, SD and went to a car museum - which had lots and lots of old antiques.  Another fun time.  Glenda has an Aunt and Uncle living in Murdo - so they went to visit them for a short time and then we had lunch.  It was another fun day.

Our friends went to church with us on Sunday - getting to meet our new Pastor -- and then had to leave.  Thank you so much for coming!!!!

The following weekend Gary and I went camping at Snake Creek Recreation Area out by Platte, SD.  Didn't take very many pictures but it was a wonderful peaceful place.  Not many campers this time of the year.   But the second weekend when we went back ...(we left our trailer parked there because we knew our roads were horrible - it had rained)......there was a Walleye Tournament --- so lots more campers with boats. 

Yes, we were right on the river -- right by the 1/2 mile long bridge.  Fishing wasn't so good.  But one fisherman came over to shore and asked if we wanted a walleye.   Gary said "yes" - so the guy gave him a nice 15 incher.  Tasted really good on the grill.

This weekend we had hopes of going out again - but we would probably have to drive out in the mud and come back in the mud.   So we have decided to see about next weekend. Rain is always a  blessing - so we aren't complaining. Everything is still so beautiful.  The prairies are our color tour and the grasses are beautiful!!!

Release Time will start tomorrow.  We are all geared up for that.  Pastor Mark and Dawn will be helping out this year.   So we will share the load.....feels good.  They will take the youngest and the oldest groups and we will take the middle one.  We will have about the same number of kids........they will have 13 and we will have 13 and possibly 14.   I feel that some of our older kids dropped out because we worked in a workbook last year....and I think it was just too much like school.  It  had really good stuff in it.....but we had a hard time keeping them focused.  Too bad.....so now we have decided to go back to story telling for all ages.......

We would appreciate your prayers for the kids and all of us leaders.  Pray that we give out the Gospel message in a clear and understandable way and that the kids can take it all in and believe it.....taking it into their hearts and making a commitment to Jesus.

Thank You
Gary and Barb

Meeting Relatives........

My plan was to update this blog with our camping news and sharing about some friends who have paid us a visit. I still hope to do that -----  But I just have to share this first - just because it's so amazing how we can meet up with some of our distant relatives in such wild ways.

Today we had the "Rosebud Worship".  This is a gathering of children......  There is a group of young people who come out from Sioux Falls....... Jerry and Robbi (PLYC Coordinator) who come also all the way from Sioux Falls and then at times others.....all to have a good time of sharing Jesus with these little kids.....also sharing a meal.   We were again asked to give the Bible lesson and lead the singing.  (Which could be another little sweet story that I might just share later in this update.) 

WELL ---- my cousin from Montana - Roz   - whose family has a Chevrolet dealership - was coming out with a retired mechanic to do some repairs on a van that they had donated.  The mechanic came along to the time of worship.  He mostly sat quietly - didn't have much to say .........but I felt the need to go and be friendly and visit a bit with him.   So I asked him if he had lived all his life in Montana.  No, he said,  we moved there in 1972 (I think I have that date right) from South Holland, Illinois.  Wow, I said,   I could go way back and say that I had relatives (actually on my dad's side) who had a little fruit stand in South Holland.  He said with a question...."Walt's fruit stand?  Walt Lagestae (probably spell it wrong).  I couldn't believe it!!!   YES -   and then he said that his grandpa was a Verduin.  WELL --- I said --- I am a Verduin and my grandma was a  Lagestae.     And so we went on to find out how we were related.  Turns out that his grandpa and my grandpa were brothers.  WOW --- can  you believe it!   Sometimes it's good to be gabby and just ask stupid questions!!!

So now for that "sweet story" about singing...........
On September 12 there was a "playground celebration"......Gary and I really weren't involved at all in the playground.   But ---- Jerry and Robbi have been working on getting a nice play area for a Native Community and this is the community where we gather the kids for the Rosebud Worship.    So we went to the  celebration ----- celebrating that - for the most part - it was completed and the kids had something nice to play on!!!!  So there were games and food and then there were prizes.  When your name was called you got to come up and pick a gift out of the appropriate "age" box.  Well, I was sitting by a little girl on the edge of a trailer.  I had asked her what her name was........ Camemela.  It was  a hard one to get right and I kept saying Camelia......NO Camemela.  I finally got it right.    Then she said "everyone here is 8 years old."  (She was watching as they went up to get their prize).  I said how old are you?    EIGHT!    OH - then I got it......her name hadn't been called yet and that "8" box seemed like it might end up empty.   But before I figured that all out....... I said.... "So you're 8 - how old do you think I am? (My birthday had just been the day before.). Probably old as dirt."  She looked up at me with a sweet little smile and said, " But you sing songs so nice."   She totally made my day!!!   Today we got to give each other a hug. 

And that friends is it for this update.  I will have to get on our "old" computer that has the pictures on it and do the camping and our friends visit update.  This new fangled computer and me haven't got each other figured out and I don't know how to get my pictures over to this blog.   Probably not the computer - but me.
Love to all,   Gary and Barb

New Camper

WOW --- we are no longer tent campers.  We have graduated from backpacking in a tent and carrying all your gear on your back ---- to camping in this.

I love it!!!!  YES --- those backpacking years were wonderful and I wouldn't trade those memories for anything!!    But this is good!!  No longer do you have to sweat to have fun.   :)  :)  This even has Air Conditioning....(when you have an electric hook-up). 

We had gone shopping a couple of different places - Mitchell and Pierre.  Nothing seemed right.  So the next stop was Rapid City.  Now this is a town with lots and lots and lots of trailers for sale.  We went to 3 different dealers and looked at ??? 8 different trailers.  Some too long -- some too pricey.......some not well taken care of .  Then we found it.  Yes --- we signed on the dotted line and gave the man a check to say we meant to come back and pick it up and pay the full price.   Then we went home ...... we couldn't stay in Rapid City long enough for THEM to go over it with a fine tooth comb (according to them)....and then have instructions on how to operate it.  So we gave them a date that would work for us to come back and pick it up.

Now --- after a week ......and all those trailers we had looked at ....... I really think they could have set anything before us ....and if it was nice and had a couple of the things we had been looking for in it....we would have said "yes" this is the one we signed up for.   To tell you the truth -- neither one of us was for sure on it.   But it's grand  -- and the "number" was the right one .....and so we are happy.

We headed for Sheridan Lake.

What a beautiful spot in the Black Hills!!  We didn't catch much for fish....just little ones.  But we had a good time touring the country side.  We also went to Hill City and Keystone..... two tourist towns.  We found some things that we want to go back to do...... a steam engine train that takes you from one town to the other - Hill City to Keystone  - a 2 hour ride.  The helicopter ride over Mt. Rushmore looks interesting -- but a little pricey.  There are a couple of other things on our "bucket list" --- but won't give them away right now.....if ever   :)   :)    Got you wondering now    :)

We rode thru the Needles Highway and stopped in at Sylvan Lake.  We would like to make it to Hearney Peak sometime ---- but didn't have the right footwear this time.  There are about 7 tunnels on this highway --- we made it thru all of them.   But we were sure glad we didn't have the trailer behind us.  That wouldn't have gotten thru some of them!

The Hills are a beautiful spot and tons of things to see and do -- so I'm thinking we will be back.
Hope you enjoy the photos!
Gary and Barb