We had a wonderful day again yesterday at the Juvenile Detention Center. We had a new set of guards and so once again things were done differently. We were ushered to our "purple meeting room". And met one on one with one gal.... Pray for her! She also has been raised in the traditional Lakota way and enjoys the "ceremonies. Not the Pow Wows but "ceremonies" where we pray". So you can about imagine how we struggled with that one. We didn't want to make her pull away from us so we went very carefully. She was one of the first who prayed to receive Christ. So as you can see there is a conflict going on there.
I have decided that I will not put the kids names in here anymore.... We want to protect them too..... God knows who you are praying for.
But then we also had a group of 4 girls come in and there was a totally new face in the group. We visited with them --- just small talk :-) -- and then we shared a scripture verse and prayed with them. When we got done praying --- the new gal had tears in her eyes. I asked if she was OK.....and she shared some things about visiting her mom (or could it have been NOT visiting--- I couldn't get everything she said). But she really started crying....but "was so glad we had come". She hugged us when they left...and we told her we hoped to see her that evening for church (she hugged us after church too).
Church went very well. We were only the 6 of us, and about 8 of the boys were busy making drums so they weren't there but we had a room full!!! We sang some songs (Pastor Tom had his "bongo" drum along which the kids really enjoyed), Pastor gave a short (but good) message, his wife read a poem and then we had refreshments. The kids seemed to enjoy it all.
New PRAISE GOD!!! We will be going to the Rosebud Treatment Center (alcohol and drug abuse). Several of the kids we have been meeting with at JDC will be going there the 15th and we wanted to stay in contact with them.....Talked with the JDC director --- he contacted the director at the treatment center ----- he talked with us ---- and so God has opened another door for us. If we feel that we want to we can even go when they have adults. The treatment goes for 45 days.....with youth and adults alternating. Please keep this new ministry in your prayers!!!!
And then for today. My two cousins, Dwight and LeRoy Logterman are having a big bull sale on Wednesday. 55 black angus bulls (one year olds) and 40 hereford bulls (two year olds). Today the bulls had to all be loaded into 2 semis......and wouldn't you know it.....it has been raining since 4 a.m. (or there abouts). But God is concerned even about that and the semis have made it to the paved road --- through about 3 miles of mud!!! So once again we say THANK YOU LORD!!!! I haven't heard the full story of how the loading went but there were stories of other years in the past...... looks to me like this year was a much better loading process.
Tomorrow is Release Time with the two older groups. We are telling the story of God asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Gary and I said to each other that this seemed to be a hard story.....but we heard it when we were little and so we felt these kids could hear it too.
It was so nice to talk with 2 families from ORC yesterday. We love all of you! Thank you so much for such awesome support!!!
Gary and Barb
Monday, February 9, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
FAVORITE
Our blogspot seemed rather blah!!!! so I thought I would share one of my favorite sunrises..... I am making a collection of sunrise and sunset photos.......:-) ENJOY!! Barb
p.s. feel free to save this to your own computer :-)
God is GOOD----all the time!!!
Well, when we need to be "disciplined" in any way --- it is for our good. Could it be that God wanted to get through to us that we really need to make prayer a bigger part of our lives??? YES!!!!
PLEASE LORD DON'T LET US FORGET THAT!!!!
This past Tuesday we had the 5-6th graders for the first hour. They are SO special!!! So sincere and attentive and open! We asked if anyone had any prayer requests. This was the first time we had decided to do that.....why did we wait so long.....????? Well, these little kids could put a lot of us to shame! "we need to pray for our enemies, pray for forgiveness, pray for Iraq, pray for my dad he is sick, pray for my brother."....and on and on they went. They are such a blessing. And their singing continues to bless us too.
I don't want to say a negative thing about the 7-8th graders.....let's just say that they are at that age where peer pressure starts to grab hold of them big time. However, they are still a neat bunch of kids. But --- dum-it-all ---- they are just too concerned about their appearance right now........
On Thursday evening we again went to the JDC (Juvenile Detention Center). We used a book entitled The Book of Hope. It is put out by the Native American Fellowship and really speaks to the kids in their own type of "language". It has some hard to hear stories --- but with good endings. People who have gone "down the wrong trail" of drugs, alcohol, anger, rebellion and so on....and how their lives were changed when they found Christ. The kids were really attentive. Some had seen and read this book before but it is always good to hear such things again. And PRAISE GOD ---- we had Dusti stay to pray to receive Christ. She said she "had done this 3 times before" but never prayed the prayer. So please keep Dusti in your prayers!
Today we went to the JDC to visit with some of the kids. WOW were we blessed!!! Kayla (not her real name) was ushered in to our little cubicle and we visited with her.....just casual conversation. When she left she handed us a letter...here is a quote: Thank you for the Bible, the talking cause I need it...............If i'm at boarding school then I will write to you guys cause I didn't have no one like this talk to me before, and no one this close to me, but my uncle and he's in prison, but I better go now cause I have to go to bed, but write to me here.
This is a young gal that we really never felt like we had touched in any special way. But you really never know how God is using you, or your words, or actions. She won't be able to come to our Thursday evening meeting because she is in Max - due to a cut on her arm....... And so please pray for her also....We didn't put in her real name - but God knows who you are praying about.!!
We are totally in awe when these kind of things happen. It gives us an assurance that we are where we are supposed to be.
Please never stop praying for us and for the kids!!!
Gary and Barb
PLEASE LORD DON'T LET US FORGET THAT!!!!
This past Tuesday we had the 5-6th graders for the first hour. They are SO special!!! So sincere and attentive and open! We asked if anyone had any prayer requests. This was the first time we had decided to do that.....why did we wait so long.....????? Well, these little kids could put a lot of us to shame! "we need to pray for our enemies, pray for forgiveness, pray for Iraq, pray for my dad he is sick, pray for my brother."....and on and on they went. They are such a blessing. And their singing continues to bless us too.
I don't want to say a negative thing about the 7-8th graders.....let's just say that they are at that age where peer pressure starts to grab hold of them big time. However, they are still a neat bunch of kids. But --- dum-it-all ---- they are just too concerned about their appearance right now........
On Thursday evening we again went to the JDC (Juvenile Detention Center). We used a book entitled The Book of Hope. It is put out by the Native American Fellowship and really speaks to the kids in their own type of "language". It has some hard to hear stories --- but with good endings. People who have gone "down the wrong trail" of drugs, alcohol, anger, rebellion and so on....and how their lives were changed when they found Christ. The kids were really attentive. Some had seen and read this book before but it is always good to hear such things again. And PRAISE GOD ---- we had Dusti stay to pray to receive Christ. She said she "had done this 3 times before" but never prayed the prayer. So please keep Dusti in your prayers!
Today we went to the JDC to visit with some of the kids. WOW were we blessed!!! Kayla (not her real name) was ushered in to our little cubicle and we visited with her.....just casual conversation. When she left she handed us a letter...here is a quote: Thank you for the Bible, the talking cause I need it...............If i'm at boarding school then I will write to you guys cause I didn't have no one like this talk to me before, and no one this close to me, but my uncle and he's in prison, but I better go now cause I have to go to bed, but write to me here.
This is a young gal that we really never felt like we had touched in any special way. But you really never know how God is using you, or your words, or actions. She won't be able to come to our Thursday evening meeting because she is in Max - due to a cut on her arm....... And so please pray for her also....We didn't put in her real name - but God knows who you are praying about.!!
We are totally in awe when these kind of things happen. It gives us an assurance that we are where we are supposed to be.
Please never stop praying for us and for the kids!!!
Gary and Barb
Friday, January 23, 2009
Sometimes when.......
Well, I'm afraid that the devil is hard at work on me...... When things don't go real good --- I begin to wonder ....... "what in the world made me think I could do this?!?!?"
The little kindergardeners were a real handful this past Tuesday. One little gal kept messing with her friends long black braids. She just wouldn't leave them alone even when I got after her. I was sitting behind both of them and it really bothered me. By the time the Bible Lesson was half over she had both of the braids undone.....and the owner of the braids was upset too. Now she was whispering to me to re-braid them.
I always knew that when it came to discipline ---- I was lacking. Is that a skill that they teach you in college when you go for elementary teaching??? I've seen teachers with complete control. If you are one of them---- I ENVY YOU!!! If you have any tips I could sure use a few!!
But then as we went over some review questions------ some of the kids had been listening closely. So I guess that makes it all worth while.
Thursday night at the JDC went well again. Several of the ones we have been working with are gone now. But then some others are back. We found out that if they go out for treatment and don't do well---- they come back. And that is the case with a couple of the girls.
One of the guards talked a little with us. He seemed amazed that we came every Thursday evening, and asked what we did. I guess you never know who we could be reaching. The one strange thing is that we no longer have a guard sit in with us, and Director Petite says they are supposed to. But he also told us that some of them don't want to. Could it be that they hear something
....... and then don't want to hear any more??? Perhaps they don't want to change their ways......or admit that they are sinners?? Some of the kids sit with their shirt pulled up around their mouth. We haven't figured that out......
We just want you to know that we cherish your prayers. And if you have any specific questions - please ask!!
Gary and Barb
The little kindergardeners were a real handful this past Tuesday. One little gal kept messing with her friends long black braids. She just wouldn't leave them alone even when I got after her. I was sitting behind both of them and it really bothered me. By the time the Bible Lesson was half over she had both of the braids undone.....and the owner of the braids was upset too. Now she was whispering to me to re-braid them.
I always knew that when it came to discipline ---- I was lacking. Is that a skill that they teach you in college when you go for elementary teaching??? I've seen teachers with complete control. If you are one of them---- I ENVY YOU!!! If you have any tips I could sure use a few!!
But then as we went over some review questions------ some of the kids had been listening closely. So I guess that makes it all worth while.
Thursday night at the JDC went well again. Several of the ones we have been working with are gone now. But then some others are back. We found out that if they go out for treatment and don't do well---- they come back. And that is the case with a couple of the girls.
One of the guards talked a little with us. He seemed amazed that we came every Thursday evening, and asked what we did. I guess you never know who we could be reaching. The one strange thing is that we no longer have a guard sit in with us, and Director Petite says they are supposed to. But he also told us that some of them don't want to. Could it be that they hear something
....... and then don't want to hear any more??? Perhaps they don't want to change their ways......or admit that they are sinners?? Some of the kids sit with their shirt pulled up around their mouth. We haven't figured that out......
We just want you to know that we cherish your prayers. And if you have any specific questions - please ask!!
Gary and Barb
Monday, January 19, 2009
Sometimes a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Reason to once again Praise God!!
Robert has been with us at the JDC since the very first time we went. And he was also one of the first to pray to receive Christ as his Savior. We have also gotten to meet with Robert quite often on Sunday afternoons. Last Sunday we offered Crossroads Bible Institutes Bible Study to him and one other young man. On Thursday I asked if they had filled out the enrollment form. Nope -- neither one had but Jericho (:-) Yes, he knows the story of the city of Jericho)told us "to keep bugg'n us". Today upon arrival we were told that Jericho had left the JDC. So enrolling will be totally up to him - he is on his own. (Please pray for the Holy Spirit to work on his heart that he will send this enrollment in.) But Robert came with his enrollment all filled out. PRAISE THE LORD!! It just so happened that we have some of the CBI lessons with us and were able to show them exactly what they would be getting into. I will be mailing this out for him on Tuesday.......as they have no access to stamps at the JDC.
Please pray for Robert and this new adventure he is willing to take upon himself. Pray that he will be true to this commitment. CBI is not real hard material but it is a time commitment on their part!! Once he leaves the JDC it might become even harder for him to continue......as he will get back into the same environment that he was in before JDC. He told us that when he was younger he did go to Sunday School...and this lady who was his SS teacher is still in the neighborhood but very elderly. We do have his address and phone number so will be able to get in touch with him.
Three of the girls did not want to visit with us. But we have not let this bother us. Perhaps we have struck a hard spot for them to face..... We did the 10 Commandments last Thursday......
Thank you for the prayers you have been lifting up for these special young people. They are becoming very dear to us.
Gary and Barb
Please pray for Robert and this new adventure he is willing to take upon himself. Pray that he will be true to this commitment. CBI is not real hard material but it is a time commitment on their part!! Once he leaves the JDC it might become even harder for him to continue......as he will get back into the same environment that he was in before JDC. He told us that when he was younger he did go to Sunday School...and this lady who was his SS teacher is still in the neighborhood but very elderly. We do have his address and phone number so will be able to get in touch with him.
Three of the girls did not want to visit with us. But we have not let this bother us. Perhaps we have struck a hard spot for them to face..... We did the 10 Commandments last Thursday......
Thank you for the prayers you have been lifting up for these special young people. They are becoming very dear to us.
Gary and Barb
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Last Sunday and this Thursday.........
Things go wrong when you don't take the time to pray!!! We got in a rush this past Sunday..... kind of late getting to church in the morning. ......rushed to get to the JDC in the afternoon -- arriving there later than we wanted...... And so we didn't take time to pray....NOT GOOD!!! The guard wasn't real agreeable. He felt that we hadn't had a proper background check and so we couldn't be "left alone with the kids". That meant that we had to go to the visitation cubicles........ and wouldn't you know it....the parking lot was full. For a change there were quite a few parents visiting their kids (which is good!) But that also meant that if the 4 cubicles were full --- we were out. And so what with arriving late.....several parents there...... we only got to see 3 kids. The girls were not able to visit anyway....they had been fighting amongst themselves so they had their privileges taken away..... But if things had gone different we could have seen about 4 more young people......but at 3:50 we were escorted out.
We aren't worried about this -- that things will change for us there. It just kind of hit us that the week before we HAD prayed upon arrival at the JDC and God really made things go so wonderfully......now in our hurry up -- we messed up.
Prayer is so very important!!! We know that --- then why do we fail to use it properly??? Forgive us Lord!
Our church in Lakeview is looking in to going to the JDC for a church service one Sunday evening out of the month. We are trying to help make those arrangements with the Director.
Yesterday we had the 5th - 8th graders at Release Time. The lesson was on Noah. Their Bible verse was Genesis 6:22....Noah did everything just as God commanded him. All of the kids have prayed to receive Christ into their hearts and so we also looked up some verses in the Bible...."are these verses a Promise - to believe, a Danger - to avoid, or something God wants us to DO.
Hopefully, by getting them "into" the Bible they will become more interested in picking it up more often and reading it.
The weather report for the next two days is COLD. Right now it's noon and only 5 degrees....the sun is peeking through the clouds at times.....and the wind hasn't gotten up to any real speed.... By Friday they are saying we will be up to 50 degrees...... So if you don't like the weather right now....just wait a while and it might just improve..... But then.....the roads will thaw and things will turn to MUD. Always something to keep things interesting!!!
Thanks so much for your interest, support and prayers!!!! God Bless!
Gary and Barb
We aren't worried about this -- that things will change for us there. It just kind of hit us that the week before we HAD prayed upon arrival at the JDC and God really made things go so wonderfully......now in our hurry up -- we messed up.
Prayer is so very important!!! We know that --- then why do we fail to use it properly??? Forgive us Lord!
Our church in Lakeview is looking in to going to the JDC for a church service one Sunday evening out of the month. We are trying to help make those arrangements with the Director.
Yesterday we had the 5th - 8th graders at Release Time. The lesson was on Noah. Their Bible verse was Genesis 6:22....Noah did everything just as God commanded him. All of the kids have prayed to receive Christ into their hearts and so we also looked up some verses in the Bible...."are these verses a Promise - to believe, a Danger - to avoid, or something God wants us to DO.
Hopefully, by getting them "into" the Bible they will become more interested in picking it up more often and reading it.
The weather report for the next two days is COLD. Right now it's noon and only 5 degrees....the sun is peeking through the clouds at times.....and the wind hasn't gotten up to any real speed.... By Friday they are saying we will be up to 50 degrees...... So if you don't like the weather right now....just wait a while and it might just improve..... But then.....the roads will thaw and things will turn to MUD. Always something to keep things interesting!!!
Thanks so much for your interest, support and prayers!!!! God Bless!
Gary and Barb
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