Prayers from the teens at JDC!!!

First of all -- we should say that we started at the "Youth Ranch" this past Tuesday. We came away thinking --- "that could have been better". But it is started. We really don't know any of the 4 kids well at all.....and so the relationships need to build. Pray for that, please.

Another side note is that our move to a new place is a process....that is moving along slowly at times. We need some septic work done before we can move in, in addition to a few other repairs. Some of the workings in a Mobile home can be puzzling to say the least.....so pray that things can get figured out and then fixed properly.......

What a wonderful night at the JDC tonight.

It's been a smaller group of kids that are "incarcerated" at the JDC..... and so that really makes for closer relationships. We have been teaching the story of Jesus and, of course, that begins with his birth....so we are talking about Christmas in September. Tonight Jesus was born and the Shepherds shared the wonderful news with those around them.

We sang a bunch of songs tonight. Amazing Grace, When I am Afraid, Victory for Me, I am a C, and finally to end it all -- the Banana Song......oh yeah---we even tried "Praise Ye the Lord, Hallelujah"....need to work on that one!!! That one was done without preparation....so......

Then after our snack we said that if anyone would like to stay afterwards -- for a time of prayer or to receive Christ --- they could. One boy and 4 girls stayed. They all stayed because they had prayer requests.

"Pray for my Grandpa, my Grandma -- he's/she's having surgery, pray that my mom can complete treatment, pray that my family can stay strong and safe, pray for the family of the Officer we just lost (Officer Earl Horse Looking of the JDC passed away this week - the victim of a car accident), pray for my cousin who had a heart attack and had a procedure done and now needs to exercise, pray for the rest of the kids that didn't stay, I pray for myself that I can stay strong and complete treatment"......and on it went. Tears were shed as we ALL lifted a prayer up to God. YES --- each one of these kids prayed as we did a circle prayer.

What a joy to have witnessed this. We praise God for the awesome thing HE is doing with these young people. Keep them in your prayers please......Jeremy, Kendra, Miki, Autumn, Kathy and all the others "who didn't stay".

Thank you for your awesome support.
Gary and Barb
ps. The house is shaking from the wind outside!!!!!

One just never knows.............

This past Sunday as we visited at the JDC..... we were blessed once again in a special way. We had visited with all the kids who wanted a visitor....and it was 3:40.....still 20 minutes til 4:00 (when they usually send us out). The guard that had been attending to the cubicles seemed (to both of us --- we discussed this on the way home).....not real appreciative of us being there.....just a look in her eye. WELL, she asked other visitor (a teacher) if he would wait "right there" for a while. She then came in to our little cubicle and asked for prayers for herself. She said that she so appreciated us coming there and that as we prayed with each young person -- she prayed along with us. She has personal problems (that I won't share here but they mean that she has to move with her 2 little girls)....and just needed prayers to keep her head straight. We went home in awe of the fact that -- 1. we had so misjudged her..... 2. that God put us together at that time. Please keep this officer in your prayers......God will know what she needs and He will know who you are praying for.



Last night we were again with the JDC kids and what a blessing they are. There were only 9 --- 3 boys and 6 girls......but they are so attentive and LOVE to sing. We read a passage out of Luke --- Jesus' birth announced to Mary---- and then broke into small groups and answered questions. Gary had the 3 boys and was done way before the rest of us .........girls talk more than boys..... :-) .....so he wondered what was going on. Well my girls got to talking about how hard it is to forgive someone...... We had taken a globe along to show the kids just where all of this took place....let them know that it WAS a real place. And so it was a good night.

We just received an encouraging note from the Director of the JDC......thanking us for the impact we are having with the youth. Good things are happening there-----others are volunteering-----one man brought in 4 horses for the young people to ride and he also gave them God's Gospel message.....another gal is interested in helping out with their Library. We do feel that this is the place where we are to be. We see God at work. I did a Bible Study one time ...?Blackabee...?? And he said something like...."if you see God at work....go there. That's your invitation to work alongside Him".

We do have a big prayer request. We are in the process of moving to a different place. We are struggling with it, but as Gary says "we will make it." However, we would appreciate your prayers concerning it.

Thank you -- without your prayers where would we be!?!?!?!
Gary and Barb

Fish bait........and more.

Gary went fishing yesterday and came home with his limit of bass and 2 real nice perch. Below is his live bait....YES! live bait. These were the favorite bait of the day. He caught this grasshopper out there in the field and this rascal was still alive when he got home. As you can see the thing is HUGE !!

Meanwhile back at home.....I "enjoyed" a day of canning. Actually if I hadn't forgotten an important part of my pressure cooker --- the "jiggler" (those of you who use a pressure cooker will know what I mean by that term).....the day would have been totally enjoyable for me too. But it was rather stressful until I found a dear neighbor lady who had one that I could borrow.

So we now have carrots, and salsa and some stewed tomatoes to enjoy this winter. I really love seeing those jars lined up on the shelf downstairs.

Hope you too are enjoying the fall type weather.

On another note......There is a gal by the name of Victoria that we grew to care about very much in the Detention Center. Upon release we would hear from her via email once in a while and we stopped in at her home once or twice. Her little niece is in our Release Time at Lakeview. Well, Tuesday at R.T. Gayle said "Vicky went to school in Oregon". We were pretty sure that Gayle was wrong and that Vicky had really gone to an Indian School in Oklahoma (that had been in the plan for a while). However, after several phone calls we located Victoria in Salem, Oregon at an Indian School there. So we can now keep in touch with here there. GOD IS GOOD!!!

With love, Gary and Barb

To Michigan for a "Reunion" and then back.........

We had a grand time visiting with all of our family in Michigan the past 2 weeks. It was great to see the grandkids and our own kids!!! We got to help Marti and Tim with their home renovations....Gary got to help Mike with some baby chicks..... We spent one week at Mike and Julies and one week at Holly and Dennis........ We also got to visit with lots of our friends and do some fun stuff! The time went way - WAY - too fast!!

And now we are back in South Dakota and back into the swing of things. We visited with the JDC group and then the Lakeview CRC had a worship service there this evening. Pastor Tom always does a great job of relating the message to the kids and their culture! They are very attentive to him and respectful! We had four boys (young men) stay ---- not really to pray to receive Christ ---- but rather for prayers for themselves. One of them will be leaving the juvenile facility for the "big jail" this evening at midnight because he turns 18 tomorrow. We really had a nice talk with these four. It's neat to have more then one at a time because they can see that they really aren't alone and have others that WON'T be mocking them.....(sometimes you can see as they look around the group that they are wondering if anyone is looking at them as they sing or as they act interested).

And now we want to share some photos of what our garden looked like upon returning....it was NOT a pretty picture!! We thought the grasshoppers were bad last year --- but this makes last year look like nothing!!!

This is our rhubarb plant -- when we left there were leaves!!! They might have been rather "holely" but you COULD definitely see the leaves.....

That little green row of "plants" ---- that would be our carrots.....nice and full like carrots should be when we left. We will be digging them up and taking whatever we get. But we are thinking these will be OK.

Now this would be a good "what is it?" question. Luckily we got most of the ears of corn out before we left and then Marvanne (cousins wife) came and got the rest. But as you can see.....nothing but sticks left!!!

The grasshoppers got into the tomatoes too but they don't look to bad. And they must not like green pepppers at all.... Our squash (butternut) are rather naked too -- but I think they will be good eating anyway.

And that's how it is on the prairies. As my Aunt Melva would say "it's a harsh country". We're beginning to see what she means.

We love all of you!!! Gary and Barb

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