Time for somemore pictures and news....

Here is my 1st Raggedy Andy. Marti was a Raggedy Ann LOVER!!! She must have gone through at least 4 dolls in her toddler years. So it was a "must" that little Oliver get a Raggedy Andy. It was a lot of fun finding a pattern just like I had years ago.....they don't make them anymore. I went to e-bay and found the exact same one.....it cost me - but it was worth it!!
Blaze and Buck.....We have Dwight's horses at our place now. "You can ride them whenever you want." Well it's been too cold to climb on a horse. Mostly it's the wind. But we do enjoy having them around. Dwight put the bale right in view from my kitchen window --- so we always know if they are munching on the hay. Gary told me it was my job to check on their water ---- to make sure the waterer hasn't frozen.....so I try to do that each day.
Some of the local men say there are possibly 800 deer in the area. Gary had just gone "viewing" with Don ....and supper wasn't ready....so we went back so that I could see the deer. They had been spooked already.....but we got to see a good portion of them. This picture is of just a small number of them. So cool!!!!
We had plans to head out to the Rapid City Stock Show on Monday morning. But it was NASTY out at 7:00 a.m (-11 degrees)........so we delayed. Finally at 10:00 Gary said - "let's go." This picture in the Badlands was on Tuesday morning as we were heading back home. The roads were rather slippery on Monday but on the way home they were OK. The Badlands were pretty - shining in the sun with a covering of snow.
We planned on going to the Sheepdog Trials ----(got free tickets from the hotel - THANKS!) and the show was GREAT!!! Those dogs are so awesome!! We've had 3 ourselves so we've had some experience with their minds. God really gave them amazing instincts!!! We watched the first 20 contestants and then the 10 finalists. We also had fun watching the Mutton Busters. I tried to upload a movie of one little guy hanging on for dear life....but it didn't work.

Today is a beautiful sunny day but VERY cold out there. No school today because of the cold --- so no Release Time. That was a disappointment!!! Gary is helping Dwight today and I have decided to go get a Perm in Valentine. So Gary is thinking "bad hair day"..... I'll have my cap on when he gets home :) :) :)

Our visits at the Detention Center continue. We really enjoy the kids there. We don't always see that many "fruits" from our labors - but we know that God is in control and we just need to remain faithful "tellers" of the Good News. As attentive as the young people are.....it's a joy!!!

The Logterman Family Hereford and Angus Production Sale will be on February 14 -- that will be a BIG day....and an important day for Dwight and Duke. They are selling 65 Two year old Hereford Bulls and 50 Yearling and 2 year old Angus Bulls. We will be spending the afternoon in the sale barn with them.

Hope your winter is treating you good.....ours has been mild so we aren't complaining!!! Looking at garden seeds.....the time WILL come!

God Bless each and every one of you!!! Gary and Barb

A Blessing!!

After this past Sunday's visit with JDC kids.....we want to share this blessing with you.

After visiting with each young person (one on one) we always ask "how can we pray for you?" This past Sunday we asked Everett that question. His answer was "well I was wondering if I could pray with you?" -- "Absolutely!" He prayed a wonderful prayer to "Our Heavenly Father..."

Afterwords, he said -- "That felt good --- I haven't prayed with others for about 4 months now".
We know that Everett has a church background.....His great grandmother was a pastor in a local church ----she passed away this year and she is missed a lot.

Please pray for this young man. He has a lot going for him....but he is on the reservation ---- that is a LOT going against him!!!!

THANK YOU!!!

Release Time is going great. The kids have really been attentive and yesterday it had been 3 weeks since the last lesson and they remembered the whole story.....how God helped the widow lady whose husband had died and now she was left with a demanding creditor. Do YOU remember the story about the jars of oil ?????? Look it up in 2 Kings 4.......

On another note.....the winter remains quite mild. We have snow and now the weather is warming up this week.....so that means MUD! We can do without that!!!

Gary stays busy helping cousin Dwight feed cattle and he enjoys that. He also gets in on the repairs..... needed too often I'm afraid. I was even "needed" the other day getting the bulls prepared for the sale in February. I did the secretary work----taking down weights and measurements. I guess you could say it was a "dirty job"...(where is Mike Rowe when you need him?!?!) ......you say "how could secretary work be dirty????.....you'll have to ask!

Have a wonderful day!!!
Gary and Barb

Pictures at last !!!

I am NOT a computer whiz so we are starting out with Oliver (Oliver Allen Sparling) at home in his cradle...... that was made by Grandpa Peters (Gary) and used by all of the grandchildren.
Gramma didn't seem to have the touch to keep him happy -- he liked it best by mama.
There you have some very proud men !!!
A sweet and peaceful closeup of our little Oliver.
His first bath was traumatic for the little guy....but check out his head of hair!! Marti had a little bit more than him.
And there you have the very happy couple!!!

All reports are that everything is going great.

That makes number 9 for us. Love em!!
Gary and Barb

AAUUGH!! ---- Camera on the blink

We had a wonderful trip to Michigan......new grandson. Born to Marti and Tim Sparling......Oliver Allen Sparling :-) sounds like a writer to me :-) . He was born on December 31, 2010 at 1:48 p.m. and weighed 8 lbs. 14 oz. We arrived in Kalamazoo just before he was born .....so we enjoyed that suspense filled time before he was born with Tim's parents......Ron and Stephanie Sparling. Oliver has LOTS of dark hair --- actually just a little bit less than Marti had when she was born.

Thank goodness our camera was working properly when Oliver was born. However, when we took Clayton (Holly and Dennis' oldest) bowling for his birthday ---- the camera pucked :-( !!! We managed to get 3 photos - so the event did get recorded. Now I don't know if I dare hook it up to the computer to download the pictures.......so what you see is what you get......nothing :-( Hopefully later on I can get some pics on here.

We had a good trip back to South Dakota......the only bad roads we had were from Kalamazoo to Gary, Indiana......then it cleared up and was beautiful all the way. We have been getting some snow now and the wind has, of course, made our 1/2 mile long driveway a mess!!! Thank goodness for 4 wheel drive.

Gary was installed as a Deacon in Lakeview Christian Reformed Church this past Sunday. And seeing as how there are only 2 deacons --- he started his job immediately. We are also both on a committee to look into repairs on the church basement. According to the other committee members --- it's been 30 years since any improvements have been done - so it is certainly time for some changes. We have done the necessary "written request" to have our membership changed from Overisel Reformed Church in Michigan to the Lakeview CRC....... we know that we will always have a "home" in the Overisel Church -- but it just seems like the change is necessary if Gary is to serve as a Deacon.

This past Sunday evening the Lakeview Church brought the worship service to the Detention Center. It was so good to get back to that group of young people. It was Pastor Tom's last time to do the service because they will be moving to Grand Junction, Colorado on February 1. The kids at the Detention Center all thanked Tom and Judy with the traditional Lakota handshake .....not that the handshake is anything different .....but it is their way of saying they appreciate what you have done. We plan to continue the "once a month" Sunday service --- we will just have to do it a little different for a time -- until we get a new pastor.

Wednesday we will be back with Release Time. We will be continuing our lessons on Elisha. We are so thankful for Tom and Judy VanderZiel and Wyonne Walkling for taking care of it while we were gone.

We will really miss Tom and Judy when they leave us. They have really been a blessing to the Lakeview congregation and especially to us and our work here. We hope and pray that they will find Grand Junction to be a wonderful spot.

The sun is now shining and the grouse have been flying past my window.....I think Toby is chasing them out of the trees.......

May God bless each and every one of you in this new year.

Gary and Barb Peters

A Pierre Merry Christmas

We went to Pierre (pronounced PEER) today to view the Christmas tree display at the Capitol Building. It was grand!!!! The 90 some trees were gorgeous ----- decorated by various groups from all over South Dakota --- the Todd County 4-H group had a tree there......decorations were every imaginable item....many homemade.

And the building was another story. It is absolutely beautiful --- and especially when you think of when it was built.....between 1905 and 1910. If you can't read this whole SEAL --- I want you to know that it says Under God the People Rule (on that yellow ribbon in the picture).
Gary was really wowed by the architecture......and had to check out this marble drinking fountain.
Many of the pictures on the walls depicted the history of the pioneers....and the archways and the dome is full of stained glass.
In one hallway the walls were full of this type of picture - again depicting the time that our nation was developed with the pioneers moving west.
The Legislative chambers .... we were sure are in original form......grand!!! The balcony being for observers.....made us wish we were there witnessing business.

It really made us proud to be "from South Dakota".

We then went to view the Oahe Dam on the Missouri River........very interesting example of what man has done to harness electricity. All in all Pierre is a very nice spot for a mini vacation.

May you all be blessed during this Christmas Season as we rejoice in the birth of our Savior.

Merry Christmas
Gary and Barb

A Prayer Request

A couple of weeks ago one of the boys at the Detention Center had put on his prayer request that he wanted "to live a good life". The next day I read the passage of 2 Peter 1:1-21 (I am reading the Living Bible Translation). Starting at verse 2........"Do you want more and more of God's kindness and peace? Then learn to know him better and better, he will give you, through his great power, everything you need to living a truly good life; he even shares his own glory and his own goodness with us!" So trusting that it was a "God given" direction -- we did the lesson on that passage this past Thursday (last night).

There are only 10 boys at the Detention Center right now. We had hoped to share some wonderful videos of Youtube songs --- Amazing Grace, Because He lives, and a couple of others. However, it didn't get to happen.......the facility has blocked Youtube (for obvious reasons) and we didn't get to the right people to get the block off...... So we asked them if they wanted to sing. Usually the boys don't do much with the song time...... What a joyous time we had!!! Sang about 5 songs (their requests- It is no Secret, Amazing Grace, When I am Afraid, In Need and I am A C) --- it was wonderful!!!

We always pass out prayer request sheets --- and so -----WOULD YOU PLEASE PRAY FOR Terry. He is a very quiet young man --- we have visited with him on a Sunday afternoon. His request this Thursday said "I want to believe in God". Would you please pray that God's Spirit would draw Terry to Himself ---- only God could have put that desire in Terry's heart. We have given Terry a Bible that is full of "helps". It is titled "How to Find God - Living Water for Those Who Thirst"

Several of these 10 boys will be (hopefully) getting to go home for Christmas on a "temporary release"......they are on their own to return to the detention center. Some have at times (there is a girl out right now "on the run") taken it upon themselves NOT to return. We tell them that it's important that they return --- otherwise they just put more time on themselves when they are found. So pray also that they will all return again after their t.r.

May you all have a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. Keep your focus on God and He will stay near!!!!

We will be spending Christmas here in South Dakota and then coming back to Michigan when our daughter Marti and hubby Tim have their baby ---- sometime in the first part of January.

Gary and Barb

Juvenile Detention Center

It was truly a blessing to have the opportunity to go to the detention center last night. Gary missed out on it because of it nasty cold and that is too bad.

There were 15 boys in our first group. No new faces in the bunch --- which is always nice because then we don't have that struggle of trying to remember a new name again. The lesson was on 2 King 2: 13-25 with the theme of "respect". To see the kids listening so attentively is the blessing we receive. Some of these young men have been with us for months and so they are really getting a good measure of God's Word. We sang the Christmas Carol "Mary's Boy Child" which basically tells the Christmas Story in a nutshell. Towards the end of the song some of the boys were joining in on the chorus.

One young man, Ty -- who we know does NOT have a good home life (and has been with us for a long time)........his prayer request was "to live a good life". Please keep Ty in your prayers -- he really is a nice young man with potential. Also, please pray for Harold. Harold has been in and out of the JDC many times. He is very quiet and reserved......but as he listens to our lesson....his facial expressions are ones of interest and questioning. He is NEVER disruptive in any way....but also comes from a VERY troubled home.

We could give you so many names.......and if you would like one "of your very own".....let us know --- we have numerous ones we could give out.

Then came the girls --- 5 of them. They had on new uniforms. The old orange ones were getting worn out and they were replaced with a very pretty rose/burgundy color. You can imagine that with their coal black hair --- they actually looked lovely. We really had thought that 20 kids could be handled in one bunch....but Julie and I were glad that we had this time alone with the girls. Just the five of them and so we could have some more "personal" conversations. We went through the lesson and then we sang the Christmas Carol......and then request after request. One of them said "we should just sing all the songs on this paper". Then Tianna said "it's the first Sunday of the month coming up.....are we going to have church?!?!?" We tried to explain that our "normal" time was the 2nd Sunday of the month. Well that didn't cut it......"I won't be here then!" So the plan is to have church next Sunday and we will sing lots of songs and go over the Christmas Story. The girls said they will be practicing the songs "in the back". Then we will also do the 2nd Sunday. As Julie said "I'm a pushover when they ask like that"..... me too!!!!
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On another note ---- Gary and a neighbor, Don, have been working at getting the new generator hooked up for the parsonage. They have run into several klinkers -- none of their doing. Looks like it will still be a while before it gets up and running....hopefully before any big storm comes along.

Speaking of the weather --- the weather man said to enjoy today because the weekend will be VERY COLD. Rats!!

Hope you are all blessed in whatever you do!!
Gary and Barb