Prairie Light Youth Camp - Day Two

           Tuesday's craft was making crosses out of match sticks.  Each cross would take almost a full box of matches to finish.  Before we ever got to Rosebud a couple of the boys asked what we would be doing........ I said that we had a nice craft again and would play some new games....etc.    Their remarks were ...." that's boring"    So I assured them that they would be NEW GAMES and that the craft was really cool.    Well --- "I'm not going to participate".      So I had a come back for them too.   Last year we had some troubles with 3 boys and 2 of them were taken home.   One hasn't come this year.....and these two were the other two....(does that make sense??)        So my comment to these boys was "well if you don't want to participate we can take you home".    Nothing more was said.
             These two boys made a couple of the nicest crosses of the 10 kids.  We were proud of them and told them so.

 This gal just went to work and finished her's first.... she was pretty happy with it and wanted to take the left over matches home so she could do something more.

 This young man was the only one who made his crosses center with all the "light" ends of the match stick in the center......really looked sharp!! He wouldn't hold it up for a photo moment......doesn't like his picture taken ......"it just feels weird".     So I cheated on him .....stepped way back and put the zoom on when he didn't know.

            Everyone got theirs done to take home.   A few needed some "push".....too much talking and laughing.  All in all it was a very good day.   Good participation, good Bible Lesson,  fair singing (just too early in the game for that to shine out), and then a few games.  

        This picture is of the Table Top Game. None of them did as good as last year.  It's hard once the chairs all get pulled out from under you.
             Thanks for the prayers!!!  Wednesday is Rocket Launchers.....should be wet and exciting.
Barb and Gary

Prairie Light Youth Camp Day ONE

WOW -- according to the counters we have never had such a large number of kids on a Monday.  101 -- One Hundred and One ....then add all the helpers..... and they alone fill our little country church. 

Our group meets at the Lakeview School and has Basketball Camp at 11:00 --- then we take then one mile to church for lunch.....then we load them up again and go to Rosebud (about 7 miles) and do our activities and have our Bible Lessons.   Yesterday  - out of 18 registered  - we had 7.  Actually a nice small group to start.  We do expect more today.

These are pictures of our group while they were working on the J E S U S plaque.  Lots of nice work done!  Then a few games and a Bible Lesson....some singing and a snack.....then we take them home ourselves.

I'm sorry that we don't have pictures of all the little ones at camp.  We never get to spend much time at church when they are all in one spot doing an activity......we are sort of off on our own. 

We had a couple of nights (Sunday and Monday evenings) with testimonies of different people.....our new Pastor, Pastor Paul Mitchell, Kitty VanderWey and several others just sharing how God has worked in their lives......  It's been very meaningful to hear all of these testimonies!! 

We ask you to continue to pray for the young people....and for the leaders.......    for patience with all the kids....for boldness to speak Gods word....and for the Holy Spirit to work in all of our hearts during this week.

Thanks!!!!    Gary and Barb

Pastor Mark, Dawn, Michaela, and Evan HAVE ARRIVED

Yesterday was a much anticipated day......both for our Lakeview Congregation and for Mark, Dawn, Michaela and Evan Langenbach.  They called here around 12:30 to say that they were in Murdo.....which is approximately 1 hour north of us.  They weren't real sure about how to find their way on the last leg of the journey ....so...."would we meet them in Mission to guide them home".    Of course!!!
        Gary went to meet them and I called around to let "helpers" know when to come to the parsonage.  They pulled in about 1:45 - 2:00......in the big yellow Penske truck and their "new" SUV.  The long trip from Racine, Wisconsin was over for them.   Now to unpack.   There was plenty of help --- young and strong...."old" and determined all came out to help.  We were done by 4:00.  We were all thankful for the nice day......perhaps a little bit hot but at least it wasn't raining!!!!

I really don't envy them the next couple of ......??weeks.   Gary said they offered to put their beds together but "no - they were fine".   Many, many boxes were put in the "right" rooms.....but ....oh my!!!!  what a lot of work to get them all emptied!!!!  
           They have arrived just in time for Prairie Light Youth Camp.  Perhaps lots of activity will be good -- hope so!!!
           Tomorrow Gary and I are going to be helping Don S. put blinders on his last batch of pheasants.  Pastor Mark was invited and I think he will take Don up on the invite.   It's a good way to get to know more of the neighbors.
         I will try to keep updates going concerning camp.  We are ready         ......have 18 registered for our group --- so we should end up with a good number.  More girls than boys --- but I think that will be just fine.   We appreciate all your prayers for this coming week.    Our helpers this year are Don and Jeanie       .........Ken and Patti if you are reading this  --- if you remember Mackenzie (the gal who prayed to receive Christ last year with us)....she is signed up again.   :)  :)  It will be good to see her!!!
       Thanks!      Gary and Barb 

Brennan having a good time!!!.....and camp coming up.

We've had such a good time with our grandsons - Colton and Brennan.  It almost seemed like perhaps Brennan wasn't so sure this was a grand place to be like brother Colton thought...but as the first week passed by  --- you could tell he got more and more comfortable with us and with South Dakota.   The prairies do grow on you!!!    So we will share a few fun photos of Brennan and his adventure.

They are working on his sucker spear handle....in the creeks in Michigan it's a fun fun time to go Sucker Spearing.  But Gary feels it's becoming a "lost" form of entertainment.  Dad Mike will have to take Colton and Brennan spearing now because they both have a new spear to try out.

Can't go home without something made out of Cedar.   So both boys now have a really nice "treasure box".

YES!!!  We got Brennan involved in moving some cattle for cousin Dwight.  He really enjoyed that!!

We have been helping Les Brewer with his Recovery Group on Tuesday evenings.  We take any young people that come along with the parents to a different room and have a Bible Lesson with them and sometimes a nice craft.    We took some shirts along and Myra and Brennan worked on them that evening.   Brennan is finishing his up.

Oh man!!!  Climbing trees -- what fun!!!  That's grandpa up there with him in the top of the tree.  Brennan is thinking that Evan (new Pastor's son)is a very lucky boy to have such a neat fort to play in.    We worked at the parsonage a lot and Brennan didn't find this tree until almost the last day.   I finally had to go looking for him -- wondering if he was OK......just a boy playing in a tree fort   :)  :).




                Saturday Brennan will have to go home.......we will meet his mom or dad in DesMoines and then head back for some other company.    :)  :)  Bruce and Glenda  Peters will be going through this way as they head to Rapid City to spend some quality time visiting with their family (all coming from different directions).   We will probably only get to spend a few hours with them but it will be great!
               We will then have one week to finalize plans for Prairie Light Youth Camp.  We have a good handle on it and some excellent help.......more on that later.
               We appreciate all your prayers!!!  Please keep camper safety in mind and God's Spirit to move among us.   Thank You!!!!
Gary and Barb

Way too much fun :)

We thought this was the second to the last day that Colton would be with us.  Thought we would be traveling to DesMoines on Saturday and switching brothers.  But changes have been made --- Colton gets to stay one more week and then Brennan will be able to stay two weeks too.  Otherwise, Brennan was going to get the short end of the deal.

So thinking Colton's time here was coming to an end -- Grandpa decided on a "grand finale". 

I hate to think what he will have to come up with after another week.

Thanks Kim for letting the boy's (Gary and Colton) have so much fun with your Mitsubishi.

PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!

Our congregation is VERY happy......we have a pastor who WANTS to come to serve in Lakeview even after spending a very gloomy, dreary, rainy weekend with horrible roads.   We are excited to say the least.  It was a struggle for them (they had two calls ) but they truly feel that God is calling them to this place.

So we have all been busy ever since we received the news.  The parsonage is in GREAT need.  Total paint job on the inside.....new kitchen countertop,  new light fixtures, new carpet, new front door.....   They will be picking the colors for the kids bedrooms and the kitchen....the rest they are trusting to our "good" judgement.  We have until the week of July 13 ---   GET  'R DONE!!!!

Everything is green, green,.......we have gotten lots of rain.  Our garden was drowned out while we were gone to Michigan, but we have replanted and everything is up.   We ate some carrots out of the greenhouse yesterday.  Yes...they were small  - but very tasty.   Tomorrow some of us will put in a garden for our new Pastor and family.  Everyone has a little something left over  -- buying what we don't have.   One gal will bring fencing materials......way too many bunnies on the yard not to fence it in.

We have  been enjoying our grandson, Colton, for the past week and a half.   Saturday we will drive to Des Moines to switch with his brother Brennan.  Colton is a bit upset because we are saving some things for Brennan ....... Colton has come about 5 times now.....this will be Brennan's first.

Today is rainy -- 2/10 of an inch....a very nice rain.  So it makes for a good day to bake some buns.   Better get busy.

We would appreciate prayers for our new Pastor and family..... Mark and Dawn Langenbach and their children Michaela (10) and Evan (7). 

Gary and Barb

FUN time in Michigan....May 22 thru June 5

I must say we had a good time in Michigan!!!!   And what a lot of people we saw!!  Three cousins parties (Peters, Becksfords, and Verduins).......a track meet (Go Trenton --- his relay team came in 4th in the State and Trenton received All State in Track and All State Academics----I don't understand all that but I'm sure most of you do) ......farming for Mike........haying with Dennis.......repairing machinery for Dennis.......out for breakfast with good friends ......a fun Memorial Day party with family......lunch with kids at school (5 of the grandkids).....riveting on Bills airplane......a wedding to celebrate....a game farkle with some good friends....... a great school musical and then just plain fun with our kids and grandkids.

Maybe the best way to do it is to put some photos on this blog......we have a new computer here ---- so will give all of this new stuff a try.

 Are these great looking grandkids or what!!!  Top row from the left.... Clayton, Brennan, and Sawyer
Sitting on the wagon from the left..... Colton, Sidney, Oliver, Trenton, Keller, Halle, and Austin.   Wonderful Kids!!

 Farming for Mike.....looks like downtown suburbia.......

 April and Ryon had a very lovely wedding.....this turned real messy .....

Missy and her husband take the stage ---- what a fun couple!!