What a gorgeous end of the day.....

I had to hurry to get this sunset -- but it was worth it!! Our trailer is on "low ground"...... so in order to get this picture I had to hoof it to the top of the hill in the pasture to our west. I really thought I had plenty of time....but I'm glad I hurried.

Fridays are a day that we really don't have anything we HAVE to do. But I accomplished a lot today. I'm working on a quilt for a graduate and it's coming together VERY nicely. Gary is also working on a secret project and that too is looking good. It will be a while before we can share these projects with you ........ SORRY!
:) Gotta love a good secret.

Now this next picture is NOT a scene from the moon......it's our driveway out to the workshop. As you can tell we don't go that route now and probably won't be for a while yet. The steers are gone and the corrals are pretty dry so if we want to drive down to the workshop we go by way of the corrals. No way would you have done that a couple of weeks ago......the mud and steer "poo" was WAY deep.
We had Bible Study at the JDC last night. We had 20 kids and so we tried it with all the kids together once again. It's nice not to have to do the lesson twice but a smaller group is really nicer. They sing better and there isn't as much goofing around. I honestly think the kids like it better in a small group too. They always listen to the lesson good......singing is best in the small group. Next week we are going to show a video of a choir singing "He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels". The director watched it (for approval) and thought it was "awesome". So he is willing to set up all the equipment for us to let the kids enjoy it too. It's one I found on YouTube.

Hope you are enjoying spring as much as we are!!!! It's GRAND!!!

Gary and Barb

We had a fun time with our Release Time groups on Tuesday. They are a blessing to us! The above photo is the 2nd Grade class.(Sy, Wahpe, Baptiste, Kaylee, Faith and Shallon, ) Our lesson yesterday was on Jesus' crucifixion. However, this lesson ended with Jesus still in the grave. The kids were really upset that the story "is to be continued". They wanted to hear ALL of it. The photo below is of the Kindergarten and 1st graders.(Michaela, Gayle, Paul, Jowuan, Michael, and Kendall) We had a hard time getting a picture of little "Sonny" Michael (in the front) he just couldn't stand still. We had fun making the pop up card. The idea was "God gives us things to enjoy"....we put a snowman and a "flower garden" on the card. The kids really did a good job and loved the card. Some were going to give it to their mom and dad.

We just returned from a trip "home" (where is home??? - we still aren't sure) to Michigan. Our daughter-in-laws mother (Sharon Rigterink) has gone home to her heavenly father. We arrived in time to help Mike and Julie with "babysitting". We spent as much time as we could staying with the kids so Julie and Mike could be with Sharon and Loren through this very difficult time of saying good-bye. Sharon was one of the strongest person's we had the honor of knowing. She was a GRAND gramma to her 14 grandchildren and a loving mother-in-law to our son Mike. She will be missed!!! Sharon's battle with cancer started ?? 20 years ago. As I understand it she was given 6 months to live at that time. WOW -- the Lord had other ideas :) Sharon will be remembered as a person of great faith.

We came back "home" to South Dakota and found much drier roads. We could get right in to our yard with the car and the snow is departing. The sounds of spring are everywhere. Today we will help Dwight move the cows to the home place. Our "fence jumping" steers are gone - left the day we returned. We will miss looking after them......but hope they get their noses burned a little on the electric fence....teach them a much needed lesson!!!!!

Next week we will be flying out to Boston. Our son Rick will be defending his PhD dissertation on April 2. Rick says this has been a "long and sometimes lonely process". However, his "readers" (those who read his book to see what changes needed to be done before the defense) were thrilled with his work....... We will be gone from April 1 until April 4.

We praise God for his faithfulness ---- for a loving family and good friends --- for safety in travel ---- for good health and strength.

Gary and Barb

Back from Rapid City.....THANK YOU FOR PRAYERS

Well now......that's an old picture..... quite interesting really how the wind formed that drift behind our trailer..... BUT --- I put it on the blog just so you can get the "feeling" of a good old snow storm. We aren't in blizzard conditions but it's a good enough batch of snow and wind to blow the roads shut.

We did make it home from Rapid City. We started out this morning (Thursday) with a blustery, but partly sunny day in Rapid City. Gary was still feeling "funky" from the anesthetic (we figure) and so I was driving. By the time we got into the Badlands the snow was blowing across the roads and there were a lot of slushy patches ...... those spots have a tendency to "grab" the truck ---I'm sure you know what I mean. So that meant slower travel. We DID NOT take the interstate just because of the crazies on those!! I was quite content...no traffic on Hwy 44....so I could go the speed I wanted and did not feel "pushed" by anyone. About 50 miles from home the roads were totally snow covered -- but not really slippery. One mile from home and the drifts were forming enough that we knew we would have to cancel JDC because we probably wouldn't make it back in.

And so.............here we sit looking at each other :) :)

But we want to make sure that we thank you for all the many prayers that have been lifted for Gary's procedure. It went good. Quite involved really because it was in a difficult spot and so he was sedated more than we had figured on. After an hour and a half procedure....he also spent at least 1/2 hour sleeping before we left the facility. And then he slept a good portion of the afternoon away. He remembers VERY LITTLE of it......"who dressed me??" (He did it himself) He will have to go back in 3 months for another procedure.....just to make sure that they removed everything.

And now on another note.......We would ask for prayers for the Rigterink family... our daughter-in-laws family. Sharon Rigterink is losing her battle to cancer....but will be gaining a most glorious heavenly home...... Those left behind will miss her very much and so we ask for prayers for Aaron and Chanelle and their children, Ryan and Kelly and their children, and Mike and Julie and their children (our 6 grandchildren) and Loren (Sharon's husband) and of course the many other friends and family......

Your prayers are SO appreciated by us. We can't thank you enough!!!
Gary and Barb

This coming Wednesday....

We will be leaving for Rapid City tomorrow right after Release Time....which means about 2:30. We will do the whole K-2 group......which is a BIG handful ---- but we really want to be on the road as soon as possible. Gary has his procedure done on Wednesday at 11:30. We really appreciate all the prayers that have been and are being lifted concerning this. We will keep you posted on any outcome.

We also want to thank you for the prayers for the Native Pastor..... He had a bond reduction hearing this past Thursday and that went good. He is now released from jail and hopefully can get a job once again.....he was working in construction. He and his family still covet all prayers.....this will be a long hard road for all of them.

I am sitting by the computer looking out at a rainy day. It helps make the snow melt ....but it makes the roads a slippery, slimy, muddy mess!!! And that's putting it lightly!!!! I was told by a long time local that "we never say enough! to moisture" -- but give me a break!! However, the sounds of spring are everywhere in the air. The blackbirds are singing, the geese are flying over....and so we know there is a promise of something to come. :)

The kids at the Juvenile Detention Center continue to bless us with respect and attentiveness. But we also have a heavy heart for many of them. Two girls have told us that they are pregnant.....at 16 and 17 years of age and next to little support. Can you imagine how scary this is for them?! Some of the boys are looking at 2 years in Juvenile Prison for robbery. There are some bright spots in the group and we pray that God in His mercy will draw them to Himself. Some of these young people have been there for 120 days. So you can imagine that we get to know them quite well.....and really miss them when they are gone. It's actually fun (but sad!!!) when a kid comes back after a year and we remember his/her name......but we also are very disappointed that they are back. They, too, are happy when we call them by name but seem somewhat embarrassed that they are back.

We would ask that you pray for the ranchers. They are all busy with calving and that means --very little sleep. And too, this rain is very hard on the little calves. They get cold and it's hard to warm up.....

Take care!! Gary and Barb

click on photo

just a quick note.....if you click on the photo - it will enlarge BIG TIME!! And the sparkles on the snow REALLY show up.
:-) - just wanted you to know..... Barb

Trying to keep updates coming.....

We had Release Time with the two older groups today. This is a photo of our best group :) the 6, 7, and 8th Graders. Jailyn, DonShay,Shania, Vera, Kelsey, Tyra, Matthew, and Timothy are in the back.....Daniel, Jasper, and Floyd are sitting down. Marissa is missing :( This is the group that sits so attentively during the lesson. They maybe don't sing real loud -- but ....you know....they might see me singing!!!!! We went over Psalm 121 --- we learned it last year..... and 2 of them could say the whole thing (with a picture book for help)....and I really think several of the others were just not saying it out loud.

They are always waiting for us when we arrive at school and hurry off to the van. It's fun with this bunch!!! It's fun with all of them....but there is more "restlessness" with the other groups.
Driving home one night the snow was all sparkly.....and in the morning it was still crisp and bright and sparkly. It was really a glorious morning. The snow flakes were flat and many were triangular in shape. Those 3 white specks on the photo are snow flakes coming down, and you can see the sparkles in the snow bank. I love these unusual kind of things that God gives us.
Today when we arrived home we noticed this "pond" that was forming just off the driveway. There is a huge stream of water feeding this pond and then the runoff is headed right to our driveway. ........ Our drive is a mess anyway - we have one rut that's about 8 inches deep for about 40 feet, so we don't take the car any place right now. As you can see we still have a lot of snow that needs to melt.

We are now at 6 skunks, 2 possums and one cat -( he got away in a HURRY!! when we opened the door) -- that's a lot of skunks but we are really afraid that there are more!! So we set the traps again tonight. When you think about it....those 6 could have multiplied into ???? who knows 15 - 20 - ?? 25 ??? YIKES!!!

We would ask you to pray for David -- he is a native Pastor that we really think a lot of. However, he needs our prayers right now. We don't want to put it all down on the internet what has happened and so you are clueless as to how to pray. But God is all-knowing and if you would just lift him and his family and children up to God......we would appreciate it and so would David. He has spoken to our group at the Prairie Light Youth Camp and is really "on fire" for the Lord.

Gary's procedure is scheduled for March 10 (Wednesday) at 11:30 in Rapid City. This Doctor is a specialist and feels that there will be no problem removing this polyp without going through any major surgery. We are very thankful for that!!

Well - I am looking at out a foggy world. It was a gorgeous day...but suddenly at about 5:30 the fog started to come in. Gloomy!!

Love to all of you!!
Gary and Barb

WONDERFUL NEWS!!!!

Yes!!! The polyp is NOT cancerous. We were given a big name for the type of polyp that Gary has ---- the word escapes me. But what it means is that it is an aggressive type and it was a good thing that we found it now. We don't have a date just yet for the Rapid City appointment.....but the doctor in Rapid feels that he can remove the polyp in the normal way and if not they will have it set up that any needed surgery can happen right away at that same time.

We are so very thankful for all of your prayers lifted on our behalf. God hears and He is merciful!

We will keep you posted!!

Gary and Barb