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!!!!
---------
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

Wonderful happening at our motel stopover......

I just have to relay this story of our trip home to South Dakota.

Lots of times we will stay in a motel in the Blair, NE area but have not really found one that we are "pleased" with......and it really wasn't time to stop for the evening just yet. So Gary say's "let's try for one in West Point --- that's a pretty good sized town". It was already dark so we were a bit concerned about deer but the only ones we saw were the dead ones alongside the road. The first motel we arrived at was a Super 8 ---- now some of those have gone down hill...... but this is farm country!.......let's give it a try.

As we entered, there were 5 "older" (our age :) ahem!) men standing in the lobby getting their room. Two of them stepped back and said "That's Gary Peters!!" Gary looked ---- looked again.....!!!!!!!!!!! ---- there stood two men that he had worked with at General Motors for 20 some years. They were headed out for deer hunting in Nebraska. And then to make it even more wild....they were going to Cody, NE ---- this is were MANY of the kids from our church go to high school. Names were thrown out and we knew some of the people that they have gotten to know over years of hunting trips.

We had pizza with them at the local Pizza Hut and Gary, Ron and Dave reminisced for a long time that evening. We headed out that morning at the same time...... They get their "hunting groceries" in Valentine (and yup! we met up with them there also).

They will be staying in the area for about 2 weeks so we hope to touch base with them once again. What a fun surprise God had in store for us :)


:) :) :) Gary and Barb

Back home in South Dakota

We had a grand time in Michigan over the Thanksgiving holiday. Had good quality time with many family members and friends. Travel went very good. The weather was even favorable.....not hot --- maybe not even warm --- but then it is winter. And boy did we find that out after we arrived home. About 2 hours from home there was a little bit of freezing drizzle on the windshield......then as we got closer to Valentine there was more snow in the air and some drifting -- but really nothing to worry about. We got home --- went and got Toby right away......had a nice visit with Don and Barb (they had Toby) and headed home to unload. We had filled the truck with more of our belongings --- trying to make more room for Holly and Dennis. We succeeded in emptying the truck and making a royal mess of the living room....and then the wind began to howl and the snow came. REAL NASTY!!!! As of 7:30 p.m. it seems that the snow has stopped coming down but the wind is still blowing.

We left in a rush trying to out run the flu bug, but it had already caught me (Barb)..........and we didn't want to pass it on to anyone else if at all possible (we were staying with Holly and Dennis). We can now see that it was a good thing that we left early. We would have come home in blizzard conditions. God is always in charge!!!!

We do have a couple of prayer concerns....... Holly was diagnosed with Bells' Palsy....a condition that affects the nerves on one side of her face. She is on medication for it and hopefully it was caught at a point that there will be no permanent damage.

Our other concern is for Mike and Julies' family.....the 8 of them are going round and round with the flu......makes for a miserable time!!!.....especially for mama.

We will be having Release Time again on Wednesday. It will be the 1st lesson on Elisha. It's really a lesson on respecting those in authority over us ---- as you remember Elisha was laughed at because he was bald!! I (Barb) need to pass this on hopefully without dwelling too much on what happened to those young men (if you don't remember --- better look it up--- 2 Kings 2:13-25). We would appreciate prayers for the children to be in a listening mood and patience for us. :) :) Then on Thursday we will be going to the Detention Center.

Thank you for your interest and prayers! Winter has arrived!!
Gary and Barb

GREAT Halloween Party and WORKING lots of cattle!!

Thank you for all the prayers for the Party at the Juvenile Detention Center. It was a LOT of fun to say the least.

The kids were great.....good sports, helpful (we had 3 "trustees" to help set up), respectful, enthusiastic, fun loving. We had some stationary games: bob for apples, donuts on a string, paint pumpkins, mashmallow toss (into another persons mouth), musical chairs, Four square, and carrot on a string (lots of laughs here). Then we also had 3 team games: Chariot races (on carpet samples), bag races, and Team boards (6 kids on a team - on two 2 x 4's with ropes to hang onto).....the girls walked away with that one. I think the boys tried way too hard - all they could do was fall! We also had some prizes for assorted things and then a message from Pastor Tom. We served everyone Ice Cream Sundaes ......and .......... Then------- the Grand Finale........ Our grand finale fizzled :( !! We had blown up about 200 balloons and put them into a huge parachute. Gary got a rope up and over the furnace duct work and we pulled the parachute up to the ceiling. At the very end we let one of the kids get on a ladder and pull the rope. :( Nothing much happened -- about 10 balloons came out. Static electricity had taken over......we had to shake the parachute to get the balloons out. But over all the evening was a grand success! We had plenty of good help from our Lakeview Church and the kids never once caused us a concern!!! We filled the 2 hours exactly - in at 6:00 and out at 8:00. Now Gary is thinking --- "where can we do this next?" Sorry to say there are no pictures allowed --- so we will have to rely on our memories for the "good stuff" (YIKES)!

Monday through Friday of this week, we are working cattle --- for 3 different ranchers. We come home very tired at the end of each day. Bob and Shirley Vanden Bosch came for one afternoon (yes all the way from Michigan for one afternoon with us :) -- they are heading for Washington to see their grandkids)........and they got in on a cattle drive. We think they had a lot of fun.

On top of the cattle work, of course, is Release Time and Thursday evening at the JDC and Sunday afternoon visits at JDC which is truly what we need to focus on. They are both going very nicely. Today at release time we had the two older groups, which can be quite rewarding. These kids sit attentively......and seem to be taking it all in. We hope so!!

So if anyone is wondering if we are relaxing after all our company?????? Depends on what you call "relaxing". Today we bounced over 25 miles back and forth over the prairies........ but we got the job done :) Tomorrow we work those cattle (over 750 pairs) ---- thinking it will be sort, vaccinate and pour (a type of fly + spray). Then on Friday we will help my cousin preg check his herd.

We are still having beautiful fall days and we know that we need to enjoy each one of them because it is going to be ending soon we are afraid.

We are looking forward to a return to Michigan over Thanksgiving.
God Bless each and every one of you!
Gary and Barb

some photos for you to enjoy

A dog box for Don Schellhaus..........
Our friends Sally Kreuze and Carla Kraker----- their husbands are working on the garage door. But they really came to hunt - and they did :)
We don't think Toby really likes to ride on the quad.....rather bumpy and the box doesn't fit him --- he grew too big!!!!
Ross Nagelkirk and Lee Lubbers. Boy Oh Boy! They are doing a number on those prairie dogs!!
Some of the 7th and 8th Graders.....missing Jasper.
And this isn't all of the 5th and 6th graders.....don't remember the reason why they weren't there. Could have been sport physicals.
These are the 3rd and 4th graders......the best singers this year.....are they cute or what!?!?!?!?
Dale and Barb Becksford came with their John Deere Gator - boy did we have fun. Went and explored a HUGE pasture out in the canyons.....had a picnic lunch by a pretty lake too :)
This cat is awesome...goes down the ladder NO PROBLEM!!
Linda and Dave with another old truck from the prairies.
And, of course, pictures from South Dakota wouldn't be complete without a gorgeous sunset!!!

Hope you enjoyed them!!!
Barb