Visitors and camping......and Release Time begins.

What fun to have some of our friends from Michigan and Colorado stop in for a visit.  We had just gotten our new camper so we had plenty of beds and showers.  Jon and Sue stayed in our camper and the rest of us (Bruce and Glenda Peters and Ken and Sally Krueze) were in the house.   We needed to have some entertainment.....so our first choice was kayaking down the Niobrara.  We borrowed the 4 that we are storing in our barn and then got 2 more from a good neighbor and headed to Valentine, where we rented 2 more.  It was a short ride to our entry point but then we had to take the time to spot our vehicle.   What a beautiful day!!!  We kayaked for about 1 3/4 hour and then went on by truck to the Smith Falls.

 That water was SO cold!!!  But we all took a turn and stood directly under it.....  AH! refreshing!!

I just had to add this last picture.....it was taken at the same time ---- but half of us sure are leaning!!!!  Can't figure out how that happened - unless we had our camera sitting crooked. Maybe Gary grabbed me and we all started tumbling.... I don't know.

The following day we took a drive to Murdo, SD and went to a car museum - which had lots and lots of old antiques.  Another fun time.  Glenda has an Aunt and Uncle living in Murdo - so they went to visit them for a short time and then we had lunch.  It was another fun day.

Our friends went to church with us on Sunday - getting to meet our new Pastor -- and then had to leave.  Thank you so much for coming!!!!

The following weekend Gary and I went camping at Snake Creek Recreation Area out by Platte, SD.  Didn't take very many pictures but it was a wonderful peaceful place.  Not many campers this time of the year.   But the second weekend when we went back ...(we left our trailer parked there because we knew our roads were horrible - it had rained)......there was a Walleye Tournament --- so lots more campers with boats. 

Yes, we were right on the river -- right by the 1/2 mile long bridge.  Fishing wasn't so good.  But one fisherman came over to shore and asked if we wanted a walleye.   Gary said "yes" - so the guy gave him a nice 15 incher.  Tasted really good on the grill.

This weekend we had hopes of going out again - but we would probably have to drive out in the mud and come back in the mud.   So we have decided to see about next weekend. Rain is always a  blessing - so we aren't complaining. Everything is still so beautiful.  The prairies are our color tour and the grasses are beautiful!!!

Release Time will start tomorrow.  We are all geared up for that.  Pastor Mark and Dawn will be helping out this year.   So we will share the load.....feels good.  They will take the youngest and the oldest groups and we will take the middle one.  We will have about the same number of kids........they will have 13 and we will have 13 and possibly 14.   I feel that some of our older kids dropped out because we worked in a workbook last year....and I think it was just too much like school.  It  had really good stuff in it.....but we had a hard time keeping them focused.  Too bad.....so now we have decided to go back to story telling for all ages.......

We would appreciate your prayers for the kids and all of us leaders.  Pray that we give out the Gospel message in a clear and understandable way and that the kids can take it all in and believe it.....taking it into their hearts and making a commitment to Jesus.

Thank You
Gary and Barb

Meeting Relatives........

My plan was to update this blog with our camping news and sharing about some friends who have paid us a visit. I still hope to do that -----  But I just have to share this first - just because it's so amazing how we can meet up with some of our distant relatives in such wild ways.

Today we had the "Rosebud Worship".  This is a gathering of children......  There is a group of young people who come out from Sioux Falls....... Jerry and Robbi (PLYC Coordinator) who come also all the way from Sioux Falls and then at times others.....all to have a good time of sharing Jesus with these little kids.....also sharing a meal.   We were again asked to give the Bible lesson and lead the singing.  (Which could be another little sweet story that I might just share later in this update.) 

WELL ---- my cousin from Montana - Roz   - whose family has a Chevrolet dealership - was coming out with a retired mechanic to do some repairs on a van that they had donated.  The mechanic came along to the time of worship.  He mostly sat quietly - didn't have much to say .........but I felt the need to go and be friendly and visit a bit with him.   So I asked him if he had lived all his life in Montana.  No, he said,  we moved there in 1972 (I think I have that date right) from South Holland, Illinois.  Wow, I said,   I could go way back and say that I had relatives (actually on my dad's side) who had a little fruit stand in South Holland.  He said with a question...."Walt's fruit stand?  Walt Lagestae (probably spell it wrong).  I couldn't believe it!!!   YES -   and then he said that his grandpa was a Verduin.  WELL --- I said --- I am a Verduin and my grandma was a  Lagestae.     And so we went on to find out how we were related.  Turns out that his grandpa and my grandpa were brothers.  WOW --- can  you believe it!   Sometimes it's good to be gabby and just ask stupid questions!!!

So now for that "sweet story" about singing...........
On September 12 there was a "playground celebration"......Gary and I really weren't involved at all in the playground.   But ---- Jerry and Robbi have been working on getting a nice play area for a Native Community and this is the community where we gather the kids for the Rosebud Worship.    So we went to the  celebration ----- celebrating that - for the most part - it was completed and the kids had something nice to play on!!!!  So there were games and food and then there were prizes.  When your name was called you got to come up and pick a gift out of the appropriate "age" box.  Well, I was sitting by a little girl on the edge of a trailer.  I had asked her what her name was........ Camemela.  It was  a hard one to get right and I kept saying Camelia......NO Camemela.  I finally got it right.    Then she said "everyone here is 8 years old."  (She was watching as they went up to get their prize).  I said how old are you?    EIGHT!    OH - then I got it......her name hadn't been called yet and that "8" box seemed like it might end up empty.   But before I figured that all out....... I said.... "So you're 8 - how old do you think I am? (My birthday had just been the day before.). Probably old as dirt."  She looked up at me with a sweet little smile and said, " But you sing songs so nice."   She totally made my day!!!   Today we got to give each other a hug. 

And that friends is it for this update.  I will have to get on our "old" computer that has the pictures on it and do the camping and our friends visit update.  This new fangled computer and me haven't got each other figured out and I don't know how to get my pictures over to this blog.   Probably not the computer - but me.
Love to all,   Gary and Barb

New Camper

WOW --- we are no longer tent campers.  We have graduated from backpacking in a tent and carrying all your gear on your back ---- to camping in this.

I love it!!!!  YES --- those backpacking years were wonderful and I wouldn't trade those memories for anything!!    But this is good!!  No longer do you have to sweat to have fun.   :)  :)  This even has Air Conditioning....(when you have an electric hook-up). 

We had gone shopping a couple of different places - Mitchell and Pierre.  Nothing seemed right.  So the next stop was Rapid City.  Now this is a town with lots and lots and lots of trailers for sale.  We went to 3 different dealers and looked at ??? 8 different trailers.  Some too long -- some too pricey.......some not well taken care of .  Then we found it.  Yes --- we signed on the dotted line and gave the man a check to say we meant to come back and pick it up and pay the full price.   Then we went home ...... we couldn't stay in Rapid City long enough for THEM to go over it with a fine tooth comb (according to them)....and then have instructions on how to operate it.  So we gave them a date that would work for us to come back and pick it up.

Now --- after a week ......and all those trailers we had looked at ....... I really think they could have set anything before us ....and if it was nice and had a couple of the things we had been looking for in it....we would have said "yes" this is the one we signed up for.   To tell you the truth -- neither one of us was for sure on it.   But it's grand  -- and the "number" was the right one .....and so we are happy.

We headed for Sheridan Lake.

What a beautiful spot in the Black Hills!!  We didn't catch much for fish....just little ones.  But we had a good time touring the country side.  We also went to Hill City and Keystone..... two tourist towns.  We found some things that we want to go back to do...... a steam engine train that takes you from one town to the other - Hill City to Keystone  - a 2 hour ride.  The helicopter ride over Mt. Rushmore looks interesting -- but a little pricey.  There are a couple of other things on our "bucket list" --- but won't give them away right now.....if ever   :)   :)    Got you wondering now    :)

We rode thru the Needles Highway and stopped in at Sylvan Lake.  We would like to make it to Hearney Peak sometime ---- but didn't have the right footwear this time.  There are about 7 tunnels on this highway --- we made it thru all of them.   But we were sure glad we didn't have the trailer behind us.  That wouldn't have gotten thru some of them!

The Hills are a beautiful spot and tons of things to see and do -- so I'm thinking we will be back.
Hope you enjoy the photos!
Gary and Barb

Friends are telling me.......

We have good friends that are telling us that we haven't updated for far too long.  Janel ---- you are completely right!!!!  Thanks for the needed reminder.  I am sure other are in complete agreement  --- and so am I --- I know it's been too long.  SORRY!!!

So ---- where to begin.   I guess some photos would be good.   Goodness -- I see that I haven't even downloaded any of our photos since PLYC.   So now I am really a slacker!!!

We shall begin with some weather --- everyone always talks about the weather......

 We love watching those big thunder heads form.   You can actually watch them get bigger and bigger.  I just thought this was an awesome picture --- with the bright blue sky and the white thunder peaks.   Most of this storm missed us.

 This was certainly circular.  Never did hear if there was a tornado in this.  But we thought it was fascinating!!!

We spent a weekend --- well actually one night at Merritt Dam in our tent.  We took Toby along and that became a problem.  Toby had a lot of fun in the water ---- but he wanted more and more and more fun in the water.  It was too hot to spend much time out in the sun.  So we would come back under the tree ---- Toby suddenly disappeared - twice!!!  He chewed through his leash twice so he could get back to the water and the boys that were playing in it.  The fact that it was pea green didn't bother him one bit.

We did do a little kayaking --- but after Toby did his "chewing" we didn't trust him enough to leave him all alone.....so the kayaking was done solo after that.   As you can see --- the water was just plain yuk......(but in a couple of days it had "turned over" again and it was beautiful)    We had spent one night in our tent and Toby slept right outside our door - on his leash.  However,  we didn't know what he would do the second night ---- so we just went for home.   :(     Merritt Dam is only an hour or so from home.......

Gary was asked to make some Faith Boxes for children ----- they will be given when a child is baptized and as they walk with Jesus --- growing in their faith --- there will hopefully be more "memory items" to put into them.    Marlys Walkling had a plan and put it to Gary.  He likes staying busy ----- and he had a good amount of beautiful cedar lumber......so the project got underway.

He made eleven of these and I am thinking that he might just have to make a couple more.

We had our !st Annual Lakeview Fun Run/Walk.   It was a beautiful day and a good turn out.  It was done in the memory of Caleb Lance ---- a young man from our community who passed away from cancer in 2011.  He loved softball  and so every year Lakeview has a ball tournament in memory of Caleb.  This year they added a Fun Run and Color run.  Oh my.....did some of us get colored!!!!  Sad thing ---- I wanted my t-shirt to stay colorful....but it all washed out despite my efforts with vinegar and a hot iron.

Gary has a few other projects in the works......book shelves for Mark and Dawn - our new pastor and wife.  Matthew Walkling has a hay hauling trailer that needs a bunch of welding done on it. Gary will be giving the trailer some "wings" so Matt can haul more bales.  I had a couple of projects of my own.....but maybe I should keep those on taps for another update.   Don't want to use all my "stuff" up at one setting.

We continue to do our Ministry work.  We now go out with the Alcohol Recovery group and give a Bible lesson to the young kids who come with their parents.  A lesson, some songs and then a craft or some coloring.  Last night we had two brothers -- one a 4th grader (Michael) and the other an 8th grader (Theron).  The gal who made supper for everyone had a little boy with her and he was pretty "busy" --- she was trying to clean up......... so we asked if he wanted to come too.  He sat on my lap for the Bible Story....a cutey --- probably in kindergarten.  Then the big boys colored --- seemed like something they wanted to do actually.   And me an the little one --JJ --- made a wreath out of leaves I had cut out of construction paper.  

Tonight we had JDC --- Andee lead a lesson and then we sang and sang.  One gal was getting out tomorrow and she wanted to sing all her favorites.  We even sang Here I am to Worship and Amazing Grace two times --- just for Kristen and Megan.  It's so much fun when we have singing like tonight.   Andee did a lesson on the Tower of Babel.  One young man told us he had been given his sentence.......10 more months.  He will spend 5 at JDC and then 5 at an adult facility.  Drake has a wonderful smile that shines all the time.  We would ask that you pray for Drake ---- pray for his attitude to remain cheery.....pray for patience as he sits out his time.  Pray for his family --- he is from North Dakota and far away from home. And pray most of all that we can give the Gospel message in a clear and understandable way so he can know Christ. 

Well,  Gary is asleep on the couch...it is bed time.  So I will proofread this myself and then publish without his approval.    Thank you so much for your interest and your continued prayers!!!!
Gary and Barb

Prairie Light Youth Camp - 2015 - Day Five --- Pool Party

We did have a beautiful day for the Pool.   First we went to the City Park for some playground fun and then Pizza Hut pizza for lunch.   This is a group shot as they got ready for some songs.

There was a fair amount of organizing in order to get this big group ready to "enter" the pool..... All age groups had to be counted and numbers given to the Pool before arrival--- then once that was done  it was easy.

These teens --- as you can see  --- looking sideways (can't get it to rotate)-- had a BLAST.  They could only do this during the "adult break" - 18 and over only in the pool.  Sorry -- that video would NOT upload...  tried for several hours.  Seems like they would pass on that break when there are SO many little ones -- but I guess that is a daily "break".....so these kids made good use of it!!!  It was announced that they could NOT do that after the break.

And so --- camp is done.  Those little kids were totally loved on for a week.  Memories were made.....hugs given....."I'll miss you" spoken.....  Even Beau gave me and Gary a hug.....Beau got barked at a LOT -- too much devilishness in that boy!!!!!!    

I think Gary and I will do some "relaxing ---- camping" this coming week.....probably just go for a couple days down to Merritt Dam.....maybe down to Lake McConaughy.....take a couple of kayaks along and do some paddling.

PLYC - 2015 - Day Four

Yesterday (Wednesday) our activity - the Rocket Launchers -  was over and done with before we knew it.  So then we had to scramble for more games.    The "activity" for Thursday was the MONKEY BRIDGE.  We have found that some kids are just too fearful of doing something new and refuse to do this.....so we could be done in 15 minutes - after taking approximately 3/4 of an hour to set it up.     So we decided to set it up WITH the kids - and some other helpers --- it's quite the involved set up!!!!     Pictures tell a better story......

Once everything was in place --- all the ropes tight.....we could begin.  Everyone - EVERYONE did it.   Logan said she wasn't going to -- she was afraid of heights - but we talked her into it and she was a happy camper!!

We had seven kids doing the bridge and then the three helpers from Montana that joined us for the day.....even I (Barb) walked the bridge.  It's actually quite an accomplishment if  you are afraid of doing such things --- so we felt it was a very successful day.  It was also a VERY HOT day.  So when we finished with the Bridge --- we went to the basement to cool off and had a competition.......

 They had 5 minutes to build the tallest tower --- and it had to be standing upright with no hands holding it up.  This first group--- theirs toppled over --  they worked good and fast but it wasn't balanced good.   The next group built a nice sturdy tower --- but worked too slow and didn't get it very tall.

Of course, the older "kids" - the group of helpers from Montana (part of the basketball camp group) -- they won.  They would have reached the ceiling --- but ran out of time.      It was just a good way to spend a little time in a cool basement ---- and then go back out for some water balloon tosses. 

It was a good day.....tiring -- but good.  Friday is Swim day at the Valentine Pool -- with pizza at the city park first off for lunch.   We just got the phone call that all the kids were on the bus and ready to head for town.  So ---- we are suited up and ready to jump in the pool.               Sue --- wish you were here  :)  :)

This will probably end the updates of PLYC - 2015 unless we get some awesome pool photos.  Thank you so much for the prayers.  More later.............
Gary and Barb

Prairie Light Youth Camp --- Day Three

Wednesday was - Rocket Launch Day!!!!    Gary and Don went off ahead to get set up.   We had asked permission from the Tribal Office to use their grassy lawn behind the building - and they had said yes,  that would be fine.   So we had a perfect spot to launch the "rockets" ( 2 liter pop bottles ).  The kids had a target to hit and it was pretty windy.  Was that good or bad???  Never can tell -- but today it just seemed that it was not in their favor.  Or perhaps they just weren't very good at aiming.  I know they did try hard to hit that circle target.  It was also a day to get WET.  I think the pictures will tell the story pretty good.

This is such a lucky shot.... you can see the green "rocket" just taking off and Gayle getting sprayed with the "fuel".

This is a neat picture of the "fuel" leaving the rocket as it soars into the skys.

The kids were on teams --- 2 to a team.   They had to load their rockets - 9 of them - with fuel.....hook it up to the launcher ....take aim ....and fire.  The target was about 40 yards away.  Add the windy conditions and the rockets landed all over the place. We did notice ( and should have taken better watch of this) -- that the wind blew some of those empty rockets around a little bit.  But the winners were chosen by how many rockets of theirs were IN the circle.  The boys won -- much to our surprise......only 2 bottles out of the 9 -- but that was more than anyone else.    Lots of fun!   Surprisingly this whole activity didn't take very long --- so on to more games ......

Well -- these pictures should be in reverse --- but I am done fighting with the computer.  The game was a Banana Relay....the kids had to pass the banana with their feet to the person in the back of the line.  We made sure the last person likes bananas because they have to eat it as fast as they can --- winning team is, of course, who passed and downed the banana first.  They really liked this game -- we played it three times over.

This was just a neat water balloon toss.  As they all caught the balloon --- they would have to back up a couple of steps - making it a longer toss.  Good clean fun......good wet kids.

It's almost time to leave and I am waiting for the last video to upload --- waiting on this computer again.   but hopefully it will load!!!

Today (Thursday) --- Monkey Bridge.  We don't have a real large group of kids, so we are having the kids help set it up.  Could be interesting.

THANKS for the prayers!!!!
Gary and Barb