We’re heading to Rapid once again, so I guess it’s time to tell y’all what I’ve been up to. Here we go…

v The last day we spent the day in Rapid was November 12. That was a fun trip, because we stopped at about every roadkill we saw and took pictures. Very fun and entertaining. We also found potatoes in the parking lot at Walmart. I have some pictures of that. I also have pictures of some really cool roadkill, but I didn’t put them in the album. Ha.

v The next day we went hunting about all day. I think the tribal season is still in, but the regular season is over.

v One evening, Devon, Kris, Melissa, and I went to Eagle Butte to sing and play piano and guitar at a nursing home. We zoomed all the way there and made it to the Game, Fish, and Parks place just in the nick of time. I was able to get turkey tags, so I borrowed Nate’s shotgun and Kris and I went hunting the next morning. I got 3 turkeys, so we had a new experience trying to clean them.

v I went sledding for the first time! My first grader taught me how. I think it made him feel really big…he said, “Don’t be afraid. It’s not scary.”

v Our little mission team was almost doubled over Thanksgiving with 14 visitors. 5 kids our age were here, so we had fun sledding, singing for some elderly people in town, and playing games. 3 girls stayed at our house, so that was a party. One of them was Courtney Martin….she taught kindergarten and first grade here last year. We girls left for Rapid after school on the day before Thanksgiving to pick her up from the airport.

v Kris, Melissa, Courtney, and I went to Pierre to see Amber Best and to see Christmas at the Capitol. The entire Capitol building is filled with Christmas trees that different organizations and businesses decorate. They had a piano in the middle of the one floor, so I worked up courage for quite a while then I finally decided to just bite the bullet and go play it.

v The truck from Pennsylvania came on the 4^th. It comes a couple times a year and is full of furniture for our thrift sale in February, tires for the tire shop, and Christmas bundles that we pass out all over the reservation. We are very blessed to have so many caring people back east who donate things to send on the truck, who load it, and who drive it all the way out here. Usually all the people here from Pennsylvania also get boxes from their family, and since I’m not from PA I thought I wouldn’t get anything. Well, what a surprise...I got 3 boxes and a keyboard! The boxes were full of food and lots of other goodies from my family and the people back home, and the keyboard was from Troy, the guy who was here over the summer. We had lots of squealing and excitement in our house as everyone opened their surprises from home.

v We have begun Christmas caroling around town. People seem to really enjoy it.

v Our school’s Christmas is on the 19^th, so we are practicing for that. My class and I are all going to be angels.

v Lord willing, I’ll be home in 12 days from today!

v As I read back over that, is sounds really boring, but hopefully it still gives you a glimpse of my life on the cold and snowy prairie.

v Something for each of us to remember…..”If you’re not part of the problem or part of the solution, don’t talk about it.” One of my teachers at Bible School told me that, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget it.

v “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13) I’m teaching these verses to my students….such a powerful message.

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v I hope each of you has a safe, wonderful Christmas! God bless, Laura