Hi everybody. Tomorrow we plan to go to Rapid to sightsee with a couple that’s been staying here for the past 3 weeks and take them to their motel so they can fly out early Tuesday morning. I’m writing this in hopes that somewhere I can get internet. So much has happened since I last updated. Here’s the run-down.
June
8- We took the youngest girls club to the gravel piles for a hotdog roast and to climb and slide on the piles.
10- The VBS team came. There were about 50 people including us, I think.
11- Work projects.
12- VBS started. A normal day went in this order: staff devotions, work projects, brunch, left for Eagle Butte to do VBS there (45 minute drive), early supper back here, then VBS here in town in the evening. It was a very full schedule, but overall everything went well!
15- The Nun who comes in and has services at the Catholic Church in town came to the Ladies Bible study we have during VBS. We were very surprised and thankful when she came the next night too!
16- This was the last night of VBS. When everyone else went to bed, I did the opposite and struck off to Rapid to the airport.
17- I flew to Atlanta and hitched a ride with Kim to Macon, Mississippi to be at Veronica and Lowell’s wedding.
19- 23- South Carolina. I had a wonderful time with my friends and family.
24- Kevin, Carmen, Bruce, Spencer Caroline, and I drove to Pennsylvania for Kevin and Cheryl’s wedding.
26 - We had a mini Cherry Creek reunion in Lancaster with Nathan Moser’s, Melissa Martin’s family, Devon Hartzler’s family, Troy Brubaker, and Mom, Dad, Spencer Caroline, and I. We spent the night at Melissa’s place then left that morning to drive back out here.
28- We arrived safe and sound back out here. Keturah Wetzel, a WATER student, also came.
30- We spent the day in Rapid. The Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Cabela’s, Scheels, Gordman’s, Pizza Ranch, and Philly Ted’s Cheesesteaks were some of the highlights. We spent the night in a hotel and came home the next day.
July
2- We went to the Sitting Bull Stampede Rodeo in Mobridge with all the single staff here.
4- Mom, Dad, and Spencer Caroline left in the wee hours of the morning. It was so good to have them here! We had planned to do kids ministry in two different places, but we couldn’t really find anybody in the one town so we sang for a couple there who used to come to church before they moved. What we do is this: play games, act out a story, have a lesson to go along with it, sing, and have a snack.
7- Paul and Elsie Hess came to take Dennis and Melissa’s place while they go on a two week vacation.
8- We had the annual sleepover with the middle girls club. We were gonna go swimming, but some of their moms thought there was dangerous stuff in the river, so we quickly changed to plan B – played in a park in Eagle Butte and took them to Dairy Queen for icecream.
9- We all went to a pow-wow and rodeo in Dupree.
15- Kid’s ministry in two more towns. When we got to the one town, we saw that the YMCA was already doing something with the kids, and we didn’t wanna barge in and take over, so we only did it at one place.
17- Kristina, Keturah, and I took our trusty old air mattress and floated down the river on it. That’s so much fun J
18- Our AC broke...I didn’t realize how much I took it for granted. We took the oldest girls club swimming and had their sleepover. It was too hot to sleep out in the tent, so we all slept inside…where it was hot lol.
19- Our house stayed between 93 and 95 most of the day. I want to complain, but then I’m reminded of all those people who live in much hotter places who don’t even have a decent roof to keep the sun off. Gettysburg Presbyterian Church comes every year to Takini and does projects in the surrounding communities. One night while they’re here they have what they call a Fun Festival where they have all kinds of kids games and plus a rummage and supper and stuff. I think I said before, but a rummage is like a yard sale where everything is free- I love themJ. We all went and it was really fun.
20- We decided to have a tea party for all the ladies and girls here, so we printed up invitations and rode bike all around town and invited everybody.
21- Twenty-two people came to the tea party. It wasn’t anything fancy, but I think everyone enjoyed it. We certainly did.
22- Kristina, Keturah, and I left early to go babysit some kids who live out of town on a ranch. The two oldest come to our school, and we haven’t really seen then since school got out, so we were excited about being with them. After lunch, we met with the rest of our team and took the kids with us to do kid’s ministry in two more towns. Then we rushed home to go to a wake for Maurice Big Eagle, our neighbor.
23- We spent all afternoon at the funeral. A lot of people looked up to Maurice….you can pray for the Big Eagle family, for comfort and that they would turn TO God during this time rather than AWAY from Him.
All the empty gaps in here were filled with girl’s clubs, painting, cleaning, mowing (people in town pay us to mow their yards), cooking, and lots of other stuff.
Our AC is still not working. The people have to come from Pierre to fix it, so it’s taking a little while longer. They say it burned up, so we need a whole new unit. I imagine that’s gonna be pretty costly, so if you would like to help at all with it, I’m sure the mission would be very grateful.
I have been very encouraged by Paul’s writings in the Bible. I Corinthians 2:3-5 really struck me as I read it recently. “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” I always thought that Paul was some fer superman because of all he did. But he says here that he’s not…he’s just like us. He doesn’t feel like Superman. He freaks out. He isn’t perfect. He doesn’t say everything right. But that’s all designed by God so that through our weaknesses, God’s power can be shown. I’m trusting God to continue to use my weaknesses and imperfections to show his strength through me and I hope you can do the same.
God bless each one of you. Until next time, Laura
You should swing in here some time.....Just say'n
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