Today dawned bright and beautiful, and we felt the peace of the spring weather as we arrived at the Lower Brule reservation. Housing was quiet, and just a few dogs were wandering about when we went to pick up the children. The children were dressed cute and ready for church when we stopped at their houses to pick them up. They were also feeling the spring weather, and there was plenty of noise on the way to the church. Esther had a little bigger challenge than usual while she taught them in the basement, as they were restless. One little girl hasn't been coming as long, and she 'escaped' upstairs where Ray was preaching and was a little disturbing for a short time. I got up and she and I went back down to the basement and played a little game with a few other children who were finished with their project. We appreciate the men who are coming to church so faithfully. They are leaders in their homes and they often carry a heavy responsibility. One of the gentlemen stayed for a long time after church to talk with Ray. He has been carrying an especially heavy load, as he has suffered the loss of his wife in the last year, and he has had some issues in his home since. Please pray for John and his family.

Esther gave the lesson of Jesus' ascension today in Sunday School. She especially enjoys telling the Bible stories to these children, as the stories are usually new to them. They are so attentive and interested. If one of the younger ones starts to disturb, the older children often quiet them as they are interested and don't want to miss part of the story. We appreciate Esther's burden for the children.

Ray spoke to the men upstairs about the "neccesities of life." He began by telling what different specialists say is necessary to life, and he read from God's Word about what is necessary for our spiritual life. The men seemed very attentive.

Just a little side note: We were happy to again take our Sunday dinner and eat it in a beautiful spot by the lake. That is a nice highlight of our Sundays in Lower Brule.