BEAUTY

We usually enjoy our car ride out to Lower Brule, maybe even more than the ride back home. Maybe we're more tired, or maybe we're more awake and have more to talk about. Anyway, I ignored the clock and stopped a couple of times on the ride in to take a couple of pictures to share with you. I believe that Chamberlain, Fort Thompson, and Lower Brule are some of the most beautiful spots in South Dakota. Our number of children has been climbing with the nice weather, and today peaked our attendance for the Sunday morning service since we started working at Lower Brule. Esther and I had our hands full. They were bursting with energy, but so precious. We had several new ones that we hadn't had for Sunday School, and these guys seemed interested.

When one of the children comes for four Sundays, he or she gets to choose from a box of special prizes that we have prepared for them. Molly decided on a recorder. She 'tried it out' all the way home, and we were happy to let her out at home. Several hours later, Esther thought about it and said, "I bet Molly's mother hates us right now!" :)

Upstairs, Ray had an extra when a mother of one of the children stopped in for service. She occasionally comes, and we are always happy when she does. Thank you for your interest in Lower Brule.

AN INVITATION

How I love to receive invitations!! Well, usually. :) I like an invitation to come and visit, an invitation to go out to coffee, to dinner. I like an invitation that is offered because someone enjoys spending time with me or my family. I especially like invitations that don't include a list of "ideas" of what to buy and bring with me { :) }--as in, no strings attached--spoken pure and simple, "I just want your companionship." Jesus invited us to "Come unto Me, and learn of Me." He invites us to be His friend, and He invites us to fellowship with Him. We extended this invitation to the community of Lower Brule this morning. It was a beautiful morning with not too much heat, and a little sun. The river reflected the brilliant blue sky as we drove over.

We love when they are ready and impatiently waiting for us!

We took our minivan out to pick up children this morning and just about filled it.

They get all dressed up in their good clothes to come. :)


We feel rewarded when we see the children coming to church with anticipation.

We had an interesting and uninvited visitor in church this morning. When we were ready to start church, I noticed a very large grasshopper seated primly on the unlit candle in front of the pulpit desk. When the music started, I expected him to 'make good his escape,' but he seemed to be absorbed in the goings-on, and he stayed. I thought I heard him add a little talent to the singing once, but maybe it was my imagination. He sat up with his antennae bent toward Ray as he prayed and preached. Part way through the message, he must have felt bored, and he lay down a little while. Soon he sat back up and resumed his diligent attention in the message. After the service, we went to the back to converse with the attendees. After everyone left, we went back up front to dispense with Mr. Grasshopper. He was nowhere in sight, and we did not find him again, though we searched. Wonder if he'll come next week without an invitation?? I got a very poor picture of the fellow.

My apologies to you and to Mr. Grasshopper for the poor photography

Speaking of invitations, one of the church families offered us a piece of property (2 1/2 acres) to use to live on so we can move out to be with the people. We are very touched by the offer. Please pray that we would stay in step with the Great Planner. We have long felt that it is necessary for the survival of the church for the people to have someone who cares enough to live with them.

Thank you for your interest in Lower Brule.

CHANGES-UGHHHHHH..........!!!!

Since work has never been overly enchanting to me, I try to ease my way into it some way. This weekend is my holiday weekend from work, as I worked Monday for the required shift during the 4th of July holiday. My thoughtful supervisor scheduled 4 days off in a row this weekend to offset that day (yes, she is the best!) We decided to spend part of those days camping at the dam at Fort Thompson and working at the church on Saturday.
The basement at Lower Brule had flooded during the big rains and flooding in South Dakota, and we had mold growing as well as a soggy carpet. Spiders had claimed the basement; and we knew that we could not have children down there with conditions as they were. The sign had blown over in a big wind, and scrub trees were growing against the building too close to the foundation. Ray and Esther and I made a work-bee day for ourselves and spent several hours on Saturday fixing the issues. Esther and I thoroughly cleaned and bleached the basement and tore up the carpet. We have ideas to make it much more kid-friendly, and would like to get started with those ideas, but really need to see the basement wall fixed first. We even had enough time left that we did a good job of cleaning the upstairs while we were at it. Ray went outside and cut the 'trees' down that were pushing against the foundation, and worked on the sign. It became oppressive outside as we were working, and the clouds built up into a storm. We finally quit and left the church with the temperature registering at 96 degrees. The storm was breaking as we drove back to Fort Thompson to get the trailer and set up camp, and the temperature dropped to 75 degrees in 15 minutes. The wind was a little wild, but we got everything set up in spite of it. We pulled our 31 foot camper to the campground to stay in one last time. We have owned it for 15 years, and it served us well as we were raising our children. We are negotiating to sell it now, as we are looking to change directions in our lives. We wanted to stay in the trailer one last time before it is sold.
We are making plans to take Esther to school in Hobe Sound, Florida where her sister and brother-in-law live so she can pursue her music. We plan to leave to take her there the first week in August.
With this change, we will be making changes at the mission. Esther has been an invaluable asset to the work with the children, and this change will be felt keenly there. I will try to carry on the work, though we will need help in that effort. Please pray that God will provide the needed help. One of the mothers of our children has volunteered to help, and we are pleased with that offer and plan to have her help. Ray feels he needs my help in the adult service, as I play the piano and help any way that I can. For this reason, we will probably change the time that the children will have Sunday School. We are also feeling that we are not as effective in the work when we live such a distance away. We will probably be actively looking for work and a place to stay over that direction later this fall. Please remember these needs in your prayers. I naturally resist change, though my life has held many huge changes, and Ray seems to adjust more easily to change. Life has a way of marching on, though, and resistance will make things that could be good become bad, and it will stifle progress. So-Life, here I come: go ahead with the change! :) :)