Youth Quest

The week after VBS we held our 2 day Youth Quest. We got the gym (at no charge) for Thursday and Friday and planned activities from 1:15- 10:00 p.m. Total Enrollment was 40 young people between ages of 12 & 25 with about 30 others who were older or younger.

Here's what when on:
- Four sessions, one each afternoon and evening, which included youth choruses, handout activities, a skit, Bible Drills and a "talk." The topics were The Quest, The Junk Yard, The Map & The Crossroads. Jordan talked pretty straight to them and they payed attention for the most part. Misty Taggart (Native American from Pine Ridge Reservation) gave her testimony Thursday night and Laura Smith spoke about Northwest Indian Bible School the next. We all especially sensed God's help during the Thursday evening session. It was our best crowd (maybe 30) and everyone really listened! No one had to come (or stay). Some of them found it convenient to slip in at snack time or during their favorite activity. Sorry, we didn't get a good picture of the sessions.

- We took a break at supper time, but we did serve two snacks each day: cookies and drink in the afternoon and chips, dip, cookies and drink in the evening.

- Activities included Basketball, Volleyball, Waterballoon VB & Blind VB--Ultimate Dodgeball was a big "hit." Friday afternoon we had a water balloon toss contest, a water balloon fight, popcan relay game (includes water) and an unofficial round of "slop the preacher with the rest of the water buckets".

- And of course, clean-up >late at night > with our old worn-out bodies. Fortunately, they didn't make me do too much of it.

Special highlights

>Laura's new "friend" (one guy always seemed to know where she was)

>Seeing lots of people reading NIBS literature and showing interest in NIBS
>Getting to know a lot of new young people!!!

Water Balloon Volleyball

Ultimate Dodgeball

Popcan Relay

You should have seen a little later when a little 5 year old boy was trying to pour his can into Mike's--standing center--Mike was too tall or Nygile was too short--Nygile just dumped his whole can slowly on Mike's shoulder.

VBS

We had a good VBS with an average attendance of 33 and total enrollment of 59. It was a lot of work! The van really helped us out a lot (except for the fact that there is no key to lock the doors and kids kept getting in it and blowing the horn during VBS while we were "trying" to teach.) AND a couple of days Jordan felt like he was playing "All around the little white church the pastor chased the kiddies!" Some of them would not listen at all and kept running out of the church and then banging on and kicking the door.

The last night at the end of service, Jordan & I were both busy watching the prize boxes and Misty & Laura were outside distributing snacks. We try to be very careful about our stuff not getting stolen. Jordan is pretty sure he put our camera behind the altar when he came up front. Well, after the kids were all outside playing games, I discovered our camera was nowhere to be found :( Laura, Misty and I searched everywhere several times. Then, I went out and told Jordan. We were pretty sure we knew who it was. 3 older boys had come in late and the teenage boy was one of the only ones missing outside. Laura and Misty said he also didn't come through the snack line and he had been know to steal in the past. Anyhow, to make a long story short, we went through the whole moping thing, but kept praying to get it back. Jordan made a poster and hung it in the Post Office and told several kids there would be a cash reward. Sunday morning the two other boys brought it back to Jordan and said they found it and that the boy who took it didn't know they retrieved it! What an answer to prayer!

First Sunday with the Van

Home Sweet Home

We are back from Rocky Mountain Camp and in the middle of VBS! It has been absolutely crazy around here-no time to blog. I finally got a chance for some "alone time." We had a wonderful camp and were so glad for the opportunity to go. We are tired of singing though! Brianna went to kid's church every day so that was a big help. I think we wore ourselves out! It was a looooooooong trip! Jordan came home with a fever, strep throat, and pink eye. Then I got pink eye and still have it. Thankfully, Brianna hasn't gotten it yet.

On the way home we picked up our "new" church van in Rapid City.(donated from Missoula church and fixed up by Bill Edwards) When we got about an hour and a half from home, it broke down. We were already exhausted as we had left the previous day, driven for a few hours, got a motel, up again and left early and traveled all day again. (Jordan sick and running a temp both days) Jordan messed around with it for a while, but it was dark and rainy and he couldn't tell what was going on. We tried to contact AAA but there wasn't enough cell service so we drove into town about (15 miles fortuneatly) and used a pay phone. After many trips back and forth to town-buying antifreeze, trying to get cell service, using pay phone, etc., we sat and waited along the road for 2 hours for AAA. It was 2 am. Finally, we called AAA again and they still hadn't found a truck for us and when they did it would be coming out of Mobridge- about 2 hrs away. We gave up and went home. To make a long story short, the problem was the radiator and it is now fixed and we are using it for VBS! We had 25 kids piled in on Sunday for S.S.

Laura Smith and Misty Taggart are here from NIBS for 3 weeks. Laura is doing her internship and Misty her summer outreach. (She is girl's dorm dean) They are a wonderful help around the house. I've never had my dishes done up so fast and dried and put away too! I have been longing for a dishwasher and told them that the Lord sent me 2 dishwashers! They help a lot with meals and Brianna too-take her on walks, comb her hair, get her dressed, play with her, etc. It's so nice with me slowing down and all. It seems the closer I get, the slower I move! Less than 4 weeks now! The girls think it would be so exciting if I would go into labor while they are here! Just as long as he doesn't come too early. Part of Laura's internship and Misty's outreach is to hold our Bible school. (We are actually all working together on it, but they have the hard part) Overall it is going well. We had 37 kids the first night and 33 again last night. (It felt like 50) The kids were so rowdy last night-all four of us couldn't even handle them. They just won't listen to us. Oh well, hopefully they will hear something that will stick and help them. Next week we are planning a two day thing for the Youth-getting the gym. Pray that it will all work out and some teens will come.
Must go. Will try to post some VBS pictures soon.

Mother's Day and more

Everyone else has written about their Mother's Day and posted pictures. Well, guess what? In my state of exhaustion and desperate desire to get out of the outfit I had been wearing all day, I remembered about pictures after I had already changed! I thought of it throughout the day, but was too busy. With a bunch of rowdy kids (and precious I might add) at Sunday School, racing home to grab lunch, running back out the door to drive a half hour to Mobridge to pick up a lady for church, Worship service at 5, back to Mobridge to take Cori home, back home for a quick snack and then to Kristen's baccalaureate at 8. (7 their time) I think I'll go for a little more relaxation next year!

And if you're wondering, yes I did have a wonderful Mother's Day. Just a little too hectic for my liking! My morning was a little more relaxed and Brianna surprised me with a beautiful potted flower and cute card with a kid sitting on a potty. (very fitting) Well, she "tried" to surprise me! I was downstairs looking for something for S.S. and she came down and said, "I want you to come up and get your stuff." I asked her, "What stuff?" and she then told me about the flower and how she had drawn a picture in the card. It was so sweet.

About the potty thing, I don't know what happened, but Brianna has been doing great on the potty. (As far as wetting is concerned-I need some encouragement about the other :-( In the past week she has done great about running to the bathroom constantly it seems and keeping dry. We went to Bismarck for Dr. appt. and shopping yesterday and I was so proud of her. She stayed dry the whole way there and told us when she had to go and even used public restrooms-yuck! UNTIL..... we used an automatic flush toilet. Downhill from there. It flushed while she was on it and scared her half to death. She wouldn't go for the rest of the day. Oh well, hopefully she gets over it.

Brianna is fascinated with stethoscopes and anything that has to do with doctor. She got a dr. kit for her b-day and usually goes in with us for my appointments. The other day she put her hand on the right side of her chest and said, "My heart isn't beeping!" Of course I then had to give her another phonics lesson. Then just the other night she put her hand on my belly and said, "I felt his heart beep!"

I probably won't be posting much for a while now ( not that I have been anyhow :) because we are getting ready for the Copes to come this weekend and then we are leaving for Rocky Mountain Camp (at Northwest Indian Bible School) on Tuesday. We are supposed to do the singing, so between practicing 30 plus songs, cleaning my house for company, packing and everything else, I won't have much time for blogging. I will try to post a few pictures before we leave.

Fun with Friends

These pictures were taken when Kirk & Sarah Duvall & family
came to visit us. The kids had so much fun playing together.

(Especially in the garden!) Their baby boy, Landon made

me even more excited to have a boy. He is such a sweetie.

The Hospital

This morning Brianna wanted me to come see the "hospital." She took me in the bathroom and told me that it was the hospital in Bismarck. (Where I will be delivering) Then she said she had a baby brother. I asked where he was and she said, "In my tummy!" She's crazy. She knows that he is in my stomach, but loves to pretend that he is in hers I guess!