Just a quick post!

Hey!  Everyone! 

We just wanted to send a little note to everyone to let them know we are still working for the Lord.  We just came out of wonderful Family Camps in South Dakota (the Great Plains Region) and in Iowa (the Central Region).  We have well over 1000 pictures we could share so expect a few along the way.

We want to thank everyone for their support and prayers since we are gone for something like 27 days.  The boys, Stephen and Sean, have been taking care of the house and the church while we were gone and we want to thank them for their work.  They even had a VLB Canoe Trip while we were gone and came out like lobsters!  We needed pictures - I'll check to see if anyone thought about it. 

We had spiritual camps in both regions we visited.  We praise the Lord for His presence and the work He is accomplishing in both of these regions.  They have wonderful people who perform double duty.  They simply need more hands and feet to help with the work.  There are great distances between local churches in both of these regions which hinders fellowship and yet they continue to work faithfully and endure whatever hardship comes as GOOD SOLDIERS! 

Great Plains Family Kamp in South Dakota we have reported 2 saved.  We also had some intersting weather.  Hail storms camp through twice and produced up to golfball size hail in the location where we were.  A tornado was produced from one of these storms but it was some 35 or 45 miles away.  I got some great shots of storm clouds but I haven't learned how to take a picture of lightening yet. I missed some great opportunities.  How often to you get to see a double rainbow?  How about 2 double rainbows?  We were blessed to see 2 double rainbows after the storms - BEAUTIFUL!  I will post pictures as soon as I get an oportunity.  The theme for the Great Plains Kamp was Soldiers of the Cross.  Boot Camp activities were everywhere from morning mail call to mess hall and testimonies from soldiers themselves.  Sister Esther Bock does a great job directing Family Kamp.  We want to thank the Bock family (who Oversee the region) of Brother Delbert, Sister Shirley and Sister Teresa for allowing us to stay in their home.  Excuse me - and Tuff.  We always feel so welcome and comfortable there.  Thanks Brother Delbert for helping us with our flat tire.  We want to thank Brother David Bock for sharing pictures and helping us get a program we could use to share our pictures.  We also really enjoyed sharing the trip to Iowa with Sister Erma. 

We arrived in Iowa just before another storm.  We appreciate Frank and Laurie Cleaver (and Biscuit) for allowing us to stay in their home.  Frank even remodeled a bathroom for us!  WOW!  It is beautiful and much appreciated. Frank and Laurie took us to see the Botantical Gardens before we left for camp and I had a blast taking pictures.  Expect to see pictures of flowers everywhere for the next year.  Thanks, we had a GREAT time! Sister Laurie did a great job with Family Camp.  I have never been to a camp that had so many visitors.  I expect to see the area grow and have an increase in campers next year.  Theme for the Camp was GO Fish and that they did.  The kids all seemed to have a great time and everything was then compared to a spiritual lesson.  It was reported that 2 were saved and 1 was sanctified.  Wonderful Camp!  Before we left we had the oportunity to meet all of the remaining Cleaver Family and visit with Overseer Roger Ammons.  We want to thank everyone for a wonderful time.  We learned that Brother Frank Cleaver, SR is well known by members of our local church but they had lost contact.  He was in George Town, AR back when they were kids.  We also learned that Frank, JR has a best friend that lives close to us that we know as well.   Of course there is another Arkansas connection.  Brother Frank Cleaver, SR is a brother to Sister Imogene Goodnight (the pastor's wife of Pine Bluff, Arkansas).  What a small world!

I thank the Lord for being a present help as we traveled.  The pain from my shoulder gave me some trouble but God was always good to come on the scene.  We stopped a little more frequently than we usually would but we tried to make it productive.  We took Luke to see the home of Jessie James and had a little history lesson while we there.  It is interesting how facts often differ from the stories that are passed down through the years.

We want to thank everyone from our local church in Bald Knob, Arkansas for their prayers and suport as we traveled.  They are a WONDERFUL group of people!  They certainly share in the fruits of these camps.

We are currently preparing for the Children's Assembly in Ashville, North Carolina.  We covet your continued prayerful support.  We are anticipating a wonderful time in the Lord. 

Remember Pictures will be coming later.  Love to all!