back home, visitors, home alone, lizards....

We have been back from Colorado for about a week and 1/2 now. We got home on a Thursday and Wil and Kathy (Jim's Aunt and Uncle) and Isaiah came on Friday morning. It was so good to see family from back in Indiana. We hiked Coal Mine Canyon with them and went out behind the village for a cook out in the evening. You'll have to ask them how the hiking was.
We really enjoyed our time with them. They left Saturday morning to catch their flight out.

Then on Monday the Toews left for MI and several other places along the way. So we have been here holding down the fort. (Melissa has been at her folks in IN) We had a pretty quiet week last week. Everyone in the village was preparing for their dance/ceremony they had last week-end. We spent a lot of time in prayer, that the enemy would be bound and God's name would be lifted up.

It seems there has been so many little nuggets of opportunities that we have had to minister in some small way the last few days.
-A lady in the hospital that we had a chance to share the gospel and pray with.
-To show love to a young girl who had been beaten in a fight.
-To pray with a lady for her nephew as he turned his back on God. (his heart has softened just a few days later and was even willing to come to church with them PTL)
-For Bryce to share about God to a young boy who was asking.
-For Seth to share with some inquiring boys about why we don't go to their dances and how to pray to God.
-Jim to spend time listening to a man share his life as he asked for help to get into rehab. And to re-connect him to an old friend who is now walking with the Lord.
-To give some clothes, books and toys to a couple children in need.
-To listen and pray with a christian lady as she struggled through the week-end with her unsaved family involved in the dances. (her husband released her from being involved in the dance. PTL)
-To give glasses of water to the ones coming through the yard and having a couple minutes to chat while they're drinking it.

That is just a bit of what God has brought our way lately. And yet, I have to think, "how many opportunities did we miss because we were too busy to notice?" I thank God for His faithfulness in answering prayers as we have cried out to him.

Yesterday Tara got to share her birthday with Fathers Day. It is the first time for her, on her 10th birthday. It was pretty special for her.

The other day, I opened my kitchen drawer and was quite startled to find a lizard sitting in the measuring pitcher I was intending to use. I guess the sides were too slippery for it to get out.
I have to say though, I would rather have lizards in our house than mice.
I am currently trying to catch some sort of a creature that continues to lick my mouse trap clean without even tripping it. I am trying a little different approach tonight, so we'll see how it turns out.

This little puppy spent several days here until his rightful owner discovered him. The kids literally spent hours playing with this little guy.


While we were in Colorado some friends blessed us with tickets to Fun City. It really was a lot of fun there. Just some pics from there.And tomorrow we're off to Flagstaff to do some shopping and pick up Melissa. So now I must go to bed.