Iceland Adventures

We were able to walk, after pouring most of the night giving us another inch and a half of rain it stopped just in time. Joan can only go on one round because Hannah is now in drivers ed. Can you guess who is driving the van in the picture below by looking at Diane, Ruth and mom?

Yes, that is Hannah. Diane and I drove separately to work today. Diane picked up the mail at TEMCO while I went straight to the new office to try to get the Bible labels all printed for the workers today. We forgot to tell Diane R we had moved but she found us anyway. Thankfully Diane H posted on Facebook where the new office was.

 Gary and Marie brought 3 of their kids to help since the fields are still to wet for Gary to work so instead they stuffed boxes, Bibles, and envelopes. Jenny brought in 3 of Diane's grand children also to help.

 In the other room our office was nice and quiet, we were able to finish the studies and letters in good time. Below Edie, Roma and Eva Jean had their pick of chairs.

 Once the letters were read, Chuck worked on stuffing boxes for our Tuesday's mail.

We had left over pizza for lunch. We were not able to finish we ran completely out of Bibles again. Diane drove to Meister's to pick up the last 5 boxes there but we were still short over a hundred. She left a message for Tim Martin so hopefully they will be delivered before Tuesday.
Marika and her colt were just turned outside in the field. I didn't lock her in the pasture it is just too muddy even in the pond pasture for her young colt. Marika grazed for a while then made her way back to the barn, Megan happened to be visiting so put them in the stalls. The Iceland group is having quite an adventure. Sarah wrote that she was glad to be alive after today. They hiked to the highest waterfall in Iceland and visit more just absolutely gorgeous spots.

 And of course we have to finish this post with ponies, below a herder is taking his Iceland ponies back to a corral. The ponies know the way, they must let them graze during the day.

What an adventure Rachel, David, Caleb, Jake, Karin, Jessica, Anni, Emily and Sarah are having on this trip, what a great experience.

Moving Day for Berean

It was raining this morning which meant no walk which meant I could leave early for work. I arrived about an hour before the rest of the crew showed up to help with the big move. This gave me time to semi organize and start boxing things up. When the help arrived we put them right to work loading the trailer and Joan's van.

 Meister's loaned us their trailer which was a good thing as it was raining. We backed that right up to the door and were able to load almost everything in it. Below we have arrived at Wayne and Lukie Unsicker's office which they are so generously donated for the Berean use. We were pretty thrilled with how roomy and well set up it is. It didn't take long to empty the trailer and get to work organizing.

 In the picture above Joan, Wayne and Megan are putting together a cabinet Wayne and Lukie bought for the room while Diane is still bringing in supplies. Shirley and Eva Jean are helping with the new cabinet pieces. Below is the office room. We now have plenty of table space and plenty of chairs for any workers that show up to read and process the studies.

 Below is the right side of the room.

 Below is the left side of the room, Eva Jean is in the other room working in the kitchen area, we can see her in the window. This window slides open so we can pass things between the 2 rooms.

We quit after 2:00 pm. I needed to get back to let Jewel and Marika along with their 2 colts outside for the rest of the afternoon, clean stalls, fill water buckets and feed. Anna dropped off Taegan and Kensly while she and Philip worked on getting the standing water off their new floor from all the rain. We drove separate to church tonight so we could get some supper after wards. I just was too tired to even think of cooking. The ICC/Bradley young group came tonight. It is so wonderful for us old folks to see the church full of beautiful happy young people all talking at once.
The Iceland group posted more pictures of their adventure today. They visited and swam in the hidden hot springs called Gullfoss.

and of course had to hop on some ponies

Saw more beautiful glaciers and waterfalls

We got an update at church on Kathy, she had to have emergency surgery at Methodist here in Peoria. Surgery went well but she will have to have another surgery tomorrow. Please please keep praying for her, she is so special to us.

Old School Center News

Update on the Old School Center in Farmington
Dan writes:
We have lost much, we have gained much more.
first, a quick building update. The damaged unsafe parts are gone,, a new roof is being constructed over what remains. Hopefully we can somehow finish before the funds dry up completely. The additions that were unaffected by fire or water damaged are starting to rent as commercial or residential space. 
In this unbelievable chapter of our lives, of picking up what ever pieces we can and throwing away a career, dreams, a lifestyle, to move on into the yet unknown, there are 3 truths that will fundamentally change me forever.
1. We are hated.. the bully, the enemy, hates us with a passion that we can not fathom.. There is nothing in his essence that wants good for us... as inferior beings that will occupy a seat at Gods table, his contempt for us is unimaginable. I never understood this until this year. He is a LIAR and a THIEF and in his rebellion against The Father, he attacks the children.
In my recent history there was a time the enemy would bring to my memory everything wicked deed in my past. Horribly accurate things that would have me cringing. How could God love me?.. forgive me..? there was no denying, just a broken admission of guilt and a pleading cry for forgiveness.
2. WE ARE LOVED, with an everlasting love, far beyond comprehension, beyond imagination!, the tenderness, the compassion, the affection!. To orchestrate events from long ago just to show how He cares for every hair on our head.. My offenses though great, are paid for, my shame covered with a robe of righteousness not my own. Not even my best deeds could atone and my best day is complete darkness compared to the radiance of the robe we are given.. I cant be specific in this forum but I have seen divine intervention in answered prayers and even for unasked solutions to problems I thought were to big for God to solve. and with tenderness He places a cherry on top to destroy doubt.
3. Nothing happens without Gods permission. It is completely wrong to think that God has to put out the enemy's fires, to do damage control. The enemy has to petition the throne, to shudder at the holy presence, to ask before he is given any permission to assault the bride.. Was God asleep when the cross happened? or was it the point of the best story ever? He allowed the murderous death of Jesus to happen and the victory of evil is now conquered. Where is your sting death? where is your victory grave? Nothing happens that God did not allow
God allows bad things to happen and the answer why is always the same.. FOR HIS GLORY..
To go forward into unknown, real problems, concerns, financial trouble, but with peace in knowing... because greater is HE that is in us than he that is in the world,, We have lost much, we have gained much more!

Prayer's Requested

We had another busy day at Berean but thankfully had new volunteers. Gary and Marie showed up with their family. We were only missing Dave and Kathy.  Dave called to tell us that Kathy was in the hospital in a lot of pain and was requesting prayers. Please please if you are reading this stop now and pray for Kathy. If the doctors are not able to help here in Peoria they will be driving to Springfield for surgery tomorrow. Kathy is the most kind person I know. We always ask her to answer some of the harder letters to prisoners as she does this so gently and sweetly.
Mom and Marie ended up reading all the letters but there were so many they couldn't finish this morning and had to work into the afternoon.

Below Marie is interpreting a Spanish letter while Gary, Megan and Chuck open the studies.

Below mom and Shirley are reading letters while Eva Jean opens studies and Joan enters the studies on the computer.

 We had piles of mail, today 2 of those big white mailboxes were full and somehow got the studies all processed.

 Joan had the kids working in the conference room stuffing boxes and stamping envelopes.

 Thankfully Shelby and Terren arrived to help keep the kid room working smoothly so Joan could work in the other room on the computer.

We took a break once the studies were all entered and labeled and went to lunch at Denny's we wanted to tell the waitress, Tammy, that tomorrow Berean moves and we probably wouldn't be back on Tuesdays or Thursdays. I'm not sure if she will miss us or be glad to see us go but we thought it only fair to go one more time to explain why we weren't going to show up anymore. Besides that we were hungry, it was well after noon.
When we got back the studies were separated, stuffed and mailed out. We were not able to process any of the letters but needed to quit. There were horses and dogs to care for.
Megan came with me and helped put Marika and her colt out in the pond pasture then clean up Jewel a bit so we could get a few pictures of her 3 day old colt. He was very glad to get outside and exploded going up then down then up and down a few more times.

 In the picture below he has jumped straight into the air, all 4 feet were off the ground.

 We put them into the arena to get a few trot pictures but even then he just couldn't help but play, buck, rear and kick.

They were turned out into the pond pasture with Marika and her colt when we finished. There are strong storms predicted again tonight so the mares and foals were brought back inside after dinner.
A few pictures of the kids' Iceland trip were posted and will be shared here. It sounds like they are having a wonderful time and getting a lot of exercise hiking this beautiful country.

Dave sent a text a bit ago that Kathy was still in a lot of pain. Please keep Kathy and Dave in your prayers tonight and tomorrow.
Check out the video below, it is just 90 seconds by a Harvard professor short but profound.