Now that spring is in the air, I feel I should let everyone know! However, depending on where you are as you read this, you would wonder if I know what I'm talking about. The snow is melting by the minute, but there is still quite a bit in our yard, if you really must know. The temperature got up to +12 today and the days feel so nice and long when going by the length of daylight hours.
We had a really good public relations trip to PA, OH, IN and MI. We left on March 24 and returned on April 9th. It was a lot of fun having Jim and Mary Keesic along this time. One of the things that I liked about having them along was how they commented and appreciated things that I probably take for granted. Simple things like horse and buggys, front porches, and the enormity of some of the houses in the states. But the really big one was how they noticed how kind people are everywhere we went. I think I've gotten to assume that is a "given" in my life, so it was good to be reminded not to take that for granted. It was fun to get to know them better and also to do word games and crosswords together to help pass all the miles.
We met with various people, including friends, relatives, church leaders, one youth group, missions leaders, and youth pastors. We stayed with old friends and made new ones. It's always good to reconnect with people who once lived in this area. The banquet in PA was a good one, in spite of the numbers being down a bit from previous years. The Bragg's had a receptive audience and hopefully those who heard will pray more effectively for not only the work they're doing but for all of LHNM.
I really did a poor job of remembering to take pictures, so I guess I'll leave that for now. Another highlight for us was to see "Daniel and the Lions Den" live production at the Sight and Sound theater near Strasburg, PA. It was truly a WOW! experience. Thanks Gary and Joyce for making it happen.
Since there's no place like home it was really fun coming back. Some people wonder how that can be when we enjoyed spring in the south and then come home to freezing temperatures and lots of snow on the ground. Well, the beauty of it is that we get to enjoy 2 springs. I really soaked in the sights of all the lovely green grass, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, forsythia, and even one bed of red tulips while in PA. And we loved hearing the cardinals and robins singing in the morning. Now we are watching mr. and mrs. raven on their nest high up in a tree not to far behind our house. And because my rhubarb is close to the house, the snow has melted and their tiny red shoots are poking out. So, hurrah for getting to watch it happen, and thank-you Jesus for the beauty of the seasons.
On Monday after school two of "our" girls returned for a few days. Mary Lawson had to take her parents to Thunder Bay for medical appointments, so her daughter, Kaylene, and her foster daughter, Tia Pettit, came to stay again. Here they are blowing the hugest bubbles I've ever seen with a large wand. Tia won the bubbles in her Ojibway language class. They are fun gals to have around!
