The days before and after school began

School began yesterday. The picture above is of Nicole's first day of 3rd grade. Last week we took a final opportunity for a day outing at a nearby state park. With packed lunches, grandparents, and Jake the dog, we headed 28 miles off the paved road to Beaver Dam State Park. We were excited to catch a glimpse of wild horses along the way (at least we're guessing these are some of the wild ones that have been seen in the area).

What we did not know was that Beaver Dam had been breached (blown up!) about two years ago! Though our efforts to see the beautiful reservoir were fruitless, we did enjoy the drive, the picnic lunch at a very remote campground, and one last trip with grandparents before school began. We also learned that Jake the dog is a good little traveler and seems now ready for our next trip.

Tonight we went to school for a spaghetti dinner and back-to-school night. The pictures above are of Nicole's teacher and her classroom. Day 2 of third grade is already over and before we know it we'll be attending an end-of-the-year assembly. The days go by so fast but yet we can hardly wait for tomorrow! Lord, help us to make the most of our time (Eph. 5:16).

Here's Nicole making the most of her time on her bike and with her dog.

Jane's mom and dad will depart Pioche tomorrow in their RV for points beyond. We miss them already. Having family nearby has been a wonderful treat for as long as it has lasted. It has been a joy to see them daily and to worship with them in our church. "We'll be back," they always say as they depart. We're holding them to that!

Thank you for your prayers for the ministry here. It is our joy to serve Him. We love you all.

4-H Fair & Fry Ranch

It is 4-H fair time in our county and Nicole was encouraged to enter a cooking exhibit as part of her 4-H cooking club. She decided to make banana bread. The exhibit had to be all her handiwork so Mom merely assisted here and there while Nicole measured, mixed, and baked. With much anticipation, we went to the fair this morning to learn the results of the judging. Nicole received a 1st place ribbon for her category! We were delighted! The slide show below captures the whole process from beginning to end.

This week a sister church in Las Vegas held a boys' youth camp at Fry Ranch, a retreat center owned by our association. Two boys from our church and two of their friends were invited. On Tuesday afternoon Mitch drove the boys out to the ranch, about 40 miles north of Pioche. On Thursday evening, Mitch was invited to come to camp to bring a message on the omnipresence of God. Jane & Nicole tagged along to spend the evening with Dad and the boys. Nicole had a blast and Mitch did a great job.

This retreat center is by no means finished. A lot of work is needed but it has incredible potential. If your church is interested in a great mission/building project in beautiful Nevada, let's talk.

Final weeks of summer vacation

There's not a lot of news to write about it. Nicole's summer vacation is rapidly coming to an end. She'll start 3rd grade on August 18! This leaves us to say, "Where did the summer go?" We've enjoyed VBS, swimming, fishing, church fellowships, having grandparents visit, and a whole lot of nothing. But it's the latter that reminds us that we had more on our "summer fun" list than we actually accomplished. Such is life. One thing's for sure, we are enjoying these last days of Nicole's summer vacation with Jake the dog. Here's the latest cute shot of Nicole and her pup.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and please continue to pray for the ministry here.

Tie-Dying

Nicole recently discovered a tie-dying kit on clearance at Wal-Mart. By adding white t-shirts (also on clearance), she was ready for her first tie-dying experience! With Mom's help, Nicole created three beautiful shirts, proudly modeled below.

"Hey, where's my shirt?"

Puppy news and other things

Well, it's official. We are now "dog owners." Jake, the black lab pup, arrived in Pioche on Thursday of last week bringing with him Grandpa Gary and Grandma Sharon (Mitch's dad and wife) from Wyoming. Our cat, Callie, is tolerating him. When outside, Callie is content to be under the porch or under the car observing Jake from a safe distance. And since Jake lives outside (at least, for now), Callie very much appreciates that there is no need, at this point, to share her indoor home with him.

Jake has his own pool (a kiddie pool) but he is NOT spoiled! We're just helping him stay cool on hot days. Yes, he's chewing on everything but that's just what pups do. We're just trying to give him replacement things to chew on. He has been a lot of fun already and we're looking forward to watching him grow. And grow he will--can you see the size of those paws?

We have enjoyed Grandpa Gary's and Grandma Sharon's first visit to Pioche. Jane's parents are also in town again so we were able to see more of beautiful Nevada while the grandparents were all in town.

Mitch baptized four on Sunday and we had a high attendance that morning of 81! On Sunday evening we had a church fellowship at a nearby state park. We enjoyed eating together, playing volleyball, throwing horseshoes, and hiking. The kids enjoyed staying cool in the park's wading pool. We praise the Lord for the work He is doing here. Thanks for your prayers.

Swimming, fishing, and a new pup

Since the beginning of swimming lessons, Nicole has worked on perfecting her front and back strokes. This week, for the first time ever, Nicole learned how to dive into the deep end of the pool. Here she is showing you her new skill:

After swimming lessons today, Nicole experienced another first--catching a fish. She caught two rainbow trout (and Dad caught one)!

This past weekend Grandpa Gary and Grandma Sharon in Wyoming gave us some wonderful news. Their friend was willing to give them a black lab puppy for Nicole. This 10-week-old pup will soon be traveling with Grandpa and Grandma from Wyoming to Nevada. Nicole can hardly wait! (We're wondering how excited Callie the cat will be to meet this new member of the family!)

In church news, we praise the Lord that a young man accepted Christ recently. His older sister had recently joined the church after being a regular attender. We are also thankful for the six kids (three from VBS) who have attended the first of three new Christian's classes for kids. New Wednesday night Bible studies for ladies and men are beginning in a couple of weeks while the kids are looking forward to "Faith & Fun" nights. Mitch finished a series of sermons from the book of Jonah and is now doing a series on the incomparability of God. We praise the Lord for the work He is doing here!

Summer has begun!

Now that VBS is over, we've been able to focus on other fun. Tomorrow Nicole begins swim lessons at Pioche's public pool. She's taken lessons before but advanced classes should help her to learn deep water skills.

Also tomorrow is the beginning of a 4-H cooking club. Nicole will learn how to make a pie, meatloaf & potatoes, a dutch oven & campfire meal, and an individual pizza. (Afterwards, Mom is planning to take a cooking hiatus and let Nicole make the family meals!)

The family also hopes to enjoy some hiking, camping, and fishing this summer. A recent trip to Wal-Mart allowed us to add to our small, but growing fishing tackle, including a pole for Nicole. She is now ready to fish after several practice casts in the church parking lot. Catching an actual fish will be the next feat!

If you have no summer plans, perhaps you could plan a trip to Pioche. We'd love to see you!

Sprinkler fun in the backyard

Dog-days, or rather cat-days of summer

Preparing to paint rocks as a summer project

Some of Nicole's rock painting work

An awesome VBS!

Our VBS week was just incredible! We had between 35 and 43 children each day. Each teacher had opportunities during the week to share the Gospel during the Bible story time. Then on Friday, Mitch went into the 1st/2nd, 3rd/4th, and 5th/6th grade classes to give a special Gospel presentation. Fourteen boys and girls made professions of faith! Please pray for these children that they will grow in their faith. Several of the children do not attend our church so it is also our prayer that they (and their families) will become a part of our fellowship. We will follow-up with them in the days ahead.

Last night we ended our week with a Backyard Block Party at the church. Besides the opportunity for kids to show their parents what they had learned, we also enjoyed hamburgers with families on the church lawn. The culminating activity was our water balloon team competition. Each day the four classes or teams earned daily points for attendance, knowing the memory verse, bringing a Bible, bringing a friend, and doing a service project. The team with the most points at the end of the week would earn the prize of water ballooning Pastor Mitch. Each day the kids saw the team totals but had no idea which team was in the lead. In great suspense last night, the results were revealed and they were nearly miraculous--a four-way tie! Kids screamed with excitement when they learned that everyone was a winner! Pastor Mitch was not quite as excited as the kids but you'll see from our pictures of the event (http://www.bereanbaptistpioche.blogspot.com/) that he had fun. Thank you for your prayers for us during this week. To God be the glory for all He has done!