Planting Trees While Dusk Falls Upon the World

Saturday a friend called and told Jonathan about trees for sale at an auction this side of the Springs.

A few hours later, Jonathan and Sam came home with a truck and trailer full of trees Jonathan had bought there.

Earlier this year, we had researched prices for different trees at nurseries, and the average price for a 6-ft. evergreen was about $350. 

So when Jonathan was able to get them instead for $35 each, and 12-14-ft. aspen for $9 each, he was pretty tickled.

All I could think about at first sight of those trees was how long it had taken to dig the holes last time we bought little saplings,
 and how many other projects needed to be done--like the loafing shed built for the horse for winter, and walls for Crystal's new room to name only a couple.
But thankfully this day the ground was much softer everywhere we dug that evening.

Hannah waters the hole that has horse "fertilizer" in it.

I helped dig and plant, too, along with Timmy.

Sam and Rose were finishing nailing up the roof studs for the horse's loafing shed, so that was what they did

while we planted.

Dusk fell too fast!

 Jonathan and Timmy dug holes as fast as they could.

Night was coming on.

Soon we could no longer work.

Sam unloaded the rest of the trees and covered the roots with hay to protect them a couple days or so till we had time to dig more holes.

I read something recently about how the year 2018 is the 70th year since Israel became a nation.
Might Jesus come back very soon?
Are we keeping busy at what He wants us to do until He comes?
Night is coming when it will be too late.
Sunday we made the long trip again to Denver to help out at the Denver God's Missionary Church.
It was encouraging to have more people there Sunday!
 We stayed through the afternoon
and Jonathan and I went with Christian to pick up children in the church bus.
Here Christian is lifting a small child off the bus after arriving at church.

Rose held baby Kira so Holly could tell the story.

This Sunday Holly wanted to share the plan of salvation again.
The children listened with rapt attention as she drew on the board, sharing how we people are on one side of a deep chasm
separating us from God.

There we are on the left, and there is God on the right.
But Jesus came and died on the cross, to bridge that chasm so that our sins could be forgiven and we could have a way made to get to heaven.

It was a very simple, but very effective way to share the gospel.
God's love has been reaching the hearts of these children. Jonathan and I are especially impressed with the potential behind two little boys coming, age 6 and 9 respectively, who live with their aunt but love to come to Kid's Club.
They like to sit on the back seat that bounces up and down when Christian drives over speed bumps!
They asked us Sunday on the way to church, "Are we allowed to talk dirty in church?"

We assured them that no, they must NOT talk dirty in church.
Before long, one of the next things that came out of the littlest boy's mouth was on a diffferent subject.
"I'm awesome!" he chuckled happily.
Had he remembered just two or three weeks earlier when he had asked during story time if he would be picked, and Holly had said, "I'd pick you in a heartbeat! You're awesome!"
And now here he was, sitting in the church bus, accepting that 1) he may not say dirty words in church,
and 2) he was "awesome." He was loved. He was special.
Jesus loved him!

You can't have one without the other. You can't love kids and let them talk dirty and do any old thing they want. They can sense that when you put your foot down about doing wrong but love them and affirm them kindly at the same time, they are loved!
Lord, help us to use the short time we have left before You return,
 to plant little seeds and water little trees in Your kingdom,
to help children and adults alike to get right with You!
Because the night is coming when no man can work.
But right now, You are the light of the world!