Hitting the Ground Running

 Jonathan and I hit the ground running in Rapid City Friday.  Well, that was after waiting for my luggage while Jonathan went outside in the snow in his shirt sleeves to fetch his truck from long term parking.

 After hitching up his trailer that he'd left parked at our friends in Rapid City, we headed for Menards to pick up an order of metal roofing and siding for the Martin Lakota Chapel all-purpose building.

We are glad for forklifts.

 

Lots more materials on top of all that, including new countertop for the Rosebud parsonage basement that is being remodeled and a couple interior doors for our basement. 

Then a long road home.

When Jonathan stopped to check the load and the ramps that had been dragging, he told me to open my window.

I didn't just open my window. I got out of the truck to listen to the meadowlarks singing their hearts out. 

I drank in all the wet spring scene of cattle and green grass and a cattle guard with a butte in the background.

Jonathan was checking the straps.

When we arrived home, we saw the plum blossoms were still in bloom, and we were in awe of the gorgeous sunset. Just a moment earlier, there had been a perfect rainbow behind our house.

After a conversation with a doctor in Sioux Falls, I was feeling more hopeful than I had been earlier in the day. Some new possibilities are surfacing for treatments in Sioux Falls instead of Arizona by sometime in June hopefully. 

Later that evening the Northwest Indian Bible School choir arrived for the night. For three nights in between services they had, we kept them in the basement, our RV, and the old travel trailer.

We attended Saturday afternoon service at Wanblee Lakota Chapel where my younger brother Hoshea used to pastor about 20 years ago. 

What a privilege it was to hear a group of young people sing, some of whom could not carry a tune at all at the beginning of the year. 

The song arrangements were beautiful.

I especially was touched by the song, "He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need." 

Most of the students, with the exception of one from New Mexico and the staff children, were from South Dakota reservations, four from St. Francis area. I could see how proud of them our friends the Pattons were. 

"I used to hold them as Sunday School kids in my lap," Mrs. Patton said. Now she is watching them choose to serve the Lord and attend a Bible college. 

Sunday morning, after just a few hours sleep (I hadn't been able to sleep till 2:30) Jonathan and I were up early to serve scrambled eggs (from our own hens) and bacon to the choir. Then I ended up crashing and went to bed for a few hours. I did manage to make it to evening service where Jonathan emceed the service. Then I went to the van and crashed again while Jonathan made friends with a new man who was visiting in the service, and the family was involved in the evening meal. 

Yes, we hit the ground running, but it is a good thing.