Some of our regulars were back Sunday which gave us a total of 27 in the AM service and then 29 in the evening!!   I cannot say it enough....The Van has been such a blessing!!   Our number has steadily increased and I know if I had enough help each week we could easily pick up 40+ kids.  The parents seem to want their kids to come to church...but they show little interest themselves. 

This past Thursday evening we had 13 in Bible Study....so that number is growing also....Praise the Lord!!!

During the week when I drive down any of the streets in the village, the kids all know my car, and I can hear then calling my name from all directions!!! If they are close enough I always stop and talk to them and I wave at all the kids whether I know them or not.   It's really neat to hear them calling my name as I drive by......and I've watched the adults and they always look to see who the kids are calling!!   So our names are becoming well known in the village households and I praise the Lord for this!!

Joan left this morning and next Tuesday Rachelle (our youngest daughter) and her 3 children arrive.  We're very excited about that!!!   Then our home church arrives on the 10th for VBS!!  I think around 13 or so will be coming.  We are anxious to see them all.  We'll be having VBS during the day, Sunday through Wednesday, and then evening services.  Help us pray for a good attendance!!

I did add 4 new albums to our Picasa website titled "Philippi Baptist Sunday Picnic", "Times of Enjoyment", "New Life Baptist Mission Activities", and "Radio Station in Progress".   By the way....we had some really rough winds the other evening and they blew our radio antenna down...so that is going to have to be reconstructed with some anchor lines this time. 

Enjoying the warm sunny weather (with NO HUMIDITY!!!!)  ,   Sis. Sheri

We've been busy this week and have had several "visitors" from across the street.  It is so sad to see how the alcohol is ruining the lives of the people here.  We see it day after day.  The children are the ones that suffer.

We have a grandmother that has recently started coming to church that has 5 grandchildren she has custody of.  She needs some help with clothing for the children.  If  you can help in anyway by sending some "good" used clothing (nothing worn out with holes...ect...) she would greatly appreciate it.  Their sizes are as follows:

            Girls:    size 4T, 5T and 18 months           Boys:         Size:    2T and 3T

If you live near Dalton, Ga....our home church is leaving July 10th to come up here and could possible bring the clothing to us.  If not, you could ship it UPS to 7037 8th Avenue,  Cannon Ball, ND  58528.           Pray about it.....and anything you send would be greatly appreciated.

Tomorrow night is Bible Study......pray we will have a good number here.          Sis. Sheri

Well, once again some of our regular kids were gone to a Pow Wow in a neighboring community.....but we were able to pick up several new children and even had a new lady attend the morning service....we had a total of 22 in the morning service and 17 in the evening (but 5 ppl came in after the service was already over).  Both services we picked up several new kids which will give us some new families to visit this week. 

The past few  Thursday evenings we have had a good number in our Bible Studies.  This Thursday we had a visiting Missionary from the Rosebud Reservation here and he conducted the Bible study.  Then on Friday we hosted a Preacher/Missionary Fellowship and had 24 in attendance with Missionary Pastors from South Dakota and North Dakota Present.  We also had a Missionary family present that are going to the Fiji Islands.  They are on deputation with 80% of their support raised.   We had very good services and enjoyed the fellowship very much.

 I think for now the Pow Wow's in this immediate area are over so most of the kids that normally come should be back this weekend.  Joan will be with us one more week and then I'm on my own again until our daughter Rachelle arrives on July 7th.  She will be here until August 4th and I plan to put her to work with the younger kids Sunday School class.    The Lord has been good to us and we are so Thankful for the help he has supplied this summer.  We're looking forward to our home church being with us next month for VBS!!

Happily serving the Lord in Cannon Ball,     Sis. Sheri  

We were very busy this past Sunday.  Saturday Evening Bro. Tip Sander, his wife Karen and their 2 grandchildren arrived from Cleveland, TN.  They will be with us until Wednesday Morning.  Then Sunday morning Gary Vicenti from Dulce, NM arrived along with his 8 yr. old daughter and his Aunt.  They brought some clothes to give out to the people...stayed for lunch and then left to go home!!   What a long trip and such dedication to the Lord....they were thrilled to be able to come and we were so happy to see them again. 

The Cannon Ball Pow Wow was Friday-Sunday night which did affect our attendance a little.  Some of the regulars were not here but we still had 17 on Sunday morning and 16 Sunday night!!  Praise the Lord.   Sunday night after church, Bro. Vincent Veneno and his wife Lillian, from Dulce, NM arrived.  This couple (Along with Bro. Gary Vicenti) were here Easter weekend with us.  Yesterday Bro. Vincent took all the kids here at the church out for Pizza and then we all went to the Park in Bismarck.  They really enjoyed it and was good to see them have so much fun and laugh.  

Bro. Tip and his family are leaving in the morning and Bro. Vincen and his wife will be back through sometime tomorrow for just a little while and then they will head back to New Mexico.

I will post some of the pictures of the kids at the park on Picasa the first chance I get.  The Van sure was a blessing and it was exciting to take the Kids on our first outing!!   Praise the Lord for all his blessings.           Sis. Sheri  

This has been a busy week!!  We've had the kids in and out all week.  One night 4 of the girls spent the night..it had been awhile since I had allowed them to come...so they enjoyed that and so did I.  Sis. Lindsay worked with them on doing a Puppet Show for Sunday Night's class which they were able to do.   It was cute and the younger ones enjoyed it.

Doyle was sick this Sunday and we called an older Missionary that lives above Bismarck to come and fill in for him.  He is feeling some better today but still coughing quite a bit and pretty hoarse.  He has rested most of the day and hopefully will be feeling much better soon.

Joan and I went to the wake last night for the 14 yr. old that hung himself.  It was really sad.  I just cannot understand what would cause a boy that age who was so active in school, worked with kids in the Boys & girls club, helped out on a local radio station and very well liked, to take his own life.  There must have been something in his home life....like most of the home lives here....that he just could not cope with any longer.  It broke my heart to see him lying in the casket....a young boy.....and I hope and pray that we can help the kids here in Cannon Ball to realize that Jesus Loves them and they don't have to do something like this.  This was Annie's half-brother and I pray that Satan is not planting a deeper seed of the thought of suicide in her mind at this time.  Please pray for her. 

Yesterday morning we had a total of 26 in the morning service (22 on the van) and 22 in the evening service ( 19 on the van)!!  The Van has certainly increased our attendance and we are so thankful for the Lord answering our prayers!!   We also want to say a special Thank you to Bro. Roger Bagley for all the time he spent working on the van and the parts that he graciously donated that were needed for the van.  We appreciate everything and the Lord will bless you for it!!

Looking forward to a Busy Summer...........Sis. Sheri  

May ended with good attendance in both services......26 in the morning and 24 in the evening service.  We picked up 22 on the van in the morning and 20 last night...Praise the Lord.   We stopped at one house to pick up one boy that normally comes and 4 little kids across the street ran over to ask if they could come....I told them I needed to go make sure it was Ok with their Mother.....and she said yes!!!  So we gained another family. 

Joan Lindsey and her daughter, Monique, arrived on Thursday and they were such a blessing Sunday.  They taught the classes both services and the kids loved them!! I was amazed at how well they controlled the kids and will definitely have to learn the secret from Joan while she is here.  Monique is leaving today (we would keep her if we could) ...she has to go home to teach in Summer School.  Joan is staying until the end of June. 

Keith, Jennifer and Paige left us on Saturday and made it home safely.  We took them to the airport in Minneapolis.  It sure was a lonely 8 hour trip back home.  We had a wonderful time while they were here and Thank the Lord for the time he gave us with our family. 

Please pray for Annie.  Her half brother, who is the same age as Annie, hung himself Saturday morning. They rushed him to the hospital in Fort Yates but he was already dead.   He didn't live here in Cannon Ball but Annie said she had just talked to him on Thursday.  Annie was at church yesterday and seemed Ok but she really needs our prayers.  Ms. Joshua, one of the elderly ladies that comes, is also the great-grandmother of the boy and she was here yesterday and is really broken over it.  The whole family needs our prayers.    I'm not sure of any of the details concerning the funeral yet but we are planning on attending.

Praising the Lord here in Cannon Ball,    Sis. Sheri