FLDISTAD

Afton's High Tea

2011-08-22T18:21:00.001-07:00

When I think about this year's camp many things stand out: 60 campers, almost 40 workers, several decisions for Christ, the 20 year celebration and much more. One of the highlights for me was Thursday afternoon, when I was rushing about with several things on my mind that needed to be done. As I was heading for the kitchen, there at the top of the steps was my grand daughter, Afton. All of a sudden all the things I "needed" to get done were not important any more. I took Afton by the hand and led her down to the kitchen (mainly so I knew where she was). I asked her if she would like to have something to drink, so I poured her and my self a glass of iced tea. We sat down at the table and had what I called "High Tea". I showed her the "proper" way to drink tea, which consisted of slurping the tea followed by a loud "ahhhhhh". She thought that was fun. We sat there talking and slurping our tea for a good 15 minutes talking about everything under the sun that came to her little mind. Along with Linda and I, her other grand parents were at camp too. Afton proceeded to tell me that Grandpa and grandma Crawford had white hair and I had white hair, but "my wife" did not. She was just "old" but did not have white hair. I would not trade those 15 minutes for all the gold in Washington. Thank God for little girls and High Tea Time. Ahhhhhhh!!!! That's good tea!

Prayer meeting in the bank

2010-12-18T17:06:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, I had an experience that was quite unusual to me. I went to the bank to cash a check. After the check was cashed April was standing right next to me and wondered if I had a few minutes to spare. I said, "Sure, what's up?" She told me that a few of the employees were going to have a prayer meeting in the side room to pray for a young man that had been diagnosed with cancer. A couple years ago, April was diagnosed with breast cancer and the ladies of the bank did the same for her, so this was very special to her. I followed her to the side room where 5 other ladies came in to pray for this young man. We held hands in a circle and we spent a few minutes praying that God would give peace to this man and his family. Most of the ladies knew who I was, but a couple of them did not. April introduced me as her "Uncle Frank", who was not really her uncle but that is what she has called me for the past 2o some years. That day we deposited much more than money in the bank. We deposted eternal blessings.
As a side note, today I was back in the bank and one of the ladies told me that God answered our prayers. The 23 year old man's cancer was not as radical as they first thought and he and his family had peace to and from the doctor's appointment.

Olivia's Picture for Garndma and Grandpa.

2010-09-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

For quite a while I have been involved in taking photos and have really enjoyed it. But none of the photos I took can compare to a picture drawn for Linda and I by our grand daughter, Olivia. She is only 5 years old, but quite a promising artist. (That's according to a bragging Grandpa). Olivia spent a lot of time and love drawing the picture and was not satisfied giving it to us until it was just right. Then we had to wait at the door of her bedroom until she was "ready" to give it to us. Needless to say, we are very proud of her and think her picture is worth more than a thousand photos taken by a camera. We will put the picture in a prominent place and continue to brag it up. Thank you Olivia - Keep up the good work. All of our grand kids have made us drawings and we cherish them all.

Self Portrait

2010-08-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

Our assignment for photo club was to come up with a self portrait. How do you take a picture of yourself and yet do it in a unique way. The other night I took a trip to Perch Lake Bridge to see what i could come up with. I hung over the edge of the bridge and pulled the trigger on the camera a few times. The final result is this picture. It looks a little surreal and alien like. Seeing I enjoy sci-fi, this probably fits me. Either way, the picture was chosen as the "winner" for the month of August, whatever that means. Can you tell who it is? I always enjoy the photo club as I can learn more about what is involved in taking pictures and working with them on the computer to make them better. My goal is to use these things for God's glory.

Camp 2010

2010-08-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

It always seems a little weird that we prepare for months for camp and it is over in a batting of an eye. This years camp went quite well. We had 64 kids and about 42 adults helping. One of the big highlights for me happened during missionary hour. I had quite a few things to do that day, so i was not able to be in the chapel during that time. Toward the end of the missionary hour, I was getting ready to go into the chapel, but I stopped at the door and peeked in. What I saw was simply amazing. Almost all the campers and staff were at the front of the chapel with their heads bowed and praying. Many were making some very serious decisions about serving the Lord. To me that is what camp is all about!
It amazes me that this year marked our 20th year of camp! Next year we are planning a a time of celebration and praise. Like the theme for this year's camp states "What a Mighty God we serve!!!"
This picture is free for anyone to download and keep for their own. Enjoy and as you look at it start now to pray for next year's NorthLand Bible Camp.

2010-04-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

Ever since we came to Trego, 22 years ago, we have had the same mechanic that works on our cars. I hate to even think of how much money we have given him over the years to fix everything from transmissions to spark plugs. Early this week I called him to find out what a tune up on our van would cost. The first thing he said was "You are just the guy I wanted to talk to?" All I could think of was What did I do now? To my surprise he said "I'm not a religious man, but you can help solve a dispute we have been having." Then he asked, "Jesus is God's Son isn't He. Does that mean that He is God?" I simply answered his question by saying, "You won, yes He is!". My mechanic is far from being a Christian, but perhaps God is starting to get him thinking.
Then yesterday, I decided that I could tackle the job of replacing the rear brakes on my van. HA!!! It took my almost 45 minutes to BEAT OFF the rotors. They have never been replaced on the 2002 van. They finally came loose and were they ever in bad shape. Then I got a look at the emergency brake. What a mess of frozen, rusted parts that were beyond any salvaging. Guess who I called - my mechanic. When I brought the car to him, I told him, "From now on, I promise you that I will stick to the preaching and you can do the repairs on my cars." He just laughed and I handed him the keys to the van. More money, but hopefully more conversations.

Old New Pics

2010-03-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

One of the things I really enjoy doing is taking pictures and then modify them in Paint Shop Pro. I found a spot not too far from here that is simply beautiful this time of year, even though every things tends to be dark and gray right now. There are no leaves on the trees and the grass is plain brown and ugly. But that just added to the beauty of this spot. The water looks black and the trees look very eerie, almost Gothic. Because it was already dark, I decided to print the pictures in Black and White. One of the pictures I even made into an antique looking photo. To me it looks like a scene from an old horror vampire movie with Vincent Price. (No I haven't gone over to the "dark side"). It just amazes me what you can do with a little computer modification.

Hoar Frost

2010-02-16T19:41:00.001-08:00

This past weekend we were in the Twin Cities visiting our sons and families. Friday night an eerie fog moved in over the area. The result was that in the morning everything was covered with a glistening white hoar frost. (At least that is what the weatherman called it). I took some time to try to study at Mc Donald's down the road from Eric's house. I wasn't able to concentrate just thinking about the beauty of the landscape, so I quit and went out and took some pictures. This willow tree really caught my eye, covered with white. All I could think was "What a majestic God and awesome we have!"
I also learned another lesson last night. I joined an area photo club and took some of these pictures to the meeting thinking that they were pretty spectacular. That is until I saw some of the work of the members on their websites. I definitely am a novice, but will have fun learning from these pros.

Let It Snow!

2009-12-24T18:14:00.000-08:00

What a Christmas. we suppose to drive to the Twin Cities and spend Christmas with our sons, wives and grand children. Then we heard the weather forecast and changed our minds. So far we have about 9 - 10 inches of snow and are expecting quite a bit more before it is over. Recently I purchased a Nikon SLR camera, so I decided to take some pictures today outside. The picture here is of our back yard with all the snow on the trees. The elk just happened to be in the picture when I edited it. (Eat you heart out, Jim Van Voorst).
Actually I rather enjoy the snow. It covers up all the drab ground and and coats the trees with a layer of beauty that man can't create. I almost feel sorry for those who decide to winter in Florida or Arizona or Texas. They miss out on a lot of God's design.

October Youth Night

2009-11-01T18:23:00.000-08:00

This past Friday night we had our annual youth night at the Barron Area Community Center in Barron, Wisconsin. There were 30 teens and about a dozen adults in attendance. The Trego Youth performed a drama using Casting Crowns song "Set Me Free" dealing with being set free from the chains of sin in our life through Christ. Paul Frey used that as his theme as he shared with the teens from God's Word. Paul also had a few action games for the teens to do. Attached is a video of one of the games. I guess you could call it "Paper Chase". What ever you call it the kids had a blast. Enjoy and let us know what you think.

Something Old and Something Borrowed

2009-10-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had the privilege of officiating at the wedding of Joanna Larson and Cory May in Shell Lake, Wisconsin. The wedding went very well and we had a great time. What made the day so special is having a wedding for a young lady that we have known since she was 6 or 7 years old. Joanna came to our VBS at Casey Town hall and also to the Bible Club held there. At that time there was a slew of kids in the area and we got to know them and their families over the years. Joanna later became one of our summer missionaries for 3 different years. In 2000 she also went with us to Iowa to help at camp with Bonnie Ellis, one of our AMF missionaries. Joanna has continued to help out at Winsome Bible Camp and that is where she met her now husband.
The other thing that made the day special is the people at the wedding. Many of the people from the Casey area attended and we had a chance to fellowship with them and to catch up on old times. We are amazed at how many of these people have been a part of our lives and our ministry over the years. many of our summer missionaries have come from that one Town Hall: Betsy, Molly, Sarah, and Joanna all came from Casey! Small world - Big God! (The picture was taken several years ago of some of the girls in Linda's teen Bible Study. Joanna, Betsy and Molly are in the picture)

Conversation Starters

2009-09-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

Probably 3 or 4 years ago my son, Eric, gave me a t-shirt with 3 green circles on the front. I didn't think much of it until I started to wear the shirt around town. The shirt has been a great conversation starter with the video game crowd, especially teen boys or young men. I was in Mac Donald's one day wearing the shirt and a young man all dressed in black and very Gothic gave me a thumbs up and a hearty "I like your shirt". I have since learned that the logo is from a video game called "Splinter Cell". I have never played the game and have no desire to play it, but I have no problem wearing the shirt. This past week at our "Distad family reunion", my nephew noticed the shirt and we were instantly "friends". We had a good conversation about the game and how things are going in his life. I am not condoning the game, but I am glad that it has opened some conversations that I might not have other wise. God has a way of using unconventional things for His glory.

Camp praises

2009-08-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

This past week we had camp in Lake Nebagamon, Wi. with 73 campers and 30 staff. It was a picture perfect weather week and we had the best of staff. God used this week to teach me some great lessons. In the middle of the week we had some tension at camp and even though it was uncomfortable, it was also a teaching moment. Right in the middle of it one of the cabin leaders handing me 3 small yellow decision cards. A couple were for salvation and one for commitment to the Lord. God so graciously showed us that we needed to re-focus our hearts on Him and the reason why we were there - to reach boys and girls for Christ.
The other amazing thing God showed us is that He is sovereign and totally in control. Two of the girls wanted to go home in the middle of the week. I called their mother to talk with her and she could not come because of a flat tire. God had a purpose in keeping those girls at camp. One of them committed their life to the Lord on Thursday. Praise God for "flat Tires" and His sovereignty.

VBS09

2009-07-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

Years ago I had toyed with the idea of serving the Lord as a foreign missionary, where I would work with a single ethnic group over seas somewhere. My real heart was to be a pastor or missionary right here in the good old USA. I find it fascinating that over the years with AMF, we have not ministered to just one ethnic group but several. A few weeks ago we held a VBS in the Twin cities, at the church our son Kevin and family attend. One of the songs we sang was "Jesus loves the little children, red, brown, yellow, black white - all are precious in His sight." We have little "people cards" of different colors for the kids to hold up. Amazingly enough we had almost enough kids of different background to match the red, brown, yellow, black and white cards. This last week we held a VBS at the American Legion Hall in Spooner. One of our African American children was excited that he was able to hold up the black people card. Where else in the world can we reach more people groups that right here in our own country and even here in northern Wisconsin.

Goose Nest?

2009-04-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

This past week Linda and I traveled to the Twin Cities to see the grand kids and to pick up a laptop that our son, Eric, helped us purchase. Eric also helped me transfer files over and get the laptop ready for use. I just kinda of watched as he did his magic. Before we left for home on Friday, Linda worked around Eric and Jen's house and I went to Mac Donald's to study. I had a little extra time, so I decided to pet the tools at Lowes home improvement store. (Anyone have a tool drool bib my size?). As I entered the far side of the parking lot, I saw some thing that I have never seen before. It was a goose nesting it self on top of a Ford SUV. I am not sure whether the goose was planning on building a home or just staking out it's territory. I took some pictures and the goose just stayed where it was. It would have been interesting to see what the owner of the car thought. He may not have seen the goose, but I am sure he found the evidence once he got home.

When we were at Kevin's house, it was fun watching the kids. Afton is in the dress up stage. She was "borrowing" her sister's Princess outfits and parading around the house all dressed up. Connor finally got his cast off and Gabe was building a house of cards on the floor. He did quite well stacking them up before they fell down. Of course with 4 brothers and sisters running around, they didn't stay stacked up for very long.

Over The Fence Ponderings

2009-03-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

This morning, I traveled to Hayward to conduct our usual Wednesday morning Bible study at the assisted living center. The Bible study was a lot of fun and a blessing. When I can in I was greeted by the resident dog, who barked and barked and then licked and licked. We sang several songs and then I shared about "The Touch of the Master's Hand." When it was time to go, one of the ladies looked at me and said "Your a good looking man". I was flattered and the other residents gave her a hard time about how I was a married man. What a delight to be considered a "good looking man" by a lady that is 92 years young and has cataracts with very poor vision. Either way, I really enjoy ministering to them each week and getting to know them.

Nose Job

2009-03-03T16:10:00.000-08:00

The last couple of days have been quite interesting and somewhat amazing. I was scheduled for nose surgery to remove polyps and if necessary a couple of other procedures. What was so amazing is to see how God put everything together. We didn't want to drive up early this morning, so we looked online for a motel in Superior, Wi. We stayed at the Superior Inn, just across the bridge and maybe 7 or 8 miles from the hospital and it only cost $39.00 for the night (with tax). They just happened to be running an internet special. Originally, we were scheduled to get to the hospital at 8:15 am, but on the way up to Superior, they called and said there was a cancellation and we needed to be their by 7:15 am, which was even better.
There has to be a joke here somewhere, but "how many hospital staff does it take to do one nose job?" There was the receptionist at the front desk, several nurses who did things like put the IV in, took my blood pressure (several times), ask the same questions over and over again, the nurses in the recovery room, etc... not to mention the anesthesiologist and his assistant, and of course the doctor who actually did the surgery. Actually the hospital was very efficient and ran like clock work. I really salute the doctors and staff at Miller-Dwan.
They not only took very good care of me, they also gave me these colorful bracelets, which only cost a few thousand dollars each.
The procedure went very well and I am doing fine, except being tired and a little weak yet. The hard part is not being able to blow my nose for a few days, which in my family is very big thing. We appreciate all those who prayed and continue to pray.

Hayward Bible Study

2009-01-17T18:04:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago I started doing a Bible Study at an assisted living home in Hayward, Wisconsin. There are 4 ladies and 2 men. It is interesting listening to them talk about life, family and experiences. The 2 men are both in their 90's and the older man is the "younger" man's uncle. Bets, the older man has a great voice and has played several musical instruments in his life. His daughter, Carol started the Bible Study and I am filling in until spring when she gets back from sunny Arizona We are doing a series on the 23rd Psalm and learning a lot about tending sheep and how it pertains to our life following the Good Shepherd. A couple of them have no family left at all, so they are all alone, except for the people at the home. If it wasn't for sharing with them the Good News of the Good Shepherd, this ministry could be very discouraging. It amazes me that my goal has been to teach them, but they always end up teaching me more than I teach them. That is the Joy of ministry!

Quiet Days

2009-01-08T19:07:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those quiet winter days that I used to catch up on things in the office. I made a few phone calls that I have been putting off, worked on the computer for a while and even straightened up my file cabinet that has way too much junk in it (oops, I mean important files). This afternoon I spent some time re-organizing some files on the laptop. Quite a while ago I bought an external hard drive for the sole purpose of storing and saving needed files on.
As you may know, we have a new grandson, born a little more than a month ago. The picture is our grand daughter, Afton, mothering her new brother, Miles Mason Distad. I really think this is a great picture of them, taken either by Kevin or Jennifer recently. We discovered the world of Skype, where we can talk with and see Kevin's family using a web cam. It truly is amazing!

Christmas SNOW!!!

2008-12-21T18:04:00.000-08:00

One of the things I am learning during these winter months is that sometimes you just have to sit back and wait for the weather to break. This morning we were supposed to have our church service at Barron, but we canceled because of the snowy roads. The snow from yesterday had quit and the sky was clear, but the windchill was below zero and the roads were very slippery. Instead of traveling 42 miles south to church, we traveled about 1 mile to Trego Community and joined them today. Linda went to their Christmas program tonight. Linda's mom called tonight and told us that Linda's nephew and his wife and child were in a 30 car pile up on Highway 94 this afternoon. Their car was totalled as it was hit from behind and in the front. Scott lost 3 teeth and his face was cut up and they are keeping him overnight to check for a concussion. Lornell and the baby are all right.
I thought this picture of the bush in our yard was quite interesting with the red berries showing in the snow covered bush. The Lord was reminding me that even in the midst of snow storms there is life and blessing.

Olivia'a Birthday

2008-11-16T19:04:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, Linda and I went over to the Twin Cities to help celebrate our grand daughter's 4th birthday. Jennifer made Olivia a beautiful "Little Mermaid" birthday cake. After we had lunch, it was time for her to open her presents. Olivia had it planned out to the letter, just what we were suppose to do. She would go into her room, wait a little bit and then come out. As she did we would yell out "Surprise" and "Happy Birthday". Of course, she wasn't really surprised, but she still loved the attention. It is always a delight to help celebrate their birthdays. I think we are just as excited as they are sometimes.

An Aamzing Week!

2008-10-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

This past week has been one of those weeks where there was something happening every day. It was definitely a busy week, but a very good week. It actually stated last week when I traveled to south east Wisconsin to be a part of 2 different mission conferences and make a couple of visits. The first conference was Wednesday night in the small town of Fulton, Wisconsin. It is a small town, but Fulton Church is a good size church with a very active membership. On Thursday I traveled to Union Grove to stay at Shepherd's Home, where they minister to Cognitive Impaired adults. They not only provide housing and work, but a great source of spiritual leadership. I came away with a great appreciation for how they work with C.I. adults and respond to their needs. Friday I was involved in a 3 day mission's conference in William's Bay at Calvary Community Church. It was amazing to see missionaries from all over the world and here in the USA.

That was last week. This week involved 3 adult Bible Studies (Linda has a Ladies Bible Study on Monday, I have one at an assisted living facility in Hayward on Wednesday and we both took part of the Bible Study at Hanson's Group Home in Barron.) We also had a Bible Study tonight with our adult group in Shell Lake.

Thursday after school, we hold a Bible Club in Haugen Elementary School. This was our first week of club for the year and we had no idea how many kids would be coming. In the past we were able to send notes home to all the kids at that school. But this year we had to send out personal notes to the kids that attended last year. Praise the Lord, we had 11 kids come and had a great time with them. God really answered prayer!

Friday night was the night of our Teen Youth Night in Barron at the Barron Area Community Center. Instead of going all night, like we have done in the past, we went from 7 - midnight, which was a lot easier for us "old people" to handle. There were 29 teens and 11 adults. Paul Frey handled the games and devotional for the night. One of the games he played was "Chariot Race", where each team had a blanket for a chariot which they placed someone on and pulled them around the gym and raced chariot style. The kids had a blast!

Today was our annual "Praise Celebration" at the Barron Church. The music group "Reachin' Out" sand and played several songs and we celebrated God's bleesing during the year. Our attendance was nearly doubled with 41 people attending and enjoying the potluck dinner after church.

2008-09-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday we had a work day at the church in Barron. Dave and Randy came up from Portage, Wisconsin with their wives to help us install 5 new windows. Wayne Nutt also help with the windows. I went over the day before and removed the brick molding and inside trim and they basically did the rest. I am glad that they installed the windows and not myself. It took most of the day to get the job done, but it really looks nice now and a whole lot quieter. It should be more economic this winter for our renter. I played "gofer" and ran after parts as we needed them and Linda fixed dinner for the crew.

Aunt Ruth

2008-08-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

The other day my brother Bob called to tell me that our Aunt Ruth had passed away in her house. My dad and all his brothers and sisters are now gone. My Aunt Lil lives in Moose Lake, Mn. She was married to my dad's brother, Clayton, who passed away a few years ago. Ruth was always the quiet one with a very dry sense of humor. I still remember when she and my Aunt Blanch came to our wedding in Jackson, Michigan back in 1971. They stayed with Linda's folks for a couple of days. Linda's dad was trying to get them to crack a smile, which they did after a while. I don't have a lot of memories of Aunt Ruth, except going with my dad to visit her and her husband Arnie at their house in Rochester.
The picture is that of Dad's family. Grandma Distad is the one in the middle and Ruth is on the right with Blanch on the left side. Left to right in the back is Clayton, Dad and George. We miss them all.

2008-07-29T18:38:00.000-07:00

Last week we held a VBS at Haugen Elementary School in Haugen, Wisconsin. Last year there were only about 4 or 5 kids total, because of Summer School and swimming lessons. This year we changed the dates to later in the summer, when Summer school, Swim lessons and the county fair were over and left the results with the Lord. We averaged 11 kids with 14 enrolled. That may not sound like a lot of kids, but it was a great week. One of the things we have been trying to do is to get to know the parents better and this year we were able to get better acquainted with many of them. A couple of them stayed and helped with the VBS program. The kids seemed excited about VBS and the lessons on Sunday School Charlie. One of the highlights for the kids was to play "Poop Deck" each day. Molly, our summer missionary, led in that game.

VBS in the Dark!

2008-06-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

This week we are holding VBS at Lake Park Alliance in Shell Lake. It has been a good week with about 25 kids coming. Today was a little different, and yet a very good day. Sometime last night we had a storm and the lights went out. We woke about 3:00 am to a dark room. In the morning the pastor called and let us know that the electricity was out at the church and would not be on until at least 10:00 am. We wondered if that would affect kids coming to VBS - It didn't! The kids came and it turned out to be a VBS the kids will probably not forget for quite a while. We couldn't use the tape player to play back ground music to the songs they sang and the puppets were a little harder to see, but that was all right. Instead of going down stairs for class, the classes were held in the auditorium where there was more light. After hearing about the tornado that struck the boy scout camp in Iowa and where 3 of them were killed, we praise God for our little inconvenience. God is in control!!!

2008-06-10T19:08:00.001-07:00

On June 6th, our grandson, Connor, graduated from Kindergarten. We really enjoyed watching them march in with their cap and cape. One of the highlights was when they sang a song about brushing their teeth. They also had a slide show of the kids during the year. They sure keep them busy. The great thing about the school he and Gabe goes to is that it is a Christian school where they are not afraid to share Christ with the kids. Where else can you begin and end a program with glorifying the Lord!
After graduation we went to a restaurant called Snuffies, where they serve old fashion 50's style hamburgers and milkshakes. I just wish the prices were the same as in the 50's. The only reason Connor likes this restaurant is that they have a candy machine that lets you keep playing until you win some candy. He likes his candy!!!!!
Yesterday we started our first week of Vacation Bible School in Shell Lake, Wisconsin with 17 kids attending. Today there were a few more. I have been teaching another Sunday School Charlie episode where Charlie and Red go to camp and encounter a bully named Muscle Mike. The theme is "Fishers of Men". Today the youth pastor had a long, long cane fishing pole with a lizard on the end of it that he dangled above the kids. (The lizard was in a plastic bag attached to the end of the pole.) Some also brought a turtle for the kids to see. maybe we should have counted the animals in our attendance?

Grand Parents Day

2008-05-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

This past Friday was Grand Parents Day at our grand sons Christian school in Blaine, Minnesota. During the first hour we were in the school auditorium and each grade sang a Christian song. It was fun watching both our grandsons sing and do the motions to the songs. Connor is quite the ham, so when he came out on stage with the rest of the kids, he was waddling like a duck and just enjoying himself. Then we spent time in both Connor's kindergarten class and Gabe's First Grade class room. In Connor's classroom, each child introduced their grand parents (or special friend) and tried to tell a little about them and why they were special. In Gabe's class, Gabe showed us his room and read to us out of his library book. He does pretty good at reading. Later I went with Connor to the library where he picked out a couple of books to "look at". He just likes looking at the pictures.
We are very proud of our grand sons (and grand daughters). It is amazing to see them grow up and change every time we see them.

Spring Showers???

2008-04-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

Everybody I talk to say that they are more than ready for spring, even though the first day of spring was more than 2 weeks ago. Two days ago the temperatures were in the 50's and I was working in the garage. Last night and today we have been experiencing spring showers - SNOW showers that is - wet, heavy slushy snow. So far we have had about 6 - 8 inches and more is coming tonight. The pictures are of our house this morning. It wouldn't be so bad, but I was talking with a friend from Texas where they were suppose to be over 100 degrees this week. I think I will take the snow over that. No matter how we look at it God is in control and we praise Him for the weather He sends.

Love and Grand Kids

2008-03-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Linda and I spent time with our grand kids in the Twin Cities. We baby sat with the 3 younger ones while Jennifer took Gabe to the eye doctor for a routine eye exam. The doctor told them that he does not need glasses. After they got back to the house, Linda and I took Gabe, Connor and Olivia to McDonalds for Happy Meals. This McDonalds had a play area with shoots, ladders and climbing tunnels that the kids really loved. Talk about noisy!!! Needless to say, the kids enjoyed all the climbing and running around. One of the things that really made our day was our 3 year old grand daughter, Olivia. She is all girl and loves to dress up, play house and look pretty. But what really tickled both Linda and myself is that she must have told each of us a half dozen times "I love you grandpa" and "I love you grandma". Then she would give us a hug and look up at us with those big beautiful eyes. It don't get any better than that!!!

Ready for Summer?

2008-03-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, lately our goal has been getting ready for summer - actually summer ministries. Our Vacation Bible Schools start the week of June 9th at Lake Park Alliance in Shell Lake, Wi. We are planning 5 VBS's this summer. The material we are using is one of the old Sunday School Charlie lessons called "The Mystery of the Golden Keys" and is the story of Charlie and Red going to camp. Since we are using a Fishing Theme, I have been busy planning the lessons around stories in the Bible that have to do with fishing or boats, along with either finding or making fishing props. Along with that there is daily verses, attendance cards, games, contest props and much more.
We are also trying to get ready for NorthLand Bible Camp, which is August 3 - 8th. Every year we divide the campers by age and have about 8 age related classes, which are taught all over the camp grounds. Part of my job is to work up the lessons and get them ready for the teachers. This year our theme is "Godly Heroes - past and present", emphasizing Bible Heroes and modern day heroes that left their mark for God. Linda has already started planning the camp meal menus and figuring out just what food they will need for the week. Then she gets to go to camp and with the help of other kitchen staff and prepare the food for up to 125 hungry people.
Then from July 6 - 11, we will be in Iowa helping Bonnie Ellis with her week of teen camp. I will be the teen speaker and Linda will help in the kitchen and with other things. The plans are to do a study on the Life of Joseph from the book of Genesis. I am hoping to start sharing this series at the Barron church in April and then use the time to prepare for camp in Iowa as well.

Barron Church

2008-03-11T19:46:00.000-07:00

One of the joys that God has given Linda and myself is to be involved with the Free Methodist Church in Barron. I started pastoring this church 2 1/2 years ago. If you come to Barron, Wisconsin look for "the little pink church by the side of the road". It is a very unique church in that it is made up of mostly adults from group homes that are developmentally handicapped and have a great love for the Lord. When we first came to the church, we noticed that the building needed a lot of upkeep. Since then, with the help of many others, we have made many improvements, including putting in a handicap bathroom on the main floor where a nursery used to be, replacing divider curtains with a solid wall in the sanctuary, painting, putting up curtains and pictures top lighten the place up and make it more cheery. God has provided a refrigerator and stove and much more. He recently provided money to replace inside entry doors. This Sunday we will dedicate those to the Lord in memory of Rachael H. who went home to be with the Lord in January at the age of 89. What a mighty God we serve!

Winter Visits

2008-03-08T14:57:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I had the privilege of visiting with 2 special people. The first person was Pastor Mike from Hope Congregational Church in Superior, Wisconsin. For the past few years we have been helping them with VBS and they also have a few kids that come to NorthLand Bible Camp in August. This year for VBS we are planning on teaching another Sunday School Charlie episode. This one is called the "The Mystery of the Golden Keys" and involves Charlie and Red attending Bible Camp and encountering a bully by the name of Muscle Mike. The kids always love Sunday School Charlie and his adventures.
The other person I spent time with was Helen S. I first met Helen over 20 years ago when Clarence Ecker, the former missionary in this area, took me around to visit people on the field. Helen and her husband used to help Mr. Ecker with a Sunday School in the Barnes, Wisconsin area many years ago. In July, Helen will be turning the young age of 100. But the thing that makes her so special is her vibrant faith in the Lord. She is looking forward to the day when she can see Jesus face to face. For Helen that will be great, because she is legally blind and very hard of hearing, but her mind is still young and energetic.

For more information about us and our ministry with American Missionary Fellowship you can go to www.distad.org

Welcome to our Blogger Page

2008-03-07T22:44:00.000-08:00

We want to welcome you to our new Distad Blogger Page. We will try to add new information each week to keep you updated about what is going on in out lives here in N.W. Wisconsin.