Visitors to the Parsonage!

It has been so nice to have Belinda's brother Rob and his son Kyle visiting us in the parsonage this weekend!

They had a great time visiting Mount Rushmore today. They were very impressed with the Crazy Horse monument as well! Folks have been working on it since June 3, 1948.

If you want to see how the work is progressing, look at this cool website:
http://www.crazyhorse.org/carving/face/index.shtml .

A Busy Saturday in Sidney, Nebraska

First of all, it rained last night. Whew! It was a great soaking rain, the kind we have needed for oh so long! Praise be to God!!!

AND Belinda's brother Rob and his son Kyle arrived last night. They are situating themselves here in Sidney this weekend, so they can take a day-trip up to Mount Rushmore today. It is to be a father-son bonding trip.

AND Pastor Charles was at the church at 6:45 a.m. today -- to see off the church's youth group who are going on a mission trip to St. Louis, Illinois for a week.

AND Belinda was in downtown Sidney at 7:15 a.m. to help with the Ladies Chamber bake sale. Believe it or not, folks were out and about at that time! The downtown businesses opened at 8:00 a.m., and they are having a big sales celebration today, which includes "Thanks with Franks." Folks were treated to free hot dogs and watermelon at lunchtime!

AND our flagship Cabela's store is having their BIG annual summer sale. Folks from around the country flock to this sale each year!

AND today is the first of a series of Saturday Farmers Markets in the front parking lot of our courthouse -- they run throughout the summer months.

SO... we who live here in Sidney, Nebraska, are grateful to the good Lord above for all the blessings of this day and this weekend! Praise be to God!!!

The Cross the UMYF Created

Wow: What a wonderful cross is the one that the youth group made to take on their mission trip!!!

They leave this coming Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. All are invited to come and see them off!

Pastor Charles at the Parsonage

Just thought you would like to see Pastor Charles as he left the parsonage this morning.

He is sporting his new clergy shirt which Barb Winter in Gordon, Nebraska, just finished sewing for him. He selected the fabric himself. What a fun look!

What a week it was!

We made it back to Sidney after our week at Camp Norwesca and what a week it was!!!

Check out the full report of what we took part in at www.sidneyfirstumc.blogspot.com.

Now that we're home in Sidney, we're resting up on this Sunday afternoon, ready for the amazing week that God has in store for us!

Howdy from the Pine Ridge Riders Camp in Nebraska!

Howdy, partners!

Glad you could stop by for a spell and look at some of our pictures for today!

If you want to check on how things are progressin' this week, please go to this blog: http://www.sidneyfirstumc.blogspot.com/ .

God bless ya real good now, ye hear?!

Pastor Charles and Belinda

The Alkula's at Camp Norwesca

This week Charles & Belinda are helping at a church camp! Come back each day to see the latest from Camp Norwesca's "Pine Ridge Riders" Camp!!!

Today, we got a glimpse at the nearby state park where we could see Wyoming and South Dakota. We had dinner at a local diner in Chadron with Hannah, the Camp Norwesca's program director and Mollie, the Camp Norwesca Director.

We also got re-aquainted with Mollie's two adorable cats, Karl (Jung) and Dietrich (Bonhoeffer). They have the best view of the comings and goings of camp life and are such good companions for Mollie.

It should be a most interesting week, to be certain!!!

Oh, yes, the news is that Belinda has volunteered to be the laundry lady and do the washing and drying in the air-conditioned building. Can't you tell that she is happy?!

July 4th in Sidney

We enjoyed a great holiday here in Sidney! We enjoyed a root beer float supplied by the Third Grade class from North Elementary before the town fireworks. The class was raising funds in support of an injured classmate and they did a wonderful job!

Afterwards the fireworks lit the sky above Sidney and then we joined church members for a neighborhood fireworks display.

On the Fourth, we enjoyed a quiet day at home and then enjoyed more local fireworks being set off around the town.

What a great weekend!