While there in 2011 we connected with other protection child/sex trade ministries. The role of grandparents to so many young girls is a marvelously blessed role. Peggy taught knitting to the girls and those who caught on went to town knitting scarves, hats and blankets. Not all are inclined or talented but many were. We had a great time together as we looked forward to evenings and Saturdays during free time.

Peggy was thrilled to link up with Lanna Theological Center, a college for students to study the Bible and be prepared to go back into their surrounding villages and towns with tools to help their families and tribespeople. Some are teachers and preachers while others have skills to share back home. Teaching English pronounciation, singing and reciting old poems and scripture verses was fun and built some lasting relationships. Peg loves those young people and the staff too. We’re still in communication.

Ron was fervent in persuing ‘self-sufficiency’ recommended by the King of Thailand on the Land of Remember Nhu. They had a small flock of chickens and one pathetic pig. Since we have raised chickens, pigs, sheep, goats and various other types of livestock with Ron’s special skills it was the perfect challenge. Either let the neighborhood dogs continue to kill the chickens that were escaping the pen or improve the living conditions. The hog needed to be brought up in weight and health before she could be eaten or bred. Before we left home the first of November a sister from Son Rise church gave us a gift. We were so thankful and promised to use it the best way we saw fit.

We met a successful couple in raising hogs there. With a sweet demeaner Nuch talked with the girls who were interested in making a business of raising pigs for sale.  http://www.surinfarm.com/Surin%20Farm%20Main.htm Buying good protein hog feed and dedicated girls taking the challenge to regulate the feed and water her brought her to a good weight and Laurie and Carl decided that breeding her would be a good idea. On the day we left Nuch and Randall came with a syring filled with fresh sperm which her brother (the expert AI guy) who taught Ton (one of the house dads) how to administer it. A vivid lesson in AI. (lots of laughs)A few months after we left nine healthy piglets were born to the delight of all.

The need for a chicken coop to keep them dry during the summer rains and heat as well as protected from marauding beasts was another goal. As we drove to town we would see the bus stops built in the Thai style so with pencil and paper we designed a ‘Chicken Palace’.. Ron called it the Egg Production  Center. With help from Titus (one of the house fathers) and his brother in law the work began. Along came the teams from The World Race http://theworldrace.org to help with digging ditches, tearing down and cleaning up as well as clearing the property perimeter. A couple of trips to the King’s Project gave us ideas for fencing to fit the area. With our gift we were able to purchase local building products and in no time our flock was protected. The latest word is that production has been pretty steady at 40 eggs a day. The hope is that with their business sense being trained the girls will have learned much more than just how to collect eggs. Eggs are supplied to the House and feed bought with the proceeds. We were blessed to have made friends with another couple. He is American and she Thai. Clare’s little flock of hens does so well that I asked her to come and talk with the girls. It’s much better to have a fellow Thai explain the reasoning behind business than an American trying to make things “American”.

Our hearts are moved with other ministries as well. The latest being Mary’s Home. http://marys-home.com/TWhistory.html We met Rick and those who work with him our first time there and now the home is open and running with an emphasis on twins. When twins are born in some of the cultures they are fed to the dogs or pigs before 35 hours old, as they are ‘bad luck’. When Jesus Christ comes into their lives He makes such a difference. All babies are cherished. When Rich was entrusted with his first set of twins who had been protected in hiding by a grandmother, he wasn’t quite sure how they would fit in with the other children. Now he has been able to find homes for some in Thai families and looks forward to this new focus. Please pray for him and the other workers. We are eager to return and spend time with the babies.

We were volunteers, paying our own way, but the house we stayed in with friends the year before was available for housing the teams and other guests and volunteers. So we were the host and hostess for the groups which was such a treat for us. Peg would prepare breakfast for the groups then the other meals were eaten at the girl’s homes or with village families. We love our neighborhood and friends we met there.

After we arrived home Ron asked me where I wanted to live after he died. What a terrible thing to ask..  so I ask him where he wanted to live when I died! He responded that he didn’t care but knew that I did. What a lovely man, a loving husband. During the summer we were in Grass Valley where we had lived for nearly 20 years, to be part of our granddaughter Sarah’s wedding. We found that with the housing market like it is, we could possibly move back into California. Our dear daughter and her husband live in Grass Valley so I wanted to be back near her and also our friends who knew our history and loved us through many years. Our sweet Joshua died there 12 years ago and my mom just 7 years ago. We began to look and sure enough we found a fantastic little house in town which we are working on now.

The message was clear not to return to Thailand this year when even though we were planning to leave and then we found out why. Going to the doctor for a routine exam it was discovered Peggy has Afib..  an irregular heart rate. So the meds began. Warfarin to thin blood and another to regulate the rate. So now we know why it’s time for us to be home for awhile. Peggy’s brother Fred is having the same thing in his life so we feel it is something inherited. It’s a new time of life so we encourage all of you to do what you know you need to do for others before you are unable.

So friends we are settling into our new home here in Grass Valley. Reconnecting with our old friends and our daughter has been the greatest. We miss our kids and friends in Portland but life goes on and we’ll be back often to visit. We’ll probably see the kids and grandkids more!

Sorry to be so long but wanted to catch up on what’s going on.

Blessings and love to each of you, Peggy and Ron

A sea of white heads with patriotic hearts. All who had served stood when their branch of service’s hymn was played… to see Ron standing when the Marine Corps “From the Halls of Montezuma” was played topped it off for me! It made me wonder just how many years there will be something like this as the patriots seem to be dying off. I sure hope the group that is serving now will be honored and appreciated for their service. Good old John Philip Souza’s music filled the air the second half of the presentation so all was well.
(it’s not that they don’t care but with little children it’s hard to attend things like this)

We have been having a marvelous time meeting and greeting old friends with events as they were in the ‘olden daze’ when we lived here… Thursday the night market was loaded with everything from fresh veggies, hand crafted jewelry to Henna tattoos… Music at several venues wafed through the old streets in our Gold Rush town that hasn’t changed very much from 1849 …

Enjoy your Fourth and celebrate with thankfulness for our great country.

At the end of the ceremony together they planted a peach tree that will go through seasons and fruit in it’s time. Just as they will. We’re looking forward to the peaches!!!

The most different wedding cake was Smores with a bonfire with makin’s. What a fun time..

Most of our family were able to be there so it was a warm family time as well. Our son Sam and Cheryl drove down from Portland with Max, Henry and darling Amelia who was one of the flower girls.

Our niece Nicole and Ryan with Lucian and sweet Mira drove down as well. Mira was another flower girl while Nicole was the cutest photographer ever to take pictures of any wedding!

Ron’s Twin sister Roxy with her son Greg came from Aptos California and sister Natalia from Israel. We are so sorry Matt, Amy and the kids couldn’t make it. That was the only sad thing about the day.

Of course Rich’s wonderful mom Jean and his extended family came for the occassion as did all of Jared’s. Such a mixing of genes… fun to see how they jump around from generation to generation.

Ruthie was gorgeous in a deep purple dress and Rich in his bow tie, suspenders and pink tennies.. Yes, pink tennies. They had a special meaning for him with Sarah as a little one so it was sweet.

We are very proud grandparents of very special newly weds.

Gathering with friends and family is such a blessed event…
more with photos to come…….

The Finishing Touches
Ron has pressed on and the Chicken Palace is just about finished. This last world race team (10 young women, 2 young men) has been a big help in digging 22 post holes for the fence that will keep them in and the dogs out. Netting and bamboo picket fencing gives the strength and protection. A large roof to last more than one year will give them a dry area. The goal is to produce good quality eggs to feed the girls. The pig pens are just about finished too. We will be having the large gilt (sow before she has a first litter) bred this week end so in June she could have 14-16 piglets. The girls are keeping a note book hanging in the area with careful Thai writing that must mean they are tracking something. We are so very pleased with their participation and eagerness to learn business. A survival skill for sure.

Village Visit
I was able to go two weeks ago with the staff to three villages in the mountains for interviews. A long and arduous 5 hour trip each way. An interview is required before a young girl is brought to the homes of refuge here. There is good news and bad news. The first village was very primitive as most villages in the hills and mountains are. This one has a reputation of allowing their girls and boys to go into the sex trade. The roofs of the bamboo houses are newer, composite type rather than rotting grass. One grandmother refused to speak to the leaders and kept her granddaughter close to her side. When asked where the grandson who sent word that his sister needed protection we found that the week before he had gone to Bangkok ‘to work’. He is just 14 so the type of work is most likely in the sex trade. Grandma loves her children but the financial benefits of allowing them to go with strangers is just too much temptation. We were as sad as that little 10 year old to leave her sitting there.

The next village was a good experience. The relative there discussed the opportunity for the child at risk to come here and everything seems set to take place just after school is out in 4 weeks. As I waited at the top of a dusty hill, for two hours, I noted that there were no young children running about. Mother’s with babies and toddlers stood in front of their homes staring at me but during that time I didn’t see any middle aged children or even teens coming or going.

Pigs trotted across the road and under the bamboo houses, dogs sprawled in the sun and a few birds twittered in the trees but the lack of children and activity gave me a gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach. I used my best native language greeting and broke the ice with two young moms. We had fun laughing at my lack of speaking with them in ‘proper’ linguistic symbols. One mom had her little boy about 9 months, sawadeekup to me with his chubby little hands. So precious. It was a special time for me even though standing in the middle of this village alone had me feeling as though I was a National Geo reporter! It really is a jungle out there. Very pleasant but for what is happening behind the scenes. There are 1.2 million children around the world being sold into the sex trade every year. I may be very under in this estimation.

The third village was a happier experience. The families gathered around from the neighborhood with their hands behind their backs. Later when I showed my photos to some English speaking native peoples they chuckled saying ‘they are happy!’. I sensed that too. However, since the threat was not there with this young woman and the family was in tack she was is not a candidate for the homes here. As Carl and Laurie say, “when the million who are taken or at risk of the sex trade every year, are all safe in homes, then we’ll take in the ones who just want a better life for their daughters.’ As you can see it is a very hard call.

Please continue to pray for the children of the world who are exploited in sex trafficing. Also for the marvelous volunteer groups everywhere that are reaching out and doing something. The task is overwhelming but to do nothing is more overwhelming.
God bless you, seeing you soon, Peggy and Ron

We are so blessed … This is a good place to thank all of you who have donated to us as well as those who have sent care packages in the mail. Clothes,chocolate candy, our sweetner Agave Nectar, and tons of other things from Patsy and Gary. Dave and Julie with our home group’s surprises of foot cream, antibiotic ointment, mini flashlights, candy and even Mac and Cheese plus George and Rene’s box of miscellaneous treasures including delicious biscuits and gravy mixes, coffee and mayonaise!. A special treat was the much needed hair product from my cousin Nancy and today some of my Bare Essestials make up (for my birthday) from Becky and family in Illinois.. what gifts of love. Each thing we’ve opened has been such a blessing.. we are really spoiled by you. Your prayers and notes of encouragement are priceless. Thank you.

Your financial gifts are so appreciated and help us to help the girls. There is always a need. To think that some sent gifts for our anniversary touches us deeply. We have had uses for every dollar from the hospital bills to the setting up the livestock production and yarn for the girls to knit. I may get a pedicure too as it’s just $3. including a foot massage. I was given a coupon for two foot massages from Carl and Laurie for Christmas.. who wouldn’t love that… an hour each!!

Our thanks to all of you especially for your prayers and thoughts. We couldn’t be here without your support.
With love from our hearts to yours,.. Ron and Peggy

On Thursday I spent most of the afternoon with Nawah as I brewed a huge pot of spaghetti sauce for spaghetti noodles in the evening. We bought 4 loaves of french bread that we saw in the city and with the salad Nim and Nawah made it was delicious. The group was 30 girls, Titus’ family and their helper plus us.. so nearly 40 people were fed and all seemed to really enjoy it as there wasn’t a drop left!

Friday night was a repeat performance. I prepared spaghetti for all 33 girls and Mam and Tone’s family and the helper Bow and her family. It sure was a hit!! They went back for seconds and thirds.. a huge salad in a big beat up metal basin topped it off. Those 4 loaves of french bread disappeared just as quickly. I made more this time so there was plenty of spaghetti and sauce and that was good. It was such fun and rewarding. You’d think I was Julia Child.

We spent all evening at Mam and Ton’s with Papa Ron capturning photos of each girl and them helping him lable their picture for his desk top. We can hardly keep track of the names… Bai, Bee, Fie, Gia, Mai, Mali, Mat, May, Mint, Nhu, Pung, Pang, Pim, Pon, Shew, Som, Urn and on it goes.. and that’s just one of the homes. (remember there are 63 girls with 3 more to come in a couple of weeks)

The girls and I knitted all evening.. there are about 15 or so working on the friendship quilts. I told them my daughter would like to see what they’re working on. They are so happy with that. Some are really gifted and produce wonderful things.. the patterns are tough but they persevere and with my instruction in English they are amazing. Five of the older girls at Nawah’s weave the Karen bags that I brought home last year. They girls also are learning to do beaded jewelry. We’ll be starting on that project next week end. A young high school girl in the states feels she has a market for the jewelry so the girls will be producing items for her to sell and raise money for the homes. Ingenuity at work.

I realized today that I am called MaPeggeee or MaHuneee. Ma means mother or grandmother before your name. I love it.

Yesterday I spent some time with Laurie and the two new kitties. When visiting Randall and Nuch last week I saw a bunch of kittens. (They are the pig people).  We saw rat doo doo in the garbage area at the land so suggested a cat to Laurie and Mam. Turns out they were also aware of it and looking for a good cat or kittens… sooo.. another connection is made. Randall brought them over yesterday. Really sweet young things so I was there making friends this morning so they won’t be wild.

When I arrived there the poor old car we’ve been driving started to spew water so Ton called a mechanic who came on his motor bike with a friend so they could drive it to the shop. We’ll see what the damage is in a day or so. Having the car has been such a wonderful addition to our experience here. We have been able to go to the hospital for all the appointments but most especially I can go to and from the girls homes and stay as long as I want without bothering Titus or Ton who are very busy with their own duties. We’ve been able to keep up with newly met folks, my school committments as well as shopping for ourselves! Public transportation doesn’t go over to the land so I can take Ron over to work with Titus and I’ve even been able to take Nawah and Nim to their doctor’s appointments in the nearby village.

Since the car was down I got a ride over to Nawah’s where she and her sister in law were weaving.

Titus' sister Phoebe

Phoebe learned how to knit very quickly. .. everytime I bring out the needles someone wants to learn. It’s fun for sure. I’ve run out of yarn so it’s back to the city to pick up a few skeins in a day or so. The girls are loving the knit slouch hat pattern that I brought. Our granddaughter Sarah began making one before we left and when I talked with her the other day she said she is making many and even has sold some. Very chic.

Ron and Titus and Phoebe’s husband Daniel are working like madmen on the chicken house which we now call the Egg Production Center. We also have fryers growing to a nice size. We ate a chicken dish at Nawah’s tonight made of a chicken she caught and wrang the neck of an hour earlier. Yikes.. Daniel came down from the Lahu Hill Tribe to help. He is quite skilled so Ron will pay him. It isn’t much compared to the states. Ron needed to buy a cutting blade for the saw as well as a heavy duty drill so these Titus will be able to use on the land. [[Show as slideshow]]

Earlier we went just up the road a bit to the King’s Project to see what is recommended for the livestock. Good ideas on fencing too. This is a big step toward self sufficency which the King is stressng to all Thai citizens. We want to have it more permanent so it’s not a mess like the other ones that are falling down and shedding the grass thatch that everyone has scattered around. There isn’t a person on staff to keep up the repairs that are needed so we talked with Carl who agreed it would be a good thing. With monsoon rains in the summer and winds plus all the kids doing the chores we saw that a sturdy building was needed. We are doing it in a Thai design (after the bus stops up and down the highway) rather than an American look.

Thanks to a generous donation to us we are able to get this built. Titus and his brother in law know how to do this construction with metal. We’ll trim it with bamboo for the rustic look. Ron was able to make a connection with our new friend Rick to pick some framing metal up for free. We’ll bring him some chickens and a bag of feed in return. Love this connection business.

Anything wood would rot or be eaten by termites. Bamboo is a great product so the interior that will remain dry will be bamboo as well as all the fencing around the area so they will be range free chickens. We have let some out to run but the neighbors dogs have killed them so that doesn’t work. We wanted to make it so the girls can pick up eggs by walking upto not into the chicken area and keep dry. This will be a big step in providing enough eggs for all. It’s looking so nice that Ron is threatening to move in! A large roof is necessary for keeping a dry area during the monsoons.

[[Show as slideshow]]An update on the pig situation. We have had great success with the old pig (1 yr. and almost dead when we arrived) so we will be breeding her soon. We purchased good feed that we supplement with other things. Big Mama will be ready to meet the father of her babies to be in 21 days from today.  The five little piggies Ron and Titus picked up just over a week ago have grown by leaps and bounds… they are darling and the girls are taking their responsibilties to heart. I saw a list of chores in a plastic page cover hanging above the pens. Now Boot (he is Bow’s husband) brews a batch of slop each evening over a camp fire and feeds them all in the morning. Boy is that a slurping feast. ‘Don’t eat like a pig’ takes on new meaning. (when we saw the fire in the evening darkness out by the big pens we stopped on our way home. It was a big 1 gallon can filled with stuff stewing away. We thought maybe it was “hootch” or “moonshine’.. turns out it is the slop that our pig expert friends recommended be boiled! good thing we didn’t take a sample )

We are setting up the livestock division so it will be efficient and already the girls are taking pride in it all and keeping it so much cleaner. Good food for the baby pigs was one of the things we wanted to help with. Getting a good start in life is important. And the big mama is thriving with the food we bought when we first arrived. Since Nuch and Randall have come to speak about the importance of good feed etc. we feel they are all on board and will do fine without us. That is a huge goal met.

May the Lord bless you and keep you from harm and bring you joy. Ron and Peggy

Our goals to serve our God and the girls with this mission are being met in a variety of ways each day. Our gift to connect is something even we stand back and watch. Many of the people I mention below have come into our lives to be used by God.  [[Show as slideshow]]

We have met the most interesting folks since being here and continue to do so. This is really a cross roads of the world. We’ve heard many stories of people who are passing through or their plane stops for a few hours en transit and the fall in love with the place and the people. Several have been her 25+ years since. We can certainly identify with that. We love our girls here and to see them grow and mature is a special part of life. We hate to leave but look forward to returning to catch up with what’s going on in their lives. We won’t be leaving until Feb. 21 so we have a few more weeks. We have a several teams coming and one will be 10 women from Nebraska. We will host them here at our house and have some things for them to do while here.

What is interesting about the language is that the people in the hill tribes speak languages that are quiet different from each other. Not dialects but actual languages. Thai is the language of Thailand so for them to survive here in the country they must learn Thai. Add to that the fact that English is the common language that even their Prime Minister uses to converse with the PM of another country is English speaks volumes. It’s not that Americans want them to speak our language but that they will be prepared to meet th world. With all the Falangs that live here from the West (German, English,French or what-have-you) the common language is English.

We have such an interesting time when we go to the large grocery store in the city. I always end up in conversation with Falange (foreign) men! If it’s cheese you want… (they don’t ‘do’ cheese here).. then that’s the place you’ll meet the French men. Everyone is always ready to speak English so we have long conversations wherver we go. I know you find that hard to belive but we do talk with anyone who wants to. Most of the men are married to Thai women so I guess they are homesick for their own tongue. The wives we’ve met are so patient and polite.

We now have quite a retinue of men and a few women. Randall and Nuch are pig farmers. Quite successful in the business with even some awards from the king and his programs. They provided a couple of cats for our place after I saw rat droppings in the garbage storage area. Peg saw them when we visited the pig farm last week. What an education that was. We even observed a donation and implantation of sperm while there. Got to see the activity under the microscope too!

 Rick is starting up a children’s home near by. His foundation has acquired a beatiful piece of property and will house 18 children as soon as school is out in March. He can use helpers to volunteer so here is another opportunity. Any knowedge of  agriculture and such would be greatly appreciated. He has traded Ron some valuable steel beams to build a sturdy place for the chicken production for some laying hens.

Tony and his family have invited us to their home a couple of times. He is Sicilian/Israeli which is a dangerous mix he reminds us. A Japanese family as well as a couple of Korean families begin to fill out our lives. Nala and Jack are good neighbors and of like mind. Jack has been a pastor for over 50 years and retired here, married Nala who is Lahu and is always up to holding his own with Ron.

Alan and Clair are an American/Thai couple who are very hospitable and live in DoiSaket. Alan is a nurse who is able to work among the Tribal peoples here. We met them last year. He hosts a motor bike repair class at his home for locals often during the month. They have introduced us to some very facinating people. Joseph is an American/Jewish/Christian/Lahu/Israeli citizen. His wife is Lahu and he has lived in a village for 15 years. He is a grad of MIT as well as earning his PhD in England. He is clever and has been a professor here. He has offered to teach our girls a method of learning English that will benefit them beyond belief. We hope to get started tomorrow with at least the adults of our group.

Yesterday we met Sally who originally came here from England and began a work called Chiang Mai Family Services. They will help anyone who will be staying one day or many to be involved in a project here for the betterment of families and children. As you can see there are many opportunities. So if you have been thinking of doing some outreach Thailand is a very open and welcoming place to serve. www.familycare.org

We have the Remember Nhu photographer, Todd Biss, staying with us now as he is here for the week. He will leave his 18 yr. old daughter Brea for 6 weeks. She will be here to live with Nhu as she is getting more comfortable with English. Another young American girl is coming to be an assistant to Carl in some of the paper shuffling and also to be here a year working with Nhu and her English. Brea is darling and joy to be around. Of course as two young women live among the girls their English will be improving. Nhu has such a great sense of humor and we’re enjoying getting to know her. What a delight. These two remind me of our own granddaughters.

Better close now as this is too long already.
God bless you, Peggy and Ron
p.s. Peggy be starting back teaching English at LTC, Lanna Theologial Center by next week. She loves the kids she has meet there and videoed them tellling her about their Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Hope to post some on youtube soon. [[Show as slideshow]]

Hospital stay:

As I lay here fighting the last vestige of this infection we are planning our next activities with the work here. Ron is the one in charge of teams that come to do something on the land and also to assess what needs to be done to have it function. Our next big thing is the pig and chicken projects. We have chickens and one pig at this time. The goal would be to set things up where they could more easily feed and care for both. Our years as farmers in Grass Valley is certainly a great help. Lots of experience and yet we are seeking advice and suggestions from those with more.

Chickens:

Since the ground gets saturated during the monsoon season (summer) it is a mess where the chickens are. The pen or coop that they are in is beginning to fall apart and the plastic tarps are shredding and looking shabby. As these chickens are close to laying we need to have it where egg collection is clean and easier than the present set up. We are intent on setting up a system with a few girls who would really be interested so it will go on when we leave. Now different girls go out to feed each day and it’s very haphazard. We believe there are some who can learn it as a business and sell the fryers that they also have growing. They started with chicks but as to what to do now is the situation. Free range is best however Boot has planted a nice garden of veggies so we need to see how to fence that area off or enclose a larger area so they can run free and not be prey to neighbor dogs or other predators. So with nearly 100 people to feed from the bounty you can see what a plan we need. Pray for us please as we work on the details.

Pigs:

Pigs are in the same situation. There are high quality pigs that would sell for a higher price at market but cost much more to begin with or the hill tribe pigs (black pigs) that are fed garbage and cost less to raise but sell for less and cost less to buy as piglets. The profit could be even higher with the black pigs as there isn’t the outgo of good feed. So that is something we are considering. The one they have now is so skinny that something needs to be changed so they get a good product. They barbequed one in July for the open house of the new home but this poor guy just languishes. Since we insisted he be fed commercial food he has perked up and is filling out a bit. The goal is to have some improved ways learned by the girls (the adults are so busy taking care of the girls and all that goes into running a home for 40 people each, that they can’t take that responsibility) so they can take what they learn back to their villages or develop their skills in business planning and pass it on to the next stage of girls who will live on the land. Quite a lofty goal but we think it can be done.

Prayer:

We ask for prayer as to choosing the right girls. We need one good bookkeeper and at least 4 girls for the pigs and 4 for the chickens. Perhaps the same 4 or 6 will take on both responsibilities. Remember most Asians and especially Thai will agree with a big smile so we must be careful as to how we approach the group asking who would like to take on the responsibility. We’ll have Michael or Elsie help us convey what we need without giving away our plan until chosen. Wow.. as i’ve written this I realize anew what a challenge this can be.

Knitting:

There are many of the girls who have picked up the knitting so well. We have bought yarn here in Chiang Mai which is fairly inexpensive. All have made scarves and eager to make more things. I had just begun showing them how to make squares for a knitted quilt but here I am. So while here I’ve knitted several sample squares of various colors and different patterns. These will be sewn together to make a quilt type blanket. One suggestion i hve for them is to each make several squares and then put them together as a ‘Friendship” quilt. I was telling my daughter Ruthie about it and she alredy wants to buy one!! They could then buy more materials and have a lovely craft to work on when they have free time in the evenings. I haven’t told them about that yet but thought i would ask if anyone else would be interested and we’ll get started knitting away. Do drop me a line as to your interest. You don’t have to pay for it before but i would like an estimate as to interest.

God bless each of you with whatever God is doing in your lives. With love and hugs, Peggy and Ron

This wonderful promise from the Word of God was sent to us today by a loving faithful friend..Isaiah 58:10-11 ”..if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame…”