Spring is here - and DST as well!

Dear Friends, Some of you were reading earlier blogs and prayed for Jo when she was taking her Level III Interpreter exam (once again!). If you don't read her own blog, which is linked to ours, I'll share her latest entry because she has achieved her goal, and we are so proud of her: FROM JO:I have (finally) attained my Level III Interpreter Certification in the state of Texas! This certification has been a long process and I have taken the test several times. I am very proud to be a Level III!! More importantly, I'm very grateful to my Interpreter friends and mentors and those Deaf people that have helped me to grow in the language. This Certification is a big deal for me! :-) and I am VERY happy! < :o) Its an absolutely glorious day in Wichita. Jerry has been attending a committee meeting for Tres Rios Presbytery. While he was out of town, my friend Nancy Rabe from Marshall MO came over. We have had a glorious 48 hours girls-time, which included some fun shopping and exploring in Wichita; a trip to Yoder KS which is an Amish and Mennonite community to view their spectacular quilt showing, shop in quaint and unusual shops and eat delicious food at the Carriage Crossing restaurant; dine out in Wichita; and talk, talk, talk! Once again its been a blessing to be in Wichita, which is close enough to Marshall for us to have seen each other at least three times already this year. This month they leave for their summer home in northern Wisconsin and we leave Wichita - but distance doesn't bother friendships like ours. Our intention was to do some serious quilting while we visited, but guess what? It NEVER happened! Its been wonderful to receive responses from so many of you on our new blog location. Thank you ever so much. This is truly much easier to handle than our AOL journal (for me as well as for you) so we will keep it up. Our winter didn't amount to much in Wichita, and that has been my only disappointment this year - and its such a small disappointment! The pear trees are all in bloom, including the little one pictured with ice on it a couple of blogs ago, and the city looks beautiful. We have lots of things left to do and see in Wichita during the next few months as well as a vacation trip to Arkansas after Easter, so these days will fly by, I know. We appreciate your continued prayers for our Pastor Nominating committee (PNC) as they work on their refined list of candidates for this pulpit. Carla is at Young Christians Weekend (YCW) at Silver Dollar City today - and what a great day to be doing that. The Ozarks must be gorgeous--I hope the redbuds and the dogwood are out for her. SDC is one of our family's favorite places (of course--its in the Ozarks!) and we've spent many wonderful days at the City including a lot of YCW. The Herschend family, who created SDC, are strong Christians (one is a Presbyterian elder), and early on brought in Young Life folks to work with their staff at the City. They have a great ministry in that area. Please plan to spend a day there, if you are ever in the area. Don't forget to turn your clocks ahead tonight..and have a blessed Lord's Day! Love, Mary and Jerry