Pow Wow Week

I can't believe that another Pow Wow has come and gone! There were 5,000 people who participated this year! Security was tight and we had to show our ID cards. My brother, Roger, and his son, Daniel arrived last Tuesday night. It was great to see them both! Daniel is a 5th year senior at Cal Baptist. Like his father, Daniel is a musician and plays the drums for the girls touring choir.

Bill and I hosted the family for dinner on Wednesday. With Galen, Sondra, David and Mom, there were 8 of us. After dinner, Ian and Phyllis Gliori joined us for dessert. We discussed the books that David and Galen have each published. Then, we had a photo session. During the festivities, I received a call from Noel that he was on his way to the ER once again at the request of Cleveland Heart Hospital. The family stopped, joined hands and prayed.

Mom hosted her kids on Thursday evening. We enjoyed pulled pork and told stories from the past.

On Friday evening, we went to the Pow Wow grounds for dinner. My cousins, Vic and Ruthie had traveled from So. Dakota, and George and Pat from Springfield, Illinois. That evening, Roger won $100 in the checkers tournament, and nephew, Jason won $100 in the pool tournament.

Saturday afternoon, my cousin Susan and family joined us all. They live in OKC. Uncle Johnie also drove in. My mother did not feel like joining us due to the heat. The drumming and dancing which follows the big dinner always reminds me of my heritage. George Godfrey made us proud once again. He won $400 for second place. At midnight on Saturday, Roger and Daniel drove their rental car back to Dallas to catch their flight to California.

Sunday morning, David was part of an Indian naming ceremony. His sponsors were my mother and cousin George. His Indian name is Sky Warrior. At the same time, Galen taught Mom's Bible Study class, and Bill directed our choir at New Beginnings. After our service finished, we joined the family at Golden Corral for lunch. Soon after lunch, Galen, Sondra and David took off for Springfield, Mo. to visit Noel and Janice. Sunday finished sadly when Bill and I heard that our friend, Cheryl Barton died that afternoon from cancer at the age of 55. Cheryl's husband is the principal of the school where Bill and I taught Enlish in Tokyo, Japan. She died in Anderson, Indiana where her parents live.

Our Engish school here in Shawnee has taken in the students who were evacuated from Minot, North Dakota. The school flooded up to the second floor! Fortunately, the new students have become part of our student body easily. God is good! It rained this morning for 2 hours!!!