,yd^4eX^

^^ I

t\ f{ I

( ^fiiiuary 5., 1^9

/fA^ -/oA,

^wa

We are havine'.Tiore of winter than usual here in upper Iowa. At th

nonent it is snowing and blowing and ny thoughts are concentrating

on the weather for X an working as an associate teacher in Monroe

*iunior high^in i^iason City sone-seventeen niles awav and traveling

can be difficult. I like iny job (30 hours a weekj^and just hope I

can soon say the sane about the ^-eatherj

This has tieen an eventful fall for us. Liy nother vms in the hospital
fron hov. l^th. - Dec. 12th. with a heart condition and other troublesi

wy brother lack had an operation on his back for a broken disk in

bt. Mary s Hospital in Hochester, Minn. For a while, he and loy mother

were both in hospitals in Mason City at the

hone since Dec. 18th. This v;as sooner than
is due to the prayers offered by so many of
spend a long tine indoors until his back is

same time^ Jack's been

expected and I know it
-^rou. He ^^111 have to
healed and that is not

easy for a farmer.

jj/e had a nice Christmas, afterall, with all the family home except

11a and her family v;ho live in Syracuse, N.Y., and my niece Julie
and her husband who live in Manlcato, Minn. Twenty-seven in all sat
down to eat geese, ducks, and the usual variety of foods.

It has been a hapny year for the small Church of Christ in Clear Lake.
J-he first mounds of dirt were lifted from the earth beginning our
new building on August 21st. Ve met/ in the basement of the new bldgk
on December 15th. and have been meeting there ever since*

The old

building which vms built. orig.inally for a grocery store is being torn

down and the useabla parts utilized in the new building*

Now vie are striving to stretch a wee bit of money to buy windows,
pews, shingles, etc. One of our elders is a semi-retired carnenter

and has been spending all of his time on the new building. Two others
who are carpenters have been able to work part time. How thankful

we ore for their talents! Next 3unday, Jan. 12th., we are planning
on holding our first pot luck dinner in the new building. Cone and
join us! (Pheasant and rabbit are both on the menu!)

The new year starting off v/ith snov^, snow, snow, and wind-, wind, VJ:ind,
presents a challenge. God alloi^s circumstances of weather, disease,

v.mr, and such like to cause us to ask, 'L'hat will the New Year hold?"
.iut, basically, the moments making up the minutes of the New Year are

held by us. we cannot judge hov^ many hours are left to us, or how
many new j^ears. ''e can say, with certainty, -'the time is come that

judgment must begin at the house of God; and if it first begin at us,

what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And
If the righteous scarcely he saved, where shall the ungodly and
sinner appear? I Peter 4:17,18,
the v;ord of the Lord endureth for ever.'' I Peter 1:25

yj.
-^uiA