The wonderful world of the Wissmanns

We were incredibly blessed to have the Wissmann Family here in Bemidji for four whole days doing a family seminar at Northern Bible Chapel. If you have never met this beautiful family, you are missing out BIG time. There are 13 children in the family and they all sing and many play instruments. It is such a lovely sight to see them all gathered around the microphone singing in perfect four part harmonies, glorifying God together.

On Saturday they were able to come over to our house for lunch. This was also the same day as the big snow storm, so they had to brave the deep snow! Nothing like a good Minnesota spring to really make you look forward to summer!

Bethany just returned from the Prizewinning Photography course through IPS so I was picking her brain on all that she learned. She has a wonderful gift for photography and it was fun to hear her excitement from the time she spent there.

Rachel and Ruth led a session for the children during the Family Seminar while the parents were in their session. They did a great job teaching them songs and Scripture.

Even Elijah was enjoying it! (Thanks to Hannah's wonderful baby skills and pretty necklace!)

Thank you Wissmann Family, for blessing us with your presence! We love you guys!

"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing."

~Psalm 100:1-2

A beautiful gift

This morning, my mom came out of her bedroom with a large box in her hands and a twinkle in her eye and announced, "Mellie, I've had this for a while and I've decided that I am going to give it to you today!" So it isn't my birthday, Christmas is long gone, and it isn't National Give Your Daughters Something Really Nice Day, so what's the occasion? I just have a super wonderful mother who requires no occasion to completely bless my socks off!

So I opened the box and inside I found this!

It is an absolutely gorgeous large covered serving dish AND it matches my china set! Go here to see the rest of my china and how I came about getting it. I am a blessed girl! Thank you Mom!!

More David pics!

David has been sending me a few pictures here and there from his camera and so I can't resist posting a few of them from time to time. I continue to count my blessings at the opportunity that I had to go over to visit David and his friends and family. I am still amazed by it (which is probably obvious from my never ending posts on the subject!). :)

Here are two wonderful friends that I met while in Ireland...Pastor and Mrs. Phelim Doherty. They minister at the River City Church in Derry. They generously treated David and I to a meal out at a fancy Chinese restaurant and then welcomed us into their home for a wonderful time of fellowship and prayer. What a blessing they were with their sweet hospitality and amazing testimonies to the Lord's work in their lives!

And one more of David and I...this one was taken at the Giant's Causeway. That was a very interesting place and there are many myths and legends about how it was formed. Did a giant carve it? Ancient men with tools? Or could it have been formed by accelerated cooling of lava during a massive geological event (the Flood?). I don't know, but I do know that it is beautiful and I believe that only God could have created that. Like a certain other relationship that I am thinking of. ;) Some things are just too wonderful to understand fully!

Good Friday

David just sent me this picture from his camera so I thought I would share it with you all as well. This was taken on Good Friday, just before the service where David directed the choir and I played along with my violin--such a great service and such a blessing to be able to play along!

It was truly a good Friday. It is amazing to think that the Lord of all Creation died on the cross in our place...and what joy to know that three days later He rose again! Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;

Spotless Lamb of God was He;

“Full atonement!” can it be?

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Philip P. Bliss, 1875

April snow storm!

So I'm not sure about you, but when I think of Spring it usually conjures up images of green growing things, bunnies, birds in their nests and bubbling brooks. But then again I am a little delusional to think that way considering that I live in Minnesota. So this morning, I looked out my window and saw this instead...

At church this morning I heard a lot of moaning and groaning about it. It is kind of a pain getting stuck and having wet snow blowing in your face and wading through snow drifts to get to your car. But on the other hand....I sort of feel like I am 6 years old again and it's Christmas morning and life just couldn't possibly get any better.

Check that out! I took this picture 4 or 5 hours ago and it has been snowing steady ever since! Pretty amazing considering that at this same time yesterday there was grass in that very spot.

I don't care what anybody says...I love it!

The Sound of Music

"The hills are alive, with the sound of music...!!!" Well, there aren't exactly a lot of hills down here in southern Minnesota but the soy bean fields were certainly privileged! This weekend I was able to go down to my oldest sister Melissa's house and see 5 members of their family perform in the musical, The Sound of Music. It was incredible and extremely well done!

Ben had a lead role as Rolph and he did a fantastic job. I was blown away by his stage presence and amazing solo ("I am 17, going on 18")!

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Annika was a postulant in the Abby. Here she is with Megan Gilmore who played Louisa von Trapp.

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The von Trapp Family singers!
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All the postulants
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Part of the children's choir in which Charisma and Becca sang.

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Annika and Melissa...after the show

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After the show we went back to the Sahlstroms along with 25 other people (there were 21 people sleeping in their house last night!). The Sahlstroms are well known for their hospitality and do a great job at it! It was a quick trip but so much fun!

Congratulations, Sahlstrom clan, on an amazing performance!