Echoes of Mercy's Adventures

March 2011

2011-03-28T21:35:00.010-04:00

March 2011

Here's a few highlights from our activities during March...

...Miles had fun playing...

...Vanessa & her daycare kids took lots of walks... ...we saw the geese coming back for Spring time... ...Vanessa cleaned out her flower beds & vegetable gardens in preparation for planting time... ...Adam, Crystal & Miles were given a gift... ...Miles decided he really likes to take old things apart & see how they "work" (reminds us of his Daddy at that age)... ...Miles & his daycare friends took a fieldtrip to Tractor Supply to see the little chicks...

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...we REALLY enjoyed the concert by The Nelons at Piedmont Park hosted by our friends Gospel Road...

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...Miles had crazy hair day at Preschool...

March 27, 2011 ~ Breast Cancer Awareness Tea

2011-03-28T21:12:00.004-04:00

Breast Cancer Awareness Tea Northside SDA Church March 27, 2011

We were very honored to be a part of this important and special event. This was the third annual tea, and it was very nice. For more information about it, visit: http://www.pinkforcancer.com/ for the news clip about the tea go here: www.1011now.com and search for Breast Cancer Tea in the search box at the top left of the screen.

March 20 ~ United Methodist Church of Havelock

2011-03-28T19:41:00.004-04:00

United Methodist Church of Havelock

March 20, 2011

We were pleased to be a part of Women's Day for this church! It was our first time to be with them and we really enjoyed it!

(notice anything special about Crystal? :o)

March 5 ~ Rita Hoshino Vespers

2011-03-28T19:22:00.006-04:00

March 5, 2011

Rita Hoshino Vespers

Rita Hoshino

(an Ellen G. White look-a-like)

came to Piedmont Park to give a vespers program.

We were part of the musical portion of the vespers...

...Vanessa sang a solo on "What Heavenly Music"...

...Renee played the piano for all of the songs...

...Adam & Crystal joined with our friends Lou Ann & Duane to sing a quartet on "How Far From Home"...

...Rita Hoshino & Mike Mennard...

February 2011

2011-03-28T17:21:00.009-04:00

February 2011

...and now some of our February fun!

*********************************************************

...Roy & Renee hosted the Piedmont Park Men's Ministries Super Bowl Party...

...Adam & Vanessa recorded with Heaven's Bells at The Music Box Studio...

...Vanessa & her daycare kids had a blast on Pajama Day!...

...Miles had fun decorating Valentine cookies...

...Miles played piano at a mini-recital at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital...

...Renee & Vanessa took Miles to the Train Show at the Lancaster Event Center and then came home & helped him set up a train set given to him by Renee's sister, Joyce...

...fun times outside!...

...Vanessa's second amaryllis bulb started to bloom...

...Roy had to shovel LOTS of snow... (so did Adam ~ just don't have a picture of him)

...Renee was a huge part of putting together a soup supper fundraiser to help raise money for a liver transplant patient...

January 2011

2011-03-28T14:27:00.008-04:00

January 2011

...a brief look at our first month of the new year...

***********************************************

...Miles practiced his singing...

...Miles helped Nessa make sandwiches...

...Miles did lots of fun crafts at daycare...

...Vanessa was thrilled to meet Elissa Wall ~ author of Stolen Innocence ~ at the Lincoln Women's Expo...

...Vanessa's amaryllis that she received as a Christmas gift from her friend, Dar, started opening up...

...Renee, Roy, Vanessa & Miles enjoyed an evening of playing board games while Adam & Crystal went on a date...

December 2010 ~ 2nd Half

2011-03-28T12:15:00.009-04:00

DECEMBER 2010

...here's just some of what kept us busy,

entertained & out of trouble in the month of December...

**************************************************

Christmas Shopping!

Nana & Miles went went on their second

annual shopping trip to buy gifts for

Miles to give to his family at our Christmas gathering...

***************************************************

Christmas!

We had a nice Christmas together at Roy & Renee's house...

************************************************

Lauritzen Gardens Christmas Show

Roy & Renee enjoyed an afternoon together

walking through the Lauritzen Gardens

Christmas Show in Omaha!

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Pre-school Christmas Program

Mommy (Crystal), Daddy (Adam) and Papa (Roy)

went to Miles' first school program...

************************************************

Christmas Fellowship Dinner

Our family...with the help of good friends... staffed

the special Christmas Fellowship Dinner on

Christmas Day after the church service! It was

fun to see all of the people who stayed having such a good time!

*************************************************

Playdate!

Nessa & Miles enjoyed an evening playing at Chuck E. Cheese's...

**************************************************

Harley was glad it was still warm enough

outside to play...especially since there wasn't any snow!

**************************************************

Miles discovered the fun of playing with dominos!

December 18 ~ Flash Mob at Westfield-Gateway Shopping Mall

2010-12-19T12:40:00.003-05:00

Flash Mob at
Westfield Shopping Mall
December 18, 2010

While looking around Facebook one day,
Vanessa came across a church here
in Lincoln that was getting a Flash Mob
together to sing "Angels We Have Heard on High"
at the Westfield-Gateway Shopping Mall.
Their aim was to share some joy with the
shoppers and remind them of WHO
this season is really about.

She invited her friend Holly to participate...
and Holly invited her sister Heidi.
And so the three of them were at Westfield-Gateway
Shopping Mall on December 18 at
12:05pm and participated with an
estimated 200 people singing in the
mall's Food Court. It was amazingly fun!!
(links to videos below picture)

(Vanessa & Holly after the Flash Mob)

Channel 8 News Video (click on video titled Flash Mob at Westfield Gateway Mall): http://www.klkntv.com/Global/category.asp?C=190066

Channel 10 News Video (click on video titled Flash Mob Sings at Westfield-Gateway Mall): http://www.1011now.com/video?clipId5395946flvUri=&partnerclipid&topVideoCatNo=0&c=&autoStart=trueandActivepane=infoandLaunchPageAdTag=homepageandclipFormat=flv

YouTube Video from a bystander: http://youtube.com/watch?v=E9sEziRdQFM

November 2010

2010-12-13T11:35:00.005-05:00

November 2010

November 21...Happy Thanksgiving!
We enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving meal (early)
at Roy & Renee's house. The food
was yummy and the company was pleasant!

...after meal naps!...

...hanging out with Papa...

...listening to Nana play the piano...

November 22 ~ We enjoyed a visit from
Becky & Renee's sister, Lois who live in KY.
It was far too short a visit, but
we appreciated them fitting us into their
quick trip home to NE.

**************************************************

Turkey Trot
November 25

Crystal & her sisters, Alicia & Suzy,
ran in the 5k Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving
morning. They did well...finishing in
just over 33 minutes! (and it was COLD)

************************************************

November 28 ~ A visit to Renee's family in Battle Creek

December 2010

2010-12-13T10:14:00.006-05:00

December 2010!

...here is our month so far (up to the 12th)...

December 2 ~ Miles got a ride on the
rider-mower with Papa. Miles got to steer
while Papa took care of the pedals.

December 2 ~ Vanessa's cats love to cuddle...

December 4 ~ Crystal sang special music
for church at our home church (Piedmont Park)...

December 5 ~ Miles is very happy with his
family's Christmas tree!

December 5 ~ Adam is slowly, but surely,
outfitting a wood-working shop
in the sunroom of his house. It's looking good!

December 8 ~ Vanessa decorated
Roy & Renee's house for Christmas...

**********************************************

Behold the Lamb of God Concert
December 10...

...it's become a tradition for Vanessa
and Roy & Renee to attend this
concert to start the Christmas season
off focusing on Christ. Andrew Peterson
and his friends do a great job!!...

Andrew Peterson

Jason Gray

Andy Gullahorn & Jill Phillips
***************************************************

Miles' First Piano Recital
December 11...

Miles had his first piano recital.
He played "When the Saints Go Marching In."
He did very well &
we are so proud of him!

...for a video of Miles playing click here:
www.echoesofmercysadventures.blogspot.com/2010/12/miles-first-piano-recital.html

...taking a bow...

...Miles & Teacher Anne...

...after the recital we all went out
to eat & celebrate at daVinci's.
This is a picture of Miles with Grandma Kathy!
(Crystal's mom)

*************************************************

December 12 ~ Vanessa made 24 loaves
of cranberry bread to give to
the neighbors, her daycare families,
Renee's work & Roy's office...

...Roy delivering cranberry bread to
the neighbors...
...the tray of cranberry bread
and butter that Vanessa sent to Roy's office...

...that's all for now, but we'll update
again as the month goes on...

Miles' First Piano Recital

2010-12-11T21:48:00.002-05:00

Miles' Piano Recital
December 11, 2010

This was Miles' first piano recital.
He did such a great job!!
We are very proud. :o)

November 20, 2010 ~ Folk Mountain Gospel & Echoes of Mercy

2010-11-22T09:11:00.004-05:00

Piedmont Park Church
Closing Song
November 20, 2010 ~ 11am

Echoes of Mercy sang
and led the congregation in singing
the song "Family of God"
as the closing song of the service.

*************************************************

Folk Mountain Gospel
and
Echoes of Mercy

November 20, 2010 ~ 6pm
Piedmont Park ~ Lincoln

We opened the evening
with a 30-minute set.

...Miles sang his two songs
and the crowd really enjoyed them!...

After that Folk Mountain Gospel
(www.folkmountaingospel.com)
did their concert! It was a lovely evening
of peaceful songs, inspirational stories
and good humor! We love these guys!

We have been friends with Don & Donna for
22 years. It's always a joy to spend time with them!

November 13 ~ Heartland Women's Expo

2010-11-14T12:35:00.005-05:00

HEARTLAND WOMEN'S EXPO
Grand Island, NE
November 13, 2010 ~ 1:40pm

We've done two Women's Expos in Lincoln,
and we were happy to be a part of
the first ever Women's Expo in Grand Island!

We were thankful to visibly see our songs
and the message of God's love & mercy
reaching those in the audience.

We also heard from several exhibitors
that they enjoyed our music
as they sat at their booth!

...a member of the audience clapping
& "dancing" to one of our songs...

...Miles did a good job singing
"The B-I-B-L-E" and
"What A Mighty God We Serve"...

...some other fun stuff from the Expo...

Joseph Hall as Elvis

Frank Lloyd Roberts as Leonardo DiCaprio

November 6, 2010 ~ Northside SDA Church

2010-11-06T23:08:00.002-05:00

Northside SDA Church
November 6, 2010 ~ 11:00am

This was our first time to sing
at this church, and we had a lovely time!

Our part of the program went very well (and we're
thankful), but more than that...as we sang
we saw people being touched by
God's grace & mercy and for that we are
THANKFUL! Praise the Lord!

After the service, we went over to
Renee & Roy's house and enjoyed a
delicious lunch with our friend
Holly & her kids! It was a nice time of fellowship.

September 25 ~ Regional Gospel Artists Concert

2010-09-26T12:10:00.004-04:00

Regional Gospel Artists Concert
Piedmont Park Church ~ Lincoln, NE
September 25, 2010 ~ 6pm

Our friends Gospel Road organized
an evening of Southern Gospel Music
featuring four regional Gospel artists.

On the line-up were:
4 His Love (KC, KS), Closer Walk (Lincoln),
Echoes of Mercy (Lincoln) and Gospel Road (Lincoln)

It was a FANTASTIC evening!!!
We had so much fun!
Everyone did!

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Gospel Road

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Closer Walk

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Echoes of Mercy

Miles rocked the house!! :o)

****************

4 His Love

What a treat to be a part of
such a great evening
praising God through music!

September 11 & 12 ~ Neligh, Pibel, Wood River

2010-09-13T11:19:00.007-04:00

Neligh SDA Church
September 11, 2010 ~ 11am

We were blessed to give the church service
at the church where Renee & Roy
were baptized back in 1982.
So many of the members of this church
hold an important part in our
family's history. So it was lovely to
see them again!

...three of Vanessa's Daycare kids
(and friends of Miles' and our family)
were at Neligh visiting their grandparents!
So Vanessa called them up on stage
to sing The B-I-B-L-E with Miles.
They did a GREAT job!!...

************************************************

Pibel Bible Camp
Women's Retreat
September 11, 2010 ~ 6:30pm

We had such a FUN time
with these ladies! They really appreciated
our music & ministry and even
gave us a standing ovation & encore! Wow!!

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First Presbyterian Church
Wood River, NE
September 12, 2010

This was our third time to be at
this church...and once again they were
just lovely to sing for! Thank you to
Pastor Brad & this congregation for
their warm welcome!

...Miles waiting to sing his songs...

...Pastor Brad...

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Farewell....
September 12, 2010

We have put our "bus" up for sale
and so we took the opportunity
to take a group picture with the vehicle
that has been our "home-away-from-home"
for the last 4 years. We are so thankful
for the comfort & reliability it provided
while we traveled throughout the Mid-West
sharing our music & ministry.

Interested in purchasing a used RV
in GREAT condition?
Visit our listing on Craig's List at:
http://lincoln.craigslist.org/rvs/1935005520.html

...on the way home from Wood River,
Miles & Vanessa built
lots of fun things with his K'nex sets...

Nebraska STate Fair ~ September 1, 2010

2010-09-02T10:24:00.009-04:00

2010 Nebraska State Fair!
September 1 ~ 4:15pm and 6:45opm

Our first concert was at 4:15pm!
We had a fun time...and the folks really
seemed to enjoy the music.
There was a nice audience who sat & listened
as well as too many people to count
who passed by and stopped to listen for a
few minutes on their way through the fair.

***************************

After an hour break, we gave our second
concert was at 6:45pm. By this time storm clouds
were starting to roll in & the air was starting
to cool down. It made for a lovely outdoor
singing experience! The breeze felt nice!

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Miles spent most of his time
before/between/after the concerts
over in the pedal tractor "raceway"...
He LOVED it!!!
What a great idea to have at the Fair!

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Our traditional picture with the
Bristol Stage Schedule Sign!
This was our third year to sing at
the Nebraska State Fair.

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Miles "driving" a huge combine!

Crystal in front of the combine...STOP!!

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We had our caricature drawn
by an awesome artist
who is an American but lives in Taiwan
and comes back to the states to
draw caricatures at fairs.

When he found out we were a singing
group he asked if we would sing
him a song while he drew us.

He liked the song so much he asked
us if we would sing it for his
friend/vendor next door...

...so we did! They loved the song too!
They were a former Pastor & Pastor's Wife
from Georgia. What fun to make new friends!!

The finished caricature!

********************************

After that we meandered through
the fair to see the new Fairgrounds
(the NE State Fair moved this year from
Lincoln to Grand Island)
and find some Fair Food!

There were some interesting
flower displays...one of
which was a toilet filled with
flowers...funny!

Our favorite "must-have" Fair Food
is Pineapple Whip!!! Yum!

"Milking" the fiberglass cow...

GIANT overalls hanging in the exhibit building...

Wichita South & Dorchester UNMC ~ August 21 & 22, 2010

2010-08-24T08:07:00.004-04:00

Wichita South SDA Church
August 21, 2010 ~ 11am

This was our first time to be at the
Wichita South Church. And we LOVED it!!
What great folks, great support & enjoyment of
our ministry, and great fellowship!

THANK YOU to this church for making our day!

At offering time, Jim (second from left) surprised
us with the wonderful blessing of
calling up the Elders in attendance and
leading a prayer of dedication over us for our
ministry, travel safety, and that God will lead
and guide us as we bring the good news
of Jesus' love to others.

We were so touched by their thoughtfulness!

*************************************************

Dorchester United Methodist Church
August 22, 2010 ~ 9:30am

We enjoyed our second time to worship
with this church! They are warm, lovely folks
who welcome us with smiles!

This time around we led out in most of the items
in the service, not just in sharing our music.
We led hymns, Renee played the piano, we led
several prayers...it was a good experience!

This is also the church that Crystal's Grandma
attends, so it was fun to see her too!

...fellowship after the church service...

August 14 & 15 ~ Holland, DeWitt & Pickrell, NE

2010-08-15T16:35:00.004-04:00

Holland SDA Church
August 14, 2010 ~ 9:00am

This was our first time to bring our music
and ministry to this congregation.
We had a lovely time!

Miles singing "The B-I-B-L-E"
and "Heaven Is A Happy Place"...

*************************************************

DeWitt Gospel Sing
August 14, 2010 ~ 7:30pm

We had fun singing our set & listening
to the other groups who were a part of this
Gospel Sing. Thank you to the McIntosh's for
inviting us back each year!

*************************************************

Pickrell United Methodist Church
August 15, 2010 ~ 9:30am

This church was another first-timer!
Thank you to Pastor Lila for
scheduling us to come...we look forward
to coming back again!

August Highlights ~ 1st thru 11th

2010-08-11T12:33:00.007-04:00

August 2...
A opossum visited the little tree in our yard.
Vanessa's daycare kids enjoyed watching it.

August 3...
Miles & Harley like riding around
in the little toy car at daycare.

August 5...
Vanessa & Miles had fun at Tiny Town Village.

August 5...
Renee, Vanessa & Miles went to
opening night of the County Fair!
Antique Tractor Row is always a big hit!

August 7...

Happy 11th Anniversary,
Adam & Crystal!!

In the evening Vanessa and Roy & Renee went
to Columbus to see family friends
Don & Donna (Folk Mountain Gospel)
in concert! It was a lovely concert
and it was very nice to visit with
them afterward!

August 8...
Roy, Adam, Miles & Vanessa
spent most of the day at the County Fair
looking at the animals, watching
the Antique Tractor Pull
and participating in the Pedal Tractor Pull!

August 10...
Another visit to the fair!
This time we looked at exhibits
(Miles won 1st place for his Duplo "lawnmower"
and Crystal won 3rd place for
her German Apple Cake),
and enjoyed the Bush Tractor Pull!!
...the sky put on a beautiful show for us...

July 30 & 31, 2010

2010-08-01T13:47:00.009-04:00

GLAD TIDINGS GOSPEL SING
July 30, 2010 ~ 6:30pm

Echoes of Mercy has participated in this
event for 7 years...since the year it began!
We enjoy being a part of
Glad Tiding's efforts to raise
money for the orphanage that they
support in India.

This year's update is that they have
12 orphans and one "Auntie"
that they are currently supporting,
and they are raising money
to hopefully purchase a parcel
of land to build a facility on.

...here's Pastor Chris talking
about the orphanage...

...Crystal did a mini-set
as a soloist & did a great job!...

...then Echoes of Mercy did a full-set...

...Miles sang "What A Mighty God We Serve"
and "God Is So Good"...

...he even clapped along
with his song while he sang...
...we had so much fun with this crowd!...

...Vanessa asked Miles & Ivybelle
(his friend from Daycare & church)
to come back up and sing
"The B-I-B-L-E" together.
They did really well!!...

*************************************************

Grand Island SDA Church
July 31, 2010 ~ 11:00am

It was good to be back at this
church. We look forward to seeing
these folks & visiting with them.

We also had a friend of ours from
Lincoln come & surprise us!
Thanks to Holly for
coming & showing your support!

***********************************************

Fairbury SDA Church
July 31, 2010 ~ 8pm

This is another church that
we've been to several times and
always look forward to
going back to. Thanks to everyone
there for making us feel so welcome!

And we enjoyed having Allen & Connie Parker
attend our concert. They are fellow
Southern Gospel singers & we've
worked with them at the Hastings &
DeWitt Gospel Sings over the years.
Thanks for coming you guys!

July 24 ~ Norfolk SDA Church

2010-07-26T18:55:00.003-04:00

Norfolk SDA Church
July 24, 2010 ~ 11am

It had been many years since we'd
given a concert at the Norfolk
church. We were glad to be asked back!

They have a new Sanctuary that
is really beautiful.

It was fun to have quite
a few friends & some family

come out to see us as well. Thanks guys!

...These two ladies ~ LaDonna & Sally ~ are
responsible for making our time at
Norfolk so enjoyable. They did a great
job with advertising & setting things up!
Thank you, ladies!!...

July 17 ~ Concert with The Franz Family

2010-07-18T10:57:00.006-04:00

FRANZ FAMILY CONCERT
July 17, 2010
Piedmont Park Church ~ Lincoln

We were excited to host a concert
by some of our favorite musicians,
The Franz Family,
at our home church ~ Piedmont Park!

...Renee welcoming the crowd...

...Crystal giving opening prayer...

...Echoes of Mercy sang for about 30 minutes
to start the concert...

...Miles did a great job on his songs!...

...and then we sat back & just
enjoyed the musicianship & ministry
of The Franz Family!...

...for the very last song of the evening
both groups came together &
sang "I'll Fly Away"...

...Echoes of Mercy & The Franz Family...

You're Invited!!!

2010-07-16T16:45:00.002-04:00

The Franz Family and Echoes of Mercy
will be in concert at Piedmont Park Church (48th & A Streets)
in Lincoln THIS Saturday, July 17, at 7pm. (doors open at 6pm)
The Franz Family comes from Arkansas to share God's love
through music with roots dipped in bluegrass.
You will love their masterful playing of
banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, dobro and more.
Echoes of Mercy will host the evening.
A free-will offering will be taken.

Wichita Cornerstone Church ~ July 10, 2010

2010-07-16T16:15:00.003-04:00

Wichita Cornerstone
SDA Church
July 10, 2010 ~ 9:30am

...we were blessed by a song
from a singing group
from Cornerstone called
Rise and Shine who sang a cappella.
They were great!...

Echoes of Mercy gave the church
service. We had a wonderful time!
God really blessed & the program went
very well. And we loved the
enjoyment we could see in the faces
of the congregation!

...Miles debuted a new song,
"God Is So Good" and sang one of
his favorites, "The B-I-B-L-E"...

***********************

After Sabbath School we were treated
to a homemade vegan lunch
over at the Pastor's family's house.
The food & the fellowship were
superb! Thanks Pastor Keith, Ann & Taylor!

**********************

On the drive home Papa & Miles
worked on painting a
little wooden model of a jet
that Miles had been given in
Sabbath School. They enjoyed that!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-16T16:04:00.002-04:00

Happy 4th of July!

Adam, Crystal & Miles
had a fun time at Family Camp!

...and back at home, Renee & Roy
and Vanessa enjoyed food & fellowship
with our friend Holly & her kids...

Cowboy Campout ~ June 19, 2010

2010-06-23T11:13:00.006-04:00

Cowboy Campout
Fort Robinson State Park ~ Crawford, NE
June 19, 2010

We had the unique opportunity
to share our music & ministry at the
annual Cowboy Campout
in an outdoor area nestled among
trees, bluffs and a creek!

Saturday morning before the
church service we enjoyed
walks along the country road
and various paths...

...our "bus" served dual purpose
as electricity for our sound system
(the generator) and backdrop
for our concert...

...it was fun to sing in God's Nature...

...after a delicious potluck lunch,
we had a grand time visiting with
the folks and exploring the creek...

...in the mid-afternoon a group of
folks went out on
an afternoon horse ride...

We spent Saturday night at an RV
park in Mullen, NE. It was a nice evening!

Here's Roy rolling up hose
after filling up the water...

...the city park was right
across the street, so we took
advantage of that & had some good
family fun!...

...the train tracks were less than a
quarter mile away & we watched & heard
them go by quite frequently...

Mamre E-Free Church ~ June 6, 2010

2010-06-11T11:01:00.003-04:00

MAMRE E-FREE CHURCH
June 6 @ 11am

We were thrilled to sing at a new
church & meet some new friends!

Thanks to Pastor Bill & Tasha
and all the church members for
being so welcoming & friendly!

We look forward to going back soon!

Henderson Gospel Sing ~ June 4&5, 2010

2010-06-11T09:44:00.006-04:00

HENDERSON CHRISTIAN
MUSIC FESTIVAL

June 4 & 5, 2010

We have been blessed to be a part of
this fun weekend for many years now!

We really enjoyed listening to all
the groups & getting to know them a
little better.

Thanks to John, Duane & LouAnn for
putting together this great weekend!

******************

Friday (6/4) @ 4pm

*****************

As we said, part of the fun
of Henderson is getting to listen to
all of the other groups. Gospel Road
& The Franz Family
are two of our favorites!

Here are our friends Gospel Road!
(John, LouAnn & Duane)

And here is the Franz Family!
www.thefranzfamily.com

Pastor Gary was a great MC!

**********************

Saturday (6-5) @ 3pm

***********************

This year's Henderson finale'
was bittersweet because it was the last one.
The Henderson Christian Music Festival
is closing it's doors & it will be missed.

As most of the artist gathered on stage
to share a few songs "Gaither-style"
we were sad to say good-bye,
but thankful for the experience!

May 29 ~ Great Bend, KS

2010-05-30T11:31:00.007-04:00

May 29 ~ Great Bend, KS
District Rally

We had the special treat of sharing our music
at the District Rally in Great Bend, KS,
where three of the local SDA churches gathered
together for a time of inspiration.

Ron & Sue Carlson from the KS-NE Conference
were also there & it was a blessing
for us to hear Ron's sermon & Sue's music!

**********************************************

Friday night story before bedtime on the bus...

Saturday morning "Father-Son Breakfast"!

**********************************************

CHURCH SERVICE - 11am

Sue played all of the pre-music
as well as all of the hymns for the service.
Sue's playing is soothing & beautiful!

(She also played pre-music before
our afternoon concert...which we loved!)

These three young ladies led
the praise music at the beginning of
the service. They did a good job!

Echoes of Mercy sang two special
music songs during the church service.

And Miles sang "All Night, All Day!"
during church also! He did a GREAT job!

Ron's sermon was about how God will
bless & honor even our faulty obedience.
He used the story from Luke 5 about
Simon Peter & Jesus asking him to
fish during the day to
illustrate his point. We encourage you to
get out your Bible & read Luke 5:1-11
We're sure it will bless you as it blessed us!

************************************************

AFTERNOON CONCERT - 2pm

Before we started our concert,
Ron surprised us by coming up &
dedicating Echoes of Mercy
& our ministry to God.
He read out of Psalms and talked about
how important music is to God's work
and how God created music to be used for
His glory. He encouraged us to be
instruments to spread God's love to others.
Then he called Roy, Adam & Miles up on stage
and Ron & Sue prayed for our family and
our ministry. What a blessing!!

Miles sang "The B-I-B-L-E"
for our concert and once again
did a GREAT job!

We really enjoyed being a part of
this gathering of believers in Great Bend, KS!

**********************************************

On the drive home we passed through a
"windmill farm" (as we call them)!
We love seeing these. Something about them
is so exciting...harnessing a natural power
like the wind to make electricity is fantastic!!

Plus, there's always Miles' reason,
"we like things that spin!"

Harley enjoyed sitting on
Vanessa's lap & looking out the window.

A couple pictures of the pretty
views we enjoyed out the window...

And another blessing of this trip is that
it was "incident free"...no flat tires,
no broken windows, no nothing!

Just music & blue skies & new friends!

Thank you, Jesus!

Graduation Celebrations ~ 5-23-10

2010-05-23T19:51:00.004-04:00

Graduation Celebrations...
May 23, 2010

Renee & Roy first went to Maucus'
High School Graduation Reception...

**********

Then the whole family was off to Molly's
High School Graduation Reception...

We've known Molly since she was
quite young & it's great to see
her doing so well! We wish her the best!

**********

After that we went to
Rebekah's Senior Recital
where she played Cello...

In a couple weeks we'll get to
help Rebekah celebrate her
High School Graduation too! :o)

...Rebekah's sister Gwendolyn
also played a song in the recital...

**********

It was great to be a part of these
young people's celebrations!

We pray all the best for each of them.

South Dakota Trip ~ May 21-23, 2010

2010-05-23T14:40:00.007-04:00

May 21 ~ The Trip...

...Miles & Vanessa built
a house & swimming pool
with blocks...

...we ate delicious raspberries
with our lunch...

...something flew off a bridge
somewhere around Sioux City, IA,
and broke the first pane of
the double-pane window on the
sleeper window of the bus.
We are thankful that it only broke
one pane & so it didn't slow our
trip down at all or hurt us...

...at one of our stops to fill
the bus with gas there was a nice
grassy field where we all
took a quiet walk. We could hear
birds singing, bugs chirping,
and wind blowing through
the trees & grass. It was lovely...

...Adam & Crystal rode Adam's
Harley for part of the trip...

***********************************************

May 21 ~ Pierre, SD
Pierre SDA Church @ 7:00pm

Special Thanks to Forest & Pat and
Pastor Matthew for having us
come to your chuch & give a concert.

We had a great time!

...before & after the concert we played for
a little while with Miles
on the church's playground...

...the concert was a lot of fun!...

*********************************************

May 22 ~ Rapid City, SD
Rapid City SDA Church @ 11am

Special Thanks to Pastor McKey for
welcoming us to your church
to give the church service! We
loved spending the morning with
the Rapid City congregation! :o)

...it was very special to have
two young girls baptized and one
little girl dedicated during our
program! We love witnessing
people make committments
to live their life for the Lord...

...Renee brought all three girls up
on stage & we gave them
each one of our CDs to help
them celebrate their special day...

************************************************

May 22 ~ Spearfish, SD
Spearfish SDA Church @ 7:30pm

What a treat it was to sing for
this church! It was a young, enthusiastic
group of folks! Thank you for making
our evening such fun!

Special Thanks to Pastor Brad
for scheduling us to come!

...doesn't Miles look handsome in
is brand new suit!!!...

Fremont SDA Church ~ May 1, 2010

2010-05-02T11:24:00.004-04:00

Fremont SDA Church
May 1, 2010 ~ 11am

We really enjoyed being at this church!
The sanctuary is beautiful
and the people are friendly & joyful to match.

We sang two songs for their Sabbath School
and then gave their Church Service.

Afterward we enjoyed visiting with them
while eating a yummy potluck lunch!

God worked a miracle for us in Fremont:

Renee had been struggling with laryngitis
for the couple days prior to this concert.
And on the morning of, she had no voice.
After she'd done what she could (gargle, medicine, etc),
we left it in God's hands through prayer.

And HE DID IT! She was able to sing with
close to full voice for the entire morning.

THANK YOU, Lord, for this miracle!

April 2010

2010-04-30T16:47:00.012-04:00

APRIL 2010

Here's some of what we've
been up to this month:

April 16
Guy Penrod & Austins Bridge Concert

...this was a great night of good music!...

...Miles meeting Guy Penrod
beside the stage during intermission...
...Vanessa & Crystal with Austins Bridge...
...Vanessa & Crystal with Guy Penrod...

*************************

April 18
Fence Installation at A&C&M's

...Crystal, Adam, Roy & Miles
worked most of the day
whipping up a fence around
A&C&M's back yard.
It's lovely!...

************************

April 22...
Garden Planting!

...Miles helped Nessa plant
some tomato plants in her garden...

**********************

April 22
George Stone School Spring Program

...Crystal, Miles, Renee & Vanessa
enjoyed George Stone School's
Spring Program. This is a picture
of Crystal & Miles with Mrs. Simpson...

*************************

April 23...
Steven Curtis Chapman Concert

...Vanessa, Roy, Renee & Holly
went to see Steven Curtis Chapman
in concert in Kansas...

**********************

April 25...
Visiting with Lu!

...we got to spend the day with a
sweet friend of ours who lives in
Oregon. We haven't seen Lu & her
husband Phil for 10 years. Even though
we've kept in touch through e-mail,
an in-person visit is so much more fun!...

********************

April 25...
Fence Installation at Vanessa's Daycare

...Roy, Adam & Miles spent another
day whipping up a fence! This time it
was to enlarge Vanessa's Daycare yard.
Vanessa & her Daycare kids are very
thankful for their hard work!...

*********************

April 28...
Miles & Vanessa have a "date"...

...Miles & Vanessa had fun
playing miniature golf...

Playing Catch-up!

2010-04-09T17:17:00.005-04:00

Catching Up...
Special things in our lives ~ February thru April 2010

*********************************

~ In February, Renee & Roy
and Vera (Renee's mom) went to
see the Lipizzaner Stallions ~

...Miles got a fish...
(thanks, Nana!)

...and a puppy he named Harley...
(thanks, Mommy & Daddy!)

We got to go on a weekend trip to see
two of our all-time favorite groups
in concert! Our friend Holly came with us!

THE MARTINS
www.the-martins.com

THE BOOTH BROTHERS
www.theboothbrothers.com

...we were happy to see the sunshine come back
after a long, cold, snowy winter!
But our eyes are having a hard time
getting used to the brightness!...

...it's exciting to see the trees budding in Spring!...

...the windshield on the "bus" cracked
and we had to have the repairmen
come out & replace it...

...Miles got to go with Papa
to Tractor Supply to see the baby
ducks & chicks! So cute!...

...We celebrated Miles' 5th Birthday!...

Prayer Request

2010-03-16T10:08:00.004-04:00

Please keep Noah (1 1/2yrs) in your prayers.
He will be having reconstructive surgery for

Trigonocephaly on Thursday, March 18,
at 2:30pm (CST). His family appreciates your
prayers. (and so do we)

For more information on Trigonocephaly visit:
http://www.thecraniofacialcenter.org/synostoses_trigonocephaly.html

March 12 & 13 ~ Holdrege, Broken Bow & Kearney

2010-03-15T09:03:00.004-04:00

Holdrege SDA Church
March 12, 2010 ~ 7pm

Echoes of Mercy gave a mini-concert
to kick-off their Evangelistic seminar!

...Miles did a great job on his two little songs!...

*********************************************

Broken Bow SDA Church
March 13, 2010 ~ 11am

We really enjoyed being back with
this congregation! They are full of
laughter & joking & fun!

***********************************************

Kearney SDA Church
March 13, 2010 ~ 6pm

Echoes of Mercy gave a mini-concert
at the beginning of the evening's
Evangelistic meeting. We had a blast!
...Miles did a FANTASTIC job!...

...one of Miles' favorite things to do
throughout this trip was to play with
his helicopter made out of K'nex.
He "flew" it everywhere!!...

...we are thankful for all the driving,
loading/unloading & general help that
Roy does on these singing trips!...

A BIG thank you to Pastor Miller
for scheduling us to come to his district
and be a part of these meetings!

March 6 & 7 ~ KC Convocation & Madonna

2010-03-09T18:52:00.008-05:00

March 5, 2010

...Miles' puppy, Harley, took
a good nap on the drive to Kansas City...

...Miles got a story from Nana before bed...

March 6, 2010

Echoes of Mercy had a great time being
the musical guest for the KC Convocation
at New Haven SDA Church.

We sang two songs for the 11am Church Service.

And in the afternoon we gave a Mini-Concert.
It was a lot of fun! :o)

...we spent an enjoyable evening playing
on the church's playground equipment
then eating supper & watching a movie
(Long Way Home) in the bus...

March 7, 2010

We started the morning off right
with breakfast & good conversation
at our friends, the Tuckers, house.

Then we loaded into the bus &
drove back to Lincoln to give a
Mini-Concert at Madonna
Rehabilitation Hospital. We always
enjoy singing to these folks in
their beautiful chapel!

Helping Hands Auction ~ February 4, 2010

2010-02-05T12:32:00.004-05:00

Helping Hands Auction
with United Way
February 4, 2010

Echoes of Mercy was honored to sing
the Theme Song for the 3rd Annual
Helping Hands Auction! It was wonderful
to see so many ladies there with a heart
and wallet to help children in need of
clothing, diapers, food, etc.

Special Thanks to:
Sheila, Michelle & Lona for inviting us to come!
Julie for being a great pianist for the song!

Bethany Christian Church ~ January 31, 2010

2010-02-05T12:20:00.004-05:00

January 31 (Sunday)...

Echoes of Mercy was delighted to share
our music & ministry with three
special numbers during the church service
at Bethany Christian Church in Lincoln!

Thank you to Joann for inviting us
and Pastor Daryl for welcoming us so
warmly. It was a great morning
and we look forward to going back again!

Lincoln Women's Expo ~ January 24, 2010

2010-01-28T14:31:00.004-05:00

The Lincoln Women's Expo
January 24, 2010 @ 12pm

We had a BLAST singing at the
2nd Annual Lincoln Women's Expo!
We really enjoyed our audience
this year...they were enthusiastic
and responsive. Thanks to Michele
and her team for having us come back.

...Miles debuted his TWO new songs
for this year ~ "Heaven Is a Happy Place"
and "All Night, All Day."
He did a great job & folks came out of
the aisleways & booths just to listen to him...

...as always, Adam did an excellent job on sound...

2010-01-28T11:13:00.008-05:00

January 1...
...We had a great time enjoying food
& fellowship at our friend Holly's house...

January 2...
...Crystal & Adam gave the vespers
program at our home church.
They did a great job!
Miles also sang a couple songs
with his friend Abigail...

January 6...
Miles got to spend the evening at 'Nessa's.
Here are Roy, Vanessa & Miles
playing the fun game "Tilt & Tumble"...

January 9...
...we had some friends over for supper
and board games! We had
"make-your-own pizzas" which were
delicious. It was an evening filled
with LOTS of laughter!...

January 14...
...Miles started the Children's Music Academy
class at Harris Music Studios. Here he's showing
Nana his music book & practicing fingerings
with Mommy...

January 22...
...Three of Nessa's daycare kids stayed
overnight with her. They got to come out
to Roy's office with us while we practiced.
And we let them sing on the microphones!
They LOVED it! And they did a
great job singing "The B-I-B-L-E"...

January 23...
...We enjoyed supper in Omaha with Renee's
brother Erik and his wife Lisa
and their girls Saraya, Sabrina & Samantha...
(photos by Miles)

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-01T10:08:00.000-05:00

December 2009

2009-12-16T12:13:00.020-05:00

December 2009

FAMILY LIFE...

December 3...
Daddy (Adam) got Miles
a new toy skid-steer! Miles LOVES it!

December 4...
Vanessa took R&R, Crystal & her mom,
and friends Holly, Abigail, Noah & Jeremy
to the Behold the Lamb of God concert
with Andrew Peterson & Friends. It was
wonderful as always!
(this was V and R&R's fifth year to attend)

...favorite, Andrew Peterson...

...special guest, Brandon Heath...

...favorites, Andy Gullahorn & Jill Phillips...

December 9...
...Miles & Nessa painting...

December 10...
Vanessa helped Miles & his friends
at Daycare color tree pictures to send to
Maria's Big House of Hope,
an orphanage & hospital in China
run by Show Hope.
(http://www.showhope.org/)

December 16...
Renee had the day off work
(a rare pleasure)
and so Nana & Miles had a "date."
They went Christmas shopping
together so Miles could give
his family some little gifts on Christmas!

December 19...
Miles dressed as an angel and sang
two songs with his Kindergarten
Sabbath School class during the
special Christmas Church Service
at our home church ~ Piedmont Park!

Miles did a FABULOUS job!
We could hear him clearly singing
the words & correct notes all the way
in our pew! The kids sang
"Happy Birthday, Jesus" and
"Go, Tell It on the Mountain"

Vanessa stepped in last minute to play
two chimes in the Piedmont Park
Bell Choir's first special number. She
really had a blast! Thanks, Charlene
for asking her to do that!

December 19...
In the evening we gathered at R&R's house
to celebrate Christmas together.
First, we enjoyed a delicious supper!
Then we gathered in the living room
where Vanessa read us the Christmas
story from the Bible and Miles
"accompanied" us on the piano as
we sang a couple songs.

Then it was time to open gifts!

December 21...
Miles making Sugar Cookie Cut-outs
at Daycare with Vanessa...

December 25...
We all enjoyed a visit with Myra
and celebrated Christmas with her
by exchanging gifts, visiting
and playing a couple games of Scrabble!

Myra had spent most of her year
crocheting a blanket each for R&R,
A&C, Vanessa and Miles! And they are
BEAUTIFUL!!! Thank you, Myra,
for the time & love you put into
each of these blankets. We will treasure them!

December 27...
Vanessa and Roy & Renee attended
Liz & Joshua's wedding. It was simple,
elegant & beautiful. We are happy for these
two young people & pray a lifetime
of happiness for them!

...a "power plant" that
Miles built using Tinker Toys...

November ~ Let's Catch Up!!

2009-12-16T10:06:00.015-05:00

November 2009

FAMILY LIFE...

November 2...Miles takes good care
of his doll baby...

November 2...Miles helps Vanessa
make homemade applesauce!

November 5...
Miles playing with playdough...

November 5...
Miles likes to drive his jeep
at Nana & Papa's house (Roy & Renee)...

November 6...
Crystal, Miles, Renee, Roy and Vanessa
enjoyed seeing the BOOTH BROTHERS
in concert in Kansas City!

November 7...
We celebrated Adam's birthday
November 8...
Miles & Nessa went bowling!

November 10...
Playing in the leaves is FUN!

November 15...
Miles stayed with Nessa while
Adam & Crystal went to see a show
by the Shaolin Warriors in Omaha.
They enjoyed the show. You can see a clip
of the Shaolin Warriors here:
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7X_iEfvWho)

November 19...
We had fun at Laura & Josh's wedding shower!

November 22...
...and more fun was had at
Laura & Josh's wedding & reception...
(Vanessa sang at the wedding
and Adam ran the sound.)

November 28...
Vanessa dog sat for some friends!

November 28...
We had a yummy Thanksgiving feast!
...and played "Life on the Farm"
(a board game that is kinda like
a cross between Monopoly & Life)...

Please Pray for Matthew

2009-10-28T22:30:00.002-05:00

Please Pray for Matthew!

Please pray for Matthew and his family.
They are members of our church
and friends of our family. They have had quite a
few rough times with Matthew
mixed in with all the Joy he has brought
to their family. But they have done it
all with grace and faith and
lots of smiles along the way.
They're going through an especially
rough patch right now. And it's scary.
Please keep them in your prayers.

Visit Matthew's mommy's blog at
www.soldatke6.blogspot.com
to find out more of his story.

October 24 & 25, 2009 ~ Atlantic, Council Bluffs, Dorchester

2009-10-26T09:32:00.010-05:00

Atlantic SDA Church
October 24 @ 11am

We enjoyed being back at Atlantic
SDA Church! What a warm welcome
we received. It was great to be
able to visit with Pastor Hubert and Kim Bardin
as well. Thank you to Atlantic for
helping us have such a good morning!

Pastor Bardin opening the service with prayer...

Renee did a great job on her mini-talk!

*********************************************

Council Bluffs SDA Church
October 24 @ 5:30pm

We were honored to give a concert before
the Council Bluff Church's evangelistic
meeting. We had a great night!
Thanks, Pastor Lee for inviting us to come.

Pastor Maurice Valentine did a very
nice job presenting the information
at the meeting. We were glad to
have a chance to hear him speak.

...everyone LOVED Miles'
rendition of "The B-I-B-L-E"

We also enjoyed a surprise:
Our friends Randy & Phyllis showed
up for the concert! What fun!

*********************************************

Dorchester
United Methodist Church
October 25 @ 9:30am

We were excited that our last concert
of the 2009 season was at
Crystal's Grandma's church in
Dorchester, NE. We had a great time
meeting so many new people!

Thanks also to Pastor Batista for his
warm welcome.

Pastor Batista opening the service.

Miles singing "The B-I-B-L-E"

The church is beautiful. It's fairly new, but
they were able to save many of the
stained glass windows from the old church!

*********************************************

After the service we went out to
Crystal's Grandma Vera's farm
to share lunch with her!
We had a nice visit!

Roy's Birthday!

2009-10-25T19:24:00.002-05:00

Vanessa's daycare kids gladly helped
celebrate Roy's birthday
by singing him "Happy Birthday"
and eating ice cream sandwiches! :o)

Miles playing the Harmonica ~ October 14, 2009

2009-10-25T18:37:00.003-05:00

October 14, 2009

Miles made this song up by himself
on his harmonica. He loves to find
rhythms and patterns in music!

Oklahoma Trip ~ October 17 & 18

2009-10-25T17:44:00.012-05:00

First Tulsa SDA Church
October 17 @ 11am
Tulsa, Oklahoma

...our first church and first time to sing
in Oklahoma! Wow; how fun to add
another state to our list!...

...Miles singing "The B-I-B-L-E"...

*********************************************

Edmond SDA Church
October 17 @ 6pm
Edmond, Oklahoma

...we appreciated Pastor Keane's short
talk to begin the concert...

...Miles sang "The B-I-B-L-E"
with all his might!...

...TWICE!...

...we really were blessed to be at this church.
Such a warm spirit there!...

*********************************************

Breakfast with
Tanna, Michael & Tyler!
October 18

We were glad to get to see Renee's niece
Tanna & her family
while we were in OKC!

Unfortunately the visit was far too
short due to our travel schedule,
but we were able to get together
over breakfast at Denny's.

It was good to see them!

...Tanna...

...Miles & Tyler had a great time
playing together...

...Michael & Adam...

October 11 ~ Battle Creek Women's Day

2009-10-23T11:28:00.015-04:00

Battle Creek Women's Day!
October 11 @ 3pm

AND

Benefit/Fundraiser
for Joyce (Renee's sister)

We were honored to be a part of the Catholic
Alter Society's Women's Day/Fundraiser
in Battle Creek, NE. We had a great time
meeting all of the ladies who attended as
well as being a part of raising money for Joyce
who is battling cancer. Well over $1,000 was
raised that afternoon! Praise the Lord!

*********************************************

SETTING UP...

*********************************************
VENDORS...

There were six vendors plus a Country Market
set up selling items ranging from home decor to make-up
to baked goods & crafts to jewelry.
Each of the vendors were giving a portion
of their sales to the fundraiser...

*********************************************

THE PROGRAM BEGINS...
...Laura opened the afternoon with a welcome
and a short inspirational talk about
Mary & Martha...

...Mary helped keep the dessert table filled...

...a couple of poems were read...
...here's Barbra reading one of them!...

...some prizes were given away...

...and Echoes of Mercy gave a concert...

...Miles & Papa listening to the concert...

*********************************************

...at offering time Renee called Joyce up
to the front to tell the audience a little more
about Joyce and why her family
loves and appreciates her so much...
...we also gave her a birthday cake...

...and had some of Joyce's nieces and nephews
come up to help sing "Happy Birthday"...

*********************************************

...on the spur of the moment, Renee asked
the audience if any of them would be
willing to come up and lay hands on
Joyce while she prayed for her...
...over 2/3 of the audience came up
and joined in the prayer for Joyce's
recovery and strength through the
midst of trial...

*********************************************

...and a GOOD time was had by all...

October 8 ~ Fun times during practice...

2009-10-23T11:19:00.002-04:00

Remember Tinker Toys?

Well, Miles has discovered Vanessa
and Adam's Tinker Toys from when
they were kids. They're one of
his favorite things to play with
while we have our weekly
Thursday evening practice!

On this particular evening he made
some "glasses"
and a "tractor pulling a plow and a trailer"...

Pretty cool!

October 3, 2009 ~ Piedmont Park Evangelistic Meeting

2009-10-04T11:53:00.004-04:00

Piedmont Park
Evangelistic Meeting
October 3, 2009 - 7pm

We were pleased to sing two songs for the
opening night of our home church's
Evangelistic Series. God showed up!
Our songs went well & Pastor Dean presented
the message with clarity and warmth.

...We sang "Jesus Laughing"
to open the evening...

...Pastor Dean presented the message...

...We closed the evening by singing
"Mercy Walked In"...

Thank you to Lisette for taking these pictures! :o)

September 22 ~ Miles builds a Motorcyle

2009-09-25T14:06:00.003-04:00

September 22
Miles builds a Motorcyle

At daycare, Miles built a
Motorcyle using the fun blocks
Nessa has. He did it all by himself!

...see if you can picture it...

...now here are the labels...

Pretty cool, huh! :o)

September 21 ~ A Visit from Lois & Becky

2009-09-25T12:28:00.006-04:00

A Visit from Lois & Becky
September 21, 2009

We enjoyed a visit from Renee's sister Lois
and her best friend Becky who live
in Kentucky. They were on a 8 day trip
through Iowa, Nebraska & Oklahoma
to see various family members
and do some sight-seeing!

Although the visit was too short,
we packed as much visiting & catching
up in as we could!

Crystal fixed us a delicious supper
at A&C&M's! (Thanks Crystal)

It was a good time!

Roy & Renee,
Lois, Becky & Miles,
Adam & Crystal

Roy, Lois & Miles,
Renee, Becky,
Vanessa, Crystal

Miles showed Adam & Crystal's motorcyles
to Lois & Becky...

...Adam showed them the studio...

...and we showed the ladies samples of our
new CD, "Joy", (which is NOW AVAILABLE)...

*************************

Miles did "acrobatics" while we listened...

*************************

Some more pictures with Lois & Becky!

*************************

Lois & Becky brought Miles
a special little gift...
...which he LOVED!...

September 19 & 20 ~ Lincoln Women's Expo

2009-09-20T20:23:00.015-04:00

Lincoln Women's Expo
September 19 & 20, 2009

We were honored to be asked to be a
part of the 1st Annual Lincoln Women's Expo
put on by Empire Events.

We gave two concerts:
Saturday @ 12noon
Sunday @ 12noon

We met lots of nice folks, had fun singing,
enjoyed walking around & looking at
the booths and listening to
the other speakers & presenters.

Saturday Concert
September 19 @ 12noon
WellnessOne Main Stage

*********************************************

...Miles doing a puzzle in our booth...

...our booth...

...yep, that's us!...

**********************************************

Sunday Concert
September 20 @ 12noon
WellnessOne Main Stage

...the people LOVED Miles' song...

*********************************************

Singing wasn't all we did though!
Here are some of the other things
we enjoyed at the Lincoln Women's Expo...

...Vanessa got her eyebrows "threaded"
by Mohammed from Salon MohVi & Spa!
"Threading" is a healthier alternative
to waxing for sculpting eyebrows...
***********************
...from our booth we had a
good view of Joseph Hall's
Elvis Tribute show
(Joe was on America's Got Talent)...
***********************...Miles & Crystal had lots of fun
on the inflatable obstacle course & slide...
***********************

...and Crystal went on the mechanical bull...

September 11 & 12 ~ Columbia, Quincy, Lewistown

2009-09-13T18:33:00.004-04:00

September 11, 2009

At 11:00am we embarked on
our weekend's journey...

...at a rest stop on the way, Miles found
a beautiful Monarch butterfly. Unfortunately
it was no longer alive, but it was still
pretty & so Miles decided he'd keep it
for his "pet" on the bus. We put it in a plastic
container & "butterfly" got to come along
to our concerts & ride the bus with us for
the weekend! :o)...

Columbia SDA Church
September 11, 2009 ~ 7:00pm
Columbia, MO

...it had been a couple years since we'd
been at this church. We were glad to be back...

********************************************

Quincy SDA Church
September 12, 2009 ~ 11am
Quincy, IL

...Pastor Adrian did a very nice job
speaking. We were inspired and blessed
by what he had to offer. He and
his wife, Rose, and their two sons
are a sweet family!...

...we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves
being back at the Quincy church. What
great folks! They surprised Vanessa
at potluck by singing "Happy Birthday"
to her in honor of her birthday last week!...

********************************************

Lewistown Appreciation Days
September 12, 2009 ~ 4:00pm
Lewistown, MO

We gave a concert during the Lewistown
Appreciation Days! We sang in the
town park on a flat-bed trailer which
was a first for us! It was fun!

...Miles & Papa (Roy) listening to the concert
and staffing the product table...

...Miles did a fantastic job
singing "The B-I-B-L-E"!...

September 6 ~ Vanessa's Birthday

2009-09-09T14:21:00.006-04:00

Vanessa's Birthday!
September 6, 2009

We celebrated Vanessa's birthday
with lunch at Cracker Barrel!

We enjoyed having Laura, Mary, Barbra,
Why, Holly & Noah join in the celebration!

It was a fun time!

Happy Birthday, Vanessa:)

September 5 ~ Columbus SDA Church

2009-09-09T14:09:00.003-04:00

Columbus SDA Church
September 5, 2009 ~ 11am
Columbus, NE

We had a great time being back at
the Columbus SDA Church!

During the elder's welcome at
the church service, he said that
Echoes of Mercy feels like part of
their church's extended family!

We feel the same way.
We've been there many times,
and we always look forward
to going back!

Thanks to Judy for scheduling us.

September 2 ~ NE State Fair Concert

2009-09-09T12:46:00.008-04:00

Nebraska State Fair
September 2 ~ Bristol Court Stage ~ 6pm

We were thrilled to be back at the
NE State Fair to give a concert
for the second year in a row!

We had a grand time!

...Crystal's solo was well received...

...visiting with Crystal's mom & sister
before we headed off to get Pineapple Whip
and see the sights at the fair...

...of course we had to see the tractors!...

...our friend Holly & her daughter took
a strawberry ride...

August 31 ~ Our "new" sound man...

2009-09-09T12:01:00.004-04:00

Our "new" sound man...
August 31, 2009

During our weekly practice, Miles had a
brilliant idea! He was going to
be our sound man (or "sounder" as he called it)!
"Just like Daddy!" he said.

So, he got out the legos & made himself
a "mixer" and gave us big
legos for "microphones"...

We loved it! :o)

August 29 ~ The Isaacs Concert

2009-09-09T11:33:00.004-04:00

The Isaacs Concert
August 29 ~ Aurora, NE

One of our favorite Southern Gospel/Bluegrass
groups is The Isaacs. We had a blast
attending their concert in Aurora!

We were happy to have some of Renee's
family (Vera, Barbra, Leona, Melissa)
and some of our friends (Holly, Abigail, Noah)
come with us. They all enjoyed the
concert too!

...Becky, Sonya, Ben...
...Becky, Lily, Sonya...

...Crystal & Vanessa with Sonya...

...Crystal & Vanessa with Ben...

...Crystal & Vanessa with Becky...

...Barbra with Becky & Ben...

August 29 ~ Christian Record Services Board Retreat

2009-09-09T11:05:00.003-04:00

Christian Record Services
Board Retreat
August 29, 2009

We were honored to be asked to share
a few special songs during the
church service at CRS's Board Retreat.
The folks there were very responsive
to our music & style!

We appreciate the work that
Christian Record Services
does for the blind community.
Check them out at: http://www.christianrecord.org/

August 22, 2009 ~ Iowa Trip

2009-08-24T08:53:00.009-04:00

Ankeny SDA Church
August 22, 2009 ~ 11:00am
Ankeny, Iowa

It was a happy thing for us to be back at
this church to give the AM church service.
The folks here seem like they like
to laugh & have fun and enjoy
what God has given to them!

A special treat was having Renee's sister
Barbra join us for the morning.
She's the one who took all the great
photos at Ankeny! Thanks, Barbra!

And thanks to Dick for scheduling us to come!

...Crystal did a lovely job introducing
"Remember Who He Is"...

...Renee giving the mini-talk...

...Pastor Jody having closing prayer...

...greeting the people afterward is an
enjoyable part of our ministry...

...being goofy...

*********************************************

Woodland Community
Bible Church
August 22, 2009 ~ 7:00pm
Crescent, Iowa

We were looking forward to being
back at this church. And we had
a great time!! It was good
to see familiar faces...and to meet some
new folks who came this year!

Thanks to Mark for scheduling us to come back!

...Miles was enjoying our last song
"So High" by dancing and doing
arm motions to the words...

August 8 & 9, 2009

2009-08-14T11:32:00.016-04:00

Fairbury SDA Church
August 8, 2009 ~ 11:00am

We enjoyed being back at Fairbury.
This congregation truly is one of the

frendliest we sing for! And they
have delicious potlucks! :o)

*********************************************

De Witt Gospel Sing
August 8, 2009 ~ 5:00pm

We haven't been to the De Witt Sing
in several years. It was nice to be back!
Part of the fun of a Gospel Sing
is getting to listen to other groups
from around the mid-west.
And the De Witt sing was no exception...

*********************************************

Grandma Vera's House
August 8, 2009 ~ 8:00pm

...after we finished at the De Witt Sing,
we drove about 30 minutes to
Crystal's Grandma's house for a visit!

We had a nice time visiting & exploring
on the farm...

Thank you, Vera, for your hospitality!

...the rock pile was lots of fun!...

...Adam & Miles got the calf to suck on their fingers...

...we found lots of toads ~ this one let us get really close...

********************************************

Hildreth Lutheran Church
August 9, 2009 ~ 3:00pm

This was our first time to sing at this church.
They had us come to give a concert at
their annual "Big Fat Fall Festival"
which is a fundraiser for their seminary
students. The event had a circus theme
which was fun & colorful!

Thank you to Bob for scheduling us to
be a part of this great event!

We look forward to coming back to
this church next year!

...Miles figured out that the airconditioning vent
would keep the balloon floating above it
all by itself! ~ Really cool!! :o)

...Miles doing one of his "jobs" ~ putting
the microphones in their cases after the concert...

...County Fair!!!...

2009-08-11T10:34:00.015-04:00

Lancaster County Fair!
We enjoyed two trips to the
County Fair this week!

It was a LOT of fun!

Wednesday, August 5
Renee, Vanessa & Miles
visited the fair...they did lots of things...

...Bixby's Rainforest Experience was funny
and educational...

...Vanessa's purse that she sewed
and entered won 2nd place...

...Miles enjoyed the tractor made out
of cans...over 800 cans actually!...

...we had to sit on & experience the
tractors too!...

...and Miles had a blast riding
on the motorcycle ride...

...hydration is important when you're at the fair...

Thursday, August 6

Roy got to come with us this time! And so did
our friend Myra! Renee, Vanessa & Miles
were glad they could join us...

...Miles waiting for the Demolition Derby to start..

...the Demo Derby...

...the Racing Pigs...

...Miles & Myra...

...we met our friends Jeremy,
Abigail, Noah & Holly there too!...

...and Miles had a blast on the
Monster Truck ride...

July 31 - August 2, 2009

2009-08-03T11:40:00.028-04:00

Glad Tidings Gospel Sing & Fundraiser
7:00pm ~ July 31, 2009 ~ Lincoln, NE

We enjoy being a part of this event every
year. Glad Tidings uses this Gospel Sing
to raise money to support the orphanage
they started in India. They have several
widows and orphans living there.

...Crystal did a short 3-song set & did a great job!...

...Crystal's co-worker & friend, Patty, came
to hear us sing!...

...the crowd was responsive & seemed
to be enjoying our set! We had a good time!...

...Miles "stole the show" singing "The B-I-B-L-E"...

...our friends Steve & Raylene came to hear us!...

...One of Vanessa's Daycare mom's and kid's came too!
Vanessa was very excited they came!...

...right after the Glad Tidings Sing we loaded
up onto the bus & headed to St. Joseph, MO,
for our Saturday morning church service...

********************************************

Saint Joseph SDA Church
11:00am ~ August 1, 2009 ~ St. Joseph, MO

...Vanessa gave the children's story...
...Miles sang "The B-I-B-L-E"...

...Renee did an excellent job giving the mini-talk...

...our program went well!...

...Crystal & Renee helped lead the closing hymn...

********************************************

KC Central SDA Church
7:30pm ~ August 1, 2009 ~ Kansas City, MO

...this was our third time to sing for this
congregation, but our FIRST time to be in
their brand NEW facility! It is beautiful!...

...the crowd loved Miles' rendition of "The B-I-B-L-E"...

********************************************

Sunday, August 2...

We spent the night in the bus in the
KC Central Church's parking lot.
The church is located out in the country,
so we heard coyotes, frogs, owls
and lots of other creatures! It was great!

...relaxing in the morning coolness
before our pancake breakfast (thanks Crystal)...

...taking a bike ride is one
of Miles' favorite things to do!...

...on the way back to Council Bluffs from
KC, we stopped by Kimmel Orchard
in Nebraska City. Unfortunately the
Learning Center was closed, but
we still had a good walk around the grounds
and made some yummy purchases of
fresh blackberries, peaches & honeycomb
from the store...

..."look at how big the orchard is"...

..."look at this cute, tiny clover..."

..."let's walk down this way"...

...unfortunately they weren't
washing & polishing any apples
during our visit, but it was
still cool to look at the equipment...

********************************************

Southside Christian Church
6:00pm ~ August 2, 2009 ~ Council Bluffs, IA

...we closed the weekend's concerts
at a friendly church in Council Bluffs!
We had a good first time concert here.
The crowd was responsive & appreciative.
We look forward to going back!...

July 5 ~ Family Gathering

2009-07-13T13:43:00.003-04:00

Family Gathering
July 5, 2009

We enjoyed hosting some of Renee's family
for the 4th of July Gathering!
It was good to see everyone and
spend some time together
laughing & chatting!

*********************************************

MINIATURE GOLF

After the gathering, Renee's sister Denise
and her husband John were staying for
another couple days. So all of us
went miniature golfing! We had
a grand ol' time...

...Crystal got a hole-in-one at
the last hole & won a free game
of miniature golf for next time!...

...John & Denise (Renee's sister)...

2009-07-13T12:12:00.004-04:00

Happy 4th of July
July 4, 2009

After sundown we enjoyed doing a
few fireworks together!
Miles enjoyed the sparklers
and watching Daddy (Adam)
set off the others.

Our friends & neighbors
Alan & Chris came over
and watched too...

********************************************
Our small fireworks were
dwarfed by someone else in our
neighborhood who had
some giant fireworks.

We enjoyed watching them!

June 28 ~ A trip to the zoo & a birthday too!

2009-07-13T11:13:00.006-04:00

June 28...A Busy Day!

FIRST:
Miles & Nessa enjoyed a "date" day
at the Lincoln Children's Zoo!

NEXT:
Miles & Nana

THEN:
We all went to celebrate our
friend Abby's 5th Birthday!

June 23 ~ A visit from Crystal

2009-07-13T10:31:00.002-04:00

A visit from Crystal
June 23...

We enjoyed an evening with our friend
Crystal who lives in Colorado.
She came to Renee's house for supper,
visiting...and a rousing game of
race cars with Miles!

June 20 & 21, 2009

2009-06-21T18:40:00.004-04:00

Glenvil Community SDA Church
June 20 - 2pm

We were truly blessed to be able to
be back with the folks at this church!
Their enjoyment of our music & ministry
encourages us and makes us thankful.

********************************************

Hastings Gospel Sing
June 20 - approx. 5:15pm

This was our fourth year to be a part
of this event! We're always glad
to be asked back & are already
looking forward to next year ~ 2010.

*********************************************

June 20 - approx. 8:30pm

While the rest of us did set-up at the
Berean Bible Church in preparation
for Sunday morning's mini-concert,
Miles & Nana (Renee) played
with toys in the bus...

********************************************

Berean Bible Church in Hastings
June 21 - 10:45am

The Hastings Gospel Sing arranged for us
to give a mini-concert at the Berean
Bible Church in Hastings. This was our
second time to be there. We
enjoyed the morning! Thanks to
Pastor Paul for scheduling us to come.

...Miles & Papa (Roy) took a long
bike ride before the service...

...Miles sang "The B-I-B-L-E"
much to the delight of the congregation...

...We enjoyed doing our mini-concert...

Vacation Bible School

2009-06-21T18:23:00.003-04:00

Vacation Bible School!!
Miles had a grand time attending
VBS all week. Crystal went too &
was a helper in Miles' room!

Warrensburg (Crossroads) SDA Church ~ June 13, 2009

2009-06-16T12:57:00.002-04:00

Warrensburg (Crossroads)
SDA Church
8pm Evening Concert
June 13, 2009

We had such fun at this concert!
It was great to be back here again
after a few years. Thanks to
Pastor Al for scheduling us to come.

It was a nice compliment to have
several of the folks from Sedalia
(the AM Church service)
come on over for the evening concert
here at Warrensburg (Crossroads)!
Thanks guys!!!

Sedalia SDA Church ~ June 13, 2009

2009-06-16T12:44:00.002-04:00

Sedalia SDA Church
11am - Church Service
June 13, 2009

We were glad to be back with these
great folks at the Sedalia SDA Church
in Sedalia, MO. Thanks to Pastor Al
for scheduling us to come!

...the church service went really well...

...Miles did a great job singing The B-I-B-L-E...

We want to congratulate this church on their
beautiful new Sanctuary and church building!
And especially congratulate them on the
fact that it is entirely PAID OFF!!!!
What a blessing for them!!

June 7 ~ Community Bible Church of Lushton

2009-06-08T13:02:00.003-04:00

Community Bible Church
of Lushton
June 7, 2009

We were glad to be back to share our
music with the folks here.

This was our third time to be here,
but our first time to be part of the
AM Church Service.
The other two times were
evening concerts.

Thank you to them for welcoming us
and for the delicious potluck lunch!

...Miles was a big hit singing The B-I-B-L-E...

June 6 ~ Henderson Gospel Sing

2009-06-08T12:40:00.002-04:00

Henderson Gospel Sing
June 6, 2009

Originally we were scheduled to do
two 30-minute sets throughout
the day. But due to some
schedule shifts, we actually did
three 30-minute sets! Wow!

We had a good time singing
and visiting
with the other groups in
attendance as well as the
lovely folks who came to listen
to the music.

1st Set - 10:30am
(Miles also sang The B-I-B-L-E,
but we didn't get a picture...)

*******************************************
2nd Set - 2:00pm
*********************************************

3rd Set - approximately 5:45pm
Miles again sang The B-I-B-L-E
and was a big hit for the audience!

June 5 ~ KS-NE Campmeeting

2009-06-08T12:19:00.002-04:00

KS-NE Campmeeting
June 5, 2009
...Mini-Concert...

...we were excited to be asked
to give the opening night Mini-Concert
for the KS-NE Campmeeting
held at College View SDA Church
in Lincoln! The evening went really well.
And we had a great time!

...Miles did a fantastic job singing
the B-I-B-L-E. The audience loved it!...

...Miles was excited that his friend
Ivybelle (and her family) had
come to see us sing!
And we were glad they had too!...

Come see us sing @ KS-NE Campmeeting!!!!!!!

2009-06-01T10:50:00.004-04:00

Echoes of Mercy
at
KS-NE Campmeeting

Friday, June 5, 2009
7:00-7:30pm
Mini-concert
FREE

College View SDA Church
4801 Prescott Ave ~ Lincoln

Come join us!!!!!!!

Looks Like Love (video)

2009-05-19T13:55:00.005-04:00

LOOKS LIKE LOVE

This is the first verse & chorus of a
song called Looks Like Love. The video was recorded live
at our concert on April 26, 2009, at the Presbyterian
Church in Orleans, NE. This song (in it's entirety)
is included on our CD titled "Framed In Faith"
which we released in 2008.

(the song was originally done by Crossway)

2009-05-18T12:21:00.007-04:00

MERCY WALKED IN

This is the second verse & chorus of a
great song called Mercy Walked In.
The video was recorded live at our concert
on April 26, 2009, at the Presbyterian
Church in Orleans, NE. This song (in it's entirety)
is included on our upcoming
CD titled "Joy" which we hope to
release in the summer of 2009.

(the song was originally done by Gordon Mote)

Softly & Tenderly (1st half) ~ VIDEO

2009-05-16T08:47:00.007-04:00

SOFTLY & TENDERLY

This is the first verse & chorus of the classic hymn Softly & Tenderly. The video was recorded live at our concert on April 26, 2009, at the Presbyterian Church in Orleans, NE. This song (in it's entirety) is included on our CD titled "Peace In Brokenness" which we released in 2008.

(the arrangement was originally done by The Martins & Lari Goss)

Garden Time (5-6-09)!

2009-05-13T11:30:00.005-04:00

Time to plant the garden...

This year we're doing our
garden a little differently...

We're giving raised-bed, square-foot gardening
a try. We're looking forward to seeing
how it all turns out!

...Miles helped Vanessa plant a tomato...

Yay ~ first tomato planted!

...now on to the rest of the planting
(cucumbers, radishes, beets, onions,
kolrabi, more tomatoes, chives,
summer squash, zucchini)...

Miles' Day Out with Daddy!

2009-05-13T11:05:00.004-04:00

April 30...
Miles got to spend the WHOLE morning
at work with Daddy (Adam)...

This was thrilling for him,
not only because he was with Daddy,
but also because he got to see & sit in
& help drive (sitting in Daddy's lap of course)
all kinds of cool trucks, lawnmowers & equipment!

...dump truck...

...John Deere lawnmower...

...pickup truck...

...Massey Ferguson tractor...

...mid-morning donut & juice...

...another lawnmower...

...and the most exciting of all ~ a skid steer!!!...