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Update & Prayer Pleas(e)

March Madness: Our BIG 8
1.  Spring Break meant lots of excitement for the Barton Home!  We were treated to a wonderful day in Little Rock with our sponsor church.  We were able to take in the newly renovated Museum of Discovery, as well as some wonderful food.  It was a great day for the girls to get out of the house, experience something new, and be loved on by the ladies from our wonderful sponsor church!
2.  The girls also got to go to an all-campus Roller Skating party in Little Rock the next day hosted by the church they attend in Monticello.  They had a blast and one of the girls learned to skate for the first time in her life! 
3.  Michael and I spent a day in Little Rock during Spring Break with our oldest and long-term youth shopping for a PROM DRESS!  This was a busy, busy but very fun day, and may I say, SUCCESSFUL!
4.  We've been learning, learning, learning and transitioning, transitioning, transitioning as some central programming at Vera Lloyd is changed for the better.  It has been a ride!
5.  We have recently found a church where we feel like we will be able to get more involved than the ones we have attended in the past!  They have life groups and Bible studies we can participate in, and it just feels a little more like home! 
6.  We spent a bittersweet but wonderful weekend in Memphis with family in honor of my sweet Papaw who went to be with Jesus following his battle with cancer.  We were given some grievance time to spend with family, which was such a blessing.
7.  We celebrated my birthday with a Little Rock weekend and discovered a lot of the city that we had never seen before.  My favorite part by far was the absolutely beautiful weather and happening to find an outdoor Euro Cafe to eat at --- I LOVE dining out outdoors when the weather is nice!
8.  A group called the Over the Hill Gang at our Sponsor church has been up every Monday of the month building a back patio for our house and our next door neighbor's house.  We are SO excited to have a porch to hang out on!  The girls have loved watching the progress, as well.

Prayer Pleas(e):
-Please pray for God's grace and protection of our relationship with each of the girls.  We realize our relationships are the central avenue to their hearts and lives and maintaining trust and communication is so important!
-Please pray for our oldest youth as she makes final decisions about where she will go to school next year, etc.
-Please pray for me as I continue to deal with spouts of grief and just an overall weariness of the soul.
-Please pray for my sweet grandmother.
-Please pray for the leadership of the ministry of Vera Lloyd as we do undergo change -- that it will all be to the glory of God!

EXTRA REQUEST!!!  We do have two youth in our home going to PROM in just 2 weeks!  We love the fact that they will get to take part in this and experience what so many other youth take for granted.  While their dresses and some expenses are taken care of by their case worker, we still have many pennies to pinch for hair appointments, tickets, and other small expenses.  If you have any interest in being a part of their prom experience by giving in this way, let me know by email ASAP: mbanderson08@gmail.com .

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