"And the Word became flesh adn lived among us...full of grace and truth." John 1:14

The Mission 2 Mission team arrived safely in Mission, S.D., on schedule Sunday afternoon, despite the frequent bathroom stops you'd expect for such a youthful group. The 26 missionaries arrived bright-faced and in very bright attire; their matching lime-green t-shirts surely would have had some folks mistaking them for the trash pickup squads in downtown Des Moines or someone trying to match the Highway Helper vehicle on I-235.
 
As it turned out, our message of "Changing Lives in the Name of Jesus Christ" were conversation starters along our journey to South Dakota, and the highly visible color even matches the house we're staying in.

Our digs for the week are a real blessing -- air-conditioned bunk dorms with showers, a full kitchen, gas grill, covered picnic area in the backyard and a garage that doubles as our meal site.  After we unpacked and had a fabulous dinner of pulled pork sandwiches and corn, we started to learn just what we will be about this week.

The staff of the Tree of Life Ministry told us of the 80 percent unemployment rate and high alcoholism and suicide rates in one of our country's poorest areas. We learned that only 1 percent of the Lakota people are Christians. Most are immersed in their own religious tradition, which emphasized individual relationships rather than a congregations approach that they would equate with Catholics vs. Protestants and divisiveness.
 

Many of the Lakota harbor resentment and horrible memories of the Christian boarding schools they were forced to attend, kidnapped by white people and stripped of their native language and family connections. They were told to dress in uniforms and act like white people and that Native Americans were devil-tongued heathens. They were forced to cut their hair. They were not allowed to communicate with their families. The U.S. government had recruited Christian denominations to destroy the native culture, which the tribes in recent history have fought to restore.

If someone prayed in the Lakota language, they were beaten. One Lakota man was given an apple for dinner, and he cut the fruit in half and saved half for a later meal. When he was leaving, a search team checking for stolen silverware found the apple and accused him of stealing. When he tried to explain the apple was given to him, he was publicly whipped 50 times for mouthing off and "stealing." Anyone who spoke their native language was whipped, too.

These children had to learn with members of other, hostile, tribes. They learned trades, but could find no jobs on the reservation. Many became depressed, angry and turned to alcohol or suicide.

This is an area few natives leave. That is because they are comfortable here, and fear the rejection that may come elsewhere.  About one-fifth of the high school students graduate. One class suffered five suicides between prom and graduation, as the reality of joblessness and alcohol abuse set in. The suicide rate here is twice the national average. One boy hung himself from a tree after watching his family celebrate his graduation by drinking heavily. Even young children are given a beer for birthdays, as a gesture that they belong.  

Missionaries like us can expect valuable conversations if we initiate them and show respect to the local families. Many over the years have seen white folks as the "fat people," and that isn't a reference to the goodies we ate on the way over. Whites are seen as people who took the "good fat of the land," and left.  We were told, however that the tribe members would welcome respectful interaction. Today, we are seen as mi-tak-u-ye o-ya-sin (pronounced "mee-tauk oo yay Oh ya seen), which means "all my relatives.  We are seen as people in a hurry. We were told to live on Lakota time, which is to say, to be patient and flexible Here's how the locals see it:   "White men have watches, they are alwaysin a hury and they never have the time. Indians have few watches, seldom hurry, and always have the time."

We will be doing all sorts of God's work this week. Replacing windows. Expanding a thrift store. Stocking a food pantry. Visiting nursing home residents. Painting. Sorting. Creating thousands of school kits. Installing a metal roof.  In our spare time, we'll learn about Lakota culture and the area. Some will participate in the Lakota religious tradition of sweat lodge. We'll hear speakers. We'll meet families. On our day off, some will sample the natural beauty of the Niobrara River on a float trip.

We are in for quite an experience. We have been warned some of what we see -the abject poverty,the pleas for help, the alcohol abuse -- might lead to nightmares. We will leave it all in God's hands. We are blessed to see where he is leading us.
 

"In the morning while it was very dark, he got up and went out to deserted place, and there he prayed." Mark 1:35

We were up before 6 cleaning up and taking walks before our daily devotions and breakfast of cereal, hard-boiled eggs, toast and fruit. Everyone seemed to get some sleep, though there were varying reports of hearing the women tittering in the adjacent room at all hours, of men snoring, of our plastic covering mattresses being a bit noisy when we rolled around. Hours after arriving, we are still getting along, quite a blessing.

We are spreading out in many directions today. Some will stock the food pantry, others will sort items in the thrift shop. A team will paint a pink house exterior, which could be toasty if it gets to 90. This morning, it is overcast and relatively cool. Some of our team will work on replacing windows in a house, and others will install a roof.

We are learning about each other. For example, we learned this morning that Berneda Franson is a good song leader, and that Perry Beeman isn't the only one who couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. We discovered that Cindy and Mark Willson still have the glow of newlyweds, two years after their wedding and 10 years after their relationship started. We learned that Pastor Cindy still has the touch of somehow managing a group in a situation that has all the look of herding cats. We know that God is in charge ultimately, and he keeps us line and on the path.
 

God will teach us about the Sioux Nation, which once stretched from North Carolina to Minnesota, Wyoming to Nebraska. These are people who wouldn't kill a rattlesnake because they understand that the snakes keep the mouse population in check. Their traditional Sioux religion is one that emphasizes the individual's close relationship with the Creator. They are a people who cherish the relationship of people, the land, and spirituality.

We are learning of some of those customs. For example, menstruating women are not allowed in the sweat lodge. It isn't because they are seen as dirty. Men are seen as drawing their power from above, while women draw power from the land. But the period is seen as an ultimate sign of spiritual strength so strong it would disturb the balance of what goes on in the sweat lodge. So menstruating women stay away as a show of respect. Other women are welcome.

We are in for many lessons. We look forward to sharing them with you.  

In so many ways, it's the people. When you enter a Lakota sweat lodge, you say "All my people" because the Lakota consider all people, and the animals, their brothers and sisters. They see the world -- earth and sky -- in a holistic way that seems in many ways as true environmentalism.
--We met a part-Lakota woman who blesses the field before gathering sage for ceremonial purposes. She finds the field by looking for a pink house, Rose's place, that got a new coat of pink this week thanks to our crew. We met Chelsea, the granddaughter of Dixie, whose house is getting new flooring and windows installed by our crew. Chelsea is 13, lively and friendly. She is a walking encyclopedia of facts on Britney Spears and other celebs. She likes to perform, but only for Dixie at home, not publicly. Chelsea rode with us to get supplies. "Do you have a boyfriend," someone asked. "Four," Chelsea responded. Later, when Chelsea was gone, Dixie told us that Chelsea is half-black. Other students harass her about this, claiming she can't be Lakota. "She is Lakota. She knows nothing else," Dixie said. Chelsea is also angry because she doesn't know who her father is. She is seeing a psychologist about this.
 

We haven't gotten all the dispatches from these days due to technical difficulties. 
 

 

We are learning a great deal about each other!  We should be since we are sleeping as many as nine to a room!  We often  hear one another saying how much we enjoy meeting one another.  We take turns preparing meals. We are eating very well!  Our days begin and end with devotions. 

Wednesday was our day off--everyone had to stop working.  That was good because we all needed a day off.  Some of us went floating on the river, and others to the Black Hills.

Another story about our work:  A number of the women went way out in the country to paint a house for an elderly woman. They paintedit bright pink. She loved it!

We are thinking of you.  It is not easy to get to a computer. Your prayers mean a great deal to us! 

See you Sunday

 

Our time is growing short. We started today by sharing important words. Patience. Devotion. Compassion. Love. Friendship. We are off to finish windows, electrical work, painting. In the morning, we head home.

Tree of Life Ministry. The name comes from both Christian and Lakota traditions. In Revelation 22:2, John sees in heaven a river of life that contains a Tree of Life with "leaves for the healing of nations." Black Elk, a Sioux medicine man, spoke of a crossroads between our physical journey (the black path, or horizontal line in the Lakota Prayer Wheel) meets the spiritual journey (the red path, or the vertical line). "At the crossroads of these two paths grows the Tree of Life," Black Elk said through an interpreter in 1930.
Said our hosts: "Each volunteer is a leaf of healing on that tree. Each contributes far more than just a week of hard work. It is not the work, but the love that will be remembered and valued."

We've had some compelling personal adventures. On Thursday, Doris visited her hometown for the first time in more than 70 years. She and several others visited Witten, S.D., where Doris last walked the floors of her family store when she was six. She found the stores and some folks in town who remembered Doris and her family. She confirmed that her fuzzy memory of riding horses bareback was true. It was quite an emotional ride, and was topped off at evening devotions when we presented her with a Witten t-shirt, purchased while she wasn't looking at that very family store.
 

We've had some personal touches worth mentioning. Annette has above all others made sure we are well fed; Ken Franson and Mark Willson made sure the meat-eaters were happy. Jane Beeman did a lot of dishes, in part to keep her aching hands warm. She warmed hearts by focusing on the needs of others, discarding any thought of letting two chronic diseases of her own get in the way. Ione proved to be tough, too, not offering a complaint even when we were drenched by a cold rain on our float trip on the beautiful Niobrara.

Dave Law was Dave Law, pulling pranks and telling jokes, some of which were even funny. Mark Willson inspired with his drive and can-do attitude, hearty laugh and jokes of various shades. Ron Vinson was up before most, fully organized and ready to take on some of our most challenging jobs. Cindy Hickman kept the peace, even when many got frustrated over a lack of supplies and organization among our hosts that tested patience.

Mike Plymale quietly led an involved construction project, and gave devotions that had some asking him if he was considering the ministry. Melissa Couch mentioned how much the team meant to her, these folks she didn't know before.  

About 1,250 volunteers from 10 denominations come to Tree of Life Ministry at Rosebud each year.  This is an area of amazing beauty. Huge expanses of hay and tall native grasses give way to hills and tree-lined river valleys. We have seen coyote, elk, llama, blue herons, an eagle, buffalo and many wild dogs.

We delivered seven box fans to the Thrift Store. It's been 90 lately. They will be put to good use. Some folks will be able to turn on a fan and rest their head on pillows our crew has made by hand.

Thousands of school kits we helped assemble are nearly ready to be passed out to children.

Several of our team went to a local nursing home Thursday to chat and eat with the residents. The time went so quickly, they didn't get a chance to play games.

The main complex here is an amazing place. Tree of Life has its own supply shop, with all kinds of lumber, tools, gloves, plumbing supplies, paint, etc.

It's raining today, which will be a challenge to our window crews and painters. We are loading winter clothes into a semi.

We are many people learning many things. We look forward to seeing you soon. 

Thursday night, we went to a pow-pow demonstration by a family headed by Shane, who is at least 6-4 and very funny. The regalia their wear can weigh 60 pounds. At one point, we all participated in a circle dance that involved stepping to the left, one step at a time, to the heart-beat rhythm played on a traditional hide-covered drum. We had two cocentric circles moving in opposite directions. Each step brought a chance to shake another person's hand during the dance.

Our crew has upheld a Methodist tradition of ice-cream eating. We also had "Better than Anything" cake and an amazing egg casserole by Berneda, Annette and others. Mark Willson and Ken Franson made sure the meat-eaters were happy, with pork loin, meatballs, sausage and chicken.

A little girl who danced for us Thursday night at the pow wow turned up at the Boys and Girls Club Friday, where Jane Beeman and others were creating a surprise for Head Start teachers. The crew was assembling special boxes of supplies, with Jane, an early childhood special education teacher, providing the list of needed supplies. The little girl drew the volunteers outside for a break to dance in the rain and buy refreshments from a nearby stand. "Put that down! Play with me!" said the less-than-shy tyke. 

Neither snakes nor rain nor gloom of noisy night could keep us from our appointed rounds. The other day, we needed to turn off the water at a mobile home. Turned out the shut off was down a well casing. Which was fine if you don't mind six or seven garter snakes keeping you company. Mark Willson did the honors. Later, when he pulled the ladder out, two or three snakes were wrapped up on it. The next day, Mike and Perry both came close to stepping on snakes.

Flies are big here, too. And pollen has had many of us sneezing. On our tubing trip on our day off, we ran into a storm that tested the resolve of many of us, but we finished the float in good spirits, and with only a few bumps from rocks. We throughly enjoyed our lunch on a sandbar next to a deep swimming hole. Today, we are trying to complete outdoor tasks with rainfall that isn't helping.

Tonight, we have closing ceremonies, then prepare for the long trip home, with a whole new raft of stories to tell, and Jesus still firmly in our hearts.