Okay, so first off, let me say that I’m sorry I haven’t been posting anything in awhile (really, since I set it up). I’m going to try to do better (although I make no promises).
Anyway, we just got back from our annual mission trip to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, in S. Dakota, where we work primarily in the villages of Wanblee and Potato Creek.
We took approximately 60 people from churches in Indiana, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. For most, it was their first time, for a few, their second. A very few of us have made numerous trips. Although the group was mostly teenagers, we ranged in age from early teens to one 83-year old (her fourth trip!).
While there, we mowed the playground at Wanblee housing (the grass and weeds ranged from ankle- to knee-high, and was full of ticks, snakes, and trash), the yard at Kennedy Hall (a community center in Wanblee), and a family’s back yard. For construction projects, we put new gutters on Kennedy Hall, one new (homemade) backboard, and two baskets. We also cleaned out the gutters at Eleanor Charging Crow’s house.
We also did a VBS/Street Ministry at both Wanblee and Potato Creek. A native artist from Oklahoma made some really cool flash-card kind of things for the kids, with a biblical scene depicted on the front (using natives as the characters) and the story on the back, with some questions and a memory verse. Here’s a sample of a couple of them:
They worked out great. The kids were really excited to get them, and I think that having natives depicted helped to bring the message home and made it easier for the kids to relate to. It’s another example of how someone can really come up with something innovative that makes the whole thing more effective. Also, the cards were something we could leave with the kids to remind them that God loves them, even in their darkest times (and believe me, times can get unimaginably dark for those kids on the Rez).
During the Street Ministry, we concentrated on just playing with the kids; helping them to fly kites, drawing with them with sidewalk chalk, playing basketball & other sports with the older kids (by the way, a bunch of our boys got schooled by some of their girls at basketball. That made for some good laughs). And then, of course, there is the ever-popular making bubbles and giving piggy-back rides. It’s exhausting, and a lot of fun, but it’s much more than that. We’re not just going out there to play with the cute little Indian kids. We’re trying to show them the love that Christ has for them. Way too many of those kids get so little attention, guidance, affection, or even food. While Wanblee has a summer school program that the kids can get lunch from, Potato Creek is too isolated, so while we’re out there, we take a hot lunch for the kids (as well as any adults who show up). For some of them, it’s the only hot meal they get all day.
Our Adult Ministry delivered baskets full of sugar, salt, coffee, and other staples to approximately 20 households (I’ll have to check with Ron to get the exact number). When possible, they would sit down and visit with the people, getting to know them as people, and trying to build the relationships that enable us to work.
Of course, it wasn’t all work: we also made trips to see Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Mountain, visited the museum at the Oglala Lakota college (which is right across the road from where we camp, in Kyle, S.D.), one evening, a local man put on a display of Lakota singing and storytelling. Our good friends Chub and Wilbur did another Sweat Lodge ceremony for those of us who chose to attend (it was strictly voluntary), and Maryanne, Chub’s wife, did an amazing job of explaining the ceremony and the significance of the various aspects, from a Native Christian perspective. We also made a trip to Wounded Knee. Fortunately, there is a new sign there which explains a lot of what happened there in 1890, which spared our group most of my usual schpeil. Also, we’ve been really lucky the last two years to have Spencer Davis with us, to explain a lot of what happened at Wounded Knee in the ’70s. I really feel like visiting Wounded Knee ties everything together that we’re trying to do, and why, for a lot of reasons.
We also helped Eleanor Charging Crow celebrate her 83rd birthday, and one of our own, Tristan Murray, celebrate his 18th with cake and ice cream. We had campfires with devotions every night, along with our customary “High/Lows”, during which everyone briefly shares the highest and lowest points of their day. We also had numerous native friends join us for dinner over the week, and on Friday night, they brought out Indian Tacos (complete with fry-bread!)
Finally, on our last night, we did devotions in the Badlands, home of some of the most amazing scenery in the U.S.A., which really brings home the wonders of God’s creation. Also, the kids have a lot of fun climbing around.
All in all, it was a pretty productive trip, thanks to all the hard work everybody did, and all the prayers, good thoughts, and well wishes from folks back home.
The Badlands at Dusk
The Indiana and Oklahoma bunch
The whole motley crew.
For those of you interested in more pictures of our week, here’s a link to the pictures I posted on the Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lloyd.mullins.758/media_set?set=a.1128552037158450.1073741834.100000109932595&type=3, https://www.facebook.com/lloyd.mullins.758/media_set?set=a.1127155473964773.1073741833.100000109932595&type=3, and https://www.facebook.com/lloyd.mullins.758/media_set?set=a.1124881994192121.100000109932595&type=3.
I hope those work. If they don’t, I’ll get some posted here (as soon as I get the replacement power cord for my laptop. I left the original cord in S. Dakota).
Finally, I just want to personally thank everyone who came on the trip for all your hard work, the folks of Wanblee and Potato Creek for having us, and the folks at the Lakota Prairie Ranch Resort in Kyle, S.D. (that’s where we camp). Rusty and the rest of the folks there have always bent over backwards to help us in any way they can, and have always been very supportive of our work. If you’re gonna be out that way, it’s a great place to stay.
Also, one more “finally”; our compadres from Morrison Hills Christian Church are going to be headed out there in July to do another week of construction, and VBS/Street Ministry. Please keep them in your prayers.