CHRISTMAS AT LOWER BRULE

Esther and Amy Susan and I left Mitchell on Thursday afternoon with high spirits to spend the weekend doing whatever could be done in Lower Brule. It is easy for a work such as the one in Lower Brule to stalemate when we are not living there and working all the time. It leads us to question if we have misunderstood God's leading in relation to this work when there is not much change for a period of time. This weekend has been a refreshing breath of air for us. We were so encouraged with many developments that unfolded this weekend. I will try to share some of these developments with you.

We have been working with some children on Sunday mornings, and we visited these homes again after we arrived this past weekend. We had a few responses, and we collected the children for the next two nights and brought them to the church for crafts and learning Christmas carols. While they were there, Esther told them the Christmas story. For some of them, it was a new story, and they were very interested in it, asking questions and making observations concerning the details. They crafted little ornaments and hung them on the tree that we had set up.

During the day, we explored some possibilities that would enable us to be among the people more, and a door has opened that was beyond any plan that I could have conjectured. It shows that God sets before us "open doors" as He plans in His perfect wisdom. It was exciting to all of us.

We had planned and advertised to have a Christmas Program on Saturday evening, and we visited many homes in hopes of stirring interest in this effort. We appreciate Amy's help in packing bags and helping set up for the program. The Kalovskys, who have shown themselves as friends of Lower Brule, provided treat bags and gifts for the children, and they gave of themselves by coming and helping us in the program. Ben read the Christmas story from the scripture as Lori and Zak and Esther arrayed the children in costumes and sent them upstairs at the proper time; and they delightfully portrayed the nativity scene. At the end of the Christmas story the children sang a couple of carols. Abraham played a violin duet with Esther, and Ray spoke to the group about 'choices.' The people who gathered responded enthusiatically during and after the program, and many pictures were taken by families. People were smiling and happy as they left, leaving us feeling happy. :)
Sunday morning brought several of the people back for morning worship service; and many of the children came back for Sunday School , as well as some who had not been at the program. One father brought his children whom we had not met before and came back and picked them up after church. Sunday afternoon we visited a lady who we had met at a wake a few weeks ago, and her brother had just passed away. We were glad to be there at that time, and we felt that it was in God's planning.

Thank you for your interest in Lower Brule, and we appreciate your prayers as we try to find the right way to guide the work there.

THE FRIEND

We sang this hymn in church this morning. Everyone wants a special friend that we can trust to always be our friend regardless of what life hands us. I am happy to have some earthly friends, but the fact that Jesus is my Friend is of untold value to me. I also appreciate the fact that we can share this friend with others; and this morning we wanted especially to help one to receive this Friend.

We mentioned in the last blog that we visited a lady in the hospital as she was passing to the other side, and we attended her wake this week.

The Lord helped us at the wake, and we were honored to meet more of the Indian people who live in Lower Brule. We appreciate the help of missionary friends who served in Lower Brule under the Wesleyan Church. They are now pastoring in Lake Andes, South Dakota; and they called to let us know of this lady's illness and hospitalization. They went ahead and visited the family in the hospital in Sioux Falls, and they told the family that we would be coming. The family was expecting us and accepted us as friends of their friends. These missionary friends and us also attended the wake in the same night, and they introduced us to other people there.

We were pleased when the husband of the lady who passed away came to church this morning, and he tarried for several minutes after church to talk with Ray. He said that he and his wife had been married for 56 years. Both Ray and John had been in the service of our country; so they found much in common. Please pray for John as he passes through this lonely time of grief and loss.

Esther had only a few children in the basement this morning, but they are such lovely children. Several of the children were gone to relative's homes for Thanksgiving and had not yet returned. She is telling them the story of David; and I think we are all gleaning from her studies while she prepares.

Christmas is coming :), and we are hoping to try for a Christmas Program. We are planning to try something that we tried at Ravinia and felt that it was successful: we want to have a three-day mini-VBS during the week before Christmas on Wednesday- Friday to tell them the Christmas Story, and to help them "tune up" for the program on that Saturday night. We are excited, and we are still working on the logistics of this endeavor. Please pray that we will be able to work out the many details of this. We will keep you posted.

THE OPEN DOOR

There is much said in the scriptures about a 'door.' A door is used as a barrier to protect the one who is inside from what is outside. A timeless piece of art is the painting of Jesus standing at the door and knocking--it is a picture of Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock..." In the Song of Solomon, the image is presented of a lover who is standing outside the door with his beloved inside, and he is continually knocking to get her attention so she will open the door to him. Revelation 3:8 is quoting what God has said to the church of Philedelphia: "Behold, I have set before thee an open door." In 2 Corinthians 2:12, Paul is reporting that "...a door was opened unto me of the Lord." These scriptures give me sufficient reason to believe that He orchestrates the opening and closing of the door of opportunity, and especially within Kingdom work. We have been searching for an open door in many areas related to the mission work in Lower Brule since we began working there in June. God has been opening some doors of opportunity, and we are trying to be sensitive to God's timing in these areas. Thank you for praying that we will have wisdom in relation to the work in Lower Brule.

On Saturday, we went to the hospital to visit a lady and her family. She was very close to the crossing, and we heard when we came in to church on Sunday morning, that she slipped to the other side during the night. This lady had been very influential in the church when it was Wesleyan, and her husband told us that she had desired to come to church many times since it was started again, but she was very sickly. We are planning to get to her wake and, hopefully, her funeral.

Esther had a full little van this morning, and she had a lively group of children downstairs. They love to sing, and they sang their hearts out. They were an interested audience. We were happy to have some very small children upstairs with their mother, too.

Willard is a faithful man who has come almost every Sunday since the church has started up again, and he was rejoicing this morning because he has some beautiful new teeth. He has suffered with toothache for months, and he had all of his teeth taken out in one surgery, and his new teeth given to him. Just before he left this morning, he spoke to me and gave me an extra-big smile to show his bright new teeth. :) We appreciate Willard, and we feel that God has something special for him.

We are encouraged, and we are happy to see God working in behalf of the Wesley Sioux Chapel in Lower Brule. Keep praying for us.

CHILDREN

Sunday morning was a crisp, clear morning in Lower Brule, and Ray and I arrive to find the church warm and inviting. We do not have a van to pick up the children; so we are using our little minivan. We realize that it might soon become impossible to use our van, but we are operating one week at a time. We are happy that some of the children are beginning to attend regularly on Sunday mornings. I drove around and picked up the children and brought them back to the church. They are very enthusiastic children, and they are fun to be with. They had intelligent input while I was teaching them their Sunday School lesson, and it is always encouraging when I realize they are absorbing and processing what they are taught.

"There's a wideness in God's mercy

Like the wideness of the sea;

There's a kindness in His justice,

Which is more than liberty.

There is welcome for the sinner,

And more graces for the good;

There is mercy with the Saviour

There is healing in His blood.

For the love of God is broader

Than the measure of man's mind;

And the heart of the Eternal

Is most wonderfully kind.

If our love were but more simple,

We should take Him at His word,

And our lives would be all sunshine

In the sweetness of our Lord.

Because I wanted to be upstairs to help during the song service, I asked the children if they would mind sitting upstairs during that time. They were very cooperative, and they appeared to enjoy finding the songs and singing them with us. The adults were happy to have the young people upstairs with them, and I saw smiles on their faces. One of the children chose the hymn that is quoted above, and the words spoke to us during the singing of it more than it ever has before: if my love were but more simple, I would take Him at His Word. I miss so much of God's love when I view things through the complicated eyes of this world. This uncomplicated view of life is one of the things that I admire about the people of this culture.

The children missed Esther and her helpers today, but she was in Huron preparing for an afternoon concert with the Huron Symphony. We appreciate the Fort Thompson people allowing us to crash in on their Sunday dinner before we headed back to Huron to enjoy the concert. The symphony did a wonderful job, and they received a well-deserved standing ovation.

Thank you for your interest in the work in Lower Brule, and we appreciate your prayers as we make decisions that will affect the work there.

A CABIN, COFFEE, CHILDREN, AND CHURCH

It has been two weeks since we reported from Lower Brule, and I will try to catch up on the happenings there. We decided to stretch last weekend, and we took the last couple of days off work, rented a cabin with missionary friends in the Black Hills, and stayed there for a couple days of rest. It was a very relaxing and refreshing time, and we returned to Lower Brule on Saturday evening. We spent a nice night in the church there.

Sunday morning was a quiet but worshipful service, and we were happy to have our friends the Kalovskys come again to join those of us who were gathered to worship. Their boys help Esther in the Sunday School when they are there, and we appreciate their input. Unfortunately, the old blue van decided to misbehave and left them stranded part way through housing. They ended up walking back to the church and did not get to pick up any children. They were very disappointed and we found out today that some of the children were dressed and waiting for them. It is frustrating when we have a mechanical failure and it interrupts our ability to work with the people. Oh, well; it is all in a day's work. We always enjoy our fellowship with the Kalovskys, and they 'pitch in' to the dinner that we have together after church. Lori makes the best coffee, and we sit over coffee after dinner and enjoy each other's company. This is a very important aspect to us as a family. Today was very good. We did not know what to do, as the old van is not working; so we just took our own van and went up the hill and stopped at some houses. The children needed a chance to get ready for church, and so we started the round again. We collected a good number and Esther had Sunday School in the basement with them while the adults gathered upstairs. We had some adults who came in to worship with us, and we came away encouraged in the Lord. We feel that God has given us some wonderful people with which to work.

We have many goals and ambitions that we would like to meet at Lower Brule, but it requires time and patience. I have been reading My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers in the mornings, and they have been directed especially at missionaries. I have gleaned much from his writings, but some have especially come home to my heart. He has been discussing the missionary who wants to 'do' and to see activity; and he presses home the point that God wants most of all that we would have a special relationship with Him so that He can do a work in the hearts of those to whom we minister. He warns that the tendency to be busy and create activity so that we feel like we are 'doing something' can actually hinder the work of the Holy Spirit. I have a personality that likes to see action and things being done; so I have taken this in to the prayer closet with me. May God help me to be an open channel for Him, and to have the patience for Him to work as He desires.

Thank you for your prayers for and interest in the little lighthouse in Lower Brule.

SUNDAY SCHOOL, CHURCH, AND AN ORGAN

Today was a very nice morning. The weather was a little cool, but much warmer than it has been. I felt that church was a refreshing time, and we all enjoyed it. Only a few came to worship with us, but our worship is not based on how many are attending. Ray gave a good message, and he spoke of the many miracles that God worked for the children of Israel when they were fleeing from Egypt; and he left us with the question, "How big is your God? Is He big enough to solve the problems of your life? The God of Israel is big enough, if we are serving Him." I left feeling challenged.

Ray and Esther went around and tried to get some children to get out of bed and come to Sunday School and they were successful. Esther had a few in the basement, and they had a good Sunday School. The children seemed happy when they left, and they promised to come next week. God has given her the ability to make relationships with young ones.

I was so happy when some friends donated an organ for the chapel. (Yes, it was an organ donation!) I love to play the organ, and it sometimes seems so much more worshipful to have organ music.

We are encouraged, and God is helping in Lower Brule!

REVIVAL CHALLENGE

It is an understatement to say that we felt overwhelmed this week when we were trying to do all that needed to be done to have revival services. So many things that looked impossible worked out easily, and the work was done on Thursday evening. Becky Yoder came and helped by playing the piano because the regular piano player could not be there, and it was such a lift to those who were there. We also appreciated the help that Ben and Lori and the boys gave us during that week. Ray got our old blue van running {a miracle in itself :)} and towed the camper out to Lower Brule and parked it beside the church. This made a comfortable spot for us to stay in during the day.
We appreciate Cecilia and Joe coming to Lower Brule--they were both an inspiration and comfort to us. She also spoke directly to the Native people about their own issues. The people accepted her message well. We also appreciate the people from Lower Brule and Fort Thompson who attended the services. The Fort Thompson church brought their people and came to our service on Sunday evening. Thank you to the Fort Thompson people for their support.

Different people from the community visited the services, and we were happy to see several new faces. Our children's services were very low key, and only a few children attended; but the mother of one girl attended the services, and another family came on Sunday night. We were so pleased with the new contacts. We are fairly certain that the children who came will be the beginning of our Sunday School.

I suppose the highlight of the services came on Saturday night when we could sense the Lord's working among us. At the end of the service, Cecelia asked those who would like us to pray for them to raise their hand. Every native person who was there raised his or her hand. This is a challenge to us, as we must be faithful to pray for each one of them. These are sincere people who want a relationship with God. Some of them are serving Him now, some have served Him and fallen away, and some have never known Him. We have a huge responsibility. Please pray for us that we will not fail them.

We have often been impressed with the potential among these people. Even the children seem bright and eager, and they are a joy to work among. It is a long road each week to come to the people, but it is worth every mile. :)

WORKING TOWARD REVIVAL

As the time for revival services with Cecelia Spotted Bear approaches, we are finding ourselves busier and busier. This weekend saw some accomplishments, and we appreciate the Lord's help in that. Ray has wanted to put up a new sign that would be set on an angle in the church yard so that it could be easily read from both directions. He and Esther dug the holes and set the sign Saturday. It made us happy when it was done.

The basement of the church has presented a challenge to us, and we did not know what to do to improve it. Some friends of the mission noticed the problem and bought and donated a dehumidifier for it. We thoroughly cleaned and bleached the basement and set up the dehumidifier. It has made a tremendous difference that can be noticed as soon as we enter the door of the church. Esther has been an inspiration to us, and she has some wonderful decorating ideas for the basement that will make it kid friendly. We hope to get a chance soon to put these ideas to work.

We had several men who gathered to worship with us this morning. These men are very interested in the things of God, and we appreciate them. We pray that this revival will prove a blessing to them and to the whole community of Lower Brule. Revival starts this Thursday, and we have some details still to work out. We would appreciate if you would pray that these would go easily into place.

WORSHIP AND WORK

It has been two weeks since I reported on the work at Lower Brule. We thank the Lord for helping us in the work there. Last Sunday the Kalovskys came and helped us again, and Ben preached. We appreciated Ben's willing help; as Ray had arrived home from Oklahoma City just the day before, and he was very tired. A little fellow came in during service. Lori took him and had a little Sunday School lesson with him and let him color a picture. He seemed to enjoy the personal time with her, and she enjoyed the time with him.

We are glad that Ray's mother is recuperating well from her surgery.

This Sunday was just Ray and I again, and we were happy for those who came to worship with us. The men who came to church spoke of a young man from the reservation who had been killed in an automobile accident. After the service, a neighbor called Ray over to talk to him. It was his nephew who had been killed. He was asking prayer for the family, and he took Ray's phone number, as he thought he might need him to assist in the wake or funeral services. We hope to be included, as this always helps us to become acquainted with the families. This young man's siblings had been attending children's services at the mission. Tragedy is so much a part of life on the reservation, but it doesn't make it any less painful for the families who suffer the loss of a loved one. Please help us pray for this family.

We are hoping to get lots of work done this week, in looking toward the revival campaign that is coming up. It is scheduled from October 1-4. We are hoping to have children's services in the earlier evening, and then a church service each evening. Our goal is to make many contacts in this series of services, and we would like the people to become acquainted with us. The work looks daunting, but we serve a big God.

THOUGHTS

This little girl comes to church with her grandpa quite frequently. He said she will ask, "Gampa can I go to church with you?" whenever he goes to church. She gets herself dressed up and is excited to go with him. She even asks her Grandma if she can go to Bible study with her during the week. She just likes to go to church. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone had this desire?

Blogging is a form of journaling, and my understanding is that journaling is for the purpose of putting our thoughts in writing. I have felt that this week would be a good week to be transparent and honest with those who care enough to follow our blog. The critical and curious will have become tired of my chattering and I would like to share my feelings with our caring friends.
Mission causes have been very close to Ray’s and my hearts since before we were married. When we were engaged to be married, we had an understanding that we would eventually become engaged in mission work, and Ray’s particular interest was the Native Americans. Though openings sometimes presented themselves, nothing was right until Bev Fay called and asked us to consider going to Ravinia, South Dakota. We spent seven years there, and we poured ourselves into the work believing that we would always be there. We sent Philip and then Lynn to Mitchell to Faith Bible School as they became older, and then we realized that Leah would have to also leave the reservation. We have always felt that our children were our first priority; and so we moved to Mitchell, South Dakota to be near the two older children. We were invited to work at the school; so that’s what we did for eight more years. The three older children moved out and went on with their lives, and we have tried to make a solid and safe home for Esther. She is now looking to graduate and leave home to go far away to Bible College. Ray and I expect to make changes again.
Near the end of our stay at Ravinia, our hearts were drawn to the little reservation where we are working today; even though we knew that it was not wise to move our children back to the reservation. We spoke to some friends who seemed to have an interest in the same reservation, and we began having services in one of the homes of the Native American people. We were involved in coming out for a couple of years helping with the music, having VBS, and helping however possible until the door closed for us to do that. Others tried to “keep the work going.” It saddened us when we began hearing the calls for help, and we felt we were not in a place to respond. Our hearts felt that they would break when we saw that some were considering closing the church. We have responded, though we do not feel that we can move out to the reservation until the time is right. We realize all too well that “long distance missionary work” is not as effective. We know that God is working in our lives, and He has a deep interest in the Lower Brule community and the church. We have responded to this position under the present organization for the duration of one year.
So…what are we doing now? I am not interested in just keeping church doors open, though that may be what we will be doing for the present. We are planning the aforementioned revival campaign in October. Though I have had a deep interest and have worked with Native American children for 14 years, the situation with the children in Lower Brule was ‘out of hand’ when we arrived, and it is impossible for us to continue with the same set-up that had formerly been practiced. We conducted a few children’s services, and I was given the opportunity to observe the present situation.

Our full intent is to work with the children here, although it will be a slow process to begin it again and get it headed in the right direction. I have been researching the education of Native American children, and have found some books helpful in understanding the challenges that these children face. I also have been honored to get acquainted with a Native American who is the third generation of educators of Native American children. She has been exceedingly helpful, and she has produced a research project that details behaviors and management in the education of Native children. She has put herself at my disposal, and this is an untold blessing. I have plans to meet with an effective missionary of many years for advice, also. I understand enough about the history of Native American education to recognize the danger of vigorous activity without knowledge and understanding. It will be a slow process, but we plan to continue with the challenge and the quest for the best way to manage. There will be those with little understanding who will criticize, but Jesus was belittled and ridiculed for His methods.
Hopefully, this will give you a better understanding of our feelings and our activities (or the seeming lack of them). At best, we do not have the capability to reach men and women and children and change their lives, but we serve One Who does. We are at His disposal, and we feel that it is required of us to be faithful. Part of that faithfulness is being patient, researching the best management methods, preparing ourselves, and trying to achieve an understanding and love that will win everyone we meet to Christ. Thank you for caring for us and the people and work of Lower Brule.

CALLING, COMFORT, AND CAMPAIGN

"Faithful is He who calleth you who also will do it." In this age of betrayed trusts and disappointed expectations, we can believe God who says He will do it. When it is God's leading, He will bring it to pass.

We felt that the service this morning was another special time of meeting with God and His people. We appreciate the people who gather in on a Sunday morning to worship with us. Those who come are so sincere in their worship. It was also a special boost to have the Kalovskys with us again this morning. They relate well to the people who come to church, and it is good to have them help in the service, also. Ben and Lori are personable to the people and show interest in them, and the people respond to their interest. Zak and Abraham also relate well, and they add a special facet to the morning. LizzieBeth has her own sweetness, of course; and she wins hearts quickly. Sometimes God sends special comfort to us in the form of His people. This morning the Kalovskys were that comfort.

We are excited that Sister Cecelia Spotted Bear from Wounded Knee, SD, has agreed to come and hold services for us in October. We are planning a children's thrust in the late afternoon, and revival services in the evenings. We get excited just thinking about it. I also get a little anxious, as we have much to do before that time, but God will help us to do what needs to be done. Please pray for us as we prepare for this special time.

Where Were All The Children??

Sunday School time and no children. Where are all the children? It didn’t take us long to find out. This weekend was the local festival for Lower Brule, and they had a powwow, a rodeo, and a parade. The parade went right past the church, giving us a prime opportunity to view culture in its finest form and dress. There were all the children, dressed in their Native American regalia and riding on, in, and around vehicles and kiddie trains. We enjoyed watching them go by, and they were often very friendly—smiling and waving. Well, they had a good time and we didn’t have Sunday School. One thing is certain—if the circumstance is exciting enough, kids will get up on Sunday mornings. Wonder what I could dream up that would be as fun as a parade??

Earl Adair is our district supervisor, and he came for service this morning. It was nice to have him and Wylie drop in. Earl has many years of experience working among the Native Americans, and he is great to work with. We had a couple of men show up for morning service this morning, and we appreciate their interest. They are both an inspiration to us, as they are so warm and friendly and interested in whatever is going on.

I have been working on decorating some areas in the church, as it sometimes feels a little drab to me. One area that has bothered me for many years is the large ‘shelf’ that goes over the steps that lead to the basement. Esther and I have thought and tried different thing, but we like what we have finally come up with. We have other areas we want to work on now for a few weeks.

We thank God for His help to us as we plan for future projects and services. We are planning a fall revival and children’s thrust, and we are finishing working out details of that. We are already planning the Christmas Service, and we have decided on our theme. Thank you for your prayers for the church and for us as we guide it.

Precious Seed

"Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who

goeth forth with weeping bearing precious seed ,

shall come again rejoicing, bringing his sheaves

with him."

Psalm 126: 5, 6

This scripture verse reminds me of our grapevine (yes, that is one vine) that we planted a couple of years ago. One small grape seed became a vine that is threatening to take over one area of our yard. I keep training the vines to cover the metal archway that it is covering, but it looks like I will have to buy another structure to contain it. I am looking forward to those wonderful Concord grapes. What hope this gives me for Lower Brule!!

We never have two Sundays that are alike. Today was a slower, more varied day than some Sundays. We did not have as many attendees as we have come to expect, but that was not all bad. We had only one who came in first, and we did a Bible study with him. He felt free to ask some questions that he probably would not have asked if others had been there. He is longing to understand the Bible. Another came in time for worship service. The people are so warm and open. I especially felt the need for a van to bring the children to church this morning, and we have asked those who came this morning to pray for a van for the mission. We keenly feel our limitations. There are so many children who have expressed a desire to come to church, but they need the encouragement of our coming to pick them up.

We stopped to visit a friend who is sick in the hospital, and he is much improved. We appreciate our friendship with him. He told us about a man who is down the hall from him that he knows. We stopped to see this man, also, and Ray had prayer with him. It is obvious that he is not long for this world, but he opened his eyes and seemed to consciously watch Ray's face as he prayed for him. It is always troubling to watch someone, ravaged by sin, who is slipping away when that person is still relatively young. This young man was alone, struggling to breathe, trying to maintain consciousness while life was ebbing quickly away. This is why we want to work with the people in a meaningful way--the one, the twos, the twenties, whatever number God sends to us. Only God can give us the wisdom to meet the needy on the level of their needs.

This is the precious seed that we bear--the Gospel of God's Love and His Adequate Power for all of our lives. We often feel the pressures that are so familiar in this particular work, but our weeping endures for only a night, and the rejoicing lasts forever. We bear the seed (carry the load-feel the weight of all that the work encompasses), but we also bring in the sheaves (a happy time of recognizing the rewards of the work.) We need your prayers that we will not become weary in well-doing, and that God will continue to provide what we need for the work at Lower Brule.

New Things

"The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into the harvest."

Luke 10:2

This week saw the beginning of restructuring. It is always uncomfortable to make changes, and I confess to being one who "resists change with all that lieth within me." (my own quote). We decided that it would benefit the children's work to move the time of the service from 3:00 PM to 10:00 AM on Sunday, and incorporate an adult Bible study with the 10:00 service. One of the men has repeatedly requested a Bible study that would help him know more about the Bible. He was there Sunday morning, and he was attentive and seemed to enjoy the little Bible study. Ray gave a brief overview of the Gospels in preparation of a New Testament study. We are studying the Lord's Prayer with the children, after which they go downstairs to do a little handwork and talk. One of our first goals is to establish a relationship with each child. We do not have as many children in the morning service, but we feel that it is important to have a small worker/child ratio so that we can reach them on a more personal level. We are aware that each child has his/her own personal issues, and they need support from those of us who love them. I appreciate Esther's help in this. The Lord has given her a gift of relating to children.

We drive over to Lower Brule on Saturdays and visit homes and distribute flyers. This is a high point in our week. The people of Lower Brule are so respectful of the church. We have found many people who have expressed an interest in coming to church, and we hope to help them feel comfortable in coming.

Lower Brule and Fort Thompson are situated in such a beautiful part of South Dakota, and the drive home is often very nice. Last night we witnessed a beautiful sunset as we were driving home. We will share a picture of it with you.

Requests, Relief, Restructuring

Requests

God has promised that where we are gathered together to worship Him, He will be there. We know this, but it is always good to feel Him there, and this morning worship service was one of those services. God has been good to us, and we have been encouraged when we have new people come, or when some who have come in the past but have not been there for awhile come again. A man who we had not met came a couple Sundays ago, and his friend called me aside this morning after church to request prayer for this man's daughter. She overdosed on a controlled substance early this week and has been in a coma since. He asked us to pray for her, and we will. We would request that you would pray for her and her family, also. We are hoping to go to the hospital and visit her soon.

Relief
Does relief begin with an 'r' or a 'k'? Today it began with a 'k'. The Kalovsky family came and helped us in both services as well as dinner. They gave us a huge lift. As you can see, Lizzie Beth can do well at the piano :) [cute]. They were observing the service this Sunday, as they will be filling in for us next Sunday while we go to a family reunion this week. They have a friendly manner that brings a good response. Both men who came today promised him that they will be back to hear him next Sunday. They brought lunch, and we enjoyed it together. They stayed for the children's service, and all of them helped tremendously. We'd love to talk them into coming real often.

Restructuring

Some willing groups have been holding Sunday afternoon services each Sunday for several months at Lower Brule. God has noted and they will be blessed. The last of these groups has felt that God has released them from Lower Brule, and this leaves us with the full responsibility. We have felt that the best way for us to work with the children is to have Sunday School on Sunday mornings at 10:00 before 11:00 worship service. Some of the adults have expressed a desire to have Bible studies, too, and we hope to have an adult Sunday School as well. This presents some logistics which we will have to try to work out. One: we will need an adult Sunday School teacher who will be willing to take the responsibility for the class. Two: we will need a van if we pick up the children, and we will not reach as many children if we do not bus some of them in. We feel good about this move, and we will trust God to work the logistics out, but we will appreciate if you will pray as we make the change.

This last picture is in the little bus that we borrow from Fort Thompson church. Ray is in the drivers' seat, and the kids are riding everywhere. He loves his job, as you can see.

Sowing the Seed

We started the weekend by driving over to Lower Brule early Saturday morning and visiting the neighbors around the church. Since we are only two :), Ray and I decided to distribute visitation cards, starting from the houses that surround the church and working outward. We found most of the people to be very warm and friendly, and we were invited into several homes. We didn't visit as many homes as we had set for our goal, as we each were drawn into a lengthy conversation with the occupants of two homes. One home that started out as a cold welcome turned out to be a most interesting conversation with a very intelligent man. He shared some very insightful and revealing information about the Native American culture. We are always interested in their culture, and we appreciate when one of them shares with us. He came out of the house and wanted to meet and introduce himself to Ray after we talked for awhile. A mark of many Native American men is their ability to sit and think on many things, and they often have insight that we 'busy bees' miss. I would like to share an insight of his that he shared with me that shows a good dose of Indian humor. We had a hearty laugh when he shared it with me. He explained that he wondered why the Indians keep their old cars around their houses and in the driveways when they no longer run. He said that he figured out that it is a circle reason-dog, horse, car, and back to dog. The first Indians had dogs, and when their dogs got old, they kept them around and took care of them. Then they got horses, and when their horses got old, they kept them and took care of them. Then they got cars, and when their cars get old, they keep them like they kept their dog and their horse. Now they keep the car out in the driveway, and the circle is finished when the dog gets in the car. I always wondered about those old cars we could never part with--he said, "It's the old horse theory!" I love it. :)

The church is located in the heart of housing, and we have neighbors all around us. They know whenever we're there, and they watch us. I was happy this morning before church when a lady I don't know slowed down in her car as she went by and called "good morning!" while I was picking up the 4th of July trash in the yard. When we can locate and afford to buy some outdoor speakers, we would like to play nice church music from a CD on Sunday mornings about a half hour before church and play children's music before children's service.Children's service was a little tough this week. We had two little girls who needed individual attention, and they were tearing around the church, out the door, and into the street. We did not have staff to keep them busy, and so we had to take them home early. Ray explained to the mother that they are just hyper today, and we will be happy to have them come back. We have needs here at Lower Brule, and God knows them. He knows who will love the children, and who can provide the help we need. I try to never operate with force or bullying the children into good behavior, but the children must be under control. This takes time and a relationship with the children. Because of our small staff, it looks like we will have to restructure the services. We will try to keep you informed of this. The picture below shows the children "retelling" the story of the tower of Babel. A few interesting things were added-for instance, the woman on the top of the tower. I'm sure I didn't tell them that. :) Maybe they were mixing up the Statue of Liberty with the lesson because Lady Liberty is referred to so much during the 4th??