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.
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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.
