"Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, here am I; send me." Isaiah 6:8. Oswald Chambers notes that God did not speak directly to Isaiah. " God did not lay a strong compulsion of Isaiah; Isaiah was in the presence of God and he overheard the call, and he realized that there was nothing else but for him to say, in conscious freedom, "Here am I, send me." Get out of your mind the idea of expecting God to come with compulsions and pleading...The quiet passionate insistence of His "Follow Me" was spoken to men with every power wide awake. If we let the Spirit of God bring us face to face with God, we too shall hear something akin to what Isaiah heard, the still small voice of God; and in perfect freedom will say, "Here am I, send me."~~Oswald Chambers

It is unsettling and unfair when missionaries give their "pitch" and conclude that anyone who is not on a mission field is cheating God out of what He wants for them. I believe that God has a perfect plan for everyone, and it is often where each person finds himself. Sometimes, God expects someone to make huge changes in his or her life and help Him build His Kingdom elsewhere. We must be open to this, but we will be obedient to God wherever He plants us. There can be damage done to God's work when someone takes it in his hands to make plans, create works (such as buildings or programs), and takes it upon himself to 'make things happen.' We are responsible to keep ourselves in the presence of God so that we can overhear a need that is meant for us, and to have a willing heart to go in God's power and love. We are responsible for our calling and the work that is meant for us. We try to do what we can when a need seems to fall 'in our court.' Please pray for us as we try to be faithful to the calling that is ours.

We started for Lower Brule last Sunday morning and turned around and came back home, as we were finding severe weather, and the traveling was dangerous. We called those who attend and let them know that we were not able to make the trip, and they were all very understanding. When we arrived this Sunday, we thought that we would go out and let the people know that we are there so they would come. We found some already started for church, and some were getting ready to come. We were happy for those who showed up this morning, although it was just above 0 degrees. Esther had some children in the basement, and she seemed to have a good time teaching and working with them. The chidren have opened up and talked to us, and we have found out many things about each one of them. They are a joy to teach and befriend. She is teaching them the Lord's Prayer, and each child gets a Bible when they've come 8 times. She was a little amazed when she told one of the young children that she has a Bible for her, and the child asked "What is a Bible?" We have much work to do.

We are contemplating doing some home services in the future, but we have to do some work on our end to get extra time with the people and to "go where they are. " Ray will be having knee surgery in a couple of weeks, Lord willing, and this will delay any thrusts for a little while. Please pray that we can be faithful in this work.

GIFTS AND GOALS

I am shocked when I see how much time has elapsed since I have updated the blog. The holiday season has come and gone, and we are now in the cold and bitter January South Dakota winter. The Sunday during Christmas weekend we did not get out to Lower Brule as we had so much snow and wind that travel was inadvisable and the interstate was closed. The next Sunday, we traveled to Chicago to meet our daughter Leah and her family. We had a wonderful time with all of them. Our granddaughters are always a special joy to spend time with. A neighboring pastor Lindell Howard agreed to fill the pulpit that Sunday morning, and a few were there to worship. Last Sunday was a "catch-up and let everyone know we are still there," and a few came for church and Sunday School. Before we left the reservation, we made several visits with the people. This Sunday was a nice day to be traveling, as it was sunshiny and peaceful. Esther and I went up the hill to West Brule and picked up some children for Sunday School. We were encouraged when two of our Sunday School girls were all dressed up cute and waiting for us out by the road when we drove up. We stopped some other places and got some more children (and some promises for next Sunday). Esther had a fun time down in the basement while she told the Bible story and talked to the kids. They have formed a bond, and this is what we are working toward. One of our regular children is especially bright, and he is a challenge to keep occupied. He responds to the stories, and he seems to assimilate the lessons although he is still quite young (six years old).When we started service this morning, we missed a man who has been faithful to be there whenever we had services the last several weeks since his wife passed away. We were singing when he came in and stood in the back. When we were finished with the hymn, he asked to speak and told us that he was not going to be able to be there as his son needed him to take him to a distant town. He said that he wanted us to know why he wasn't there, and he asked us to pray for them as they traveled. He then came down to the front and told Ray that he came to tell us that and to leave an offering. Ray reached for the offering basket, but he said, "No, this is for you for the gas you buy to come over here." He put a large bill in Ray's hand and said that he appreciated us coming, and then he went out the door. It was very touching to us. It was such a simple act, but so full of love and appreciation. This is one of the things I love about the Indian people--their simplicity and love. These little 'gifts' that God gives us is what keeps us encouraged and desiring to go to these people.

For many years I set goals for myself at the New Year, and I have made several again this year. We are hoping to set up a tentative calendar of events for Lower Brule for the next several months, and I'm hoping to set a few goals for the church. We will share this with you when we get it accomplished.