HOLDING OUR HANDS

I have read of astounding incidents in which dramatic rescues have been accomplished by a group of people who form human chains and pull someone to safety. Each person gripped the hand of the person before and behind him, and they utilized their combined strength to execute the rescue. Anything that is accomplished in life is done through a series of people who contribute to the effort. The last person who is in the line of accomplishments usually 'gets the credit' for the whatever happens.


This blog post is dedicated to those who help here at the mission, but have not received recognition that they deserve. Some have come out a Sunday or so and helped in some way, some have come to a special service and helped, and some have helped in the background. Last Christmas, Amy Susan came out and helped Esther and I as we held a series of children's services just before the Christmas Program and then had the Program. The Kalovsky family came out and helped make the Christmas Program happen. Ben was the narrator, Abraham played his violin, Zak and Lori helped get the children costumed and up on the platform at the right moment. They also donated for the treat bags that we distributed after the program. We made contacts that have given us Sunday School children throughout this year.Ray had knee surgery last winter, and he was not able to preach nor go to the mission for many weeks. Ben Kalovsky took Ray's place most Sundays, and Lindell Howard filled in one Sunday. At Easter, we had a Good Friday service with communion, and Ray needed help as he was not able to walk freely yet. Dale Sherman from Winner and Scott Yoder from Ravinia helped him serve the communion. Lindell Howard sang in the service. Our friends Mike and Vivan Pile came from Indiana this summer and visited the mission one Sunday. They were a great encouragement and boost to our morale. Rev. Melvin and Kay Beecher also stopped in on a Monday and visited and spent a couple of days with us. This also was an encouragement. We need willing fellowship from God's people, and these times help to meet that need. I also have the blessing of a friend who calls every time when we get home to see how the weekend went,and she listens patiently while I give her all the details-good or bad.This friend also does us another weekly favor. Pet owners know how a pet can curtail activities such as going away for the weekend. Lori and her children keep up with the dog while we are gone, and we rest comfortably, knowing that he is being cared for. Lori periodically comes down to the house over the weekend, Abraham comes sometimes, and her daughter Jessica and her little daughter Lizzy Beth come over sometimes. Lori called me a couple of weeks ago because Duke uncharacteristically ran away from her. I told her to go check Jessica's house; and, sure enough, he was paying her a visit! :) I think he thinks the Kalovskys are his family, too.
Maybe we have unintentionally left someone out-I hope not. If so, God know about you, and we are so thankful for those who form a human chain and work to keep the mission going smoothly.

SWEET COMMUNION

One of the joys of working here on the reservation is the gentleness and toughness of the people we work with. We witness a resilience in the people that surpasses what we have seen otherwise in our lives. A couple of weeks ago, Willard and Carl told Ray right after church that they would like a Communion Service, as it has been awhile since they have attended one. We promised them to have a Communion Service on this Sunday, and we would put out fliers and notify others of the service.

Our hearts sank a little early Sunday morning when we stepped out the door to come to Lower Brule, as we discovered ice on the windshield of the car. Happily, the interstate was not too bad if we drove steadily and at a decent rate of speed, though we did encounter two pickups that were turned over in the ditch as we drove. We arrived safely, and the gentlemen were waiting for us. Ray talked to us about Jesus, and we had communion at the end of the service. It was such a tender and special time for all of us. The men commented after the service how the service strengthened them to face their responsibilities.

The English classes are winding down, as we have three classes left. I am working closely with the one class on their ten page research paper and the documentation on that paper. The college is working on building a library, and we are presently using the South Dakota Library through the web for research. This can present challenges for us, but the students are resourceful and they get the job done. :) I love this job. The college has asked me to teach again next semester, and I was thrilled to accept another time.

Thank you for your interest in Lower Brule and the work here. May God bless you!!

THY KINGDOM

I Chronicles 29: 11:

"Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine; Thine is the kingdom, LORD, and thou art exalted as Head above all."

Matthew 6:10:

"Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven."

Matthew 6:33:

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

The first scripture quoted is from a prayer that King David was praying. He was ascribing the kingdom that he was ruling to God--not his kingdom, but God's. The second quote is from our Lord Himself as he taught His disciples to pray to His Father. The third quote is a summary from Jesus as He talked to His disciples about priorities.

My mind has been processing the idea of God's Kingdom vs Our Kingdoms for many years (I process slowly). Since I am not a theologian nor a Bible scholar, I will just share some of my thoughts and how they relate to Ray and I. Hopefully, you can glean a little for yourself from my thoughts.

In years past when we were working at Ravinia, I often would refer to our working as "building God's Kingdom" or "Kingdom Building." A number of years ago, I began rethinking this notion. I watched as some organizations nosedived and methodically appeared to destroy themselves while onlookers watched in horror as those in positions to make decisions made obviously unwise ones. Being someone who likes to know the 'whys' of life, I tried to make sense out of it, even twisting my mind into strange thought patterns to understand what was behind it. Some decisions appeared to be a desperate attempt to save what these people had carefully molded and shaped into 'their kingdom'-aka- "God's Kingdom." Frightening? Yes. I believe that I can have the best of intentions and feel that I am performing 'Kingdom Building' when I am actually selfishly attempting to build a safe place for myself where I can be in control. What does this mean to us in Lower Brule?

• We are not in control of things--God is, and we will be satisfied with that.
• Whether we work alone or God calls someone else to work with us here is up to Him.
• We will accept who He sends. If He sends someone ,we will 'get along' with them.
• We will do what we can as far as encouraging people to attend services, and we will make opportunities, but we are not responsible if some respond or some do not. We will not count our success or failure by numbers.
• We will not complain if those who 'should be helping' are not helping. We are responsible for what we do.
• We will ignore those who compare us with 'success' and ridicule us, and we will love them.
• We will love those who ignore us.
• We will continue to love those who love us here in Lower Brule, and we will love those who do not love us.
• We will continue our labors here as long as we feel that this is in God's will for us.
• We will not constantly expect His will to change, but we will rest in the confidence that He will make His will plain to us when He wants us to make a change (remember, we will continue...)
• Lower Brule is God's Kingdom, and He has honored us to allow us to work here for a time. We will try to be faithful and do what we can, and we will try to always keep in step with and be sensitive to God's planning. God's Kingdom will advance, and Lower Brule is still a lighthouse in Lower Brule despite satan's attempts to destroy it. It is not our work, but it is God's.

I am sitting above Lower Brule at an outlook that overlooks the Big Bend where LB is nestled against the bend in the river. The view is spectacular this evening. I have taken pictures from this area before, but my camera is 'on the blink.' The sun is setting, and the golden bluffs across the river are mirrored perfectly in the still water. Buffalo wander in the buttes below, and the pink clouds are flung across the multi- blue sky. The river is reflecting the pink light of the sky at the bend, and the rose fades into a deeper blue as it progresses down the river. Lights are beginning to sparkle in LB as people are beginning their supper. This could be one of the last days left this fall when I can sit up here in the car with the window down and wearing a sweater enjoying the evening. I cannot express how much I love our time here at LB on the weekends, and how much we love the work.