SNOW CONTROL

It is frigid in South Dakota. Though the forecast promised a wind chill of -39 degrees, it only dropped to around -12 and the wind was mercifully less than was expected. Last weekend was pretty much controlled by the snow and blowing wind. A couple of brave men faced the weather and showed up for church Sunday morning to worship with us. Ray went and picked up a few children who were willing to bundle up and get out, and we had a nice time together. When we have only a few children, we spend time talking about the story and relating to our lives. They have good input, and I feel that the learning curve is great. We also spent longer than usual doing crafts and projects. They left happy, and Ray and I were satisfied. We left the church to drive over to Fort Thompson to worship with the people there, but we didn't get far out of town when we realized that it was a rather foolhardy venture and turned around and came back to the church. The roads between the two places were twisty, hilly, snowcovered, and slippery. Monday morning we opened the church door and took a deep breath: Snow, wind, and threatening clouds. I loaded my computer and my teaching bag into the van and Ray piloted me through the snowdrifts over to the college. It looked quiet and empty, but someone was in his office. He informed me that a decision was being made whether to hold classes, or not. Soon the decision was made: no classes. I called Ray, and we loaded up and started back for Mitchell. The trip was a little stressful, but we made it safely home.

I started receiving emails from my students apologizing for not making it to class and asking for the assignment. Did I ever mention that I throroughly enjoy teaching these eager students? I look forward to classes with them. They are willing to think, happy to learn, and very respectful of learning. One of the Indian virtues is respect, and they teach their children to respect animals, human life, the earth as God gave it, and knowledge. The students recognize, and have stated, that they cannot improve the lives of their children and their community without understanding and knowledge that comes from education. Though education is not an end in itself, it is recognized that it is a tool that will help them to change the tide that is sweeping the reservations into ruin. Many of the students are pursuing human services majors, some are working on education degrees, and a few are working toward legal degrees. One promising and ambitious young man is working toward a political science degree with an eye to improving the lives of his people in his community. He is soon to leave for a state college where he will finish his studies. Some students have shared that they do not know which direction they will pursue, but they are getting started with their education. Some of the students are fresh from high school, while others are young mothers, grandmothers, young fathers, grandfathers; and most have jobs and responsibilities that they are balancing as they study. Please pray for us and our friends in Lower Brule. Thank you!

Just sharing a few pictures with you: First, Cup o' coffee on the Deck? Second and third, Fairyland on the Windows; Last, Comfort.