MY THOUGHTS ABOUT MUD, MESSY MEMORIES, AND DUST

There is mud on the floor of the church! This makes me happy-and WHY? I am not a workaholic who joys in getting some work to do. The mud tells me that there were feet that came in to the church and worshiped with us. There is dust on some of the seats. This makes me unhappy because it says that not all the seats have had anyone sit in them for awhile. Mud: Good; Dust: Bad. It seems a little backwards, because I will have to heat the water and fill a bucket downstairs, haul the bucket and the mop upstairs to clean up the mud; where I will just grab a dust rag and spray to clean the seats. I was analyzing my feelings and thoughts this afternoon while Ray was taking the children home and I was surveying the mess that the children left behind them. I had a happy and satisfied feeling when I looked at the mess on the tables, the benches, the floors, and the seats, and I wondered what was going wrong with me. My memory was already reliving the little ones who cuddled up for a hug and a little time of closeness, the bigger boy who made two crafts and offered them to me with such a sweet smile, the excitement of the children when they sang, the older girl who wanted to stay close and help with the pictures during the story, and even the liveliness of the little ones who cannot sit still. I remembered the four children who walked to church in the extreme cold today and came early to work on a project that I had for them and to talk. Sunday School leaves an aura of happiness around me. I got out the broom and dustpan and the trash can, and my hands and mind got to work. Oops! A little girls left her little socks, another little one her scarf, and someone left a toy. Reminds me of them again. I am aware of a happy feeling whenever I remember that I will be going in to the college again tomorrow morning and meeting the friends that I met and worked with last semester. Some of my EN 101 class will return for EN 102. It will be good to see them again. So many happy things in life!Thank you for your interest in Lower Brule. This time of the year can become challenging, as the drive to and from Lower Brule can be treacherous, it is exceedingly cold to go out and pick up children, and it is necessary to keep a path shoveled to the church and to keep the church warm. Since I will be teaching classes on Mondays, we will mostly be staying out here on Sundays and Mondays, also. This presents its own challenges, but they are small compared to the returns. Please pray for the work here.

TUNDRA TYME

Good ol' South Dakota has dished us out a generous helping of snow and cold. Lower Brule seems to have 'caught' more than its share of it. Ray and I were noting the exceptionally blowzy areas on the hills and the buttes as we were driving home this afternoon, and how the snow did not seem as deep in these spots. It didn't take much scientific deduction to figure out that the snow is not as deep there, as it keeps blowing until it drops into the nearest valley: Lower Brule. They have snow piled high.We had a nice service this morning, and felt that it strengthened us and those who attended.Due to the wind and snow, we have not gone to pick up the children for Sunday School for two weeks. Today was finally conducive to bringing them in. Enough time had elapsed, though, that many of the children were out of the habit of coming to Sunday School, and they were gone with their families. A few children came, and they were so happy to be out of the house and coming again. We had a quiet time and spent some time in personal conversation. After the singing and the Bible story in which they helped me tell by putting up the pictures, they worked on crafts.

We were beading crosses on chenille sticks, and they created other projects after they were finished with the crosses. It was a fun time, and we just enjoyed being together. Sometimes one of us would break into a little song as we worked, and the rest would join in and finish it. The children are so special.We start the college classes again next week on Monday, and I am looking forward to the classes. LBCC thoughtfully arranged my two classes so I can teach them earlier in the day and go home before dark. It was very kind of them. I will be teaching one English class from 9 AM to 12 Noon, and the next class from 12:15 until 3:15 PM. It will be a little intense, but it will be so much easier than last semester's schedule. Thank you for your interest in Lower Brule Wesley Chapel. May God bless you!

BOUNCING SHOES

Somewhere in my life, our family acquired an old pair of something I've labeled 'bouncing shoes.' Unfortunately, I must have disposed of them during one of our gazillion moves. Otherwise, I would take a picture of them so you could see them. They were a metal platform fitted with leather straps that buckled around the shoe of the wearer. Fastened to the metal platform were two large coil springs which rested on a bottom platform. The wearer would wear these 'shoes' and bounce as long as his strength endured. I tried them once, but I am not as lithe as I would like to be, and the fun lasted just a short time. However, I was wearing some 'bouncing shoes' yesterday; and I have worn them a few other times in my life. A letter that I received in the mail made my shoes 'bounce. ' It came from a friend that I have known and admired for several years, and who lives in the western part of the state. It was carefully hand lettered with a message for me. In part, it said, "I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate you, and your Christian walk with God...I have been hearing so much nice things that you have been doing!" What a spring it put in my heel! It made me remember a student who wrote to me last semester and said, "Mrs. Meador, thank you for understanding us." Winning the lottery wouldn't feel that good! When I graduated with my MA, a girl that I formerly worked with gave me a card that said, "Thank you for always being there for me and listening to me. You never judged me but encouraged me to follow God which I finally understand now since I follow Him." Guess you already know that is my fav card. :) I bounced for a month after that. Life calls for a lot of 'give and take~' usually more give than take. I tend to lose my perspective, and then I feel pretty down. Think I'll make an 'encouragement scrapbook' to look at when I feel worthless and stupid. Maybe I could wear those 'bouncing shoes' more often. I am sure that you have encouragements in your life that you could add to this blog post--you are welcome to comment and share them. Life is tough~we can use our own encouragements along with everyone else's. I am trying to learn to cherish everything positive in my life and let go of the negative: Bounce, Bounce, Bounce.

We drove through blowing and drifting snow today to get to the mission, and found the church yard piled high with light snow. A few minutes of shoveling gave us a decent path, and we were ready when people started arriving. Ray wasn't overly impressed with my idea of taking pictures while he shoveled, but you can see that I did it and he did it. :) We appreciate the men who ventured out in the weather and attended this morning. After church was over, Ray and I were busy in the basement and thought we heard a noise upstairs. Upon investigation, we found a gentleman who comes to church sometimes, but didn't make it this morning. He had written a message in the snow for us with his cane. He was still there when we opened the door, and we had a nice time visiting with him. He has a good sense of humor, and he lightened our day.

We hope that you have a lovely (bouncy) week, and may God bless you for your interest in Lower Brule.

NEW!

New Year, New-fallen Snow, New Goals, New Ideas, New People, New AppointmentsThe New Year came in South Dakota with new-fallen snow, a heavy wind, and low temperatures. Ray's mother came to visit over Christmas, and he took her back home to Oklahoma City last week. He wisely decided that it is too risky for him to return last weekend, and he is nearly home as I write this blog. Welcome 2011!

We (Esther and I) were disappointed when we discovered that it was impossible for us to drive out to Lower Brule for Sunday School and bring the kids in to church; so I took the opportunity to organize my goals for 2011 as I do each year. Some of the goals were directed toward the church in Lower Brule, and we hope to help the church grow as we make more contacts. We also hope to have more children and adult thrusts during the course of the year. With those goals in mind, we were thrilled when the Native American Holiness Camp asked if they could bring their quarterly rally to the church at Lower Brule in February. This is a built-in opportunity to impact the area.

I am also very happy when some of the students from last semester contact me every so often. I love new contacts in my life, and I am happy when they are interested in the church. We don't want to lose sight of the fact that we are ambassadors for Christ in every aspect of our lives wherever we are, and whatever we are doing, even aside from any church or organization. We will not give account to God of how many come to church, but we will give account of how we interacted with others.

In my everyday life, new ideas are presented each day. I try to stay open to new things, as we learn more about life every day. We have so much to learn about the people of Lower Brule, the people we work with, and the people who build our lives.

The Camp Rally that was mentioned earlier is slated for February 5. Please pray for this opportunity.

CHRISTMAS!

Christmas is a special time of the year, and we especially love to celebrate it at Lower Brule. Last year was fun, and this year was even more so for us. We were just beginning last year, and we only had a few children. We have experienced some growth; so there were several more children who took part in the program this year. We plan a three-day mini-VBS for the kids prior to the Christmas Program, and we tell them a portion of the Christmas story each night, let them make crafts to hang up at home, and give them treats and prizes. We also teach them the songs and Bible verses that they will need to know for the Christmas Program. This was our method of operating this year, also. The kids were excited to see Esther again, and she planned the theme, "The Light of Christmas." They learned three verses from the Bible about Jesus being the Light, and some of the familiar Christmas carols that refer to the Light. We pulled out the trusty costumes and fixed the children up to look like Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angels, sheep, a donkey, and a cow. The night of the program, they did very well in saying their Bible verses and singing. They were excited to be costumed up, and they cooperated. At the end of the program, the angels lined up in front of the altar and held lighted candles while we extinguished the lights and Esther played "O, Holy Night" on the violin. They are such special children, and they are happy with so little. Some of them came back for Sunday School today, and we quizzed them on their memory of the Bible verses, the songs, and the lessons learned during the sessions. They have it all down pat. We feel like there has been some work accomplished. I am so sorry that I do not have any pictures of the program, but my camera has decided to die, and I can sometimes get a picture from my phone. Unfortunately, I was busy on the night of the program and didn't get a picture, though I can assure you that it was a beautiful sight with the innocent and sweet-looking angels sparkling in the candlelight, the demure little sheep standing quietly nearby, and the Mary and Joseph looking so protective of the little doll that they were guarding. I wish you could have been there. Some of the people brought treats and gifts to give to the children at the program, and the Pilgrim Holiness Church at Marion, MI sent an offering to buy treats for the children. My 'crafty' sister also sewed and appliqued cloth treat bags with handles for the kids who took part. They were so cute and fun to give out. I contacted a student from last semester and found that she had been looking for me right after we left the church Sunday night to tell me of a tragic death in her family. Esther and I took the time to stop at the wake after one of the children's services on Tuesday, and we were glad that we stopped, as it was the right timing. We see the hand of God in the work there, and we are honored to be a part of His Plan. We have found that we can rest in God's will as He plans our paths for us. All that is required is that we keep step with Him.

Thank you for your interest in Lower Brule. May God especially bless you this Holiday Season!

MORE SHADOWS AND SUNSHINE

Our week at Lower Brule started already last Monday when I administered my semester final tests to most of my students. I plan to drive back over to Lower Brule Community College tomorrow evening and hopefully finish with all of the students. It is their last chance, and I hate last chances-I would give them forever. However, it has to end somewhere.

We mentioned in the blog last week that a young man had passed away on Saturday evening. Ray and I went to the one night wake that was held for him, and we were allowed to play and sing for about an hour. The relatives called out numbers and helped us by singing. We sang some hymns in Dakota, and then we sang several in English. The young man's father was grieving deeply, but it seemed like the Lord helped him during this time. He came to church this morning and lingered to talk to Ray for awhile. While he was talking, an ambulance rushed up to the house where he lives across from the church, and he left quickly. They transported someone, and we did not see any activity at the house for the rest of the day. We will try to find out how things are this week, as we need to make another trip out there. Please pray for this torn and grieving family.

We had a relatively quiet Sunday School. The children are so special, and they love to help with holding and singing the little songs, and they also help me tell the story by putting up the pictures when I call on someone to put one up. It seems like the action of holding a picture and putting it on the board helps them to remember and understand the story. The next week they are usually able to tell me the story from the week before, and they have astounded me by the details they remember. Some of them ask me almost weekly: "Where is Esther?" They get the same answer every week, but this week I promised them that Esther would be there next week. They were so excited. One little girl told me very dramatically that 'Esther is the best teacher that has ever been at this church!' Ha! Kudos for me!!

This next Sunday is scheduled to kick off our little mini-Bible School. We will have three evenings of Bible School, and then it will end on Wednesday night in a Christmas Program. Esther has planned most of this out, and we are both looking forward to these days. Some of our veteran missionary friends have somewhat committed themselves to helping us out. Hopefully, we will have some pictures to show of the kids and the Christmas Program.

Thank you for your interest in Lower Brule, and may God Bless You during this Holiday Season!!

SHADOWS AND SUNSHINE

I was thinking about the fact that the work here is such a mix of happiness and sadness-sunshine and shadows, while I was driving up the hill to gather children for Sunday School. I always love to take in the beauty of the overlook when we go past it, and I saw the perfect illustration of my thoughts. I am not a wonderful photographer, but I tried to get an idea of the sunshine and shadow patchwork on the buttes. We started out this morning and arrived very early for church. It was very cold this morning, and Ray worked at the bus, trying to get it to start. It seems to have a weak battery, and the starter refused to spin. Oh, well, buy a new battery! :) Our people started coming in for church, and they are always so upbeat and cheerful. However, this morning, they bore the bad news that the son of one of the men who has come to church here passed away Saturday afternoon. It was sad for everyone, as the death was so unnecesssary. We prayed much for him. The father came to the church later in the afternoon and spent a couple of hours with Ray as he worked through the initial grief and pain of this death. We will be coming back to Lower Brule this week to attend the wake and possibly the funeral of this young man. Sunday School was fun this afternoon, though we ended up exhausted when it was over. Happily, the weather warmed up a little, and the bus chose to start for us to take the kids back home. We had an especially long Sunday School because the children crafted a little Christmas decoration that involved a hot glue gun. Clever idea, Charlotte!! I only used the glue gun so that no one would get burned, and they waited in line and became bored. Ha! This will be a lesson to me. They were not bad, but the noise volume increased a bit. :)Today is the last week of the semester there at Lower Brule Community College, and I will be administering semester finals today. I have enjoyed working with my students, and I will miss some of them as they will not be my students again. I am leaving this semester, however, with new friends. That makes me happy.

Thank you for your interest in Lower Brule Wesley Chapel.