I was away with two other leaders and twelve students from June 14-21 on a missions trip to the Lakota people in Martin, South Dakota. It was a wonderful week for everyone who participated. We are thankful to Youthworks for their work in Martin and their willingness for them to partner with us. Their expertise and connections in the community made our time truly valuable.
Our team will be presenting on Sunday, July 12 during the worship service.
Here are some takeaways:
We were able to paint several homes while we were in Martin. The home that got everyone talking was a home that was filled with cockroaches. There were holes and stains in the wall as well as cockroaches on the walls, ceiling, and in the pantry. Needless to say, the teens who painted this home won't be complaining about chores, at least not for a few weeks. It seemed to be impactful for each teen realize the reality of poverty even in the United States of America.
There were three churches that come together in this mission effort. One church was located in Golden Valley (small world) and the other from Colorado with Pike's Peak in their backyard. At first, the students admitted their preference in keeping to their own church in the work crews and their intimidation in working with unknown people. By the weeks end they were sobbing gobs of tears as they said their final goodbyes. Working with other people helped them to realize that people they thought they would not want to hang out with were people they really did get along with.
We ran a kids club in the afternoons where children from the community would come in and play games, do crafts, and learn the bible. It was eye opening for us how lovable and how unstructured these children really were. Our common experience was less than expected, making it somewhat difficult to connect with them culturally (i.e. many game ideas and rules that seem obvious to us were not so obvious to them). Again, it was impactful to those of us who encountered some of the realities of poverty and the lifestyles of the children.
We grappled with the beliefs of the Lakota people and how similar it was, at least in some ways, to Christian belief. Some students had difficulty drawing the lines between Christianity and Universalism or some of the Animistic beliefs of the Indian culture. The need for gospel clarity and doctrinal integrity is evident.
All in all, we had a wonderful week. The students worked hard, did ministry, built friendships, encountered needs, and even met some needs. It left us scratching our heads wondering what the Lakota people truly do need and the ways the gospel of Jesus Christ can really take hold of their culture. While it was challenging and rewarding, all the students agreed that their "bubble" of overall sheltered lives burst just a little, causing them to realize that seeing poverty is quite a different thing than reading about it. We have all changed in one way or another. Everyone of us who participated will never be quite the same. For these students, their world just got a little bit bigger, they got a little bit smaller, and their God a little bit greater.
Our team will be presenting on Sunday, July 12 during the worship service.
Here are some takeaways:
We were able to paint several homes while we were in Martin. The home that got everyone talking was a home that was filled with cockroaches. There were holes and stains in the wall as well as cockroaches on the walls, ceiling, and in the pantry. Needless to say, the teens who painted this home won't be complaining about chores, at least not for a few weeks. It seemed to be impactful for each teen realize the reality of poverty even in the United States of America.
There were three churches that come together in this mission effort. One church was located in Golden Valley (small world) and the other from Colorado with Pike's Peak in their backyard. At first, the students admitted their preference in keeping to their own church in the work crews and their intimidation in working with unknown people. By the weeks end they were sobbing gobs of tears as they said their final goodbyes. Working with other people helped them to realize that people they thought they would not want to hang out with were people they really did get along with.
We ran a kids club in the afternoons where children from the community would come in and play games, do crafts, and learn the bible. It was eye opening for us how lovable and how unstructured these children really were. Our common experience was less than expected, making it somewhat difficult to connect with them culturally (i.e. many game ideas and rules that seem obvious to us were not so obvious to them). Again, it was impactful to those of us who encountered some of the realities of poverty and the lifestyles of the children.
We grappled with the beliefs of the Lakota people and how similar it was, at least in some ways, to Christian belief. Some students had difficulty drawing the lines between Christianity and Universalism or some of the Animistic beliefs of the Indian culture. The need for gospel clarity and doctrinal integrity is evident.
All in all, we had a wonderful week. The students worked hard, did ministry, built friendships, encountered needs, and even met some needs. It left us scratching our heads wondering what the Lakota people truly do need and the ways the gospel of Jesus Christ can really take hold of their culture. While it was challenging and rewarding, all the students agreed that their "bubble" of overall sheltered lives burst just a little, causing them to realize that seeing poverty is quite a different thing than reading about it. We have all changed in one way or another. Everyone of us who participated will never be quite the same. For these students, their world just got a little bit bigger, they got a little bit smaller, and their God a little bit greater.
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