Wednesday July 13, 2011

This morning there were some moans and groans as the morning wake up jingle was sung. We had some tired folks after a hard day’s work. While the kitchen crew got busy, the rest of the team seemed a bit sluggish. Scrambled eggs and hash browns were on the menu and cooking in quantity was new to some of our kitchen helpers. Breakfast ran a little late, but before we knew it we were finishing the morning chores and packing up for the days trek north. However, loading was slowed slightly by the constant drizzle that soon turned to rain. Another dreary start to the day; the rain seemed to fit right in with the mood.

Before heading out we came up with a backup plan for the day just in case the weather stayed like this up on the reservation. Sure enough the rain was pretty hard and pretty constant all the way up to Mission. However, as we turned down BIA 1 heading towards the town of Rosebud, the rain seemed to stop and there was only a slight haze. By the time we unloaded and began to set up, the weather started to improve. It was still a bit chilly, but with a lot of our team’s work indoors, the day’s prospects began to improve. Our first indoor activity was to continue to clean the inside of the Vicarage. As the house has been empty for the last six months, our goal was to spruce it up and make it more move in ready. We worked hard on it up until it was time to go pick up kids.

We were anticipating low attendance with the weather but most of the kids returned; we even had a few new ones show up. After lunch we were given a real treat. The Rev Webster Two Hawks came to visit us and talk about growing up on the Reservation and the changes he has seen over his life. He visited our team in 2009 and it was good to renew our acquaintance. After his story, he asked and took questions and we learned a lot more about what the Lakota people really need. While the gifts we give are appreciated, what he said the kids of today really need is hope, mostly because our nation’s policies have changed the Lakota from an independent people to a much more dependent society. The resulting sense of apathy and hopelessness over the generations has left the Lakota people with little to look forward to. However, thanks to the efforts of the local high schools and university, the people of Rosebud have begun to reclaim their traditions, including their native language. Deacon Webster, twice tribal chairman, and a former chief of the Sicangu Lakota, closed our season with the Lord’s prayer in his native tongue. These are words well known to every Christian, but the beauty and poetry of hearing it in Lakota was mesmerizing.

After finishing, we headed over to the community center for our skit and crafts. The weather while better for the most part, still did not lend itself to outdoor activities besides running in the parking lot, so our game time was limited to what we could do indoors. With all the completed crafts nearby, there was just a little less energy to jump and shout. The one place there was no lack of energy was the team working on the ramp. By the end of the day, Don Eagle, Phil Lambe, Greg Burke, Troy Peoples and Rob Ryan had the new ramp floor boards installed. All that is left is to trim them flush with the stringers, tweak the transition from sidewalk to ramp, and install the handrails. The occasional drizzle and cooler temperatures never slowed the team. The plan is that once the pressure treated lumber dries out, the floorboards will be stained and the handrails primed and painted.

Interesting observation today, no matter how cool the temperature, kids still like freeze pops and today’s snack time was no different. And with that, we loaded up the vans, returned the kids to their homes, and packed up the trailer. By this time, the mist had returned and followed us all the way home; kids were hoping the pool would be open, not just to swim, but to take a shower. But as we expected, the pool was closed and showers would once again take place in the campground.

Shortly after our return to Valentine, a reported from the local paper arrived to interview the team about the work they were doing. She was fascinated by what we had to share and loved looking through the collection of photos we offered. She was particularly interested in how it came to be that a church in North Carolina would work with the Diocese of Nebraska youth in a place they had never been before. After sharing our story, she was really impressed by how well we had come together as a team as well as our efforts at the Church of Jesus in Rosebud. Hopefully she will forward us an electronic copy of the article she writes and we can attach it to this blog.

As Laura left, the people of St. John’s began to arrive. Tonight we would celebrate the Eucharist together and then enjoy a hearty spaghetti dinner. As we have done in the past, we told them how grateful we were and how blessed we felt as a result of the generosity. This is the third summer they have opened their doors to our youth and shared in our ministry. As a way of saying thank you, we brought 1,000 pounds of food, donated by the Dean Fricke Food Pantry, for distribution to local Valentine and Rosebud residents. They then shared with us how much they enjoyed getting to know our team and how much they once again enjoyed the sound of teenagers and young adults filling the church. We then set a tentative date for next year’s trip, the third week in June.

As the day came to a close, we once again gathered for Bible study and our daily wrap up. Tomorrow’s lesson is the fruits of the Spirit. When it came time for lights out, our skit team was still mulling over ideas on how to present a text that they found difficult to describe. We shall see what happens. As with last night, when the lights went out, silence quickly enveloped the church (well sort of quiet, we do have a few who snore just a little bit and the whispering chatter went on for a little longer).