Let the Fun Begin Again

Let the fun begin again.  

It has been a little less than a year since we updated this Blog.  Then again, it has been a little less than a year since a group from Messiah Lutheran Church, Weldon Spring, Missouri, was on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, South Dakota.

Many things have changed during that year in our relationship with our friends on the Reservation and at the Cheyenne River Youth Porject in particular.

For starters, two members of last year's South Dakota Family Mission Team, Nita Holt and Jennifer Counts, have taken on the leadership of the annual Christmas gift drive here in St. Louis for the kids at the Youth Project.  After twelve years of leading this effort, Joyce Smith (a wonderful person who LeaAnn got to know last year) was ready to turn over the reins of the gift drive to some younger folks (her words, not mine).  After our trip to the Reservation last summer, we connected Nita and Jennifer with Joyce and the rest is history.  With Nita and Jennifer at the helm, the annual gift drive provided gifts for over 500 kids on the Reservation last Christmas.  Since then, Nita and Jennifer have already started planning for next year with two (2) fundraisers under their belt since January and more to come.

Last Fall also saw a number of us directly involved in helping raise funds for the Youth Project.  Through two separate events, Ablaze for Lakota Youth (a family day at the Dickherber Farm) and Anomaly.09 (a Christian rock concert for young people) over $10,000 was raised for the Youth Project.  Thes funds came in particular handy this winter as the Youth Project saw a significant decline in giving from some of its major supporters due to the current economic turmoil.

In addition, at Messiah this Christmas the annual Christmas program featured stories of the missions work being done by the members of Messiah, including our work on with the Youth Project.  As a special treat, our friend Jerome Slides Off (a member of the Lakota people from South Dakota), Jesse Running Bear (a member of the Tuscarora people from North Carolina) and another gentleman ( a member of the Cherokee people from North Carolina), all of whom are devoted Christians, treated us to Christian music Native American style.  It was truly awesome to hear God praised in the various languages of the people native to this land.  What a wonderfully moving experience.

So here we are.  June 2.  Only ten days until we leave for the Reservation again.  This time, 32 people in tow.

We can't wait for the adventure ahead of us:  for 17 hours of driving to Eagle Butte, for a night and Sunday morning with the fine people of Zion Lutheran Church in Mitchell, South Dakota, for early mornings and late nights as we all grow together as a crazy, disfunctional, yet loving family. for an old-fashioned, home-grown carnival with donated prizes, mountains of cotton candy and an endless supply of smiles, for a concert for teens on a flat-bed trailer in the parking lot of the Youth Project, for a night of worship and stargazing at the little church on the prairie in Green Grass and for all the other adventures God has in store for us that will be way better than anything we can imagine right now.

As I said before, let the fun begin again.

God's Blessings

Donn

P.S. More to come