NE Youth 2010 Mission Trip: Thursday, Day 5

Each morning is a new experience. Today it was a song and a sprinkle to help all greet the new day. The looks of astonishment were priceless. Still, we all rolled out of our beds and began to prepare for what would be our last day on the reservation. The morning routine is now a routine. The kitchen team begins and the crowd waits patiently. Since it was cereal for breakfast, the wait was not as long and this gave the teams some extra time to play cards and chit chat after chores before heading out.

When we arrived at the Church of Jesus, we saw some folks walking around the church checking out our handiwork. When they saw us begin unloading they left without saying anything. Just as with other mornings, ther was a mad rush to begin painting. Nobody wanted to end the day and leave without completing the job. Of course there would be no chance of that.

Today the numbers of kids who attended went down a little. Another group offering VBS had entered the housing area and began to engage the kids in games. When we arrived to pick them up, some of them decided they were having too much fun. Others could not wait to jump in the vans to come to our program. At first some of us were dissappointed that not all the kids came, but it turned out to be more fun as we were able to give the kids who came more personal attention.

It was a wonderful day, all the way up until it was time to say goodbye. Each participant got a bag of goodies and then they loaded up all the crafts they had made throughout the week. Then there were lots of hugs and high fives and many promises to see one another next year. Every one of our youth wanted to pile in the vans to help take the kids home. Later, during our evening discussion, there was a general consensus that the look on the faces of the kids as they went home made us all feel that the work we did was worth it and we gave thanks for the love of God that was poured out on us through them.

Waiting for Donna, our coordinator, to return with the key for the Bishop Jones building, we entertained ourselves with some games. Then it was off to the showers and back for a dinner that was provided by the people of the Church of Jesus. What a wonderfl dinner. We had Indian Tacos. The main difference between what they served and we have grown accustomed to, is that they do not use a tortilla, but fried bread. It was sooooooo good. But before we could enjoy them, we were told about a custom of the Lakota that required the youth to serve the elders before they could eat themselves. Donna told us how this custom works and our youth jumped at the opportunity to serve our new friends. After dinner and clean up, it was back to Valentine to pack up for the ride home on Friday.

As the evening came to a close, we gathered one last time to share stories of how the day and the trip had gone. It was a really powerful experience for everyone as all shared the blessings they had encountered in and through the kids they worked and played with, the adults they met, and through one another. We learned not everything had gone perfectly, but in the imperfections we still found the opportunity to laugh and give thanks.