NE Youth 2010 Mission Trip: Wednesday, Day 4

It was another happy start to the day with a song to get us going. Waking up is half the fun, at least for those of us who are awake before the wake up call. Each day we start out just a little different; one day a song, another a whistle, who knows how each day will begin. For those of us who have done a few of these trips, the lazy start is a bit difficult to get used to. We have grown accustomed to getting up and getting moving with rest something only enjoyed at the end of a long day.

It was pancakes and sausage for breakfast and as usual there was plenty to go around. Nobody stays hungry here unless they choose to be. Once we arrived in Rosebud, we quickly began to set up for the day's activities and start prepraing for lunch. Today was tacos and it is a regualr favorite of the kids on the reservation and our kids too. The painting seemed to progress rapidly today as there was no scraping and more painting. We even found a way to get the peak of the church without getting anyone hurt or hung upsaide down.

We learned that there is a pow wow coming up this wekend (to celebrate victory day, the Lakota victory over Custer) and some of the kids who came earlier this week were not there today because they had to help their family get ready. Something really cool happened today. Some of the kids we have been meeting with taught us a song and one of the kids "Ducky (Ron)" brought his guitar and sang a song for everyone. Even though it was not concert material, the joy that radiated from him while he sang was something to behold. Afterwards, everyone broke into a round of applause.

We tried something a little different today. There was no planned outside activites as the crafts were a bit more tedious. But towards the end of our time together we did take a few outside who needed to let off a little energy before heading back to the church to worship. Our youth have really taken the lead in the trip's program. Each team has stepped up and performed wonderfully. In the process, some friends have been made that will no doubt carry over until our next visit. Speaking of our next visit, Fr. Tom visited with Fr. John about next year;s trip and we learned our efforts have been greatly appreciated and that they would very much like us to return to the Church of Jesus next year. Looking at available dates, it looks like we will be back to this location in early July (around the 11th). There may even be a chance that we could attend a Pow Wow with some of the fmailies we met while here. What a great opportunity to learn even more about the Lakota culture.

Tomorrow we will have a change in plans as we have been invited to dinner provided by the folks on the reservation. This is a real blessing and their way of saying thank you. We learned today that they were going to prepare a favorite dish of theirs, Indian Tacos. We have heard they are really good and we are all looking forward to this opportunity to be served in return for our service.

Worship and dinner with the folks of St. John's was awesome. Instead of a sermon by one of the three clergy we had on the trip, the youth offered reflections on a key word that described their experience so far. These words were faith, unity, trust, and friendship. I wish you could have heard them. It was great to hear each member of the team share why their team's word described their experience. During the announcements, we let the rest of the parish know that with the help of the Dean Fricke Food pantry, and the hard work of our team's youth, we collected nearly 1500 pounds of food for their food pantry. Add to this the generous donation of $500, provided by the people of All Saints, Omaha, for use to procure needed items here and on the reservation, the parish was overwhelmed with thanksgiving. We then learned that this unexpected gift of our thanksgiving came just at the right time as the need was quickly outpacing their ability to serve.

During the group end of day discussion, it amazed me at how quickly this group has become a team. From six communities across the diocese, we have become one body in Christ. Do we have our ups and downs? Sure we do, but together we are much more than we are by ourselves. I know that when it comes time to say goodbye at the end of the week, it will be hard for us to do so. But the good news is that there are so many more opportunties ahead to get together again.