As spring rolls
around toward summer,
my (Joel) heart begins
to turn toward Pine Ridge reservation.
To the vast rolling grasslands,
To the vast rolling grasslands,
the dusty, beer-can littered streets of White
Clay and its not-yet “Risen Warriors”,
to the drums and regalia and the beauty of the
Oglala Lakota people.
With these things in my heart I
found myself last Friday in Peavey Park in Minneapolis with Joshua, a couple
van-loads of YWAMers, and members of ICCM’s (Inner City Church of Minneapolis)
Street Team. We passed out some food and
clothing, but mostly prayer and conversations. The very first person I
approached was a Lakota man from Porcupine on the Pine Ridge reservation! We
talked for some time about living conditions, traditional music, and mostly, what
a van-load of church kids could possibly do to serve his people on a five-day
outreach. I can’t say I walked away with concrete answers, but one Lakota man
was blessed that night to know that Jesus loved his people. Also, his wife
received some healing in her hip as we prayed for her and was able to get out
of her wheelchair and walk around for a while.
So we ask for your prayer as
we seek God on how to lead these trips well, for the sake of the youth and for
the precious people of Pine Ridge.
Support
Level Report: Committed monthly giving
has dropped $450/mo since January.
Including one-time donations our monthly support is approximately $2500/mo
after administrative fees, or 75% of our goal.
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| SOMD staff ladies! |
We are also coming quickly to the end of our three different spring schools here at the base. As
staff for the School of Ministry Development (SOMD), Renée has been attending
classes, grading journals, meeting with students for discipleship and helping
with their practicums, as well as working in Accounting one morning a week. I
continue to lead worship once or twice a week, but also have two SOMD students
who I’m mentoring as worship leaders, a weekly class on worship with the EDE (ie.
Spanish Discipleship Training School).
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Worship leading in our context means making a way
for
musicians and dancers, families and singles,
English and Spanish speakers, all
coming to the
throne of Jesus together.
|
At home, we’ve
been splitting the homeschool teaching, but Summer Break has now arrived! This week
we’re celebrating Emily’s 8th and Madelynn’s 7th
birthdays! Hudson has left his training
wheels in the dust and now we can ride the whole 5-mile loop at a nearby park
together. We feel like we’ve finally graduated!
Direction: The
Lord has given us a little more insight into His direction for our lives. He’s
renewed Renée’s desire to homeschool, given her a freedom to pursue her
Naturopathy education, learn German, and to not feel bad if she does nothing
more than these few things well! For me, there is still a longing to be living
amongst an unreached people group. Still
I’m finding it a joy each day to give young people the opportunity to find
their purpose as Jesus-worshipping, nations-loving disciples. For now the next
step will be this Fall’s Compassion and Worship DTS with a focus on refugees,
locally and in Europe!
Mark 6:34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and
he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.
Joshua’s
corner: “I
really enjoy going to ICCM for outreach on Friday nights, and going to Youth
Group at Maple Hill on Wednesday nights.
On outreach we give out food (like hot dogs), drinks (like lemonade),
and clothes. Last week one person was
saved. My Dad and I got to talk to a
Somalian Muslim about Jesus. I felt like
I was really making an impact in the hearts of the people. At Youth Group, I played soccer, and learned
about prayer. There I felt like I was
the light of God shining onto the other kids.”
Thank-you for your friendship,
partnership and prayers!
Joel
and Renée, Joshua, Rachel, Madelynn and Hudson
