Sunday Arrival in Montana, July 2011
We are in Montana! Our flights were good … the second flight on the turboprop plane was an exciting first for several on our team! All of our luggage arrived. As soon as our vans arrive, we will head to the Crow nation. I hear cell reception is limited but we’ll update the blog as much as possible! Please continue to hold our short-term mission team in your prayers as we seek to be the Lord’s servants, united in purpose, caring for each other, and flexible with every new situation.
Monday in Montana
Important lesson we learned yesterday: leave the lodgepole pines in the creek until you are ready to strip them. The poles dry out quickly making the bark difficult to peel. The 70 poles will make five teepees to be used in the upcoming Crow Fair. When we finish stripping the poles, we will pray over the poles that Christ will be glorified in their use. The tension between faith in Jesus and the spiritism of the Crow culture runs deep. How do your honor a rich history and precious people while also seeking to draw them to the true Creator of all? This is the struggle of the church here on the Crow Reservation.
Worship yesterday with the Spirit of Life congregation blessed us abundantly! Pastor Kenneth Pretty On Top, his wife Hannah, and the congregation warmly welcomed us in their beautiful church building. We were delighted that many of the worship songs were familiar … Chris Tomlin’s music crosses all boundaries!
Our homebase includes cabins with comfortable bunks, kitchen building, huge field (touch football, frisbees, and games happen regularly already), creek, and three lovely port-a-potties. The showers-in-a-bag are going well … google that for more details! We’ve only seen one snake. It was a black and yellow stripped garter snake. No rattlers! The dogs at the camp are awesome. Adorable puppy and two ever-present adult dogs who walk each us to the potty in the middle of the night.
Speaking of the night …. Wow! The stars glow brighter than we have ever seen! Incredible show every night as we do 360s slowly in the field. Mouths agape as we marvel at the brilliance of the Milky Way, the shooting stars and the overall beauty of the night sky.
We are truly in an unplugged spot. I am in Billings for a brief shopping run right now. I hope to come back to a location with internet reception in another day or two, and will update the blog. In the meantime, know that your sons and daughters are doing very well. Everyone is healthy, eating tasty food, and learning much about the Lord and His abundant faithfulness.
(July 2011)
