I'll be sending out my monthly newsletter soon and will include this information there, too.  You blog readers will just get to hear it twice...:)

As my year is coming to an end, I've spent some time thinking about what's ahead...

The last day of school is one week from this Friday, but my schedule won't slow down at all.  I'll spend my summer working again as the Head Counselor at FaHoCha Bible Camp.  I'm hoping to see many of the school kids and my youth group kids as campers at FaHoCha this summer.  Many of them have already been there and I'm looking forward to having them there again, especially now that my relationships with many of them have developed.  Working at camp also means moving out there for the summer and being "on duty" 24 hours a day, Sunday through Friday.  Our Wednesday-night youth group at Tokio will be on break during the summer months, so please keep the kids in your prayers.  Ask the Holy Spirit to continue to speak to them and give them courage to make choices that will honor Him.  Pray that the kids will continue to grow in their relationships with the Jesus. 

The move to camp for the summer isn't far away...it's just on the opposite side of the reservation.  My schedule will be a little crazier and my time will be more limited, but I'll still be able to be involved with some of the community activities, including Sunday-morning church at Dacotah Oyate in Tokio.  

With all of the plans for summer, I've also spent some time thinking, talking, and asking the Lord for His leading for the coming year.  As I've mentioned in past posts, I believe that the work here on the reservation is just beginning and I continue to be so thankful to be a part of what the Lord is doing here.  It seems like the He continues to open doors that I had no idea even existed.  

That being said, AIM and I both believe that the Lord has another year in store for me here on Spirit Lake Nation!  I am excited for another year of sharing the truth and love of our Creator through relationships with the people of Spirit Lake Nation.  Staying on staff with AIM for another year also means raising support for another year, so please keep that matter in your prayers.   If you would like to be a part of my support team, please contact me or click on the "Support Me!" link (on the left) and follow the online instructions.   

I am so thankful for your continued prayers as I finish up this year and prepare for another year here.  I am trusting the Lord to continue to supply all that I need to continue to serve Him here.  Thank you for trusting Him with me, friends!

We were encouraged earlier this week by the visit of a dear friend and sister in Christ! 

Carly has spent numerous summers working with us at FaHoCha and she shares a deep love and burden for the Native American youth.  She spent this past weekend with us, catching up with some of her former camp girls who all live on the reservation, playing tag with the kids at recess, and joining me for my weekly radio program on KABU!  (What a joy to have you living daily life on the rez with us, Carly!)  Carly is a student at a small Bible college in New Brunswick, Canada, and is leaving later this month for a six-month internship in Bosnia.  Please keep her in your prayers as she travels and builds relationships to share Truth with the people of Bosnia!  Pray, too, that the Lord would continue to speak to the youth here through Carly's love for them.

Like I said, Carly joined me in the KABU 90.7FM studio on Monday . . . we had fun. ;)

Carly listened in as I recorded my program...

...and worked the sound board!

I did my radio program again yesterday and thought you might enjoy seeing some pictures:

I use the sound board (left), the CD players (right), and the microphone!

                                                 My playlist

               Looking out the window from the recording room

If you live in the area and are interested in listening, tune into 90.7 FM on Sunday between 8:00am and 2:00pm.  Sorry, no online listening yet.

I got an email about a week ago from Pastor Paul at Dakota Baptist Church in Fort Totten, ND.  He wrote to tell me about the Spring Revival meetings coming up at their church and to invite me to lead worship for one of the evenings.  This past Monday was the first night of special meetings and my night to lead worship.  I was blessed and so thankful to have Paula's help with that...she does a great job and we have been leading worship together for 8 years (!) during summers at FaHoCha.  It was a blessing to join the people at Dakota Baptist in looking at the Lord and loving Him through music. 

Another blessing of these meetings has been seeing the youth.  On Monday night, I got to hug a few of the kids who were part of the Spirit Lake Community Christmas Pageant.  Last night, I got to sit with some of the kids who I work with at the school here in Oberon.  And each night, three of my youth group girls have been with me at the services. 

    The girls enjoying frybread (and some other goodies) before the service on Monday

I feel like the Lord is giving me more glimpses of how my relationships in the community are growing, and with that, glimpses of what He still has ahead.  Please continue to ask the Lord to give His perfect wisdom and guidance through His Spirit.  Pray that we would have ears to hear Him and that we would continue to surrender and follow.   

You can probably tell by looking at my list of "Recent Posts" that April has been a little different than other months.  One major factor in that was my trip to Venezuela with a medical missions team from a church in Devils Lake. 

The other factor was a sudden death in the family . . . my sister-in-law's dad had a heart attack and passed away on April 11, 2008.  Art was a quiet and gentle man who loved nature, loved his family, and loved the Lord.  My parents and I drove to Nebraska to be with my brother, Erika (my sister-in-law), and her family and to be at Art's funeral.  Even as I type this, I am encouraged by the truth that was shared at his service . . . "For we do not grieve as those who have no hope . . ." (1 Thessalonians 4:13).  Along with Erika and her family, I am clinging to the hope that we have in knowing Jesus and am so thankful that, although Art is absent from this life, he is living today in the presence of Jesus.  Please ask the Lord to comfort and soothe Erika and her family with the reality of that truth and with the reality of His hope.

All of that to say, it's been a different month.  I am slowly getting back into the groove of "normal" life.  This past week was my first full week being back, so I was able to do all of my usual weekly activities:  Bible study with the younger girls, the KABU radio show, reading and recess at the school, and Wednesday-night youth group at Tokio. 

Wednesday night was particularily interesting . . . it was dark, cold, windy, and pouring rain as the four girls and I left the church.  The girls ran to get into my car (which was locked) while I was turning off lights and locking up the church.  As I stood outside and turned the key to lock the church door, my car keys dropped, fell between the boards of the patio, and landed somewhere underneath the patio.  The patio is only a few inches off of the ground, so we couldn't crawl under there to get my keys.  When the girls realized what had happened, they all jumped in to help:  one using a broom handle to probe for my keys, one holding my cell phone (we used the flash of the camera as a flashlight), one holding the door open against the crazy wind and rain, and one taking pictures of the whole event (click Browse My Photos on the left to see them!).  After about half an hour of that, we called Pastor Larry and he came with a rake.  He used the rake and found all kinds of broken glass, plastic silverware, garbage, mud, a wrench, and a set of keys that HE had dropped over a year ago (!) . . . but not my car keys.  By this time, the girls were all using garbage bags for rain coats.  The rake wasn't working, so Pastor Larry suggested that we just pry one of the boards off of the patio . . . and THAT is how we finally found my keys!  The whole ordeal took about an hour, but the girls were chipper and helpful the whole time.  When we finally got into my car--cold, wet, and windblown--we all admitted that it was actually pretty fun.  ;) 

Please continue to pray for these girls and for all the youth of Spirit Lake Nation . . . I believe that the Lord is transforming hearts!

I'm realizing more and more how thankful I am to be here and to be involved in these activities.  The Lord has been so good to answer our prayers and He has been SO faithful to lead and guide and create opportunities here.  Thank you for your prayers!   

While I was on my way to Venezuela, some of my youth group kids were with Paula at a Native American Youth Conference at Trinity Bible College . . . I mentioned that in an earlier post and wanted to give you an update about that trip. 

I got great reports from both Paula and from the kids.  Last Sunday when I picked up one of the girls for church, she spent about 30 minutes talking non-stop about the events of that weekend!  I am so thankful that they were able to be there and so thankful that Paula was able to take them.

Paula has agreed to write the next part of the update, so here's her first-hand account (!) :

Wow what a crazy and exciting experience!!!! I wasn't sure who was going and all the details exactly,  but when we were all in the church van driving south we were a group of seven. Two boys and four girls!!!! 

When we got to the college, I really didn't know what to expect and how the youth were going to respond!  There were a few discouraging moments where I felt like maybe this was more than I could handle.  I would try to keep up with the kids and they would usually end up sitting in the van!  Which in turn made me pray and ask the Lord to give them listening ears to hear from him and help ME to take advantage of every opportunity! 

We had a great banquet and a neat session with a special musical guest and a wonderful speaker by the name of Ron Hutchcraft.  He has had years of experience working on reservations and truly is aware of the the strongholds and downfalls of the reservation life!

As we called it a night I was able to stay in the room with Christina LaCroix and Shayla Ritchey, these girls have both counseled and will counsel all summer at FaHoCha.  We had a neat time of prayer!  We were able to come before the Lord in the evenings and pray for the students by name!  The specific prayer was that the Lord would speak to each one.

Each chapel session was filled with hungry, lonely and hurting youth.  One of the neatest parts of the service were the testimonies by other NATIVE youth!  It was soo essential for the teens to see NATIVE youth that have lived out their Christian faith boldly and overcome adversity!!!  Each session also reinforced in me a heavy, heavy burden for the young people on the reservation!  I couldn't help but weep openly as the invitation was given at the end, and many teens  responded by going forward and crying out to God and wanting Him to have control over an area in their life!

I was reminded over and over to be in prayer for the reservation and it's young people.  They are a generation that can be used in a mighty way!  As we departed and got closer to home I felt like I had bonded with these kids, and we experienced something together that reached a place that only the Lord  knows the extent!

     Tokio youth group kids at the Native American Youth Conference

There is no doubt that the Lord is working . . . please join us in prayer for these youth!  Continue to ask the Lord to soften their hearts, give them ears to hear, and free them as they experience His truth!

Hola!

I'm back in the USA (as of 3:06am this morning) and wanted to write a quick note to thank you all for your prayers and let you know that we arrived safely home.  In spite of several cancelled flights (both going and coming) and a lot of airport time in Miami, we had a wonderful trip and witnessed the Lord's hand of provision in numerous circumstances.  The fact that we got to Venezuela at all was an act of God and a powerful reminder that He is worthy of our trust and that He is faithful to provide . . . what a beautiful start! 

One of the highlights of the trip for me was reconnecting with my Venezuelan friends and fellow believers.  Our time together at the small church in Ocumare was rich . . . we worked hard, laughed often, prayed earnestly, and encouraged each other during moments of honest sharing and sincere listening.  I am often amazed and so thankful to be a part of this family of God.

An evening of music and great conversation with my dear friends in Venezuela!

I was also excited to share with my Venzuelan friends about what the Lord is doing on the Spirit Lake Nation.  Most of them had many questions about the ministry here and showed a sincere excitement and interest (some of them have already visited this website!) . . . I have no doubt that many of them will be praying faithfully for this ministry!

Please keep praying that the Lord would use this trip to speak to the youth (and adults) of the Spirit Lake Nation.  While I was in Venezuela, I had a couple of interesting conversations about how to get some of them involved on a trip like this . . . it seems to be an idea that others share a vision for and I'm interested to see where the Lord will lead! 

I put up a few more Venezuela pictures in my photos section if you're interested in seeing more.  Thanks again for your prayers!

I'm leaving for Venezuela with the team from Bethel later tonight (2:00am), so I'm busy preparing for that.  Lots of people at church, youth group, school, basketball games, and even the radio station have heard about my trip and have been asking questions . . . the Lord is sparking an interest!  Thanks for your prayers!  Please continue to pray that the Lord would develop an interest in service and giving and that this trip would be used for His glory on the reservation. 

Also, as I write this, there is a Native American Youth Seminar at Trinity Bible College in Ellendale, ND.  Since I'm on my way to Venezuela and can't be there, my "sister" (Paula) graciously offered to take some of the kids from the Tokio youth group and chaperone the event!  Paula was a student at Trinity and she really has a heart for these youth.  Most of them already know and love her from FaHoCha, so they're excited to have some time with her, too.  I'm so thankful that they'll have this time together and I have no doubt that they'll all have a great time . . . just wish I could join the fun!  Paula called when they were on the road and passed the phone around the van, so I got to talk to all of them . . . she had 4 girls and 2 boys with her!  Please ask the Lord to reveal Himself and speak to the youth through this event!  I am praying that things go smoothly for them and that the Lord really gets ahold of their hearts. 

I'll be gone until April 8 and probably won't have internet access while I'm gone, but will do an update ASAP after getting back.  I would appreciate your prayers while we are in Venezuela . . . please ask the Lord to give us safe and smooth travel (across oceans and mountains!), team unity, humble hearts ready to serve and learn, Spirit-led conversations, and deeper relationships with the Venezuelans and with each other.     

Thanks for joining me with your faithful prayers . . . see you in a couple of weeks!

I've really been enjoying the radio thing. 

I haven't written a lot of updates about it, but I have been going into the station weekly to record about an hour of Christian music that is aired the following Sunday.  Today was radio show #4 and it seems to go better each time I'm there . . . I'm slowly getting familiar with which buttons to push and when to push them and I'm getting more comfortable with talking through the microphone to people that I can't see.  I get excited when I think about the audience that can be reached through this and I have no doubt that the Lord is using this opportunity to speak truth across the Spirit Lake Nation!   

This afternoon when I walked into the station, the guy from the radio station told me that they had had a lot of positive feedback from last Sunday's show.  I asked him if the comments were specifically referring to the music and he said, "No...the message."  Thank You, Lord!  I was so encouraged by his report!  

As I recorded today and went through my playlist, I noticed a theme and was clearly led to share the truth of God's unconditional love and His promise to never leave us or forsake us.  Please ask the Holy Spirit to reveal His love and grace to the people as they listen!

I couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate Easter . . .

I picked up two of my youth group girls on Sunday morning and we headed for the church out by Tokio.  I was especially glad to have the girls with me since they usually only come on Wednesday evenings.  It was definitely special to see them in the bright morning sunlight! 

As we walked into the church, we were greeted by the smell of pancakes and bacon . . . the young men were busy making breakfast to serve to everyone before the service!  They weren't quite ready, so we enjoyed some time to visit with the others who were there.  Shortly after we got there, another one of my youth group girls came in with several of her family members.  It was great to have them there and the Lord encouraged me through my visit with them . . . they are dear people! 

Speaking of dear people, the next person to walk in was our good friend, Joe Rogers from Adventures In Missions!  Joe and his wife, Sue, are on staff with AIM and work specifically with Native American missions and discipleship.  It was Joe who first emailed me in the fall of 2006, asking if I would ever be interested in doing some type of ministry/missions on the reservation (click here to read the rest of that story).  Needless to say, Joe and Sue have been instrumental in how the Lord led me here and in what He is doing here now.  I am so thankful for the vision, wisdom, support, and encouragement that they so faithfully share . . . what an incredible blessing!  Joe was in North Dakota for the funeral of a good friend of his at Fort Berthold (please keep the family in your prayers) and was also able to spend some time with us before heading back to Georgia.  It was a real joy to have him at the Easter service, meeting my youth girls and seeing the ministry here in "real life."  We're hoping to have both Joe and Sue here again real soon. ;)

Me and Joe at Tokio

Pastor Larry and Joe

Many of the people who were with us on Friday night  joined us again on Sunday morning, so it was really good to have them there.  Pastor Larry again clearly shared the truth of Easter and the truth of Jesus' victory over sin and death (!) and encouraged each of us to respond to Him.  One of my favorite parts of the morning was sitting at the piano and singing together,

. . . Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.  Because He lives, all fear is gone.  Because I know He holds the future and life is worth the living just because He lives!

After church, a small group of us continued our Easter celebrations by hiking up a near-by hill (known in the area as Devils Heart, but some from the church call it Christ's Hill).  We had a beautiful view of the reservation from the top and, after taking lots of pictures (click on Browse My Photos to see more), had a neat prayer time together, thanking Jesus for the hope and freedom that we can have because of His death and resurrection and inviting His Spirit to continue to move on the Spirit Lake Nation. 

Alex, me, and Shelby on the top of Christ's Hill

. . . like I said, I couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate.