Naomi Damschen - Serving The Kingdom

Hurting Hearts

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Last night it was just me, Shawnee, and Shelby at Bible study. I've known both of these girls for several years and we've gotten quite close since I've been on the reservation. Since it was just us there, we decided to do our own little devotional time instead of our Bible study DVD series. As I sat with these girls, I couldn't help think about the love that I have for them and about the storms that they have both faced, this past year especially. With that in mind, we read Psalm 46 and talked about how the Lord is our safe place, even in the darkest and most frightening times in life. What a blessing to sit with those dear girls and remember that truth. I am truly honored to walk with them during those storms and remind them that they have a God who created them, knows them, loves them, and promises to be their "refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble".

Keep Shawnee in your prayers especially. Her brother committed suicide a couple of weeks ago and she and her family are hurting. Please ask the Lord to protect and comfort Shawnee. Pray that she would turn to Him and find peace and hope in Him.

Our 1st year of Bible study--Shawnee (on my left) and Shelby (on my right)

The Countdown

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I think it was sometime last summer when I first heard Shelby counting down to her 18th birthday. February seemed like a million years away and she could hardly wait. Over Christmas break, Shelby and a few of the girls came home with me and we decided that that would be a great way to celebrate Shelby's upcoming birthday, too. So a couple of weeks ago, on the weekend of Shelby's 18th birthday, we headed up to my parent's house for a birthday celebration. The other girls weren't able to come with us, but we had a great weekend in spite of missing them!

Please remember Shelby in your prayers, especially now as she transitions into "adult" life. Pray that she would have the wisdom and strength to make good choices. Pray that she would learn to seek the Lord and trust Him in every area of her life. And pray that she would grow closer to the Lord through every step of her journey.

From Brittney

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Last night at youth group, a few of us were sitting around the table, talking and eating pizza, and I was thinking about how long it had been since I had written a blog update (my apologies!). Sitting there, wishing that each of you could experience a Wednesday-night Bible study with us, this thought came to me: Wouldn't it be great if one of the kids wrote about what we do on Wednesdays?!

I pitched the idea to the kids and got a taker, so after the Bible study lesson, Brittney sat down at my computer and wrote an update. And here you have it.

Naomi, Shelby, Joy, Skye and I are sitting at the boys and girls club where we meet every Wednesday for youth night. Tonight we read and studied II Thessalonians. We talked about final judgment. Final judgment to me means when God comes back one last time to judge and decide who's forgiven and who isn't. A question we were asked after the chapter of final judgment is "Why do Christians have no reason to fear the final judgment?" This question really stuck out to me and caught my attention because I've heard so many answers to that question as I was growing up. My two favorite were "If you know where you're going then you have no reason to be afraid of the rapture." and "Judgment day should be something to look forward to." I think both answers are right and I totally agree with them. I use to fear that I wouldn't be forgiven and that I would never get a chance to meet God. Until I was introduced to a new way of life and that was living for the lord and getting to know him. I realized it was something better to have and I wanted it. I am working on my relationship with him and I have to be honest. Life has certainly been a whole lot better. This leads me to the next chapter we talked about; standing firm. It is easy to lose faith in the lord and get distracted. Your peers might give you the wrong ideas and temptation might urge you to do the wrong thing. Standing firm means to not be swayed and stand strong for what you believe in. The example used in this study was a boxing match. You're losing and you're tired out but you just have to keep fighting and not give up. Win or lose you still made it through the fight. The last chapter we talked about was Idleness. Which means even though you're a christian you've been saved, basically you're good to go. But you're not doing anything to further your relationship with the lord, you're being lazy. When we feel that we are being lazy we should read our bibles, discuss the lord's word with others, spread the lord's word, tell others about him, pray and talk to God. Knowing that you're saved and whatnot but not doing anything to help others isn't good. Stranger or not, would you help someone if they were hanging off a cliff or would you watch them fall to their death?
-Brittney Pretty Weasel 18

Brittney writing this update last night

Thanks so much for your prayers, dear friends. Please continue to ask the Lord to reveal His truth to each of us so that we can stand firm (2 Thessalonians 2:15)!

Merry Christmas!

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Just wanted to post a few pictures from the Christmas program at the school last week. The kids did a great job of making decorations, singing songs, and sharing the true meaning of Christmas. Please pray that the truth of Christ's birth brings hope to the people of Spirit Lake Nation! Praying, too, that your Christmas is filled with His perfect peace and hope. Merry Christmas!

A Year

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This past weekend, I attended a memorial service for Jami Jetty, the 14-year old young lady who ended her life one year ago. At her funeral last year, I sang Nothing But the Blood of Jesus (click here to read about that) and Pastor Larry asked me to sing that song again at the memorial this past Sunday. Several things stand out to me when I think about being there that afternoon . . . realizing how my relationship with Jami's family has grown over the year, having visits with girls from school, getting hugs from youth group kids . . . it really is an honor to be a part of this community.

It's been so interesting to watch how the Lord has been working through all of this during the past year. Shortly after Jami's death, Jami's mother and sister joined us on Wednesday night when we happened to be studying Ephesians 6 (click here to read the full story). During this past year, Jami's mom has made numerous presentations about suicide prevention and she includes the Ephesians 6 message in her presentation. At Jami's memorial this past weekend, it was pointed out that there have been NO SUCCESSFUL suicides on the reservation this past year (Native youth have the highest rate of suicide of any group in the nation). Jami was the last one to successfully end her own life. While that loss still brings sadness, we rejoice in the victory that the Lord has given this past year!

Please thank the Lord with us and continue to pray that HE would receive all the glory and honor for this victory. Pray that His Word would continue to take root in the hearts of the precious people here and would continue to bring victory and freedom as they acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life!

Laminin

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A couple of years ago when I first came to Spirit Lake, I wrote about a little boy who brought a Bible to school and spent most of his recess reading it (click here to read the whole story). That same little boy has been going to Awana almost every Wednesday for the past year or so (thanks to my good friend, Paula...click here to read THAT story). And now, this same little boy comes to school and is often excited to tell about a lesson or recite a verse that he's learned at Awana. Last Monday, his first words to me were, "I wish we could skip tomorrow so it would be Wednesday so I can go to Awana." It's pretty amazing to think about what's taking root in this little guy's heart! Please keep him and the rest of the kids in your prayers. Pray, too, for Jay and Paula as they continue to make it possible for these kids to get to Awana each week!

One of the lessons that this little guy was so excited to tell me about was laminin. Check out this video and you'll see what he was so thrilled about...

Battles

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I'm writing today with a couple of prayer requests...

If you've been reading this blog during the past year or so, you're probably familiar with Joe and Sue Rogers, some dear friends who head up the Native American Discipleship program with Adventures In Missions. Several months ago, Sue was diagnosed with cancer in the lining of her lung tissue and she began a tough battle. Sue's prognosis is good, but right now she's in the middle of chemo treatments and has a big surgery coming up when the chemo is done. Please keep her and Joe in your prayers, asking the Lord to provide strength, hope, peace, and healing and to use each part of this journey for His honor and glory!

Joe and Sue at WLS this past summer

And another battle rages here on the reservation...there have been a couple of sudden deaths of young people during the past month. The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Christ has come that we might have life and life ABUNDANTLY. Please pray, especially for the youth, that the enemy would NOT succeed in destroying lives, but that these young people would find life in Christ!

Grieving Girl

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Just wanted to write a quick note to ask you to keep Shelby in your prayers. It's been about two months since her mom passed away and life has really been turned upside-down for her. She's angry, she's heart broken, and she's got some major hurdles in front of her.

I was able to spend some time with Shelby last night and was thankful again for how the Lord has allowed our paths to cross. I don't have many answers for Shelby and I don't have the power to change her situation or make choices for her, but I do have the privilege of walking through this with her, loving her right where she is, reminding her of Truth, and laying her at the feet of our gracious and all-knowing Father. Please pray with me that she will run to Him and find all that she needs.

" . . . I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until the disaster has passed." Psalm 57:1

Shelby and me last winter

Mighty Warriors

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

"Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light." Micah 7:8

Just wanted to write a quick update and ask for your prayers, specifically for the youth who took part in Warrior Leadership Summit this past summer in Missouri. The Lord started some incredible work in their hearts over that week and it was an honor to witness how the Lord spoke and softened. The theme at WLS was "A Mighty Warrior" and we spent a great deal of time learning and discussing what it looks like to be a "warrior" for Christ, especially at home on the various reservations. We talked about the struggles and temptations that we would face and about how to stay strong and honor the Lord with the choices of our daily lives.

All of that to say, it seems that many of the youth who attended WLS are at a place now where actually living out all that we talked about needs to become a reality. Many of the youth are facing serious struggles and temptations and there seems to be a sense of discouragement and giving-up settling in. My heart's desire is to see each of these youth truly experience Jesus Christ and the depth of hope and peace that comes with living His way. Please pray that they would do that. Pray that they would wait on the Lord, hope in Him, and have their strength renewed.

PULSE

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A couple of weeks ago, the PULSE team held an event here at Spirit Lake. For those of you who may not be familiar with PULSE, here's the deal: PULSE travels to college campuses, hosting Christian rock concerts and telling people about Jesus (click here for more info about PULSE). What was especially neat about having them here was that we were the first stop of their first-ever Tribal College Tour, traveling to reservations all across the state!

The PULSE team brought Native hip-hop artist, Kaboose, and the Christian rock band, Bread of Stone to the event at the college in Fort Totten. The crowd ranged in age all the way from very young kids to elders . . . I think someone counted about 100 people there at one point during the evening. More importantly, those who came heard about a Creator who loves them and sacrificed His Son for them. Please pray that that message of truth would take root in the hearts of the people and that they would choose to live lives that honor Him.

Here are a couple of pictures from the evening. Thanks so much for your continued prayers and support, dear friends.

Bread of Stone at Spirit Lake Nation for the Tribal College Tour

Check it out: www.pulsecampus.com

Simple Truth

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Summer vacation is officially coming to an end with school starting this MONDAY! I'll spend my mornings at the school in Oberon again this year, keeping an eye on the kids during recess and helping out with the students in the special education program. The first day of school is like a reunion and I'm excited to see the kids again!

The ladies from California did a great job with VBS at the Tokio housing a couple of weeks ago. They had a great turn-out, averaging around 35 kids each evening. My job was running the registration table. One evening as I sat at the table, I heard the kids singing one of their VBS songs in the back room of the Boys and Girls Club. The words of the song are from a verse in Psalms, "You are forgiving and good, Oh Lord..." For some reason, the simple truth of those words struck me and I was overwhelmed with thankfulness. A few minutes later, a friend who had brought her little boys to VBS and was singing with them in the back, came out to where I was sitting. As she and I began to visit, she commented about that song, too, and told me that she felt like she needed to hear the message of that song. What a blessing that the Lord so graciously speaks to both children and adults in this way. The week of VBS was certainly encouraging!

One of the pre-school girls showing off her playdough snake

The wonderful VBS ladies from California!

Thanks so much to those of you who have been remembering Shelby and Brian in your prayers. In many ways, they have a long road ahead, adjusting to life without their mom...lots of changes ahead. I was finally able to spend some quality time with Shelby this past week and both she and Brian came to youth group this past Wednesday night. Keep them in your prayers as they adjust and as the logistics of legal issues get figured out. Above all, please pray that the Lord would protect them and keep them both close to Him as they walk through this.

Hopes and Hurts

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

One week from today, a group of six ladies from Lighthouse Ministries in Sacramento, CA will begin a week-long VBS program at the church at Tokio! I had the priviledge of spending some time with these ladies while visiting California. They have a great week planned and they are excited about coming! Please keep them in your prayers as they travel and prepare to share Jesus with the kids. Pray, too, that the Lord would make the kids' hearts ready.

While I am excited for the California group to come, my heart is heavy after getting the news from Shelby (one of the regular Wednesday-night girls) that her mother passed away. Both Shelby and her brother (Brian) have been a part of our Wednesday-night Bible study at Tokio and they both lived with their mom. This is an incredible loss for them and it creates a lot of uncertainty as they look ahead to what life will be like without her. The funeral for Shelby and Brian's mom is tomorrow in South Dakota. Please ask the Lord to work miracles through this situation . . . ask Him to comfort them somehow in the midst of this loss. Pray that they would SEEK and FIND truth, even in the midst of their hurt, confusion, questions, and uncertainty. Pray that Shelby and Brian would not move away from the Lord during this time, but that He would somehow use these circumstances to bring them closer to Him. My comfort rests in knowing that this is not out of the Lord's hands and that this is not a surprise to Him. He knows.

Thanks for your prayers, dear friends. We need them now more than ever.

What A Day May Hold...

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This past weekend, Carly (a good friend who shares a heart for the Native youth) and a couple of the youth group girls spent the weekend at home with me. We drove up to the farm where I grew up and the girls got a taste of country life . . . running around in the yard, sitting around the campfire, and watching for shooting stars (we saw TWO!). It was really special to have the girls there and share with them a glimpse of what life was like for me growing up. As we were leaving on Saturday afternoon, my parents made sure to let the girls know that they were welcome to come back anytime. Shelby didn't miss a beat and responded, "OK, I'll be back tomorrow." We all had a GREAT time!

Carly and Shelby...having fun with marshmallows. ;)

Another part of this past weekend was special meetings at the Tokio church. Most of the boys who came to Missouri have been making an effort to show up at church events since we got back. It's really exciting to see them walk in the door . . . and so encouraging to know that they are making an effort to keep themselves occupied with positive things! Keep praying for them and ask the Lord to give them the strength and courage to make wise choices so that their faith will continue to take root!

And just when you think the day is winding down . . . as I was driving back to Oberon from Tokio on Sunday night, I came across a stalled vehicle and 3 adults and 2 kids waving me down on the road. It was late, dark, and chilly, so I stopped to see what they needed. They all huddled around the window and I was greeted by two little girls saying, "Naomi!! Naomi!!" The girls were students at Oberon a couple of years ago and they came to the Fort Totten Rec when Darcy did her program earlier this spring. To make a long story short, we got them all back home and also made plans for one of the girls to get out to Fahocha Bible Camp this week . . . it's her age group and Darcy is the speaker! When I picked her up on Monday morning to take her to camp, she was pretty excited . . . she said she even had a dream about it! Keep her in your prayers this week and ask the Lord to encourage her and capture her heart while she is at camp!

He's Able

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragement, friends! The week in Missouri was great . . . kind of like a week of camp where you meet great people, have tons of fun, and experience God in a new way. Another thing that made the week so great was joining up with Joe and Sue Rogers and being a "team" for the week. Since I was the only chaperone in our group, it was a relief to have Joe, Sue, and Phil there to step in . . . thanks again, you guys!

It was especially exciting to watch the Lord move in the hearts of the guys who came with us. I was a little unsure what they would think of the services and even wondered if they would actually come to them. So as you can probably imagine, I looked on through tears as they walked to the front more than once to spend time in prayer and worship. Most evenings, our group would get together and talk about what the Lord was teaching us and showing us. It was pretty clear from watching the guys during the services that something inside of them was changing. As our time in Missouri came to an end and going home got closer, I wondered how these changes would play out once we got back and I really started to pray that the Lord would keep their hearts tender and cause His truth to take deep root in them.

After being home for almost a week, we all got together again last night and sat around a campfire at the church to hang out and talk about the week. Three of the guys shared that they have been reading their Bibles since they got home (thank you, Jesus!). Please pray for these guys and for the rest of the youth that experienced Jesus in Missouri. Pray that they would continue to experience Christ and GROW in their faith now that they are home . . . ask the Lord to protect them, encourage them, and strengthen them! It's a comfort to remember that this work is up to the Lord, not me . . . and He is able.

From Missouri!

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Just wanted to write a quick post from Warrior Leadership Summit in Missouri! We loaded up two vans at the church last Friday morning and headed south with ten people! We met up with Joe and Sue Rogers and their crew (Renatta from New Town and Phil from Mandaree) in Jamestown and had a caravan from there all the way to Missouri. We've been here for about three days and it's been incredible again this year! One of the highlights for me so far has been seeing "my" kids get involved and watching them respond to the Lord . . . He's doing some serious work in their hearts and it is EXCITING to see. Please pray that they would continue to respond to the Holy Spirit and pray that they would continue to soak up truth!

Here's a glimpse of the past couple of days here:

The girls (Renatta, Joy, & Shelby in the center on top) with one of the elders

Six of the guys came with us this week!! And they're having a great time.

Greater things have yet to come...

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We had a great week with the Ohio team: incredibly busy, but really good. And although they are gone now, we know that the Lord is still doing His thing . . . Greater things have yet to come, greater things are still to be done here. Check out the video below.

The team worked hard doing some service projects and getting to know some of the people from the Tokio area through events like playing basketball, roasting marshmallows and talking around the campfire at the church, mowing lawns, and a ton of other activities. If you want to read details on what the team was busy with and hear things from their perspectives, click here.

The Ohio team plus Pastor Larry, Tyrone, Rob & Jen (and girls), & me

It was a real blessing to get to know the team members, to see how the Lord was working in them and through them, and to hear their thoughts and feelings about the whole experience (this was the first missions experience for some of them and the first time visiting a reservation for most of them!). I enjoyed walking alongside them and praying through things with them . . . they were a GREAT group of young people and I was so impressed with their love for the Lord and for others.

Another neat part of the week for me was getting to spend time with some of the people from Tokio who I already know and love. Building relationships with people is an essential part of ministry and this week gave me another important opportunity to focus on that. Living at the church for the week and spending every afternoon over at the housing created a perfect environment for lots of hang out time . . . which led to some great conversations and questions about the Lord and about what it looks like to live for Him on a daily basis. I was honored to listen to and share with these friends who have become so dear to me.

Several members of the Ohio team commented about how they could see that the Lord had been working in the Tokio area long before they arrived. It really is an honor to be a small part of what the Lord has been doing--and continues to do--here. Please pray that Lord would bring truth, freedom, healing, and hope to Spirit Lake Nation!

Friends from Ohio

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Just wanted to let everyone know that the Ohio team is here and things are going well! The days are crazy busy, but I'm especially enjoying "living" here at the church and having more time with my Tokio friends! It's been a blessing to get to know the Ohio team, too . . . neat crew. If you want to read more specific details about what they're busy with this week, click here.

Thanks for your prayers!

Summer Schedule

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

My summer schedule so far has included things like quick trips to Bismarck (picking up kids--one of the guys we met last year at WLS is spending the month with us here and he needed a ride!), good hang-out/conversation time with various kids, a couple of visits to FaHoCha (a couple of the youth are out there for camp this week!), and lots of planning and preparing for the upcoming week of missions at Tokio.

This Saturday, the group from Ohio will arrive and we'll start our week of ministry at Tokio. We've got some neat things planned and I've enjoyed visiting with Chad, the group leader. He's bringing a group of 15 high-school and college-age kids who love the Lord and ready to serve and learn. Please keep us in your prayers . . . Chad and his gang will be driving all day on Friday and part of Saturday. Ask the Lord to give them safe travel and prepare their hearts, even while they travel. Pray, too, for the logisitics of the week . . . that the little details run smoothly. And most importantly, pray that our time together would be clearly directed by the Lord . . . that He would guide, that He would speak, that He would be the Center of every program, every conversation, and every new friendship. Pray that we would live out His love.

Thanks much, friends . . . I'll post updates as time allows!

Tyrone (far right) is spending the month up here with us!

"Don't Waste Your Life" . . .

Sun, 31 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

...that's the title of a John Piper book AND the title of a song on LeCrae's latest album. They have paired up to share an incredible message for today's youth and we were blessed to hear it last night at a concert featuring Flame, Tedashii, Sho Baraka, Trip Lee, and LeCrae. Seven of us from the Tokio church hopped in the church van and drove down to Club 3 Degrees in Minneapolis to see this group of very solid Christian rappers who put on a great show and, more importantly, boldly shared the truth of Jesus Christ. The message of their music is powerful and seeing them and hearing their hearts last night was even more amazing. These guys aren't messing around or just standing up front to be seen. They love Jesus. And His Spirit was evident last night...it was a huge encouragement to those of us who went.

One of the guys from the Wednesday night Bible study introduced me to some of the artists we saw last night and I've been playing some of their music on the radio program on KABU 90.7FM, so that was another factor that made it especially neat to be there. A couple of the people who came with us last night haven't yet made decisions to live for Christ, so pray that the message of last night's concert takes root in their hearts! I'm hoping to get some pictures up before too long, so watch for those, too!

Looking ahead...

Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Once again, time has gotten away from me and I'm way behind with this blog...!

School got out last week, so summer vacation has officially begun. We've got some exciting events coming up in the next couple of months, so I'll really need to be more diligent with the blog posts! ;) Here's a glimpse of what's ahead:

LeCrae concert at Club 3 in Minneapolis
Mission team from Ohio coming to Tokio
Warrior Leadership Summit (WLS) in Missouri

Please keep us and these events in your prayers...we'll cover lots of miles and I'm excited to see how the Lord uses these events to draw each of us closer to Him.

Along with these special events, the regular weekly activities (Wednesday night youth group, 90.7 FM radio program, weekend church activities, etc.) will continue. Please ask the Lord to make the transition smooth as I move into a new schedule for the summer.

One other quick thing...please keep praying especially for the youth. It seems that so many of them have been dealing with some incredibly difficult things lately, but the Lord's presence is also evident in it! Please pray that the youth would learn to look to Christ in the midst of their difficulties. Pray that as they look to Him, they would be renewed with a sense of His peace and hope. Pray that the Lord would somehow bring good things out of the heartache they face. "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good..." (Genesis 50:20)

I'll do my best to keep you posted and keep the updates coming...thanks so much for your prayers!

Full, full, full

Mon, 4 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Life has been full of some very welcomed (and out-of-the-"norm") activities!

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings (April 20-22) I was at revival meetings at the Dakota Baptist Church in Fort Totten. It was such a blessing to have those evenings together, worshipping and soaking up some teaching and encouragement from visiting pastors (Pastor Kevin Anderson, Pastor Bruce Dick, and Pastor Larry Thiele). Paula and I led worship on Tuesday night and, as always, it was a privilege and a blessing to have a part in that.  Another neat aspect of the revival meetings was seeing the different circles of life all come together in one place: school kids, youth group kids, ministry partners, supporters, and friends. I never cease to be amazed at how the Lord has so many different things connected and working together. One of the guys who recently got saved came to a couple of the meetings and it was so encouraging to see his hunger for the Lord. Keep him in your prayers and ask the Lord to protect him and to continue to provide an environment for him to grow spiritually.

Another interesting connection happened on the night that Paula and I led worship. After the service, I stopped to introduce myself and visit with a couple of people who were sitting alone. The lady sitting there remembered me, reminding me that I sang at her son's funeral and expressing her gratitude again.  Please keep her and her family in your prayers as they are still grieving. Speaking of grieving, Jami's family also came to the revival meetings . . . continue to pray for them, too!

And as if that wasn't enough excitement for one week(!), we had more fun on Friday and Saturday! Our very dear friend, Darcy Ready, has a wonderful children's ministry and she came up to spend the weekend with us at Fahocha.  My family has known Darcy for about 10 years and she has been a speaker at camp for the past 8 years, so Paula and I were especially excited to set up a couple of children's programs while she was here--Friday night at the church in Tokio and Saturday night at the rec in Fort Totten. Darcy travels in a 15-passenger van and that's what I used on Saturday to go and round up kids at the old housing unit (commonly referred to as "the ghetto"). As I drove through the housing and picked up kids, I realized that I already knew many of them from working at the school, that we already had a relationship, and that trust had already been established. I realized again how valuable the school connection has been for this ministry and was thankful again for how the Lord had that planned out. By the time we got back to the rec, I think about 20 kids piled out of the van!

Often times over the years, the Lord has used Darcy and her ministry to speak powerful truth not only to the kids, but to me personally. It was extra-special to watch as the Lord spoke through her again to the precious little ones who listened and watched as she shared Jesus. Seeing Darcy is also always a good reminder for me to never underestimate the power of God in a child's life. As Darcy says, "I absolutely believe that God speaks to kids."  Please ask the Lord to do that! Ask Him to make Himself real to these kids and to bring about growth from the spiritual seeds that have been planted. Also, ask the Lord to bless Darcy really good for her willingness to come and share with us and the kids. :)

                           Darcy (and Nathan) at the Tokio church

                         Some of the kids listening to Darcy at Tokio

                 The kids at Fort Totten, piled in the back of the van!

Icing: One of the youth group girls (see below) who has been gone for a couple of months moved back to the area! She joined us on Friday night in Tokio and stayed at camp with us for part of the weekend. I could write another whole blog about that alone, but I'll just sum it up for now by saying that God is GOOD!

Joy and me on our way out to camp!

Insight

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I was talking with one of the 6th grade boys at school the other day--he and I have had some interesting discussions in the past--and he wanted me to check out a certain music video online. He wrote down the info for me and earlier this afternoon I had a chance to look at it. I was a little surprised after reading the lyrics and watching the video (see below), but I feel like it gave me some insight into this young man's heart, echoing some of the hurts and fears that he has experienced in his young life. Please pray that the Lord would be real to this young man and pray that he would see the love and hope that is found in Christ.

Neat Talks

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I've had a few especially neat conversations over the past few days...

Convo #1: One of the girls who came to our Tokio group regularily last year hasn't been in the area for the past few months, so hasn't been able to come to Wednesday-night Bible studies. I got a phone call from her this past week and was so glad to hear from her! She was full of questions about what we've been studying and reading at Bible study . . . we came up with a plan for me to mail her the "notes" from Bible study so that she can kind of follow along with us, even though she's not there with us. Although she doesn't have a Bible study to attend, she's got her Bible and a great Christian radio station that she listens to (which gave me a brand new appreciation for Christian radio!). Please pray that the Lord would protect this sweet young lady and encourage her in her faith in Him!

Convo #2: A young lady from the church in Tokio gave her life to Jesus this past fall. She has a deep hunger and desire to live for Christ. She is a young mother and wife, so I don't usually get to see her on Wednesday nights. But she and I spent some time together after church last Sunday and those couple of hours were full of sharing and learning about the Lord. It's such a blessing for me to see and hear first-hand what He is teaching others, especially new believers. Pray that this dear sister would continue to learn and grow. Pray, too, that her husband would have a personal experience with Christ as she lives for Him.

Convo #3: The other night, a lady from the reservation who knows Jesus and has a special boldness to speak the truth, shared with us about an invitation she received recently to pray at Waconi, a drug and alcohol treatment facility here on Spirit Lake. Since that invitation, she has been there more than once, preaching Jesus, inviting His Spirit there, and rebuking demonic spirits. She shared with us that 5 of the men there got saved--thank you, Jesus! Pray that the Lord would protect the new faith that these men have...pray that they would grow and be powerful testimonies for the power of Jesus!

Convo #4: A couple of days after hearing about the men at Waconi, I was at a meeting for my work at the school. When I got to the meeting, I ran into a man who graduated from North Dakota Teen Challenge a few years ago. During the course of our conversation, he told me that the Lord has put on his heart a desire to lead a drug and alcohol recovery group--a group that emphasizes the need for Jesus as the answer to addiction--on the reservation! Is it not incredible how the Lord puts things together?! I told him about the men at Waconi and will hopefully be able to arrange for him to come and share his testimony with them. Please pray that the Lord would continue to lead and direct and take care of all of the details of His perfect plans! I'll keep you posted on what comes of this...

Continue to intercede, friends...the enemy hates the victory that the Lord has and he continues to work to steal, kill, and destroy. Pray that he and his schemes would be exposed and ask the Lord to give us victory and strength in the daily battles that we fight!

One Body

Sat, 4 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Something that the Lord has put on my heart recently is the importance of coming together as believers and encouraging each other as the Body of Christ.

Over the past few months, I've had conversations with other believers and ministers on the reservation who all seemed to be in the "heat of the battle", struggling with serious discouragement and heartache. After several of these conversations, we made a plan to get together. Not to plan a ministry event, not to lead a service, not to do, but simply to be together as one Body. To share. Listen. Encourage. Pray.

Last night was our first get-together and five of us sat around a table at Dakota Baptist Church in Fort Totten, eating M&Ms and sharing our hearts about the joys and pains of life and ministry on the rez. It was such a blessing to hear about what each person has been experiencing and such an encouragement to hear about how the Lord has and is bringing them through! It was a very special time, talking about the Lord, reminding each other of truth, "building each other up" (1 Thessalonians 5:11), and praying together.

I think last night was a confirmation that we need to continue to get together like this. Our plan right now is to set aside one night a month to talk, encourage, and pray together. Please pray that the Body of Christ on the reservation would be unified and strengthened! Ask the Lord to use these get-togethers to unify us as one Body and to encourage each other in the various works that the Lord has us doing. Pray that people would see Christ's love and grace through us as we love and encourage each other.

Not about numbers...

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

School let out early today due to a North Dakota-style, March blizzard/ice storm, so I decided to sit down and write a quick update . . .

We had another good Bible study last Wednesday at Tokio and had about 15 (!) high school students there. It was great to have to set up more chairs, squeeze around the tables (even after we added an extra one), and run out of pizza (we had 4 larges) . . . but what encouraged me more than the number of kids who were there was the attitude that most of the kids had while they were there. With the exception of just a few, the kids who were there were hungry for truth and seemed to really be listening and hearing from the Lord. Seeing that ignites hope in me and reminds me that this is the Lord's work and that He is doing things His way and in His time. I'm so thankful for the glimpses He's allowed me to see, but it's also a relief somehow to know that His work does not depend on and is not limited by what I see. Please pray that the Lord would protect the work that He is doing and ask Him to help me keep a perspective that is honoring to Him.

Humble Obedience...

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

. . . that's some of what we talked about last Wednesday at our Bible study in Tokio. We've been slowly reading through Philippians and we just finished chapter 2 (about having the same attitude as Christ). This past Wednesday was an especially encouraging time for me with the youth, partly because some who hadn't been there for many months returned (!), some who had never been there came for the first time (!), and several from the group that night seemed to have especially tender and hungry hearts to hear God's Word, listening intensely and soaking it up like sponges. I cannot tell you what a blessing it was to see the look in their eyes as they listened-so sincere. After struggling for a couple of weeks with some pretty intense discouragement (thanks so much to those of you who have been praying!), it gave me great hope to actually SEE this sincere hunger and to think about what the Lord might be teaching and revealing to the youth! Please continue to pray.

Pieces

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here are some pieces of life here...

Campus Ministry: I got an email from the Campus Crusade director at Minot State University . . . he emailed to let me know about an event they had coming up at the community college in Fort Totten. The event was last Friday and is hopefully the beginning of regular events. Not sure exactly what all the Lord has in store or how it will unfold, but it's an exciting start! The campus ministry is called Nations (click here to check out their website).

Youth Group: We continue to meet every Wednesday in Tokio and we're slowly working our way through the book of Philippians. I'm always glad to run into kids from youth group at basketball games or Walmart, and a few of them are pretty faithful to keep in touch by calling or emailing. But getting them to come to Bible study on Wednesdays has been a challenge lately. Please ask the Lord to bring them back and make us a strong body of believers that can encourage and support each other in our faith in Christ!

Radio: I know that I haven't given a radio update lately, but that IS still a weekly activity! It's a struggle sometimes, but I'm so thankful for that opportunity and I get excited when I think about the ways that the Lord can use it. Matthew usually shares each week, too, and the Lord is really using him. Kenny joined us last week and I always enjoy hearing what he has to say, as well as the very hip Christian rap music he brings. He's a natural. ;) The program airs every Sunday sometime around (or shortly after) 12:00pm . . . 90.7 FM if you want to check it out!

Jami's family: I was so glad to see Jami's mom and visit with her the other night at a basketball game. She and Jami's sister had just returned from a trip to Washington D.C. where they testified about suicide prevention. Jami's mom also recently did a presentation at one of the schools in the area about suicide prevention. Part of her presentation included sharing from Ephesians 6 about the armor of God! Please ask the Holy Spirit to continue to reveal the Truth and expose the enemy!

The battle: Sara Groves says it best in her song, Boxer . . . "When You said this was a fight, You weren't kidding." It is SUCH a fight, friends, and I plead with the Lord daily to strengthen and protect us and the work that He is doing here, to have His way, and to bring good out of difficulty and pain. Almost every believer that I talk to here is dealing with some serious trials and/or circumstances that are causing discouragement, frustration, division among believers, and an overall sense of wanting to give up and run away. Please pray against this! Sara Groves quotes 1 John 4:4 later in the song, Boxer, and though my heart is weary sometimes, I am clinging to that truth and to the many other promises that our faithful God has given.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for serving Him with us!

Grieving with hope...

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We said a bittersweet goodbye earlier this week to a dear lady from the Tokio church. Priscilla had been struggling over the past months with various illnesses and passed away last week. The beautiful part of her passing is that she had a strong and sincere faith in Jesus and it brings great joy and comfort to know that she is with Him now. She was a powerful prayer warrior and a pillar for her family. On the front of the funeral bulletin was one of her prayers (in her own handwriting) that said, "This is my prayer every day, that one of my children would be saved by the grace of God." What an honor for us to continue this faithful prayer for Priscilla's family! Please ask the Lord to comfort them as they mourn and to make Himself real to them. Also ask the Lord to give each of them a desire to know Him and love Him the way that Priscilla did.

There are three other funerals on the reservation this week, so please keep those families in your prayers, too. There are so many people who are hurting and don't know where to turn. While you pray for these families, please also pray for the people who DO know the Lord. Pray that the Lord would give us opportunties to share the truth, love, hope, and comfort that we have in Christ.

New Mexico pictures

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I just uploaded a few pictures from the days spent at training in New Mexico...hopefully they will give you a glimpse of what we experienced (click Browse My Photos on the left).

One thing that I really appreciated while I was down there was participating in some Native-style worship. The directors of the Brethren In Christ (BIC) mission also pastor the First Nations Gathering, a small group of believers that meets in the gym on the mission base each Sunday afternoon. We had the honor of attending that service and it was wonderful. We sat in a circle around a drum that had been purchased and dedicated to the glory and worship of Jesus. We worshipped Him and felt the presence of the Holy Spirit as the drummers played and sang truth straight from God's Word. Duane (the pastor and director of the BIC mission) shared a reminder that I needed to hear: "The devil is not a creator, he is a corruptor." God created the drum (and every other musical instrument) for the purpose of worshipping Him and He wants us to use every instrument for His praise (Psalm 150). And that is exactly what we did. Every instrument that we had--drum, tamborines, shakers, voices--was being used to worship Jesus Christ.

Praise and worship song at First Nations Gathering service

Filled Up

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Just wanted to write a quick note to let everyone know that we're back from New Mexcio with minds, spirits, and hearts full . . . thanks so much for your prayers! Our training time was so much more than just training. We learned, laughed, cried, and prayed together. We reconnected with old friends and enjoyed making new friends. We looked to Jesus and worshipped Him together as one body, one family.

I think everyone who attended would agree that this is just the beginning of what the Lord is doing and will continue to do . . . so keep praying, friends!

I'm hoping to get some pictures up, too, so you can see some of these precious friends and partners in ministry. Until then, you can click here and see where we stayed and did our training (about 2.5 hours north of Albuquerque)!