TRIP DATES: June 20 - June 30
WEDNESDAY,
JULY 5:
Final
Update on team accomplishments:
The team
was able to paint some children's classrooms, the
kitchen and both the men's and women's restrooms.
A new sink cabinet was installed and finished in
the kitchen. New door handles were installed
on two classroom doors. The team cleaned and
organized the resource room, the storage room and
classroom and the supply room. They built
a baptistry at the church and a 7 foot by 3 foot
cross and put the cross in the ground. The
team built three plywood game boards for holiday
celebrations for the children. They installed
a storm door in Pastor Boots' house and baseboards
in the men's restrooms. The team fixed Pastor
Boots' computer. They washed and waxed the
floors of the church.
At one
of the church member's homes (Tony) they removed
a wall between the kitchen pantry and the bedroom
closet and made one large bedroom closet from it
and installed a new bathroom door.
At another
member's home (Tweeter) they put screens in three
windows and new casing around the front door.
They installed a new lock on the front door as well.
In addition they insulated the skirt around the
outside of the house.
On Sunday
at the 3:00 children's church they sang with the
children, had story time and did crafts with them.
One day
they were able to serve refreshments to the the
children and played games at the community center.
On a daily
basis children came to the church where various
team members played with them or read stories to
them.
WEDNESDAY,
JUNE 28:
Team
North Dakota continues to enjoy wonderful weather
and the blessing of team unity and cooperation. They
have begun work on the homes of Toni and Tweeter
(two adult women who have been faithful to the
church at TipiWakan). Weather is harsh much
of the year in North Dakota, so insulation and
repairs to doors and windows have consumed much
of the team's time.
Kirsten
Haney, Ginger and Marion have had opportunities
to play with the neighboring children and share
Jesus with them. Ellen Pikop met up with
the deaf boy Quinton again this year; a few other
team members know ASL as well and may have the
chance to "talk" to him.
No Native Americans in
Cannonball can converse with him, so it is a blessing
to have the team there to communicate with him.
One
of the biggest treats this year is that Boots'
wife Jackie is home. Last year she underwent
2 surgeries in Texas and was gone during our team's
visit - for a total of 8 months apart from
Boots. She has recuperated beautifully,
and it has been the pleasure of the team to minister
to her as well this time. Jackie has been
enjoying the team's energy, especially in painting
the 2 church restrooms, the kitchen and the children's
Sunday School classroom.
Please
pray for the team to have opportunities to share
Jesus with the residents of Cannonball.
The community has been exposed to such a mix of
spiritism, religions of all kinds and traditions
that they need the clarity of the gospel that
Jesus is the one true God.
ANOTHER
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28 UPDATE:
Tomorrow
is our last full day here at Tipi Wakan, so this
is probably our last on site update. On Monday,
we enclosed the baptismal (a horse trough) with
panels of wood, and we finished the kitchen renovation.
We also had some kids visit the church, and played
games with them.
On
Tuesday, we started repairs on the houses of two
women. On one house, we installed insulation behind
the house siding, as it had none and winters here
are extremely harsh. On the other house, we tore
down the wall adjoining two closets for ease of
access and greater storage. We also picked up kids
from around the neighborhood and organized games
for them to play at the community center (an abandoned
building with a parking lot). There was also a water
balloon fight that they immensely enjoyed.
Today,
we finished both of the projects on the houses,
as well as fixing and installing doors in them.
We tested the baptismal (it works, as tested by
the dunking of one of our teammates), and finished
the panels enclosing it. More kids came to the church,
after which ensued another water balloon fight.
One
of the women whose house we worked on, out of gratitude
for what we had done, came to the church and made
fry bread for us (YUM!!!!!!). We are currently digesting
this feast, which we shared with another family
from our church, the Davis ' (who recently returned
from the jungles of Papua New Guinea and are on
a vacation which led them near here). We are having
a wonderful time fellowshipping and winding down
as the end of our trip approaches. God has blessed
our work, and we have finished most of what we set
out to accomplish. Tomorrow will probably include
putting finishing touches on a few things and relaxing
a bit in each other's company.
With
regards to Marcy's health, thank you for your prayers.
Her appointment went well and it appears that there
are no long term health problems to worry about,
rather, it was a temporary episode that should not
occur again
MONDAY,
JUNE 26:
The
North Dakota team got off to a wonderful start,
but had to make some adjustments over the weekend
when Marcy Pikop began having some health problems.
Medical resources are limited on the reservation,
and even Bismarck does not have much beyond the
basics. Her Santa Clarita doctor recommended
that she come home, so she and her husband Randy
flew home on Friday evening, arriving tired but
safe and sound. She has an appointment on
Monday with her doctor. In the meantime, Richard
and Marion Morey and Ginger Klawer have stepped
into more significant leadership roles on the team,
which continues to serve in North Dakota . Please
pray for the necessary adjustments and for continued
fruitful ministry for the team.
SUNDAY,
JUNE 25:
On Thursday
we attempted to get as much work done as possible.
We gathered more supplies for the homes of the two
women we will be working with, and some of us started
projects at the church. We stained cabinets and
a door that will be installed in Toni's home, and
we painted the girls' bathroom at the church. We
also started making games out of plywood for a Fall
Festival (HallowHim) that Jackie and Boots will
be putting on this year. Our computer geek, Bryce,
fixed some problems on Jackie and Boots computer
and installed programs they needed. We cleaned out
and reorganized one of the classrooms and the resource
room.
On Friday,
we were expecting to work at Toni's house, but she
was not feeling well enough to have us come. We
continued painting in the church, and finished the
children's Sunday school room and the boys' bathroom.
We cleaned and prepared the church for the people
that would come on Sunday, since we would not be
at the church on Saturday.
Saturday
was a much needed time of R&R after the departure
of our team leaders, and we spent the day riding
horses at Fort Abraham Lincoln and moseying around
beautiful downtown Bismark (in a thunderstorm).
It was nonetheless, a beautiful day, and by the
evening, the skies had cleared enough for us to
take a sunset boat ride on the Missouri River (the
sun sets here at between 10:15 and 10:30 pm).
Sunday was
a busy but fruitful day, as we had our first opportunity
to work with many of the people of the community
in the Sunday services held at Tipi Wakan. We worked
with the children in the afternoon and had dinner
with two young adults. Though it was a long day,
we had a blast working with the highly energetic
kids. We also cleared and started painting the church
kitchen.
It is now
Monday morning, and we are picking up where we left
off with the work to be done in the church. We have
had an amazing time so far, and we are thankful
for God's protection and provision through the trials
we have faced thus far. I believe that God will
continue to provide the strength we need to minister
to the people here at Cannonball, and will work
out all of the problems that we come against. We
thank you for your prayers for our team and for
Marcy's health, and we ask that you would continue
to pray, especially that we may still accomplish
what needs to be done here missing two pairs of
very capable hands. We hope to keep you better updated
for the remainder of our trip!
Grace to
you!
The North
Dakota Team
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