Our last day of clubs went very well; we had many opportunities to continue to talk with kids. Pastor Steve told us that we were the most well-received group by the kids and teens among any of the mission teams that have been to Sharps Corner. Our team is coming home with definitive memories of how God worked in and through each of them.
We enjoyed some sightseeing today, visiting the Mammoth Site dig in Hot Springs, Mount Rushmore, and Wall Drug. We did have a minor incident with the door on the Wallace's van that set us back about an hour, but we arrived safely in Oacoma tonight. After a good night's rest on a real bed, we'll head out first thing in the morning and Lord-willing arrive in Columbia by 8:00pm.We look forward to seeing you soon and sharing the stories firsthand of the wonders God performed!
The Leach family (Leah, Ethan, Phillip, and Stephen)
We have just one day of ministry left, but the week has gone well and we look forward to God's continued working. The clubs at Sharps and Evergreen both continue to go well; Sharps had 21 kids today - the highest so far. Evergreen was down, but the guys had more time with each kid that came and no real distractions. Cody did come to our team devotions, and the Sharps Teen Club (Jim, John, and Marcus) had the chance to talk with him for quite awhile. Cynthia, a teen girl that Kelly has befriended this week, really opened up with her. Some of our guys were able to play basketball in Evergreen, and Zach was able to reconnect with Tyler, one of the guys he met from the Spring Break trip. Our team is really learning what it means to love the Lakota people and develop genuine relationships with them. The gospel has been presented, and we pray that the seed falls on good soil to produce fruit as God gives the increase.
Friday is our last day with the kids, and our team is really excited about one more opportunity to spend with the kids. We are hosting a bbq at the church Friday evening, followed by a worship concert. Pray for us as we have one last day to share the love of Christ with the Lakota people, for our followup with some after we are home, and for our team as we bring back our experiences and God's working in our lives.
We have reached the midpoint of our week, and things continue to improve. The 5 Day Club in Evergreen had its best day yet, with fewer distractions and more opportunities to talk with kids. The teen club there gained an inroad with a family by helping to put out a small fire caused by a firecracker. The teen club in Sharps Corner is planning to invite one of the teens, Cody, to our team worship and devotions Thursday or Friday night. Many of our team members have kids that they have been talking with and are praying about opportunities to have deeper, spiritual conversations before the end of the week.
Continue to pray for a pastor to replace Pastor Steve; he has one couple he talked with this week that is pretty interested. The following is a list of kids our students would like to talk with Thursday and Friday: Cody and Jeremy (Sharps Teen Club - open and interested in talking to our guys) Jay, Jeff, Jamie, Travis, Larry, and Al (Sharps Teen Club - pretty closed guys) Delaine and Cynthia (Sharps) Rashiya, Christopher, and J.J. (Sharps Growth Club) Robert (Sharps 5 Day Club)
A few videos are posted below from the first few days, and more will be coming soon! Thank you for praying for us.
Passing out flyers in Evergreen on Sunday
5 Day Club at Sharps Corner Baptist Church on Tuesday
Our team has finished our second full day of ministry. While it seems like the week has only just begun, we are already nearly halfway through. We have been encouraged by the openness of many of the kids and teens in Sharps Corner; for the most part, we have been able to pick up where we left off last summer. The past two nights we have been able to go to the courts in Sharps Corner to play basketball and volleyball with people from the community, which allows us to interact with the people informally, have fun with them, and get to know them better. Our biggest challenge at this point is developing deeper relationships with the kids and teens. It has been easier for us to spend time with them, but we want to use that time well and have the chance to talk with them one on one. Our team in Evergreen has had a significantly different experience from the spring break trip. They have had a smaller group, which has made it easier to give attention to each of the kids. Our students leading the teen club met quite a few Evergreen teens through a basketball game this afternoon. Our team as a whole is doing well; we have had great times in prayer and devotions together, and God is drawing us closer to each other. We have had a couple of people struggling with colds, along with a few minor injuries and sunburns. Why we are here in South Dakota
Kids in Sharps Corner
Dacy and Destiny listen to songs in Evergreen
