Mission Statement

As the Hands and Feet of God, 13 members of Northwood Church have partnered with Serve Ventures to serve the Lakota people of Pine Ridge South Dakota and build homes for them.

It is our prayer that God will be glorified in us, and that people will be drawn to God because of our witness.

"Devote yourselves to prayer, stay alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the message, to speak the mystery of the Messiah- for which I am prison-so that I may reveal it as I am required to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person."
- Colossians 4:2-6

The Team

The Team
Ready and willing

Monday, August 6, 2018

Delayed post of Day 7 - 9 events

Good evening my friends. Sorry that this post is a day or so late, but I was ordered to use our rest day (Day 8 - Saturday) as rest only by Celeste, which was good because I wouldn't have had any time to enjoy the wonderful amenities at Storm Mountain Center in South Dakota.

But to make up for the delay, we decided to report on both Day 7's & 8's events. We would have included the car trip back, but we took the trip back as an opportunity for most of the group to regain sleep before work on Monday...

Anyway, let's start off this post with Day 7, which was Friday, our last day at Lakota Hope. Since we knew that it was our last day, we wanted to get as much done as possible. But just before we could fully dive into our work, Shelby surprised us by stopping by for one last breakfast and morning hugs with us. It was really cool seeing how much she and Travis connected over the week, with him mentoring her for National Guard stuff. It was a very long and touching goodbye, with one last set of 50 push-ups.



Most of our group focused more on the general maintenance of the property instead of working on the tiny homes. A few of us finished the wiring for most of the houses while the rest tackled lawn care and cleaning out the shed. The idea for the shed was to make it a more work-friendly storage area for future mission teams, but we might've bitten more off than we could chew.


Due to the very nature of shed's being the collection site for all donated odds and ends, we found ourselves in a sea of things that we just weren't sure what to do with. We began to empty as much as much of the contents as we could onto the lawn, but it was difficult knowing where to go from there. We started out thinking we'd just find the stuff that was still functioning or useful to be placed back inside, but there were a lot of miscellaneous items and abandoned projects, and we simply weren't sure what was still relevant. Fortunately, Paul was able to step in after he'd completed all of his errands and told us to discard anything that didn't have anything to do with camp maintenance or building the tiny homes. This made it easier for Eric to use his gift of Leadership and charge ahead with putting things back in a neat and organized manner after performing some much needed maintenance on the shelving.


We're pretty sure that Tony had the most fun out of all of us when cleaning the shed. We pulled out multiple weed whackers that weren't functional because someone hadn't used a proper gas/oil mix and burned them out. Paul thought that all of them were probably junk. But then we gave them to Tony and he got to play around figuring out if any of them could be saved. He was definitely in his element fixing all but one of the machines. He and Brian modified a mismatched blade to get a mower up and running, and he even found this old hand drill that he turned into a makeshift screwdriver.

The cleaning of the shed was a bigger project than expected, so some of the group opted to stay at camp and continue working while the rest went to the second night of the Powwow. Luckily, even though we ran behind schedule, we were able to find good seating for the Grand Entry. It was really energizing to sit behind the drum circle group known as the Crazy Horse Group as they helped provide the entry music for the dancers. We also ran into a friend of Pinky's that likes to sit next to this group.

We could really tell that the dancers were excited to be there and they put their all into dancing. Just seeing the different styles and how they interacted with each other highlighted the culture behind them. Along with the pro-dancers, there were the folks who were there to have fun. Some of them didn't even have full regalia but were dancing anyway. We could've even joined in ourselves, but felt a bit self-conscious about doing so.

After enjoying the Powwow, we trickled back to Lakota Hope, finding a nicely mowed lawn (thanks to Celeste, a.k.a. The Energizer Bunny), pruned trees and a tidy shed. We had evening Devotions around a roaring campfire, and got to have some really yummy s'mores. For devotions, we discussed what we would do with what we learned this week going forward. For most of us, it would mean being more proactive with our interactions within our community back home and being willing to serve in little ways like we did that week.

By the time we were done, everyone was more than ready to hit the hay, but the gals had a mystery on their hands, and they were dying to solve it. A fan that they were using each night was mysteriously moved out of position. Celeste, having questioned everyone on it, came to the conclusion that it was Emma (that's me btw) who was moving it because she was the closest to it. But since she, like everyone else, claimed innocence, it was assumed that she was sleepwalking, which was funny because she did have a very distant history of doing just that.

So all of us gals put our collective noggins together to try to find the Fan-tastic Mover. We put a pair of gloves parallel to where the fan was currently facing, hoping to confirm that it moved by morning. So we all went about our evening routine with everyone being semi-aware of who was going by the fan. Emma was the one to discover the culprit just as she turned to go to sleep.

"The Fan Moved!" Everyone sat up in disbelief, because the fan was out of position despite no one touching the thing. The fan's vibration had gradually inched it across the floor. The fan was moving itself, so it was dubbed "the Fantom."

Day 8 started out with everyone scrambling to finish packing before breakfast, with the idea being that we could just roll out afterward. We got mostly packed, but the need for food delayed us just a little. We got to hang out with Abram one last time before he headed back to Day 3 of the Powwow.

Just before we left, Rose, an artist we met on Tuesday (Day 4) stopped by. She had been asked to redo the beadwork on Travis' Native Veteran's hat from Vietnam to Iraq ribbon colors. She was worried that she wouldn't get to him in time, but thankfully we got to see her again just before she headed off to get ready for the Powwow.



After one last prayer with Paul and a quick rinse for the very muddy cars, we headed off for Storm Mountain Retreat Center in South Dakota. It was a two hour trip with a quick break to view the Bad Lands and get a few pics. We even had the chance to play with the drone for a cool aerial shot.





When we made it to Storm Mountain, we were floored by how beautiful everything was. The retreat was hidden between Mountain ridges that weren't too far away from Mt Rushmore, but felt like another world. The resort offered a wide variety of activities, along with serval worship centers scattered in hidden spots for other church groups to visit.

Our only regret visiting there was that we only had a few hours to spend exploring before it got to dark out. But we all went off to enjoy ourselves while we could. Some went hiking, others went swimming, explored a gold mine, and played a couple games of carpet ball.



After a delicious supper, we held our last devotions, discussing what we would share with folks once we were back home. How would we give a 30-second answer to the question, "How was your trip?" versus a 3-minute one? They were though question for our group as we all tried to hold off sleep, but we worked through this very important task. We eventually retreated to the deck, singing the Doxology and Amazing Grace before calling it a night.

The very accommodating resort director woke up extra early on Sunday to make sure we had a good breakfast before our 7am departure. It was bittersweet to finally be headed home.

As we pulled in to Northwood House, Cyndi was waiting there with open arms. It was a happy reunion as we shared stories about our trip, and she shared with us how a "random" call from a dear friend became a reminder that she was a fully functioning member of the team, appointed to pray over us and encourage us throughout the week.

We'd like to thank you for your interest in our adventure, and tell you how grateful we are for your prayers. There will be additional posts as we reflect on our trip and share some personal experiences.


Friday, August 3, 2018

Day 6

Hello from the Pine Ridge team! Yesterday was another incredible day God has given us. We are a bit more encouraged about the house work. We're starting to understand the wiring more. The team also got a lot of landscaping done to clean up God's place. We are making progress!




(Land Ho!)

We have some wonderful news to share. Our friend Ruby has gotten into the newspaper! Her food truck to give free food to the homeless is named, "Goldie Mae's Meals on Wheels." Her goal is to do even more with her food truck. Ruby wishes that she had a pick up truck so she could bring the donated things like household goods and wood to people in need. The news is spreading about her good deeds. 




After making progress on the houses, we hung out at the 33rd annual Oglala Lakota Powwow. There was lots of good, fun fair food to eat. There were curly fries, donut bacon burgers, funnel cakes, and deep fried Oreos. Oh my!



There was a lot of native music and dancing. We also got to walk around the circle of vendors, and take a peek at all of the beautiful jewelry, toys, clothes, and super soft blankets. It was also a great chance to get to know one another.


We also got to shake hands with a Vietnam Veteran, who got his metals back after being dishonorably discharged from the army - he had joined the American Indian Movement which, at the time, was considered a terrorist organization. It was also a pleasure to shake hands with other veterans and thank them, too. 



When we got back home, we had root beer floats and devotions. Our friend Paul talked about how Jesus washed His Disciples' feet. We are washed by the blood of Jesus. The Scripture is John 13:1-17. Paul and Shelby came around and washed our feet and prayed personally for each of us. It was a God moment. Everyone's hearts were filled with His presence. Our feet and even our souls felt clean last night.


Thursday, August 2, 2018

Day 5's Adventures

Good morning or afternoon, depending on when this is posted. Yesterday turned out a little differently than we expected, but it was a productive day over all.



After our breakfast and morning devotional, we hit the ground running getting to work on the houses. We had been looking forward to having the state electrical inspector come to either sign off on what we were doing or tell us what needed to be done. Unfortunately, it wasn't the state inspector who came, but instead we met a local electrician who was able to tell give us a few tips. While we would love to have finished wiring & plumbing and get started with the dry wall, it appears that the dry wall will fall to another group to complete. The state inspector won't be here until after we leave, and some of the houses need to have their wiring redone.



With the numbert of tasks that can be done in houses becoming lower and lower, along with the number of hands already available to do some much needed yard work at Lakota Hope, things felt like they were slowing down. It was a bit disheartening for some of us since we wanted to join in the work but couldn't join in for one reason or another. It felt like we weren't putting as much effort as we'd want into what we came here to do - build tiny homes.



But we took a moment and reflected. Yes, our primary goal was to work on and hopefully complete the tiny houses that were started by previous teams, but maybe that wasn't what God wanted us to do this trip. Along with building, we have been meeting the people, sharing a smile, and just being there to listen, sometimes offering & providing a drink or some food. Even if it doesn't feel important to make a visit to the local store and just talk to folks, God is using us to share his love with the community.



So after lunch, we decided to go visit a local coffee shop called Higher Ground (pretty clever, right?). It's a cute little place that had been open for 12 years, serving the community and visitors passing through. The first thing we noticed was a little cross in the logo's cup of coffee, and inside there were Bibles sitting on the shelf next to some informational books on the Lakota people. It was cool to visit with the baristas and study the cork boards full of smiling faces.

After our coffee break, we were able to get a few more hours in on the houses before getting an early dinner started. That was when Ruby stopped by for a visit again. She was just planning on stopping by to get a drink of water and be on her way. But as she would put it, "her big mouth no brain" just started a-talking. She began by sharing a little bit of her story again and then went on to talk about how she hadn't planned on talking about kids the other night. But God must have had a reason for her to do so, Ruby stated, so she did. As Ruby was talking, we started to gather around her, one by on, drawn in by what she had to say.

She told us to pray for the children on the reservation, for the people who don't know if they'll have a place to sleep each night, and for the upcoming election so that they'll get a council member who will actually do something other than collect a pay check. The Reservation, like anywhere else in the US, has to deal with politics, and a huge part of the politics is who are you related to.

Ruby told us how most of the council members are in office because of their relations, and that the money isn't getting to the people who need it, but instead is used for the council's benefit. She explained that the city of Pine Ridge is deceiving. When folks come to visit, they see nice jobs and jobs for the locals, but the wealth isn't for everyone. The jobs and houses in the city are mostly taken up by folks who are part Lakota and white.

When dinner was ready, we invited Ruby to join us for supper. She was surprised, but within a moment of convincing her to stay to eat we got her a plate of pasta. Spending that time with Ruby was a treasure. We didn't want to wander too far away and miss whatever story she was currently telling. It was like we were little kids listening to our grandparent telling tales.

After dinner and good-byes, we gathered together and prepared for an evening hike up The Camel's Back. By the time we got to the trail head, the sun was already low in the sky, so we started following Paul through the sea of grass. There was a trail to follow, but sometimes it would vanish, so we would blaze our own trail for a time. Some of us had better luck than others by missing the prickly bush branches. Other times there was a clear path where the grass was lighter in color or the ground was clear of cover, so some folks marched ahead while others took a moment to look at a pretty flower.



Eventually we made it to the base of the hump, a cliff that had appeared very far away but was now standing tall and proud before us. Following Paul's direction, most of us scrambled up a little revine to the top with exclamations of trimph. Around and below, the beautiful landscape with its trees, houses, and water treatment lake spread out before us as the sun was setting.

We held devotions on top of the cliff, with Paul sharing the story of how Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Like Jesus, we prayed for the people in the valley below and all around us on Pine Ridge, praying for their hearts to open up to Jesus and his love. Then we sang praises, letting our voices be carried by the wind. There was a funny sad moment when Celeste asked Karen to "take it away" on the worship songs, because she forgot that Karen didn't get to the top. But even though she couldn't be on top of the mountain, she was with us in spirit, sitting quietly at the base, listening to the sound of Doxology coming over the cliff.

We were there for a while after the sun had set, and it was getting dark out, so we split into two groups. One group was lead by Travis to take a longer easier route down while the other lead by Paul and headed down by the way we came in order to meet up with Karen faster. But that's were our adventure at dusk began. With grass as tall as our shoulders in places, and hills blocking our lines of sight, it wasn't too long before the groups broke into smaller groups and lost each other. Thankfully we all met up by the tree that signaled the way to the cars, but for a long while we were playing Marco Polo with the help of our phone lights.

Luke 19: 41-44
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+19%3A41-44&version=NLT

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Day 4

         Hello from the team! Yesterday was a great day, we made some progress on the houses  and we also got to meet people on the reservation. When we saw Pinky the other day, she invited us to go to pizza in the park on the reservation. The people there want to have the event to build a closer community. They also want the kids to get some food in their tummy.







          In the afternoon, there was an event called Night Of Another Hope at Lakota Hope. Some artisans gathered around the pavilion and sold some artwork. We served hot dogs to the people who came to connect with the community. Some other people on missions trips also joined us.
       





           After everybody ate, we came together for worship. It was cool to see people from different cultures in one place, worshipping. When worship ended, a woman named Ruby shared her story with us.
           When she was a little girl, her mom left her. Her dad died before she was born. Ruby’s grandparents raised her. They were her Mom and Dad. After they passed away, she only had God. Because she grew closer to Him, God used her in many wonderful ways. She started a soup kitchen, did Meals on Wheels, and really helped the homeless. She would like us to pray for the homeless, so that their conditions would greatly improve. Ruby also advised us to be grateful for what we have. Ruby is a selfless, wonderful person.

         

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Day 3's adventures

Good morning everyone. We decided to turn the blog posts into the day-after posts. So here's the scoop on yesterday's events.

We, the team, had a day (day 3) of stories along with finally starting work on the tiny homes.

As you may know from yesterday's post, we got to meet Pinky Clifford. She and her wonderful staff have been working on improving the housing situation of Pine Ridge. While making tiny homes is one of Pinky's dreams for her community, her calling has been to help her people by helping them get financial assistance and better credit scores, as well as reminding them that it's ok to have ownership. (Traditionally, that which is too much or too big to carry is given away.)

It was really cool to hear her story and how it has changed her community of Fraggle Rock. The community got its name from the show Fraggle Rock because a police officer needed to call it something when the area didn't have a name yet.

Along with exploring Fraggle Rock, we got to explore the tiny city of White Clay, Nebraska, which is where we're staying this week.

It was fun to see the town with its colorful church and storefronts, and along with the walking tour we got to hear the story of how the town changed for the better and is still changing.

Abram, also known as Curly Sioux, shared his story of how he came to serve at Lakota Hope. When he first started volunteering here, the town of White Clay had four liquor stores since it was outside the Pine Ridge reservation.  Seeing the people on the streets intoxicated, the law enforcement not being adequate, and the hopelessness hanging over the town, Abram moved to have the liquor stores legally removed.

It was a long process and, for a time, it looked like the liquor stores would win the case. But God moved in unexpected ways and Abram won the case on a Nebraska law loophole. While the case was going on, the liquor store owners were trying to renew their license but, during that time, a church had made itself home in White Clay. The law was that liquor stores couldn't be within certain distance of a church, so the liquor stores were closed on a technicality.

The town changed for the better, the level of intoxication dropped dramatically, and people living in the town started to feel hope again.
After exploring, we finally got our hands dirty by working on the tiny home after lunch. It was a bit confusing at first, figuring out what still needed to be done since each house is at different stage in the construction process. But that didn't stop us from jumping right in.

After a long day of adventures, we had our evening devotional by a smoldering camp fire with a scoop of ice cream. Paul and Shelby shared their stories of being the hands and feet of God in White Clay and had this bible passage to share with us.

Matthew 25:35-46