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
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