New Life…

It’s been an interesting week here at Lac du Flambeau.  Mr. Ed came home from the hopsital and then had to return.  Mrs. Virginia is lost without him.  Here’s a shot of the two of them acting silly after he got home.

He should be able to come home again tomorrow.  I hope so!

Mrs. Judy had eye surgery Wednesday and came home Thursday night.  Her surgery went well but she has now come down with the flu.  The house I am staying in while on the rez belongs to her.  She has been beyond generous and I’ve really come to love her.  Here’s a shot of where I’ve been living these three weeks.

I’ll miss this double wide on the rez…it’s MUCH better than the one I live in at home and it’s defintely better than the tents and tipis I’ll be sleeping in on other reservations this summer!

Friday night Mr. Buddy, Dar and Pam took me to eat supper.  After supper Dar and Pam invited me to come back to their house for a visit. They’ve got a full house.  A son, his girlfriend and her three children along with their daughter’s two children.  It’s a home filled with laughter and fun.  One of the sweetest sights I’ve seen the whole time I’ve been here was Dar singing a hymn to his grandson, Bryson.  Let me introduce you to Bryson…

He is bright eyed and full of life!  And, thanks to his grandparents, he will know the Lord!  I believe we are looking at a future Christian leader in the Native American community!

Then there’s Hazel…a beautiful little girl with lots of black hair and eyes to match.  She looks as if she’s questioning everyone and everything around her.

And this is a picture of Pam’s life!  She loves it but all I can say is, “Better Pam than me!”

Today was great because we had two more children come to Children’s Church!  They are Mrs. Virginia’s great, great nieces, Emily and Sky…

Their dad is Walter, Mrs. Virginia’s great nephew…and the operative word here is “great.”  Walter is there every time Mrs. Virginia needs him.  He is 34 years old and has six children that he is raising on his own…and he’ s doing it well. I have a great deal of admiration for him.

My beautiful niece, Kaylee, turned 12 on Thursday and she had her party yesterday. It was hot there and the kids played on a slip and slide that my brother made.  I have to admit, it made me kind of homesick.  I hate hot weather but playing around in the water on a hot day with my niece is always fun! The last two days here on the rez have been cold and dreary outside. The kind of days that make you want to stay inside and sleep or read a good book.  Getting out of bed this morning was not easy until I got to church and saw this…

It just kind of puts everything into perspective doesn’t it?  God shows us through nature how everything is always changing.  Everything comes to an end and begins again.

The children on this reservation are the future of this reservation.  There’s a church in a nearby town (not on the rez) that picks the reservation children up on Wednesday’s and brings them to a special children’s program at the church.  The kids are learning God’s Word and I’m pleased with that.  The church that is ministering to these kids is great but once again, the children are experiencing Christ in the “white man’s world” rather than in their own. I want these kids to know that Jesus resides on their reservation as well!  Now is the time for that…I believe that this is the season of new life here at Lac du Flambeau….in nature and in the Church.  New groups are coming in behind me; the members here are prepared to reach out to the children in this community and lives are being restored on this reservation.  I’m so grateful that God allowed me to be a small part of it.

So, what’s next?  I’m headed home…to a place where I’m not the only one who “talks funny.”  I’m going to pick up my dog, love on my niece and nephew, have a fish fry at my Daddy’s, enjoy Mother’s Day with my Mama, go to a very special wedding, give Hudson and Denton a big bear hug, spend time with Josh and Nikki,  have a slumber party with my Mama and Kaylee, get ready for a new baby girl, go out with friends and finish preparing to leave again in June.  I’ll keep you posted…

as soon as I’m on the road again…

It’s been a great few days on the rez…

Today we had three children show up for Sunday School here on the rez!  That may not sound like many to you but believe me, it’s a big deal.  The children also had a knowledge of Jesus and what He did on the cross and that was encouraging as well!

Wednesday night there were three of us that met for prayer meeting. We three discussed enough to make us all go home and continue seeking God for truth.  That’s the kind of Bible study I love…when everyone contributes and learns from each other.

Mr. Ed is still in the hospital but doing much better…the young lady who was beat up Wednesday is also better.  She is still pretty traumatized but that is starting to heal as well.

I made a trip to see my friend, Bernadine and her family on the Menominee reservation.  Bernie is a believer on a reservation with very few believers but she doesn’t let that stop her.  She’s got a love for the Lord and is teaching her niece and nephews about Jesus and the Word.  I’m so proud of how determined she is to follow through!  During our visit we took a trip to the cemetery (yep, another one!) to visit her mother’s grave.  I got this shot of Bernie with her niece Evian and her nephews Jarel and Jayquan while there.

The last few days have been beautiful so I took a quick trip to Madeline Island. There were very few people there since summer hasn’t arrived but I like it that way.  It was just me and beautiful Lake Superior.

I came upon an old church and…..another cemetery while on the island.

Right before I left to catch the ferry back to the mainland, I came upon this incredible wooded area.  It looked to me as if they were the woods straight from a fairy tale… Hey, your imagination runs wild when you are all alone on a practically deserted island!

Then, on the way home, I discovered this crazy collectibles shop. It was closed but all I wanted were some good photos! Here’s one of them…

Finally, I made a mad dash home so that I could capture the sun setting on Lac du Flambeau.  I wasn’t disappointed.

Here’s another look…

Then, as I was about to walk away, this caught my eye.  Dare I say…smoke signals?  You decide!

 So, all in all it has been a great week!!!  I can’t wait to see what next week has in store for us here on the rez.

The true picture…

There are no photographs today.  Just some information you may not know. I never know how much to mention concerning some of what goes on in the lives of the people on these reservations. There’s a fine line between information and invasion of privacy.

Yes, it’s beautiful here and I get a little time here and there to enjoy the scenery, but life on any reservation is hard. Yesterday a 12 year old girl that I have come to know was drug behind a building by two 14 year old boys. Waiting for her behind the building was another 12 year old girl who proceeded to beat her black and blue just because she didn’t like her.

Another family just found out that their grandchild is being sexually abused by someone in the family. One 34 year old young man I have gotten to know has six children, no job and his wife is in prison.

This is just an example of life on the reservation. The small band of believers here feels overwhelmed…they don’t know where to start to make a difference. Please pray for them and for all the others affected by life here and on all the reservations throughout the United States.

An eventful couple of days…

It’s been an eventful couple of days on the rez.  Monday night I got a call from Mrs. Virginia telling me that her husband, Mr. Ed had been rushed to the emergency room.  It was about 9:30 p.m.  I called a couple of the church members and headed to the hospital. I stayed until they admitted him at about 2:00 a.m.  He was doing better but they are unsure of what is going on.  Mrs. Virginia and I visited for quite a while.  Mr. Ed is the love of her life and her best friend; yet, in the midst of his sickness, they are both still overcome with longing for their Native brothers and sisters to come to Christ.  It is their constant prayer.  I pray that God will place that kind of longing for others in my heart!  Here’s a picture of Mr. Ed with Mrs. Virginia and myself last summer.

Mr. Ed says that Jesus wants him in the hospital so he can witness to everyone he comes in contact with…and believe me, he is doing just that!!! Everyone wants to visit with him and God is using that.  I spent 2 hours at his bedside yesterday and enjoyed hearing of his past mission work with other Natives. What a mighty man of God!

Earlier that day, I had taken advantage of the beautiful weather and  unusually slow schedule for the day and took a drive to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on Lake Superior.  I thought I lived on a lake….then I saw Lake Superior.  It goes on forever and is so beautiful!

I came to the lovely town of Ashland, WI and got my first glimpse of Lake Superior at this beautiful dock.

 Then at this roadside park.

After a brief visit here, I headed on to Bayfield, a beautiful town right on Lake Superior where fishing is king!

Spring was showing up in Bayfield as well…

 After leaving Bayfield, I headed further north and accidentally discovered this little treasure on Lake Superior.  It is called Little Sands Bay…

It was extremely secluded and I only saw 4 people there.  One was in a boat and three more were construction workers toward the front of the property.  I was aware that it might be slightly dangerous for me to be there alone, but I was enjoying taking pictures so I ignored the potential danger and continued on…until I saw this…

Yep! That’s a bear track…and not an old one.  I decided then that it was time to go.

I stopped again at Meyer’s Beach…another secluded area…and then headed for home.  On the way home I came upon another cemetery and had to stop if for no other reason than to get a shot of all the purple flowers.

Two and a half hours later I was back home and three hours after that I was at the hospital.

Sunday afternoon drive…

Well, it’s my first Sunday with the Lac du Flambeau Bible Baptist Church.  We’ve visited children, we’ve had several meetings and the relationships I am forming here are enduring ones.  Today was the day…Sunday.  We prepared the room, I got the lesson ready, the ladies were on hand to learn.  But no kids.  It’s a slow process on a reservation.  The supply pastor had his two grandchildren with him so we took them and did a practice Sunday School with them for training.  The ladies learned and the kids enjoyed themselves…so all in all, it was progress.  Now we’ll just have to keep on keeping on.  After a great lunch with Mr. Buddy and Don I decided it was time for some fresh air.  Nothing renews my soul like a Sunday afternoon drive, so off I went…exploring my new “home.”  And I wasn’t disappointed.  The Northwoods country is one of the most serene places I’ve ever experienced.  The sun filtering through the fir, spruce and pine; the water that seems to go on forever. Take a look…

 The birch trees stand like tall, white sentinels, quietly standing guard in the afternoon sun…

And when I opened my car window at this boggy marsh, the mosquitos that flew in put the Louisiana mosquitos to shame! They were so large I had to look twice to make sure they were actually mosquitos…

Of course, no Sunday afternoon drive is complete without a visit to a local cemetery.  I always enjoy cemeteries…much to the dismay of my friends…but if you want to know something about the area you are in then that’s the place to go!  This cemetery is on the reservation and has something I’ve never seen before…

Yep…that’s a little house.  They are called Ojibwe cemetery houses.  They house the food and other offerings made by the Ojibwe natives.  Here’s a look at another one…

Well, tomorrow begins a whole new week here with my new Native friends.  I’ll keep you posted…

 

 

On the rez…

I’ve been on the reservation for 3 days now.  The accommodations are wonderful…much better than what I live in at home.. and the people are so gracious.  These are a good people…proud to be Native but grieved at how few of their people know Jesus.  I’ve met with the church members twice and we’ve begun work on starting a Sunday School for the children.  I haven’t taken any pictures yet but here is a shot from August with one of my favorite Natives – Mrs. Virginia Seneca.

Pam Waterman and I went into the community visiting some of the children yesterday and today.  The response was mostly positive so I’m looking forward to seeing who comes on Sunday.  Today, before we went visiting, I took advantage of the beautiful sunshine and went out looking for photo opportunities.  I stopped at the actual Lake of Torches …Lac du Flambeau and got this shot…

The wind was blowing and I was freezing (it was 43 with a wind chill of 37 today) when I took this one!

Time ran out and I headed to the church to meet Pam.  But the best was yet to come…I went to supper with Dar and Pam and on the way home we spotted this Bald Eagle!  It’s a baby…that’s why it doesn’t have the white on it’s head yet. But it’s a Bald Eagle none the less!! Dar was kind enough to turn around, go back and pull over so I could get this. God Bless you Dar!

A great end to a good day.  I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Day 2…Another surprise

After a good night’s rest it was time to go again.  10 minutes into the drive I discovered this…

I love it when I find places like this!

Here are two more that I took some artistic liberties with.

And another one!

Then came the dreaded Interstate.  Everyone knows that the Interstate can be an endless trail of mind numbing nothingness…if that is a word!  But there’s beauty along every road if you just look for it.  Like these flowers that were growing along the side of the road…

And then this beautiful rest stop in Missouri.  It was a beautiful, cool, breezy day!

And then it was back on the road.  We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

The Road Less Travelled

After meeting with North Monroe Baptist Church, it was time for me to head to my first hotel in Tunica, MS.  MapQuest had me going one way but my GPS said another.  I went with the GPS…the road less travelled.  It was a beautiful little road called the Old Bonita Rd.  If I had followed the road everyone else was following I would have missed this…

And this…

So…here’s to those little surprises God brightens our day with!

And away we go…

95 people have been saved on the Lac du Flambeau reservation in northern Wisconsin! 42 of these came to Christ during a series of evangelistic services led by a mission team from the First Baptist Church of Haughton, LA just a few weeks ago.  Then, in an unprecedented series of events, the tribal president called a meeting of the entire Lac du Flambeau tribe and allowed the Gospel to be presented as part of the meeting agenda.  53 more were saved as a result.  Never before in the history of the Lac du Flambeau tribe has any leader allowed the Gospel to be presented in such a public format.

 As a result, the Bible Baptist Church has a problem.  They’ve got  lots of new converts and very few people to teach them.  Many of you may remember that I was at this very reservation last August with a team consisting of Randy Carruth, Richard Hebert, Bruce Plummer, Kristina Dix and several others.  I am excited to tell you that I’ve been invited to return to help teach the women and children in the church and to train others to work with the children.

 My motto is “Wherever He leads I’ll go,” so I am going!  I depart April 16 and return May 9. Please pray for me as I travel and as I teach.  Please pray for those I am teaching – that they have a clear understanding of the direction God is leading them in and that many will answer God’s call to lead.

A Native American Christmas

Native American Christmas Traditions

In the past, winter months were times for story telling and rest. The first Americans believed that as the earth rests so should we.

 Public feasts in any season of the year are of great importance to American Indians. As social events they hold the tribe together. People can meet and talk, with no distractions of work needing to be done, other than the kitchen. Their hearts are warmed by all the activity and hard attitudes soften. Feasts are also a good time for young people to see and meet each other. They break up what would otherwise be a very hard life, filled with the everyday work of staying alive.

 Tribal dances are an important part of American Indian tradition. Participation in these dances sometimes prepares individuals for a task, or adds to the celebration of a particular event. The historical story of the tribe is often seen in the dances — they are very sacred to the Native Americans.

 Many Native American people found that the story of Christmas and Christ’s birth fulfilled tribal prophecies and found the message to be consistent with the truth that was handed down by their ancestors.

 Over time other social customs that were introduced to them by the European missionaries have become adapted to the native cultures and are an integral part of Tribal Christmas traditions today, just as they are in most non-Indian homes.

Christmas Carols

 According to Huron tradition, around 1640-41, a Jesuit missionary priest wrote their first Christmas Carol. The Huron built a small chapel of fir trees and bark in honor of the manger at Bethlehem.

Within a lodge of broken bark the tender Babe was found,

A ragged robe of rabbit skin wrapped His beauty ‘round;

But as the hunter braves drew nigh, The angel song rang loud and high:

Jesus, your King is born, Jesus is born, In excelsis gloria.

 

The animals at the manger were the Fox, the Buffalo and the Bear. The Huron also made a traditional tent of skins and their nativity figures were all dressed as Native Americans.

Gifts and Dancing

Many tribes have the custom of a dance on Christmas Eve or Christmas, where gifts are offered at the Manger.

Other gift bringers come at different times of the year, often in the summertime, but the gifts are always a part of American Indian culture. Gifts are appropriate whenever the tribal gathering occasion is social or ceremonial.

 In many other tribes there are many representations of gifts brought to the people.

God’s Gift of Life

 Native Americans believe that all life is a gift from the Creator. They feel that our time on this earth is but a dance and that if you listen to the wind and the sounds of the earth, you realize that there is a song being sung each day.