With October right around the corner, I thought I would take this opportunity to deliver a final episode in this our first season of participation with the Sentinel Group’s Community Tracker. So here goes!
The Gathering
Thank you for praying for the gathering of men we had in Oglala. During the weekend, about a 100 men came altogether. Many lives were touched (including my own!), as we entered God's awesome presence. The Lakota men that came were powerfully impacted, their eyes opened to things they had never experienced before in Christ.
We went out two by two into Oglala and there were several testimonies of divine healings, deliverances, and a couple surrendering their lives to Jesus.
The challenge that went out from the Gathering is for each man to believe for four disciples in the next year (a disciple is one who is himself making disciples) to see Christ's kingdom come.
Service In New Building In Kyle
We had our first service in Kyle the weekend of the Gathering. There was a tangible sense of God's presence. Yesterday we had our second service, and guess who came as a visitor? The president of the district! Mona brought her two grandchildren to come “check it out.” She was able to hear Lakota believers testify, receive prayer, and worship. The message, from John 11, spoke of Jesus being the resurrection and the life.
Mona is in chronic pain from a car accident years ago, and we were able to pray over her. She testified to a tingling going up and down her back as all pain left.
She sat with my wife and a couple of others earlier, talking about how “religious organizations” and churches have done so much harm on the Rez. This prompted Katie to ask, “With all the negative things that have happened, may I ask why you welcomed us to be here?” Her response to Katie was, “I figured God is with you.” Pretty powerful. As Mona was leaving, she turned to me and said, “I’m glad you are here.” She added that she would be back again.
Sowing Into the Community
Because of the generosity of God's people, we are looking to build a basketball court in Kyle for the youth and kids to use. This will be a powerful testimony to the community of God’s love, and create a further platform to tell them of the true Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
Wiping of the Tears
In response to a year of exceptional pain — over 250 young people have either taken, or attempted to take, their own lives — Norma Blacksmith is being used of God to put together a Lakota ceremony of healing and redemption.
Scheduled for October 10th, “The Wiping of the Tears” is a symbolic event to tell those that are in deep grief that they can move forward in, and because of, the strength God gives.
Our plan is to host a big meal in the new building in Kyle to minister the love of Jesus to families touched by suicide. We want to use this as yet another opportunity to show them what the true Church looks like. We also want to pray God’s healing power and grace upon them and point them to Jesus.
Please pray for favor as we presenting these plans to the district board. This could open the door for several families to experience God’s love and healing in an amazing way.
Substitute Teacher
I’ve been accepted to serve as a substitute teacher for Little Wound High school of Kyle. It's just once a week or once every two weeks, but it is important that I'm seen as part of the community. This will be a huge door to make connections with youth as well as adults. I’d appreciate your prayers.
Discipleship
We are using whatever methods we can to disciple. I’m revamping the radio program we did in Guinea Bissau for the Lakota Sioux. They are 10-12 minute programs. If you are interested in hearing the first one (I’ve done four now, and looking to do one a week) here is the link:
if you hit the words “restoration church” you'll see the other programs. We trust these will help the Lakota understand God's foundational truths.
Credit: Wade Kate