Pine Ridge, South Dakota

I never thought I'd say this, but the FLY convention is the now the second best week ever. I recently returned from the Pine Reservation in South Dakota with Youth Works on a mission's trip with Open Door (Hunter, Josh, and Bekah's church). I'll admit, I was a little nervous at the start since I only knew two of the thirteen people going on the trip, but that was very stupid of me I came to realize. I made 10 new friends = Awesome.

Throughout the week, we were split into 4 crews and I ended up in crew 3 with 5 people from Open Door (Steve [a leader who seriously looked like Shaun White with his long red hair], Cody [a leader], Hunter, Lee, Marie, and myself) and of course people from the other two churches that also came on the mission's trip. During the four days in which we served in the city of Wambley on the Pine Ridge Reservation, we lead a Kids Club at the Crazy Horse School in the city for two days, which I thought was a pretty nice school for being in one of the 3 poorest counties in the country until I found out it was K-12, and painted a house for the other two.

Here's a Daily Schedule:

6:30 Breakfast crew wakes up and prepares breakfast.

6:45 Everyone else wakes up

7:15-7:45 Breakfast

7:45-8:15 Building cleanup

8:15-8:45 Devoes

9:00-3:00 Working in Wambley/ Lunch around noon

3:15-4:45 Free Time/ Shower Time (a glorious point of time during the day)

5:00-5:45 Dinner

6:00-8:30 Evening Activity (Badlands, Cross, Wall Drug, etc..)

9:00-9:45 CLUB

9:45-10:30 Church Group Time

10:30-11:00 Get ready for bed

11:00 Lights Out

So the first two days we helped out at Kids Club which is pretty much a vacation Bible school, but more open and less "Bible" stuff. So we helped out with reading and read or listened to the kids read for about an hour. Other than that, it was mainly just spending time with them during the other hour and a half. One kid was so funny, he was nicknamed "Moves" for his "skill" on the basketball court. He would stand down by our basketball during every the games we played and wait for the pass from a long three-pointer and without hesitation fire it up every time. But a bright side of the week with him was when we were reading. He had NEVER ready to anyone before at Kids Club. However, on Tuesday, he started reading book after book to us after a long game of basketball. On Tuesday, we also went to a nursing home which was a highlight of my week. Hunter and I played a bit with piano and guitar and then we just talked to the residents and asked a lot of questions.

The next two days were filled with a LOT of paint. The first two days on of the other crews had already been working on the house so it would be set for us to paint. Strangely, the lady wanted the house to be blue and pink... blue on the top, pink on the bottom. Anyways, it wasn't the greatest of sites. Trash littered the ground everywhere! I heard that the people on the reservation tend to buy what they want instead of needs. This lady had a really beat up car and all of this and yet, still, she had dish television! So we painted and painted which nearly seemed like forever although it was just 12 hours between the 2 days. Eventually, we got most of the house done with just a little touch up left for the next crew that would come. It was an extremely satisfying feeling driving away, even though we were extremely squished having six people in a car that's supposed to seat five for an hour, and looking back at our pink and blue house.

Now for the fun of the week, on Monday, we had the opportunity to go hiking in the Badlands! We pretty much were ordered to stay in groups of 3 or 4 and just go wherever we pleased. Although running out of water wasn't that great, the views were amazing! The rocks and crevices just stretch on forever.

On Tuesday, we traveled to a tourist attraction in South Dakota simply called The Cross. The Cross is pretty much a huge 30ft metal cross that stands overlooking the graves of soldiers who died in WW2. We got to sit and just watch the sunset dip under the hills of the badlands, really a great uplifting moment.

On Wednesday, we drove to Wall Drug which I heard they have signs that advertise it in Africa and Asia. It was supposed to be a scavenger hunt, but my group just wandered around, buying ice cream and such.

Finally, on Thursday, we played volleyball on the courts in Kadoka - Minnesota church vs. the Wisconsin church. Sadly, we made a huge comeback in the first game and won (I had no clue I was any good at volleyball. I ended up getting hero of the day for helping win the one game against Wisconsin), but after that we lost 8 consecutive times before being forced to quit because it was time for our last CLUB. At our last CLUB, we did the traditional Youth Works washing of the feet. So the group leaders from open door washed all the students feet. Throughout the week, my favorite leader had been a guy named Cody (the leader at group 3). I don't know what it was about him, but he was always encouraging everyone and just, I don't know, being an awesome leader. He even said to me later that night he was "stoked" (exact word) when he heard I was in his group which I have no clue why since I hadn't really talked to him by the time we heard which groups we were in. Anyways, he was the one who washed my feet which I wasn't to thrilled about at first because... well, the whole thing is kind of awkward because of the culture we live in. So, wouldn't you like someone you hardly knew doing that instead one of the people you knew pretty well? Maybe it's just me, but yeah, I came to regret ever wanting someone else, because Cody prayed for me for about 10 minutes after and it was really a great prayer. After the prayer, we all just sat there for about an hour with great music playing softly in the background, the room dimmed. Really kind of an emotional moment. Hunter was sobbing when Steve prayed for him and during the next half an hour or so and the girls were in their little huddle (their were only four girls and nine guys on the trip) and cried and cried which I don't really get, but I'm a guy so I probably never will, ha. I don't really know why it was such an emotional moment in the first place, but I prayed for that whole hour. One of those moments that make the trip all worth it (it was paying 400 dollars to work hard), like when Eric and Leslie Ludy spoke at FLY.

Anyways, after that great night, we packed up and left at 9 the next morning and arrived in Minnesota at about 7:00 on Friday. Upon my return, to my joy (I was exhausted), we went straight to a family gathering at a my grandparents farm to celebrate a late father's day and my cousin's slept over...... ha ha *a laugh of defiance*. So I'm still recovering from, obviously, since I got up at 10:30 for the first time...ever? this morning.

Again, the best week ever, and I really would like to do that with my own church someday. Well, I'm back, Happy 4th of July (one day late) everyone!

(Some Pics)

This is the front of the house (Cody Painting)

Hunter painting the side of the house (as for his back, Lee and Marie had a little fun with the paint)

The Front of the house. All the trash that has been accumulated pretty much on their doorstep. As you can also see, the DISH satellites.

The endless view of the badlands.

Again, the Badlands

And again, the Badlands

Alex

P.S. I regret to say I didn't proofread this...