Been in Birney

Friday we made the twenty mile route from Lame Deer into Birney with hopes of meeting the Cheyenne friends in the area. With air mattresses for beds and plenty of canned tuna, we set out over the hills and through the valleys. This adventure allowed us a time outside the popup camper and provided much more living space with even a functioning bathroom.

Saturday morning we followed some friendly directions to get us into Sheridan, WY through the backroads, for some grocery shopping and fuel. The directions were not so accurate. A forty mile trip wound up being sixty-five. We did see some lovely hills and valleys and ranches which lasted for miles.

Once in Sheridan we sought the local Wal-Mart. My main goal was to buy a broom. I can’t stand dirty floors. We ended our journey with a buggy full of items. Then we ate a carry-out bag from Wendy’s, and purchased some fuel (47 cents cheaper per gallon than in Lame Deer).

Sunday morning began by clearing out the church area to make it ready for those who’d like to attend Bible study with us. A man came by earlier and said he’d like to come, so we were anxiously waiting for the study hour.

The time came and went. Randy and I had our morning Bible Study by 10:00 and closed up the building around 12:30. Because the day was so pretty, we walked down to the bridge to view the river. Passing the Apostolic church, we saw why we had no gathering. (The other church also feeds meals and was full). It was hard to compete with their once monthly service, even though we did set out a pot of coffee.

The time in Birney has provided us an opportunity to study a unit on spiritual warfare. Every so often, it does one good to reflect on your initial calling to service and to determine the interruptions that seek to undermine your efforts.

Pow Wow

Sunday afternoon was spent on the Pow Wow grounds. This festive occasion is somewhat like our fair. The vendors were lined up with food and jewelry, while the Indian dancers performed inside the arena.

The Indian dresses and outfits were awesome. Feathers and multicolored streamers adorned the dancers as they whirled and pounded the ground to the beat of huge drums played by four or five drummers at a single time in rhythm. The singing was the authentic Indian melodies I had heard only in movies.

Different tribes from other reservations nationwide attended the Pow Wow. Such a gathering of culture! Twice the promotional administration called for everyone to dance, Indian and non-Indian, in festive array or not. Happy children, youth, and even older Indians in their decorated finest paraded around the arena.

These are yearly events hosted by various reservations. It is worth the drive to see.

Block Party in Birney

Tuesday was a fun day at Birney. The Cinco Baptist Church Team brought the block party components and set up bouncing inflatibles and other games. Hamburgers and chips were served with cold bottled water. Face painting and prizes were very popular with the local children on the reservation.

This was a good time to get to know the adults and children who attended from the area, since Birney is quite a small community.

Mississippi Marigolds

The Mississippi Marigolds

In May 2010 a mission team from our church traveled to Birney to do some work on the church and area. Part of the renovation included planting some flowers. These were home-grown marigolds from my greenhouse.

We patiently waited to get to see them again, and this July we made the trip back to Birney and found the marigolds doing just fine.

Settling In

The warm days of summer and cool nights have taken us by surprise as well as the late evenings. The sun seems to never set. Sometimes 10:00 p.m. activities are quite common.

This has been a major adjustment as we tend to get ready for bed around 9:00 p.m. with the sky still lit up. I understand they have this situation in Alaska. I am concerned what the winter will hold for us. It may get dark by 4 or 5:00 p.m.

Rain often soothes me to sleep. Not while in the camper. It has kept us awake often this week, as the winds and rain act like a roller coaster ride.

Views

Returning from Forsyth on Tuesday we ran into some extreme dark clouds boasting brilliant flashes of lightning. The team with us on the school bus "oohed and aahed" at each flash.

Meeting New Church Contacts

Tuesday, we traveled with a visiting team north to Forsyth for a dinner with the First Baptist Church there. At a local park we enjoyed a shared meal of grilled hamburgers and hotdogs under a pavilion.

The people were friendly and outgoing to make us feel welcomed. As grandparents, we found it strange to meet a lovely couple who also had grandchildren, and who had the SAME grandparent names: Nonnie and Poppa.

Imagine that combination used by grandchildren across our nation.

Second Location: Lame Deer, MT Heart of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation

After a mission trip to Lame Deer/Birney Montana in May, we felt God's call to live on the reservation and assist with the Morning Star Baptist Church and Liberty Christian School.

We arrived June 26, after a three day LONG drive, bringing two vehicles loaded with whatever we felt we would need temporarily until we can secure housing. A popup camper has been home so far.

The days have been warm, and the nights have been quite cool. The work has been busy, attending to the needs of a visiting team from Cleveland, TN, ( including 35 youth) and our new Cheyenne friends.

The mountains are gorgeous! The view from the camper each morning shows a soup bowl effect, with us centered among a circular range of mountains. Not those you see from a distance; these are up close and natural.

A friend next to us has some horses that roam the steep hills. They are a beautiful sight to see galloping down the slopes.

New to Lame Deer, MT

Just to let our friends and family know we are here in Lame Deer and are doing fine!