Two former VBS girls who are now grown up stopped in for a visit yesterday! It was grat to see them!

The two churches really are one team. We have new friends and it has been a blessing to work together

Last cement pour this morning, then ley railroad ties, then VBS, then take teens bowling. Everyone doing well

Wednesday AM - Pouring Cement

Doing the second pour of cement now

We are all doing well...VERY exhausted though...pray for us to have strength

Cement pour done! 3his crw has done an amazing job! There was enough cement left over to do a patio too!

Daniel Henderson got a call! rJ remembered him from 3 yrs ago so we called Dan. RJ siad "get your butt here! I want 2 c u 2morrow! Well take a plane then!"

Pray for the rain to stop. Cement coming in 2 hrs & we've got rain

Rhonda's grandbaby had a CAT scan, found tumor on lung. Went to aspirate it & it was gone & baby is home now! God is good !

Long day...began @ 5am and just finished @ 10:30. Great time with the teens 2nite & lots of work done.

Work project going well. Cement pour scheduled for 7am tomorrow

Day 2. All are doing well. Tired & sore but spiritually strong. Great day with the kids & great day of work yesterday. Many stories to tell

Continued...God is in control of every detail & we have an amazing hard working crew. About 2 pic up kids 4 VBS now

Work project going VERY well. God provides. The cement guy out here is available all week at any time we need him. Next week he would not have time.

Please pray for Jim who is in a lot of pain from a knee injury & Rhonda's grandbaby who has been taken to Childrens hospt.

On the rez...headed to Wounded Knee

First tears have been shed. Rhonda & Fred watched the Youtube video Brian made 'Let it Rainl and that was all it took

On the road again in South Dakota

Sunday Morning

We're waiting at the hotel. Dennis has gone to a parts store to get a part to fix the brake line. The store does not open until 9 am ... so we're waiting ....

The plan is to have Charles and Jeff and Dennis fix it and then head on to the Reservation. This has put us behind schedule but that's typical for a mission trip. Its always a "change of plans". God is in control and knows exactly what He's doing. We're just along for the ride knowing it will work out the way it's supposed to. Its a nice bonding time. :)

Keep us in your prayers. God has our backs and will continue to have them. Things
could have gone horribly wrong on the highway at 70 mph but we've discovered every problem while we were in a safe place. We are also grateful that we are in a comfortable hotel lobby rather than sittting alongside the road somewhere. Can't wait to see what God has in store for this week!

Continued... Sitting in the parking lot waiting on a part...then part of us will head on to the rez.

Good morning. God is looking out for us again. Started to leave the hotel this morning and discovered a brake problem. Tbe berak line in the Chevy is leaking

Arrived at hotel in Sioux City. Now for some SLEEP!

God was looking out for us. Jeff just happened to be in the Dodge van and caught the problem. Didn't think we'd make it to the hotel b4 it blew

Apparently I spoke too soon...we're near DesMoines with a tire about to blow. At Walmart getting a new tire.

We are in Iowa and making great time!

Loading the Truck

The truck is loaded, locked and ready to roll!

Last Few Days Before

Today Fred and I went to Home Depot to purchase some supplies for the trip. Then I ran errands ... got 2 new 2-way radios. I'd forgotten that one of ours was stolen last year and needed to be replaced. Spent the rest of the day tying up loose ends. Got another hotel room reserved - since we've had some changes in crew (women dropping out, men signing on) things changed with the number of rooms we needed. I also called Carter to invite him over to watch us load the truck Friday night. He was the person who was instrumental in getting the two church groups together for the trip and I knew he would want to be as much a part of this endeavor as possible.

Tomorrow John and I shop for more food for the trip.

I think we're almost ready to roll ....

Third World America

Please take a moment to watch this and see for yourself the conditions on Pine Ridge Reservation.

Please Take a Moment to Watch: Suicide on the Plains

What the Week on the Rez Holds

Of course anything can and probably will change at any given time, but here's a bit of what we have planned:

Sunday, July 11th - arrive mid-late afternoon. Greet Barry & Shelly then head to Wounded Knee to see the memorial there and learn something about what happened there.

Sunday evening - unload the truck, unpack, get settled in.

Monday - Thursday:
Breakfast
Work on the amphitheater.
Kool Aid run at 10am.
Pick up kids for VBS around 11:30
Lunch for the kids,
Music
VBS (Aussie Outback Theme)
Take kids home
Pick up teens for Teen Night
Dinner with the Teens
Teen Nights (bowling in Martin, Sumo Wrestling Suits, Ice Cream @ Bingos, other fun stuff)

Friday
Breakfast
Some of us will drive to other villages to deliver backpacks & school supplies
Some will finish work on the amphitheater
Pick up kids & teens at 11:30
Lunch with kids & teens
Game Day! (sack races, tug-of-war, water fight, watermelon eating contest, etc)
Give out Backpacks
Take kids home.
Friday evening (undecided)

Saturday
Trip to Custer State Park

Sunday
Church at Pass Creek Church of God
Leave for home

Sunday night - stay in Des Monies, IA

Monday, July 19th - arrive back home!

One Week to Go

Its hard to believe but one week from today we will load the truck. Two weeks from today we'll be finished with VBS and will have delivered 600 backpacks with school supplies to villages on the Reservation. A lot of work has been done but there is much, much more to go.

This coming week we'll wait to hear about when the food donation is ready for pick up. Friday, Fred, Brian and I will go pick up the 26' Ryder truck, pick up the steel I beams, pick up the auger, and maybe pick up the food, pick up dry ice and then pack the food into coolers. Friday evening the whole crew will be here to load up all of our supplies.

We've had 4 people drop out and 4 people take their place. Brian Whitlock had to drop out because of work. John Lansdale took his place as the kitchen manager. Mark Bastin had to drop out because of work. Matthew Lansdale took his place. Bonnie Williams had to drop out for health reasons and Chrissie Smith took her place. And Jenny Porter (Brian Buriff's sister) who went with us last year, had to drop out due to a family need and Bub Whitaker took her place.

All together, we have 22 people going.

And we have a tough week ahead. We'll be building an amphitheater, feeding up to 150 kids a meal every day, doing a VBS, giving out 600 backpacks, and probably any number of other odd jobs. We'll have long days and short nights.

And we'll be tested. Not so much by the kids, although that's a possibility, but by ourselves. Most people worry about the dangers out there - the wildlife and safety issues. But I've found that the enemy is far more effective at distracting and destroying God's work when he rides along with us and causes friction between the various personalities that go on the trip. Things can unravel a lot faster when Satan attacks from within.

I hope we'll all keep that in mind as we prepare to leave. The most important tool to pack is Grace, and a lot of it.

Countdown!

We have had our last meeting and are a week out from the trip. Here are a few dates/times to keep in mind before we leave.

Sunday, July 4th - Morning Worship Service - Prayer and send off of team

Friday, July 9th - NO LATER than 7pm @ Buriff's - Load truck (ALL team members should be there to help - we have a 26' truck to load with all of our supplies)

Saturday, July 10 - 5:30 am @ Winton Rd. First Church of God - We leave! Spend the night in Sioux City, IA

Sunday, July 11th - Arrive in Allen, SD

Monday - Friday - Work Projects, VBS,

Saturday, July 17th - Sight Seeing at Custer State Park

Sunday, July 18th - Church at the Pass Creek Church of God, then start home. Spend the night in Des Monies, IA

Monday, July 19th - Arrive back home!

The Crew

Since January we had some changes in the crew. This is the final list. :) Pray for these folks ... a lot!

Amber Buriff - Team Leader
Fred Howell - Project Manager
Earl Baker
Dennis Whitaker
Cathy Jackson
Charles Jackson
Ericka Buchannan
Bailey Cartwright
Rhonda Greeley
Brian Pitman
Jeff Smith
Chrissie Smith
Bub Whitaker
John Lansdale - Kitchen Manager
Matthew Lansdale
Cheryl Schliesman - Team Leader (Hamilton First Church of God)
Craig Dees
Holly Smith
Beth Ann Curtis
Jim Scovel Jr.
Brenda Sandlin
Dan Van Bargen