I recently traveled with thirty-seven other people from FPCSM on a
youth mission trip to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South
Dakota. Six of us were the adult chaperones
and the others were high school students ranging in age from fourteen-
to eighteen-years old.
We left SFO, arrived in Denver,
and rented 4 large vans. We continued the day by driving through Colorado,
Wyoming and then arrived
in Rapid City, South Dakota
by 10:00pm. That was a long
distance adventure for one day. We slept on the floor of a church
classroom that night and got a solid five hours of rest.
The next day we briefly visited Mount
Rushmore where we took group photos and then traveled to
the Pine Ridge Reservation of the Oglala Lakota Sioux people
.
The countryside had gentle rolling grassy hills, buttes of sandy rock
and free roaming horses where you could visualize how the world was
centuries ago. Along the entrance to the reservation there were many
abandoned trailers and wooden homes. There was only one real gas station/
mini-mart and a very small grocery store. The only true shopping center
to buy clothing and groceries in bulk was two hours away near Rapid
City!
We learned this reservation was one of the most
destitute of the country. There is rampant suicide and addiction
related issues among these native people. We did find many adults who
are working within the limited resources to try to overcome their
statistics and better their situation. The organization we joined there
is called Youth Works and they have been in the area for multiple
summers as a fantastic Christian liaison.
Our objective was to lovingly connect relationally and work with the
children in the literacy program.
The building where we worked and lived was the Wounded
Knee District School.
We enjoyed five nights of sleeping on the hard tile classroom floors,
way too many flies and most days with 60-to 80-degree weather mixed with
lightning and thunderstorms.
The Lakota children arrived on our first work day swearing profusely,
wanting to fight us and each other. They were disheveled in demeanor
and attire. We learned to gently welcome them, to read with, play with
and teach them of our love for them as God used us to care for them
despite the harsh behavior. We understood from the Youth Works group that
most of the children would attend because they would receive a much
needed meal that would have to last them until the next day when they
would return. Some children would also receive clothing donations as
they would wear the same dirty clothes for weeks.
The families of the Lakota people showed signs of
neglect as the very young children chose to "live" with other
families to separate from abusive and/or incarcerated parents. It was
heart wrenching for me as an adult and even more difficult, I believe,
for our teenagers who struggled to understand the environment but
learned they could make a difference. We met with adults whose only
source of income was making fry bread and bead necklaces to sell to
those who were passing through.
We did however see trust being built and love bridge the gap of the
Lakota hopeless and helpless experience.
We continue to pray for this proud people and their rejected community
who continue to suffer greatly.
Our teenagers were enlightened and became courageous and confident in
this exposure. They received empowerment to love as Jesus would without
walls or boundaries. They also learned more of an appreciation of their
gifted life. Seventeen of our teenagers will leave for colleges after
this adventure and filter this experience in a way that has forever
changed them.
I am so thrilled to have even been a tiny part in the life of the
teenagers that I adore as they have been changed by a view of true
hardship.
One evening after our work day we met a Lakota man named Darin who
raises Bison. He showed us the Lakota way of smudging which is known as
the way they usher their prayers and received cleansing from the
"The Creator." Then Darin let us enjoy feeding these
beautiful creatures by holding a hay pellet in our mouth and letting
the Bison remove it from our mouth with his tongue. I can't even begin
to tell you how rough, and frighteningly wonderful that moment was! We
also learned more of the history of his ancestors and his people in
general that night.
When we finally packed to leave, for another 12 hour travel across
country, we left a piece of our broken hearts in South
Dakota with only memories and pictures to
comfort us.
All in all it was another very wonderful trip (I've been taking these
youth trips every summer since 2007) and I wanted to share my joys and
difficulties with you.
My desire is for you to know I love you dearly and share my hope of a
future without struggle for the people who can't move these
insurmountable difficulties by themselves. If you feel moved to give of
your time or resources to a community of people who need your
compassion please consider the Wounded Knee
District School
in the Pine Ridge South Dakota Reservation.
With gratitude,
Sabrina Robinson
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