Recap of Mission Trip

I am back from the mission trip to the Ojibwa people in Minnesota. Our team returned to St. Louis on Saturday. We drove about 12 hrs. on Friday and 5 hrs. on Saturday. I am glad that I went, and I think that kids that came to the Bible camp were touched by God’s love. I could tell that the kids were sensitive to the Word and that they were glad we were there.

The missionary couple, Tom and Becky Pollock, built cabins, a kitchen, restrooms, etc. on their property to host these Bible camps. They are not Native American themselves, so they cannot live on the reservation. They live about 20 minutes away from the Red Lake reservation. However, they did build a church on the reservation, and Tom is the pastor. One of the team members said that the sole reason why this kids ministry exists is because the church is on the reservation. I am not sure I understand this connection, but I suppose that the Indians feel more comfortable sending their kids to something that is sponsored by an organization that is in the local community.

On Sunday evening we picked up the kids from their houses and brought them to the camp facility on the Pollock’s property, and our program began on Monday morning. The curriculum that we used is based on the The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and was developed by Old Orchard Presbyterian Church, which is a church here in St. Louis. The associate pastor of that church came with us to lead the Bible teaching. In the mornings I would lead the kids in a few songs, and then there would be a skit. After that we would separate according our cabins and go to different stations. There was a story-telling station, a teaching station, a crafts station, and a games station.

After lunch, we would do some fun activity. Twice we went to the lake after which the reservation is named. The lake is huge and apparently can be seen from outer space. The section of the lake where we went was quite shallow. I could go out about a quarter of a mile, and the water would only be up to my chest. One day we took the kids to Itasca state park, which is where the headwaters of the Mississippi begin. There, we waded across the Mississippi, went swimming, and took the kids on kayaks or canoes or bikes. We all had lots of fun there. One day it rained, so we stayed at the camp and played games inside.

The evenings were varied. One evening we watched the most recent version of The lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and one evening we had a bonfire. Another evening we played capture the flag for two hours. The kids loved it, but there was a lot of cheating. A few of the kids decided to switch sides in the middle of the game, which made things rather confusing; but I still had fun.

In the nights, after the kids were in bed, we would converse with the kids and talk about the day and sometimes encourage them to share prayer requests. One night one of the kids, Jeremy Caldwell, said that he had prayed to God that day for a lovable family. He said that all he wanted was a lovable family. I learned later that he and his siblings had been neglected by their parents, who are drug addicts. Apparently they were fending for themselves for quite some time before someone found them. Now they live with their aunt. Jeremy’s older brother Alex and older sister Darien were also at the camp. They called each other ‘brother’ or ‘sister’ in a quite endearing way, which was neat to hear but also sad, knowing that it is tragedy that has brought them close to each other.

Alex seemed the most spiritually sensitive. He brought his own Bible and one night read it in bed with his flashlight, of his own accord. Of all the boys he listened the best and participated the most during the Bible lessons. Tom Pollock said that these kids have come a long way compared with how they were when they were first found. So, I was encouraged to see the Spirit of God at work in their lives. I plan to send letters to Jeremy and Alex on a regular basis.

Thank you all for your prayers. Even though the kids could be difficult, God helped me to become increasingly patient with them, and I thoroughly enjoyed being with them. One day all the guys went for a walk, and Jeremy asked me if I could give him a piggy back ride. So I did, and I let each of the boys have a turn. Sometime later in the day I remembered this walk and having carried someone on my back all the way back to the camp, more than a mile away. For some reason tears welled up in my eyes and I remember thinking that I would be willing to die for these boys. I don’t know if I really would or not, but I do think that God put a genuine love for these boys in my heart. One of my prayers for this trip was that God would help me to love the kids, and God answered that prayer.