Day 2

What can I say, it's day two. It is always the same, tired bodies who seem to transform immediately into chaotic beings once the morning prayer is over and we jump into the vehicles to head to the reservation. Something else then happens, 15 minutes down the road, the talking stops and quiet comes over the vehicle as the team chills out for the 40 minute ride to the Church of Jesus. This morning we had an added stop along the way. Stopping at Ace Hardware, we picked up the paint for our project. While there, we were met by Sewanee seminarian, Rob Beazley. He would join us for the first few hours at the church to make sure we were settled in okay before going off to meet with another team on the reservation. It was great to catch up on the happenings of my alma mater.

For many on this year's trip, this is their first trip to the reservation and the questions abounded as we entered Mission, SD and the remaining 15 minutes to the town of Rosebud. They got to see the homes of those they were to serve, the neighborhoods, and most of all the dogs. For first time visitors, it is always the same, so many dogs. We had to remind everyone that these dogs are not like the ones they have at home, these run free for the most part and therefore team members were told not to try petting one and definitely none were coming home as a new pet.

We arrived at the church right as planned and everyone went right to work preparing the space for VBS and scraping the walls of the church. We painted the church 5 years ago and it was a surprise how quickly the old paint cracked and faded. The service team did an amazing job today working in the warm sun. The high today was near 80 and everyone watched out for each other to ensure all stayed hydrated. While the service project team scraped, the VBS team decorated the vans with colorful artwork that would surely let anyone who saw us know what we were in town for. Before we knew it, it was time to go into the neighborhood and pick up the kids. almost everyone wanted to be the one to go with and pick up the kids, but not everyone can (if they did  there would be no room for our guests).

Off we went. Unfortunately, the number of kids who joined us was less than we had hoped for. First days are always tough. Second day is typically much bigger as word gets out that we really did show up. It was so nice to see familiar faces and with so many of our team returning, you could see some of our guests were just as happy to see us. Our kids had a great time working and playing with the kids of Rosebud and by the end of the day, neither we, nor they, were ready for it to end. One young man who arrived and was a bit unsure of staying, when his grandfather came to get him, he had no desire to leave. It is a real blessing to see how God makes such wonderful experiences possible.

The big craft today was tie dye pillowcases. Thankfully the weather remained good and both painting and crafts went off without a hitch. We had craft stations for all ages and the kids seemed to have a real good time. After dropping kids off at home, it was time to pack up and head back to Valentine for a dip in the pool and showers. The water felt real good after being out all day. Dinner, followed by some free time, preceded what is a very important part of our day, our group bible study. Looking at the lessons for tomorrow, we read the story of the good Samaritan. I can never say this enough, it is always a blessing to hear the insights our youth share as they try to see how what we read matters to us here and now.

Only a little prep for tomorrow's VBS. But instead of cards or wandering, the teams had skits and stories to pull together, and Compline to prepare for. Something else that is typical of day 2, once Compline was over, people head quickly to their bunks; and when the light out call is given, the quiet that comes over the place is something that is really blessed. I suspect all will sleep good tonight. What does tomorrow hold for us? More painting, more fun, and definitely more fellowship. The rest we leave in God's hands.