MEC sent our second Mission Team to Warm Springs Indian Reservation, Warm Springs, Oregon, from July 11-18, 2009.  The team included 5 people from MEC who joined with others from Sacred Road Ministries and churches in PA, OK, and WA to minister in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to those living on the reservation.   

The work project assigned to the team was to work on the VFW building.  The building had suffered some abuse from previous renters, and the Tribe was eager to restore the building to the Veterans of Warm Springs.  It was an honor and a privilege to be able to work alongside the Tribe on this project. Some members of the team also worked on sorting out many blueprints for Tribal Utilities. 

Each afternoon the team conducted a Kids’ Club--an opportunity to build relationships with the children in the community and to demonstrate God’s love and acceptance.  We had a full house; between 40 and 50 children participated each day.  The team worked together to provide some fascinating crafts for the kids, and they loved it.  There was also a time for snacks, singing and story-telling, a sharing of the gospel. Though there is extreme poverty on the rez and patterns of tragic fallout from the past, our focus is on fleshing out God’s love and hope for the future.  He is the One who can transform our hearts and lives. 

Feedback we’ve been given makes “coming back” a high priority.  Here are some comments overheard during the week: 

“Will you take me back with you?”

“I miss my friend!  It’s a long time to wait for summer before I’ll see her again.”

“What my people need is spirituality; they need faith!”

“We don’t have the resources to do this kind of crafts with our children that you are doing, and it means so much for you to do this…they love it!”

“When you come back next summer…”

 Lord willing, we will send a team once again in 2010.