June 2009                   South Dakota Mission Trip Reflections

Intro:

For eight days, 11 youth and two adults from our congregation traveled by train and then car, to work with the small Dakotan congregation at Ascension Presbyterian Church.  This was arranged through a good friend of Pastor Carol's, Mary Beth Kirk.  What follows are excerpts (and a few additions) from the group journal we kept throughout the trip. What we read are not necessarily our own words -- in fact, most likely they belong to another group member.

"Wait, we have to get up at 2:00 in the morning?"  Some of us just stayed up late; others got up REALLY early and one way or another made our way to the Amtrak station.  When everyone arrived, we got our "goodies."  Thank you Jean Wiant for the cookies, water and sweets.  We really, really, really appreciate it!  Thank you also to the anonymous person who gave each of us cereal bars and a gift card to McDonalds.  It's nice to know that we are truly supported each step of the way by our church.

We're on a train!  I have to admit the fun of it has started to wane, but it is still cool.  We're on our way to Chicago and then on to Fargo.  I think most of us have been sleeping on and off, and eating even more.  I think all of us were a bit cool earlier - only the Portens were smart enough to bring blankets on the train with them.  We managed to get seats next to each other and the chairs are awesome.  There is a lot of leg room, they recline back and this really cool leg rest comes up, along with a foot rest.  It took Stephanie and me a while to figure out how to put the leg rest back down, but all in all it is a very comfortable train.

Chicago -- what a city!  I must say the step up from downtown Cleveland was quite extreme. We had lunch and then walked to Millennium Park and saw the reflecting bean which was a giant metal sculpture that disfigured your body like a fun house mirror.  After several minutes of snapping photos of our funny appearances, we finished the Cokes we had been given as a "sample" from a delightful street vender.  On the way back to the train station, our "scenic" route became a little more "scenic" than expected, thanks to the major angles the river takes.  When I say this I mean - we got lost.  With a good brisk walk breaking our day, we made it back to the station in plenty of time and waited in another crammed waiting room to board the next train.

As I have never been on a train before my favorite part is sitting in the lounge watching the scenery go by.  It really is beautiful.  There was an incredible sunset in Wisconsin on lakes stretching far beyond eyesight in Minnesota.  When walking towards dinner we gasped aloud with awe at the magnificent rainbow stretched across the sky.  I could see this rainbow from beginning to end.  It took my breath away.

About 4 am the next morning, we groggily stumbled off the train, grabbed our baggage and walked about three blocks to Howard Johnson's. (Thanks to Geordi, Carol actually was able to get her stuff to the hotel!)  The most eventful part of that hotel stay occurred in the "quiet" girl's room.  Jessica was in the shower and when she came out, she said, "OK guys, the bathroom is.....um, what happened?"  I wittily responded, "I barfed in the icebox."  Then Gen left a note for the cleaning staff, apologizing for the "inconvenience"!  Fortunately that incident was not repeated!

We used our gift cards to eat lunch at McDonald's in Fargo (Allie's first Big Mac - probably her last, too!) and then drove about 90 miles to Sisseton, South Dakota.  After checking in at the Super 8, we went to a fundraiser for the church we would be working with.  We got there in time for Bingo, where Geordi, Hannah B, Alexa and Geordi (again!) won baskets of stuff.  Back at the Super 8 we went swimming and had pizza for dinner - then off to the Peever Jamboree -a true "first" for all of us!  Peever is big enough to have its own post office, but that's about it.  We got there in time to see Mary Beth's boy's Eddie and John sing - they were really good.  But we got the biggest kick out of "Who needs Hollywood when you've got Peever?"

On Sunday morning upon arriving at the little Presbyterian church sitting alone on top of a little hill, I was surprised to see only one car in the dirt parking lot, with ten minutes until the service started.  The sanctuary consisted of about 12 pews on each side.  The service was mostly hymns in the Dakota language, which was really cool because there were tunes like "Amazing Grace" or the Doxology that were the same but in a different language. Singing hymns in the Dakota language really showed me how universal God's word and love is.  A native custom we learned about was inviting visitors to come up front and sing.  We made it through "All Things Bright and Beautiful" and Mary Beth gave a short sermon - learning only the night before that she was preaching.  At the end of the service we all joined hands and said the Lord's Prayer.

After the service we walked down the hill and across the street to the Guild Hall for a potluck lunch. (The Guild Hall is similar to our Fireland's Room, but a separate building). We helped clean up and began to start majorly cleaning the Guild Hall and making a list of all the supplies that we will need for the week. It's safe to say that cleaning of this kind was a first for all participants!

From there we went to the Lutheran Church that we are staying at in Peever.  They have been very generous in sharing their space with us. While Elizabeth took a group to the grocery store (there is only one in Sisseton - 15 minutes or more away), Carol went to Watertown (only 45 minutes away) with Mary Beth for supplies. It is strange to think about not having all of these kinds of stores conveniently located nearby.  The rest of us stayed at the church to set up our beds. After a delicious dinner of spaghetti, salad and bread we played two games of "Encore" ( our favorite game based on music lyrics)  and didn't get overly competitive!  (That's saying something for this group.)

Monday - our first "official" work day.  We got up around 7:30 and made our way to breakfast by 8:00.  Pretty good for sleep-deprived youth!  Cinnamon Toast Crunch was definitely popular - more sugar!  Mary Beth arrived at 8:30 and we were ready to go. Alexa washed and sealed the outside porch and stairs.  Geordi, Hannah B and Kelly went up into the attic to clean it out.  Steph cleaned and then stained the wood trim on some windows.  Gen pulled down a wallpaper border and then sorted and cleaned out a wall of shelves.  Evan - a glutton for punishment, took on the task of cleaning out a totally moldy refrigerator.  It's really too bad we didn't take before and after pictures!  Emma tackled the ovens; Allie, Hannah K and Jessica took on the kitchen.  You can only imagine their delight at the "evidence" that mice left behind, along with dead ladybugs and a good number of very alive spiders.

Things were quite cozy with 4 in the kitchen, so Jessica switched to washing down all of the walls in preparation for painting.  Elizabeth cleared out the area under the stairs, and Carol worked on the bathroom.  I was really proud of the way our kids dug into their work.  Hannah B found "mouse crap" in the board game "mouse trap," which was the cause of much laughter.

When we were done we raced to the cars so we could shower at the tribal school.  Carol had left for the local hardware store, and paint, and by the time she returned, she couldn't find any of us!  We had tried to call her on Elizabeth's cell phone (hers didn't get service), but she couldn't figure out how to answer it!  Who would have thought that you answer a phone by pressing "Send"?   Many of us learned to live without our cell phones constantly available!

Mary Beth, her children and some close friends came for dinner and then talked with us about Native culture, which I thought was really neat.  She showed us two star quilts, and special shawls that are given to honor someone. We learned about the Dakota language.  I loved looking at the English to Dakota dictionary. We were taught that the natives view land like air.  It is something we need to live - not something we own. I didn't realize how much prejudice still existed between Indians and whites.  At schools, many natives and whites do not hang out together.  Because the Dakota Reservation is very scattered, it is hard to tell what part of the land was native or federal.  You could hunt anytime on native land, but not always on state land.  Once, when two natives were fishing on native land, the state police arrested them because they were fishing in "white" water.

I found it very intriguing.  Especially the Dakota conflict, which apparently should have been called a war.  So many natives died unnecessarily.

One of us asked about names of teams, like our Cleveland Indians.  The question was raised about whether or not natives found it offensive. Eddie said it would be cool to have an Indian as a mascot if it was representing your nationality, but this is different.  It's like classifying humans with animals like panthers or cardinals.  I used to like "Chief Wahoo," but now I find it disgusting.

We also asked about the various terms used to describe the Dakota people.  While older tribe members always refer to themselves as "Indian" most younger members prefer the term "native." 

After dessert (ice cream!) they all joined us for a game of "Encore" with our guests.  While dinner had been a bit awkward - we really didn't know how to talk with each other; "Encore" broke the ice. At one point Evan told a little joke about me and Eddie laughed, even though I didn't think he would get it.  This is when I realized they are just like us.  We were amazed that they watched the same TV shows and junky commercials as us.

Another completed work day on Tuesday.  We got everything done today that we had hoped to (including painting the ceilings) so that the real painting can begin tomorrow.  Tonight we went to Mary Beth's daughter's (Anna) graduation party and had a wild time.  Two of us sat down next to Hannah - a girl staying with Mary Beth's family.  Throughout the dinner, we talked the entire time about differences in our cultures and her plans for the future.  She found it completely fascinating that I do not have a single cousin or family member that goes to school with me other than my sister. 

After dinner Mary Beth introduced us to some awesome games. One, "Hunter and Deer" was a game that Jessica and I tried together.  It is safe to say that being the "deer" of this game is horrifying and I definitely screamed, especially since Jess was running like a madwoman.  Then we played "Scavenger" - something we should try out here!  We sang some songs and Anna (MB's daughter) was honored in the native way.  A short devotion was given, we sang songs, and then Mary Beth presented her with a special shawl.  We really enjoyed ourselves and I know all of us can hardly wait to spend time with this family again. I almost don't want to go home - it's awesome here!

So many activities were a first for everyone in our youth group.  When we finished work on Wednesday, we all drove to Sisseton along with all of the Kirks, and went to an Indian store.  I was fascinated looking at this hands-on gift of history and the view it gave me of Indian culture.  We then went to this giant tower where we could see three different states:  South Dakota, Minnesota and North Dakota.  Finally we went to a giant, beautiful and freezing cold lake.  Ask any of us about this part of the trip and they will have automatic responses:  an invasion of tree caterpillars and "I hate ticks."  What was really funny was watching Anna and Hannah (another native) observing our youth.  "They actually prefer a chorine pool to a lake?  Why are they so afraid of caterpillars?"  Yes, we very much looked like the suburbanites that we are!

Everything in South Dakota seemed all very connected.  Within the tribe, one was usually related with most there. Even if an adult was not really your aunt, uncle or grandparent you called them that.

Our final day of work was exhausting.  We finished painting, scrubbed the floor by hand and put everything back in its place.  What a transformation in only four days:  a beautiful blue kitchen, a bright yellow bathroom, a gleaming sanctuary, the Guild Hall with fresh paint on all the walls, tables and chairs scrubbed clean - and more.  It was nice to be able to see what we had accomplished.

That evening the church hosted a final potluck for us.  "Fry bread" was incredible! During dinner tonight I told a woman I really liked her shirt and she thanked me and then said how it's an old native custom that if someone compliments an object you own, it is necessary to give them that object.  She laughed and said, "no offense, but I'm not taking off my shirt for you!"  I'm still fascinated by how selfless the natives are - possessions have no meaning to them whatsoever.  I think the rest of the world certainly has something to learn.

At dinner I sat across from 3 native girls.  At first they were rather quiet, but they began to warm up and were soon hanging on us. Our quick friendship shifted them into telling us everything they could think of - no matter how private the subject matter.  There was a Dakota hymn sing - in both Dakota and English, and the voices were so good they were like a lullaby for me. Then our group was asked to come forward to be "honored."  Evan was honored for shampooing the entire sanctuary. Mary Beth gave Lizzy a shawl from the congregation and Carol a blanket.  The whole group also received a Dakota hymnal.

After saying goodbye to my new found friends, we made a stop at Mary Beth's house before heading out to Ed and John's dad's house to see their music set-up in the basement.  When we got out of the car we stopped in amazement.  In the distance was a amazingly huge thunderstorm cloud that every few seconds gave off intense light followed by a fork of lightening.  It made me feel the true power of God.  We also looked up at the gargantuan sky.  It was a blank slate with trillions of bright shining stars. It was honestly the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.  I could have stood at there forever.  I was truly blown away.

We listened to John and Eddie play base and guitar in the basement - they're so good, and I felt so at peace. Their basement is sweet, with walls painted and crazy lights. The guys played the cool version of Amazing Grace and I just closed my eyes....I wish so badly I could've lived in that moment forever; it was just so wonderful and touching. Many times Carol asks us where we saw God that particular day.  This would be a prime example.  It was so beautiful that I quietly had a stream of tears coming down my cheeks.   I could feel the connection with God and I could feel that we are all family.  Everyone on the trip, even the people I had just met were like sisters and brothers now.

Mary Beth and her family and the congregation of Ascension church were so welcoming and so open.  It was really great to be able to sit down with them and talk about cultural differences.  It was wonderful to meet all the Dakotans and get a chance to learn about a life that is so different than ours.

It is hard to believe that it is time to leave.  It was so hard to say good-bye.  I didn't even realize until now how much I'm going to miss the entire Kirk family.  They've been such a huge part of our life right now.  I ended up loving South Dakota.  Everything is so flat - you can see for miles. It is so beautiful and wide and open. It is truly a testament to how big God's earth is. Even though cows outnumbered people it was perfect.  This was probably one of the best experiences of my life.  I'm so glad I came.  Who needs Hollywood when you've got Peever?

So now we're on the train to Chicago.  This trip made me feel special. Personally, I am exhausted, but I don't know if I could say that I was ready to go home.  This trip was great. I will never forget the people I've met or that big South Dakota sky. I learned a lot. I have tried to figure out what I pulled from this experience. I think of the enormity of the earth, how small we are, and observation and silence sometimes being the best answer. I've noticed I've quieted down my behavior unintentionally as the trip progressed. I recall the diversity of people that can be met on a train and the recurring power of expression through music. In my head are the lyrics, "building to a crescendo, you know the journey has just begun."

I also appreciate how the mission trip was not a "one-way" experience.  The people in South Dakota taught us a lot about the connections of people and family.  This mission trip gave me a new perspective on life that I love.  I will try to notice the connections all around us that I have missed before.

This was a great trip from the beginning.  The kids all worked really hard and never complained, they put in a solid work day and played hard at night. Thanks be to God for a wonderful and successful trip!