Sunday

The team from the Omaha area gathered at Church of the Holy Spirit for worship and a blessing before departing. This year's service was slightly different in that the power was out at the church leaving the sanctuary lit only by the light coming through the windows and the candles on and around the altar. With the service behind us, the blessing upon us, it was time to load the trailer. It went like clockwork and we were on the road before the time we had anticipated. With the traditional group pictures taken, we were on our way. Good roads, great weather, and very few semis on the road, made for a quick and safe trip into Norfolk for lunch.

After lunch, the early excitement seemed to fade as folks dropped off to sleep for the next leg of our journey. Arriving in Valentine right on schedule, Karl was there waiting to welcome us back for our 9th summer working out of St. John's in Valentine. He was very happy to see so many returning faces and equally excited to meet the new members of our team. The trailer was unloaded so fast it was amazing. Things ended up right where they were supposed to and bedding was quickly sorted out. For the first time in a number of years, we had time to kick back and rest before dinner. While we waited for dinner, the other members of our team arrived from Holdredge and Hastings.

Our dinner tonight was the traditional pizza from Pizza Hut. As usual, there was very little left for leftovers. During dinner, everyone got to know one another and new team members were made to feel like a long time participant. After a little free time, we gathered in the parish hall for our first team meeting and bible study. Team leaders were announced and teams formed. Each of our team leaders is new to the role and were surprised they had been picked over some of the older members of the team. Not a problem, they stepped into their new responsibilities quickly and started out strong. 

Once our safeguarding training was accomplished, our bible study looked at the plagues found in the book of Exodus. We learned that the plagues, while devastating, were not the focus of the evening's study. Instead, we looked at the risk Moses took when he stepped out in faith to do God's work. We then compared this to the risks we took stepping beyond our own comfort zones to do God's work on the reservation. It was a really good discussion for the first night of our trip.

Preparation for Monday's work on the reservation went quickly as many chipped in to help do the work. Maybe the bible study actually made an impact in the way we saw the ministry we are here to share in. One team went to practice their skit for tomorrow's worship and another prepared to lead Compline. By the time Compline came around, many were showing signs of a long day and the church went eerily quiet immediately after lights out.

Well, this is the summary of day one. On a scale of 1-10, today was a 10. We all hope and pray Monday goes well.