Monday, September 12, 2016

Cross Lake - Arrival in a New World

When you have been up all night in order to get to the destination quickly - you know the drive has been a long one. You stop at a gas station and it no longer looks like home. You enter to pay and you are now the minority. You are getting close. The landscape has changed and bring you reflections of childhood. The road gets worse yet and now the holes are big enough - you better miss them. Dust is going everywhere. The kids in the back seat are watching for bears. You are no longer in Kansas - or rather Minnesota.

Finally finding the entrance to the reservation, we go looking for the right building. Instead we come up on a T in the road and there are big signs about the missing children and some who have been murdered. All young. To young.

We finally have to stop and call. We head to a "gas" station, but not one that looks like the ones back home. We met up with our hosts. The lead us to another part of town and then a dirt driveway. There is a spot on the right to park the camper. Then off to the center of town for the final breakfast of Indian Days. We pull up to what is a very small center of town. One government building and a couple others that could be a bank - maybe a post office? There is a big white tent near the water. We park and bail out of what has been our transport for 18/20 hours. It is a bit of a blur. We join the local celebration and we definitely stand out. We start meeting people as our host - Victoria and Gordon are friends with most everyone. We find a spot and get in line for breakfast. I chat with the people near me and smile at the adorable children. Dogs are roaming the area looking for scraps of food. There is one puppy that is getting a lot of attention.

Breakfast is good. It helps to get some strength of the day. I thank the ladies who have been making the food in big, cast iron looking open type pots. I get introduced to the chief and confirm meeting another day.

Back in our vehicle and back to the camper. We begin to setup when the first phone call comes in. Anna, Pam and I grab a few things and head out to follow Victoria. A grandmother has called because her grandson is in real distress and she is afraid for him. So begins our time here. One young person of many that we will come to know and have opportunity to bring them come encouragement.

The time spent with this young man starts slowly, cautiously on his part. The grandmother arrives and "takes charge" to make sure he lets us come in to talk. The grandmother is a real prayer warrior. Victoria is there helping us to communicate through the moments of difficulty with communication. She also has quite a heart for intercession. We begin and help R find the one he is needing most. He opens his heart and new life begins, but still there is wounding so we start helping him open his heart to The Father. I try to work through listening to him and hearing Papa's next thing for R. I remember bits of my Sozo training and take what feels like awkward steps, but a break through comes as he emotionally shares the loss of his father. More prayer - some in Cree by Victoria - PTL for her! He begins to find hope. We head out hoping we can see him again.

Victoria knows another family very close we should drop in on. We swing by their place and take time meeting them. The woman has been ill, so we spend some time in prayer for her, her husband and family members present.

Wow! It is not even lunchtime yet. Back we go to our "base camp". Camper is up and things are working. There is a meal to prepare, as friends from the local Christian community are coming over before the tent meeting tonight. It is only part of our first day in Cross Lake. So much to take in already, so much fills my heart.