This is an update that Gretchen (in photo on the right) sent her prayer/financial support team at the end of summer. Gretchen is on staff with us and handles photography (she took the photos of the pow wow and the little girls on the right), video, multimedia, works with children, and diciples two teenage girls. ~ Chris
Dear Friends,
I cannot believe how fast this summer has gone by, and more than that I cannot believe how much has happened. I want each and everyone of you to know and understand the things that went on through out the summer, but i know that would be quite hard to do.
We said our "see ya laters" to the intern team a couple days ago. The Lord blessed Sacred Road with an outstanding summer team this year and it was hard to see a team that grew so close together, separate. However what God did this summer and what He continues to do is so much bigger than me and our community at Sacred Road. I'm already excited to see where He takes us next and who He brings into our lives. As I sit here, I'm realizing how this has kind of been my first chance to start to process everything that has happened this summer. I think I'll still be processing things months from now, so bear with me as I struggle to communicate so many different emotions and events.
I want to tell you about stephanie and tyron, about the huckleberry feast, about how amazing it was to watch children's eyes as they were told incredible stories from the Bible, I want to tell you about the hurt in these children's faces, I want to tell you how touched Jack was this summer, I want to tell you about Jordan, I want to tell you how much fun i had at times with the team...i could go on and on...but I guess I'll try and point out just a few things that went on this summer.
This summer, my primary job was to document the team weeks, through video clips and pictures. At the end of the team week we would watch a completed video that the team members would take home in order to help them tell the story of their week and be advocates for Native America. At kids club on the first team week, there was a video taken of a young, native girl holding a sign that read 'listen to us" (it was actually a poster used during the story time referring to how our Heavenly Father listens to us) This image was really powerful for me and an excellent picture for me to see going into the summer. Native Americans for so long have been hushed and unable to have a voice. This image of a girl holding the sign looked like a silent plea to be heard. I'm not sure how well the videos I made gave the Yakama community a voice, but that is my hope and desire. Please pray that would be my goal and intention as I continue to work with multi media and publications. And more than that, on a much larger scale, that Native Americans would find a voice and be heard, and that the American people would be given ears to hear their voice.
One of my favorite times this summer was going to the Huckleberry Feast. Huckleberries are one of the Yakama People's traditional foods and every year the community gets together to celebrate the Creator's provision to them. This is one of the few times the Yakama people are able to get together on a joyous occasion, so it's a huge celebration! The Huckleberry feast this year fell on a team week. The entire team was invited to go, which is unheard of to invite 60+ white people to a traditional feast. However the whole team went and were awed to see the hospitality and generosity of the tribe. Later on during the feast, there was a time where people in the community could say some words to everyone there. The entire team was asked to come out to the ceremonial room to be honored and thanked for the work they "had done". Please note that this was the first day of the team week and many of these people had never been to Yakama before. Elders in the community were brought to tears speaking about a paint job that was done on their house up to 7 years ago. This was their way of thanking Sacred Road as a whole (all past teams, going 7 years back) for the work and service they had done. Many people also came and shook everyone's hand on the team to show their gratitude. This was just an extremely humbling and encouraging time. Sometimes it's easy to wonder what painting or roofing someone's house really accomplishes, but it was amazing to see the way God has worked in the community, the relationships that have been built, and how in the end only Christ can get the glory. Praise the Lord!
The first week we went out to Adam's View (a tribal housing neighborhood where we do kids club) this summer, a little girl who is 4 years old wandered in. I did my normal approach asking her what her name was and waited to see if I got any response. She at first acted scared and just kinda bizarre. I think she expected that I would eventually give up trying to get to know her and walk away. Eventually, after 10 or 15 minutes she told me her name was Jordan. I looked for Jordan everyday we were there. Sometimes she came, sometimes she didn't. Jordan talked a lot but I probably understood 50% of what she was saying. I did gather that she knew things that a 4 year old just should not know. Somedays she would come and just be out of control. She wanted to move from one activity to the next, she wanted to do jump rope, and water games, or lick my camera (seriously, i have proof), or jump into her pool fully clothed, shoes and all. Somedays, she just wanted to be held, nothing else. The house that she stays in bothers me. I don't know what goes on there and frankly I don't want to. Please pray for Jordan and her sister Heather. Pray for their safety and that the stories they heard this summer will be in their hearts and minds. Also even if you just pray for Jordan and Heather, know that they represent a community of children who are lost and need the love and touch of Christ. I can hold a child in my arms for a couple hours, but it doesn't even begin to compare to the embrace that their heavenly Father gives them. Pray that they would know and feel that embrace.
Thank you for hanging in there with me and that this update was long in coming. You can pray for this fall as things will take a little different turn. I'm looking forward to working on some new publicity projects and also continue with mentoring some young girls in the community.
Thank you all so much for your love and support. I would love to talk to you all more about what's going on at Sacred Road. I am actually in the 'burg for the next week and a half and again would love to get together with any of you!
www.youtube.com/user/sacredroad is where you can view the videos from this summer. They're also on facebook on the Sacred Road fan page. Become a FAN!!!
Love you all,
Gretchen
