Final Thoughts

Each mission trip brings new challenges, new opportunities, new team members, and new friends.  Below are some final thoughts from each participant about their week.  (Any typos are mine - Barbara)

Mission, SD was an incredible experience!  Linda was a bold leader accomplishing much for the Lakota people.  She inspired us as she described us as providing her with "excellence".  The struggles and challenges here are real but the knowledge keepers here have inspired us ll to be more like Jesus. - Pam

I liked helping with the ramp and learning the cultural aspect.  I loved learning and playing the games.  The sweat lodge was also very interesting.  It was fun to talk to the people, too - Justin, Mike, Linda, etc. - Caleb

This week I really enjoyed working on the ramp.  My favorite part of the week was the float trip.  When the Chief came, I was awed by how close he seemed to God and his people.  Going to the horse ranch was fun and learning how they helped kids was really cool.  I really like Tree of Life for helping people and think that they are doing an awesome job! - David

I was first impressed with the organization of the mission trip - thank you, Barb.  Everyone knew what they were supposed to do and when and, even more impressively, everyone followed through with their various jobs without complaint or hesitation.  We became quite a team.  The work for the guys was very fulfilling - whether the ramp, or the ball field fence, or the powwow center clean up, or even emptying and breaking down boxes at the thrift store.  Linda's gratitude for or work was really sincere and touching.  The four speakers were great - not only the Lakota men with their insights into Lakota history and tradition but also Howard with his running commentary over the week.  All the people we met and worked with were super friendly and welcoming, especially with the fry bread dinner on Friday.  All in all, a worthwhile and memorable trip. - Gene

 

What a wonderful week of fellowship, service, and fun!  Learning about the Lakota culture and their struggles was eye-opening and humbling.  Meeting Linda and working with the other staff and volunteers was inspiring.  Playing Lakota games with our team was so fun.  (There may be a few competitive people on this trip.  😊)  A few other highlights:

• Standing under the cold (!!) waterfall at Smith Falls State Park
• Pulling  up to the waterfalls in our kayaks
• Games of Ghost in the cars
• The wide open  "big sky" land
• The moment we realized our connection with Jessi and Justin Baker
  
• Opening the Amazon pallets (It's like Christmas!!) 
• Lakota games with Mike in the shady dusk
• How the sky didn't get dark until 10:30pm
• The horses!!  So soulful and majestic
• Howard's final devotion and Holy Communion 

- Melanie

 

You can't out give God!  That is one of the main things that has stuck with me this week.  It's a statement that our leader at Tree of Life Linda was telling us all week.  Whatever we have planned or do, God always has something bigger in store for us all.  This was an incredible week filled with culture, people, faithfulness, fun, and love.  It will go down as one of my favorite mission trips and I will carry the lessons I learned and experiences I had with me for the rest of my life.  God is good! - Molly 

 

This mission trip has changed the way I thought about how other people live and what they believe. There are more big things in small cities than everyone thinks. The connections and how much everybody cares about one another is nothing you will ever see. From the life style the Lakota people loved in the 1800s to present is still a lot similar but with more modern day technology. I think it is awesome they can still do their cultural dances and pray and celebrate the way that their people use to do. I love the relationships we had with the people we worked with and it was overall such an eye opening trip. - Connor

For me this week was such an amazing experience, I am lost for words. I came into this trip not knowing anyone (well except Connor) and I came out feeling like I had known them forever. I truly felt like God wanted me on this trip. But it wasn’t just about me helping the people in the area, it was also about them helping me. I had learned so much about their culture and what it meant to be a true community. I had learned that everything has a purpose and there is no such thing as a coincidence. This became apparent to me as many things just fell into place, like how we had a guy come in and talk about Lakota culture. He has an amputated leg and needed a wheelchair, he was the guy we were building the ramp for, and apparently he knew some people in OP. Turns out that most of the church group also knew them and seeing that interaction made me realize God is looking out for us. This trip really made me feel closer to God than any church service.

-Lance

 

 

My understanding of what this week has meant can be summed up in one word: relationship... Relationship with each other as mission crew; relationship to those we "worked" for; relationship to the folks we and they serve; and relationship of people of faith from different cultures. The depth of sharing from Chief Duane, Justin and Jessi; Mark, Linda and many others was humbling to experience. 

My relationship to Leawood UMC and each of the special people on this trip deeply touched me. I'll not soon forget...thank you to all who supported us! - Howard

 

 

What a great week!  Each mission trip is different and yet the same.  Our group varies from year to year and where we go and serve may change but one thing is constant - God's love is apparent in each member of our group and the people we encounter during the week.  Linda, the director of Tree of Life, is a dynamo!  Tree of Life has accomplished much over the past few years and they have so many plans for the future - they have a garden that will eventually include a chicken run and underground garden.  They plan to use as much from their garden when they get the soup kitchen set up. The kitchen is a work in progress but I have no doubt that it will be completed sooner rather than later.  Linda shared a story about deciding they should try to get prom dresses to offer to the students.  They received donations from some department stores but also a large number from a Baptist church.  They set up to offer the dresses to the young women of the area - including having personal shoppers to help the shoppers.  One young lady from the community, who has no family to help her, arrived and, when asked, admitted that she had a dress in mind and actually had a picture of the dress.  Not only was one of the dresses donated by the Baptist church that exact dress, it was her size.  The young lady that helped her was actually the donor of the dress.  God is good and you can't out give God.  He has a plan and, although we may not see it at the start, it is there and we just need to open our hearts and minds to hear it.  

The mission trip week is both one of the most amazing weeks of the year for me but also one of the most exhausting.  But what a great exhaustion - I get to work with amazing people - both from our group and the place we are visiting.  It is an honor to represent Leawood UMC and be the hands and feet of God.

If you are inspired by reading these final thoughts and think you might be interested in going on next year's trip, talk to one of us.  We will be happy to answer your questions.  If you would like to support future mission trips, please continue to pray for the mission trip team or, if so inclined, feel free to make a donation to the mission trip fund at church.  😊

Barbara

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