Camp bears fruit

Pastor Craig and his mission team just returned from a week of camp in Show Low, Arizona, at the American Indian Christian Mission. The highlight of the week of camp they staged for high school Native Americans began as a simple time of invitation at the end of one night. It turned into a revival as nine campers gave their lives to Christ and were baptized. Read Craig's blog post, Laboring in Love.

Planting seeds in South Dakota

Zoe Hendrix, along with three others, recently returned from a weeklong TCC mission trip to Diamond Willow Christian Center in South Dakota, which serves Native Americans. Below is a report.

Our time at Diamond Willow Christian Center on the Crow Creek Reservation at Fort Thompson, South Dakota, was once again a mountain-top high of spirit-filled days. We arrived late Saturday night and were able to worship on Mother's Day at the Church Center.

Since Tomoka’s first visit there three years ago, we could see much growth both spiritually and physically with the church center there.

The Vaughn family is pleased with the active hub that Diamond Willow has grown to be on the reservation. The calendar is full each week with men's and women's groups, Wednesday night soup and Bible study, Friday teen night and Tuesday kids’ night. The Diamond Willow bus rolls steady picking up folks.

Wendy, Julie and I were able to help with prep of 12 gallons of soup to freeze ahead and sewing angel costumes for the Christmas pageant. This past year’s pageant saw 47 kids performing, so more angels are needed. The guys worked on reservation homes, installed a toilet — and Jim Dooley's electrical help was truly a blessing.

Springtime in the Dakotas is beautiful and our days were blessed with glorious weather. We had opportunity to interact with many Native Americans and left feeling seeds were planted. We look forward to returning and a possible discovery of how God’s work has grown. Please pray about joining the team for next spring's trip.

Blessings abound on mission field

Below is an excerpt from the journal of one of our elders, Pat McCarthy, written while he was serving with a TCC team in March at the Red Sands Native American reservation in Winslow, Arizona. The account is from just two days, but it serves as a snapshot of mission work — the sacrifices and the rewards.

Tuesday: The 12 of us flew across the country wearing little wooden crosses around our necks, and also carried a few each to give to others. These crosses, hand made by Ralph Zellers, touched a young lady and her baby, as well as the stewardess on the plane. Tony hung a cross on a beaming security guard. Taking a bus from the airport to the car rentals, a family with their 90-year-old grandfather was having a time getting in, as the elderly man was crippled. We talked to them of our mission to Red Sands and hung crosses on the old man, his granddaughter and great grandson. They each lit up like a sunburst! At the rental place, Ralph, Cliff and Tony hung a cross on a young lady, and by God’s blessing, she gave us an upgrade to a Suburban with no extra charge! On the way to Winslow in that Suburban we laughed so much we ’bout cried! Once again the blessing of giving and the blessing of receiving!

Thursday: Started the morning with the children for chapel services, singing, praying, listening to their soft prayers: “God bless my Momma and Daddy, Grandma and Granddaddy and my sisters and brothers and my friends ….” Off to school and us off to work. It was a big day as we worked on the missionary house — continuing to frame it up, seal and caulk. After school, the ladies set up manicure and pedicure stations for the girls. They washed feet, massaged feet, cut toenails, put polish on toes and nails as well as gave each new flip-flops. It was absolutely amazing to watch these girls sit totally quiet and just smile and giggle for two hours. They were looking at their feet so much I thought they might walk into the walls! The men brought the boys to work on the missionary house. I just wish everyone could see the gleam in their eyes as Tony was letting them use the nail gun to put on boards. Ralph and Carl taught them to nail on stripping boarders. The boys just hammered away, working alongside all of the men throughout the afternoon. They just loved it. Those boys crave the attention from the men as they get very little male support in their lives. Sharen & Vicky prepared another great meal with spaghetti and we thought we were at the Olive Garden! We were so weary at night when we walked down to our Hogans, crawled into our sleeping bags & hoped the air mattresses wouldn't throw us off the bunk bed during the night. One night, Carl Hahn was not so lucky as he ended up on the floor!!