Welcome Home

I don’t suppose I’ve ever been this type of scared. Its like the kind of scared you get before you watch a scary movie, mixed with the first time you are on stage, mixed with your first kiss--terrified and excited, all at the same time. God help me. Given the demographics of this population and the lack of resources here, my work ahead all seems pretty overwhelming. Today when Seth and I got to the Center, there was a man who showed up and asked Pastor Rupp (Karen) for “six ounces.” I shat myself for a second, thinking he was talking about drugs. Turns out he was talking about bologna sandwiches. That was my first lesson: the Center feeds the people of the res for free from 11-1PM Monday thru Friday, if they so choose. When I got back home from dropping Seth off at the airport, there were three boys outside my house. One asking to use our phone, one asking for shoes, and the other was aimlessly riding his bike around, trying to convince one of the others to join him. His tire was flat. Turns out it wasn’t his bike, either. When we came inside, I saw about 35 bowls and cups, some were empty and some still had bits of chicken and rice or lemonade hangin out in em. Second lesson: the Center feeds the res children every Wednesday after school, partnered with playtime and worship. I noticed one of the boys picking at the bowls of food and lemonade and wondered when his last meal was. We invited him to eat. As we were eating, another boy dropped by to pick up school supplies, so he joined us as well. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this house was a haven. Pastor Rupp is like a mad scientist—always thinking of new things to do and new ways to do them. She lives to serve. The door must have been knocked at least twice more that night before she headed home, and we had a phone call requesting food around eight (that is, after she filled another request for a family that lives across the street from us). There is also a wonderful girl named Alicia who lives here. She is from South Carolina, did her undergrad in Theology, and has been here about 2 months. She will continue to stay here for about another year. Her four legged, Scottie, is a vocal little man who likes fruits and vegetables (especially bananas). Alicia also cooked the chicken—very good. After the children left, Pastor Rupp, Alicia, and I had grown up talk and I found out/confirmed a few things:

- Approximately ½ of all residents are under 21

- People mix hairspray and water to get drunk because it’s cheaper and more accessible (this is a dry reservation)

    à Drunk driving is a HUGE problem here; people will drive out of county, booze, and drive back. There were markers on the road that marked each place a person died from drunk driving. The amount of signs I saw made my stomach turn.

- 80% unemployment rate

- The boy who I saw picking at the food and invited in has a mother who just returned from jail (she also took the backpack that Karen and Alicia gave him from the school supply drive, so we gave him another)

-       The windows of our church van were smashed in last October. That’s the van we use to take the children to and from school, home, and church. Karen says its most likely gang initiation or just teenagers being teenagers; it happens quite frequently. On the drive toward Pine Ridge, Seth and I were listening to 90.1 Kili radio, which had a feature on violence, most especially gang violence among adolescents on the res.  Lucky me, those are most likely my clients. My main service here will be working with The Sweetgrass Project (a suicide prevention program, mostly for teenagers).

hallway outside my bedroom

Karen's office, filled with handmade things she bought from locals.