Day 2

A beautiful start to the day. Nice cool temperatures after some rains moved through the area last night. There are clouds to our northwest and a quick look at weather radar tells us that there is rain on parts of the Rosebud. Hopefully it stays to the north and does not impact the day's activities.

Our first morning started out with song as our wake up team serenaded us with a rather unique version of "Rise and Shine". It didn't take long for folks to get up and get moving. Breakfast went quickly, the trailer was loaded and we were off to the Church of Jesus. Ran into some construction running right through the town of Rosebud that would complicate our area youth pick up and returns, but not too terribly bad.

Arriving at the church, Mother Lauren Stanley met us with keys and a warm welcome. She shared some reservation news, helped those new to the reservation understand some of the challenges youth on the reservation are experiencing, and then walked through the various service projects she was hoping we would be able to get done. After a little negotiating, we agreed to try and repair the flooring in the chancel area. Over the years it had acquired a few soft spots and they were worried someone would one day fall through the floor. Pulling back the carpet, the repair was not as substantial as we first thought and work began to prepare the area for the addition of some supports, a new section of subfloor, and the addition of a new layer of flooring. When complete, the repair should last for some time.

Another project we agreed to undertake involved some mold abatement. Over the years, the church basement had had water problems that ended up causing a fair amount of damage to drywall. We began by removing the drywall and cleaning up the basement. We will wash things down with a bleach and water mixture, then use a good basement paint with sealer. Time permitting we will also paint the front doors of the church again, it is amazing how weather worn they get in a year. This year we are going to try something a little different to see if we can get it to last. Last on the list is to re-stain the parish handicap ramp. Not sure if we will get to this one, but will try. 

Due to computer problems, the local priest was unable to get the fliers up to let folks know we are in town. That meant we had a lower turnout than anticipated. Still, it was nice to see so many of the youth we worked with last year. We enjoyed lunch, a little singing, crafts, and games before it was time to take them home. As mentioned before, while the construction complicated local travel, it wasn't as bad as we anticipated. There is always tomorrow.

Back in Valentine, the team headed to the pool for what was nothing less than a wonderful feeling after the heat of the day. For those who did not swim, but went to enjoy the showers, they found the water a little invigorating. Turns out there was no hot water. Nobody seemed to mind too much as the water felt really good. Next on the schedule was dinner, some free time, our nightly bible study (we looked at the story of Noah) and preparations for the next day. As is our custom, one of the team led us in Compline before turning out the lights and heading off to bed.

Overall this was a very good day; and there were some real signs of our team coming together. We may be from different churches, but we share a common goal, to experience the love of God in and through those God places in our lives; whether they are on the team, one of the children we serve, or the people of Valentine. God Bless.