Standing Rock Reservation

The mission partnership that started in 2009 between WMUV, RVBA, and Pastor Boots Marsh of the Standing Rock Reservation has truly been a hand-in-hand, heart-to-heart effort to bring hope to Native Americans living in the Dakotas. Since 2004, an increasing number of Roanoke volunteers have developed relationships on the Reservation under the leadership of Bob Hetherington, Director of Missions for Roanoke. Through WMUV’s network, the efforts doubled as volunteers from churches across Virginia increased the number of hands to minister to the Sioux Indians.

Standing Rock Reservation covers  an area about the size of Connecticut on the border of North and South Dakota. The Reservation is home to about 8,500 people who struggle with the issues of unemployment, alcoholism, poverty and domestic violence. Desolate land and extreme weather conditions make this area a difficult place to live and work.

In 2009 the members of Standing Rock gave back to Virginia Baptist: four people who are a part of a Standing Rock house prayer group made the trip from South Dakota to the Powell River Association, and served hand-in-hand with literacy and construction projects to share the love of Christ to children in Lee County. WMUV also provided scholarships for two Standing Rock children to attend summer camp at CrossRoads.

How can you join WMUV—hand-in-hand and heart-to-heart—as we minister to our Native American friends in Standing Rock? The following ideas are opportunities to form mission teams to minister and develop on going relationships on the Reservation.

Kid’s Club: A VBS-type experience involves crafts, games, music, and Bible lessons, sewing and woodworking skills.  A feeding ministry provides dinner for the children and their families.

Grounds and Games:  A travel team visits each community the week before Kids Club, promoting the activities, using inflatables, popcorn and snowcones. A grounds crew team makes sure the facilities are mowed, and kitchen appliances are working.

Adult Crafts: Skills, along with Bible lessons, are shared among adults including sewing, quilting, basket making, and woodworking. The hope is that the women and men will find productive ways to use their time and perhaps make some money with their new skills.

Construction:  This is an opportunity to make both large and small improvements to existing church buildings in Cannon Ball and Ft. Yates (i.e., new doors, handicap ramps, adding an addition onto the building, flooring, roofing, painting, and hanging wallboard).  Teams may receive approval from the  tribe to make repairs to property owned by the tribe, such as painting rooms in the community centers and home repairs.

Medical:  Teams provide blood pressure and blood sugar checks, vision checks and foot care ministry. Reading glasses and educational materials are also distributed.  Jumpers, shorts and dolls are given to the children in addition to first aid kits. Future endeavors could include assisting the field clinics during the women’s health weeks.

BookNet Project and Ditty (Toiletry) Bags:  This is a great way to connect with children by reading a story, providing a craft and sharing a Bible lesson. Books are given to the children along with toiletry bags containing shampoo, soap, toothpaste and toothbrush. To learn more about BookNet, go to www.wmuv.org

Operation Warm Winter:  Teams distribute winter coats, sweaters, hats scarves, etc. and  provide a hot lunch for the community. Teams would need to provide transportation for the clothing.

Holiday Helpers:  Assist the pastor in providing meals and activities during the holidays in October, November and December.

Teen Club: Engage teenagers in age appropriate activities such as guitar lessons, dance
lessons, exercise, manicure/pedicure, etc.

Community Gardens: Teach children and adults about container gardening and help get
them started in the spring. Others can follow up with cooking and preparing the produce. Teams can also develop community garden projects with residents.

Summer School:  Educators assist with community school’s summer school program.

Family Portraits: Travel to each community taking family portraits and giving framed copies to each family with a Scripture verse on the back.

 

Ways to Engage

  Make and donate jumpers and shorts for the children of Standing Rock.

  Pray for Standing Rock:  Participate in a virtual prayerwalk on the WMUV website.

  Scholarship a native American child or teen (ages 10-18) to come to CrossRoads for a week of summer camp.

  Make dolls for the children. 

  Collect supplies for mission teams as needed.

  Adopt a family to pray for and encourage. Prayer cards will be available here soon.

 

Ways to Engage: Supplies for Standing Rock Reservation

• NEW basic sewing machines ($85-$100)
• NEW tennis shoes
• NEW underwear & socks all sizes children and adult  (boys prefer boxers)
• Jumpers, Shorts, Dolls - please reference page 14

Please call when you have these items ready to send.  They will not be accepted any earlier than May 15.

 

These items can be sent for the Christmas season:

•   $25 Walmart gift cards
•   Christmas shoeboxes for teens:  long sleeve t-shirt L/XL
•   toothpaste and toothbrush 
•   scarves for girls
•   wallets for boys
•   make-up
•   deodorant

 

Send to: Pastor Buford “Boots” Marsh and Jackie Marsh,Tipi Wakan,

149 B South Big Lake Road, Cannonball , ND 58528

Send letters to: PO Box 285,Cannonball, ND 58528

 

Ways to Pray:

To find out how you can pray for this ministry, please visit our Virtual Prayer Walk.

Click here for printable Prayer Cards. Each card features a family from a Standing Rock Community that you can pray for.

Bull Head Community	Little Eagle Community
Cannonball Community	McLaughlin Community
Fort Yates Community	Wakpala Community