THE WOUNDS OF THE NATIVE AMERICANS-CAN THEY BE HEALED?
Red Cloud of the Oglala Dakota Indians once said of the United States, “They made us many promises, more than I can remember, but they never kept but one. They promised to take our land, and they took it.” As the result of broken promises, today our Native Americans are broken people, especially the Lakota Sioux tribe at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
House of Friends mission team members, John and Dianna Gross, Dale and Jeanie Ritter, and Judy Lieser, made their way to Pine Ridge on April 30, 2008 with two truck loads of goods donated by many in the Lafayette County and South Kansas City, Missouri area. Approximately 65 boxes and 5 large bags of clothing, household items, books, washer, dryer, electric range, love seat, and mattresses were delivered to the reservation. Many items were barely unloaded before they were gone. We were also able to give The ABOUT Group, our mission partner on the reservation, a donation of $1,675 from dedicated supporters to help meet some needs of the Lakota’s.
While the men were unloading boxes, Jeanie and Judy put their hands to preparing and serving breakfast to the street men. They gather in the streets in groups of 3 or 4 (even in the cold) waiting for a free breakfast and for the liquor store to open.
Dale Ritter (HOF) and Bruce Bonfleur, The ABOUT Group, unloading the truck.
Patchi,in front ,coming through the breakfast line, has been set free of alcoholism and is rebuilding her life.
This trip became a learning experience and a time of building relationships. All of the team members came back with a new understanding of the plight of these precious people and with a passion to help meet needs and heal their wounds in whatever way possible. One of the greatest things we can do is weep in prayer before the throne of God asking for His mercy, to saturate them with His love by His Holy Spirit, and to work a miracle. We know you will agree as you read the conditions they face.
The Lakota people, according to Bruce Bonfleur of The ABOUT Group, were in the most desperate condition the week the team was there than in the last 10 years. He said, “People are bringing their washers and dryers to sell to the mission so they can have money to buy food.” Is it the long winter or higher prices? The reason is unknown.
There are approximately 40,000 on the reservation. Each family is given a monthly allotment of about $400 from our government for general needs. Because of the broken hearts, the first place many men and some women run to when their checks arrive is the local liquor store.
Left-L-R sitting, John & Dianna Gross, Judy Lieser, Jeanie & Dale Ritter, and Marsha Bonfleur.; standing, Bruce Bonfleur. Center- Jeanie unpacking boxes of donations at the reservation. Right – John working on a project.
The team visited Wounded Knee and the burial site of over 300 men, women and children of the Lakota Sioux tribe massacred under a truce flag. A local full-blooded Lakota Sioux couple shared their pictures and story about the massacre, family, and plight of their nation. Promises were made and not fulfilled according to Emerson, the husband. Even the land of the Black Hills was given to them and later taken away when it was discovered there was gold on it. They were promised allotments for the full-blooded Lakota Sioux on the reservation. Now anyone with any amount of Lakota blood can live there and the allotment for the 6,000 full blooded is divided among the 40,000 plus occupants. Food stamps are not available to those who have personal property valued over $2,500. When propane is needed to warm their homes, they must purchase at least $150 worth. Five homes in the area must order propane and have the money to pay for it before it is delivered. There are times they don’t have any heat for their homes for this reason.
A trip to the grocery store in Pine Ridge Village, gives you a clue why they are desperate-the prices of items are much higher than anywhere else. There are very few jobs on the reservation to earn a wage covering their needs. To obtain a job elsewhere is difficult; one contributing factor is racial prejudice. One resource quotes that Pine Ridge alone has a 70% unemployment rate.
Pine Ridge has become a place where abuse rages because the people are in a hopeless state. The consequences have resulted in alcoholism, child abuse, and spouse abuse. It is a place where 17 to 25 people live in a three bedroom house. One half of the homes do not have running water, electricity or heat. They crowd together to keep warm.
A Christian Lakota Sioux woman stated that as a child she was abused by her alcoholic parents and tried to commit suicide twice. Even today, when she is overwhelmed because of seeing children and her nation’s problems around her so hopeless, she has to fight off the thoughts of ending it all. She stands firm, however, knowing that is not of God. She must be strong and trust Him.
Few are Christians on the reservation, and people are reverting back to their cultural religious practices. According to a local pastor, they don’t believe they sin. Can they be healed? We believe there is hope through prayer, the Gospel, building relationship, and practical helps.
LAKOTA SIOUX’S FUTURE
What does the future hold for this little Lakota? By the grace of God we pray it will be a bright one. Today, however, it appears bleak. The school dropout rate of 15 and 16 year olds on the reservation is 80% and teen suicides are 150% higher than the national average.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE ONE AT A TIME
Our new Lakota friends, Leon and Belva Matthews, Higher Ground Coffee House owners and Pastors of The Gospel Fellowship Church, love kids and are doing what they can to minister life to them. Every night you will see their back yard-a basketball court-filled with teenagers hanging out and reaching out to them for help. Many have started attending the church and finding hope.
MEET YOUR FRIENDS WORKING IN THE HOUSE
House of Friends has been in the plans of God since the beginning of time. It was planted in the heart of founder John Gross of Kansas City, Missouri a few years ago, but could not become a viable ministry until God had everyone in position.
Personal commitments to the vision were made and House of Friends became a Missouri non profit corporation on January 28, 2008. We are pleased to introduce you to those who are coming along side to fulfill the plans and purposes of God. In this issue of the newsletter we are featuring our Founder and Chairman of the Board, John Gross.
John Gross is the son of retired ministers. In his early years he was a rebellious teen but at the age of 21 he had a dramatic encounter with Jesus Christ and surrendered his life. John offers a fresh look at the mission of the church through the eyes of an ordinary Christian. He challenges the everyday Christian to offer their lives as laborers in the Lord’s fields that are white and ready for harvest. His experiences with short-term mission outreaches will serve to inspire leaders and laymen alike.
John is employed at a large pharmaceutical company, but he uses his spare time doing inner city outreach and interim ministry where needed. He has worked with state leaders organizing strategic prayer meetings and has been involved with ministry to the First Nation peoples. John feels most at home on the foreign mission field. He has ministered in China, Egypt, Israel, Ethiopia, Uganda, Dominican Republic, and Cayman Island. Although training pastors and distributing Bibles have been John’s passion, the Lord has deposited a deep love for widows and orphans in his heart, along with a fresh vision to effect physical and spiritual change in the poor of the earth by the power of the Holy Spirit.
John and his wife Dianna live in Kansas City, Missouri and have two children and five grandchildren.
