Does anyone else feel like time is going WAY too fast? Or that we skipped a couple months somewhere this past fall? I’m pretty sure there was time warp happening because my last blog I wrote was in September and it doesn’t feel like it was THAT long ago?! Crazy!! First of all, thanks for reading our blogs, we will hopefully try keep you up to date as much as possible. Amy is great at it! lol. Also, I would like to introduce you to a couple that is on board with us in Anchored Warriors. Tristan and Leslie Lefthand and there lil’ cute baby Illiana. They are awesome to have on our team and bring so much to this Ministry. I’m excited!
I’m sure they will write on the blog sometime and can tell you more about themselves and where they’re coming from, etc… So stay tuned! J
I have learned a lot about myself these last couple months. Our Anchored Warriors (AW) team has had a couple meetings doing team building, spiritual gifts, team role activities and such. I highly recommend everyone do something like this because it’s really neat. I’ve done it before in College, but it’s always good to do it again since you learn something new every time. I have learned that I am ALL people oriented and no TASK oriented. Hmm, that can explain my ‘love’ that I struggle with in writing consistently on the blog. About a month ago we started working on leadership/youth manuals for our leadership retreat that’s taking place in January. I had a grand picture in my head of what these binders would look like: filled with resources, useful information, bible studies, game ideas, items to encourage, back to basics of how to read the bible, what is a personal relationship with Christ mean?, etc… and that it would be a piece-of-cake putting them together (keep in mind there are tons of youth ministry resources out there but nothing that applies to Aboriginal youth…which is very different). Amy and I sat down and went back and forth of ideas of what to put in the binder, started a content page and tried to bring all our resources together (our house was a DISASTER of papers everywhere!) It’s a challenge because we don’t want too much information because that’s overwhelming, but we don’t want too little that it’s not useful. The overwhelming load of these leadership manuals all of a sudden paralyzed me! The task to get this done and to even think of it made me want to either cry or go in to a little hole in hopes it comes together on it’s own. So – all that to say, once I realized that I was not necessarily task-oriented but more about people and building relationships, it made sense to my stressful overwhelming days of trying to figure out these binders and how it felt impossible to pull it together. Thanks to the encouragement of those that knew what was going on with me! Through this it was an eye opener and blessing to see how God brought our AW team together. As we did the team roles activities with Dan Woodard (who’s so awesome in leading us through all of this!) we realized,as a team with Amy, Tristan, Leslie and myself, that we totally balance each other out and cover all the ‘basis’ in our individual strengths and what we have to bring to the table. We got together to work on the binders and it was a BREEZE doing it together, each bringing in our ideas and thoughts and moving forward. I all of a sudden had movement and was no longer paralyzed. Lol…I may seem like I’m making it a big deal, but that’s seriously how it felt! Big lessons learned through that little journey and a taste of Ministry in the things you face…big or small. The binders are not even close to being finished, actually they are barely started, but we have made progress and know exactly what we are doing…. So we think right now?!
We are going to another community, Piikani, which is down south by Pincher Creek. Also known as Brocket. We are meeting with the Local pastor and church there in a few weeks in hopes that Anchored Warriors can start mentoring young leaders in that community and get a youth program started. When we initially talked to a leader in that community about AW coming and meeting he said “I’ve been waiting for you all to say that!” He was hoping Anchored Warriors would come to his community but he didn’t want to ask or push it because he knew God would bring us there sometime. God opened that door for us to head that way, so it’s exciting to see what God will use through Anchored Warriors and the community leaders!
Kikino has the big community kick off at the end of the month. Please pray for this event. It will be taking place on Friday and Saturday (Nov. 26 – 27) There will be music, speaker, games, food, floor hockey, etc. They will also be telling the community about their bible studies and youth nights that they lead. Pray that many of the community will come out to the event and that they would find interest in the youth night and bible studies. We will be meeting with the christian leaders and the potential youth leaders to talk more about mentoring and to encourage them on Saturday afternoon.
The leaders are so great. They are well organized, have big hearts for Christ, love their youth, and are taking this head on! They usually bring one of the biggest groups to the Native Youth Conference, so this is a perfect opportunity to build relationships with the youth and get the more active in their community with the youth nights and bible studies.
We continue planning for the leadership retreat happening January 21-23, 2011. I’m SO excited for this… it’s going to be awesome for the leaders and potential youth leaders in challenging them on their rez and in their community, but also encouraging them in their personal relationship with Christ. I don’t want to say too much yet! Just pray for the planning process, speakers, music, the right resources (PS: If you know of great resources, videos, books, etc for youth and leaders that might be useful – let us know! J) and for those that will attend. We have max capacity of 70 people that includes the AW team.
Please pray for us as we continue to build relationships with people in each of these communities. Pray for all the planning (we are also planning a fundraiser early march). Pray for each of us as we are all raising our own support to do Anchored Warriors. Pray for us as we speak at various events and churches in regards to youth ministry and Anchored Warriors. Pray for our own accountability and personal walks with Christ. Pray against the enemy as he tries in small and big ways to bring us down. Pray for the hearts of the Aboriginal youth that are searching for something more, that feel they don’t have HOPE, and for those that are trying to take a stand in their community but face many trials. Pray for the community leaders as they are trying to take a stand as well and find time, amongst their busy schedules, to have programs for youth and invest in them personally.
Thank you for your encouragement and support – I couldn’t imagine doing it without!
