Greetings from Pine Ridge - Day One

Hello, Minnesota! I am writing to let you know that we made it, safe and sound, and are enjoying a little bit of free time (and showers) after a full day at our ministry sites. I'm sorry I haven't been able to be in touch before now; my cell phone does not work here (neither the reception for calls/texts nor the data....argh). Anyway, I managed to borrow a laptop from one of the Youthworks staff to send a quick update.

Everyone spent the day getting to know the community here, either by working with children in Kid's Club and a tutoring program, or through painting homes in a nearby neighborhood. The kids are adorable and very hungry for attention. One huge challenge is seeing firsthand how different life is here from at home. Kids learn to be independent and tough at a very young age. Spending time in the neighborhoods highlights the contrast between the experience of living in Pine Ridge vs Dakota County and what most of us have known. We'll be doing a lot of processing these next few days! Being here provides a great opportunity to grow in our understanding of the world and in our faith - really wrestling with what this experience means for us, and how we understand God's work in the world.

Tonight we hope the weather holds, allowing us to have our evening worship in the Badlands. What a beautiful area this is! A blessing to be immersed here for a week with your kids - they are awesome :)

I'm not certain when/if I'll get a hold of a laptop again for sending you additional updates, but you can be confident that no news is good news - and we have access to communications for emergencies! Use the phone number for Colleen that I sent home to you if you need to get in contact with us.

Blessings to you all! We'll have lots of great stories for you when we get home.

-Katie

2013 Summer Immersion Schedule

“He must increase but I must decrease.”

-John 3:30

John the Baptist’s statement referring to Jesus is a challenge for all of us. Such decrease and increase is not simple math or an easy formula. We are products of a culture where bigger is better and doing more is the desired outcome. However, sometimes the work we do for others does less to make their lives better and more to make us feel good.

This summer we will be challenged to step aside and let Jesus do more while we experience life alongside others in the communities we are sent. We will walk with those we go to serve as co-laborers in God’s kingdom while hearing their transforming stories of faith and life.

Our summer immersion trips give students the opportunity to learn from and serve together with their host community. Several new trips are being offered to help students experience Jesus in the midst of caring and mutual relationships. No matter where we travel we continue to practice SOTV’s strong culture of welcome, care, and transformation in the name of Jesus Christ. This is best achieved when we stop doing for others and focus on being with others.

When it comes to experiencing Jesus, less really is more. When we load vans for our summer trips, we fit everything we need under the seats and in the back. We travel light (some travel lighter than others) and trust the community and God to provide everything else. We will all be challenged to step aside, to decrease, and let Jesus take over and live through us.

Here is the schedule for 2013:

Summer Stretch: select Tuesdays in June and July
Camp Wapo/Luther Dell: June 15-21
Pine Ridge: June 22-28
Green Bay: June 30-July 5
Bethphage: July 6-12
Habitat Milwaukee: July 15-21
Duluth: July 21-26
Beach Camp: July 28-August 3


We look forward to decreasing with you! 
~Pastor Randy, Katie, Erin, Brandon, and Barb