Sights from Rapid City and South Dakota

Our SOTV crew in front of Mount Rushmore. Really, promise, it's back there :)

Safari Girls

There is a basketball court that we're free to use at our shower site! Had a blast, though after a few minutes of fun everyone could have used another shower :)

Freshly showered and silly after a great first day at work sites

Wednesday night we had the opportunity to go to a pow wow at a Lakota Sioux Lutheran Church in Rapid City. Our youth honored our hosts by watching and--best of all--dancing with them when invited! It was a dusty, sweaty blast.

Black Hills Works was one of our work sites for the week. It is a day center where adults with disabilities have opportunities to make art, exercise, do other activities and even work for a paycheck! Those of us at the site had a fabulous experience and made many new friends

Claire helping Shad paint a masterpiece

Amanda and Heather playing battleship with AJ

Community cookout Thursday dinner--we served almost 300 friends from our work sites, Trinity Lutheran (our housing location), and the surrounding neighborhood.

Getting Serious in Rapid City

Devotion Time

Tuesday, August 31

Today we took devotions more seriously. People are stepping out of their comfort zones, meeting new people, doing actions with the songs and singing. You've got to be here to actually understand it. The weather has been hot. 

All of our groups have been helping out with meal prep, clean-up and building chores. Everyone is getting more comfortable with their work sites. But just when we think we've seen most of the city, we discover something new. 

- Alex Gehling

Rapid City: Club for Boys

Monday July 30

The boys from SOTV combined forces with the boys from Calvary Baptist (the other middle-school group serving here) to work at The Club for Boys. They provide a very low-cost environment for local boys to "develop self-esteem and character in a caring, safe, and fun environment."

Monday at the Club for Boys is called "sanity day" for the staff and we were told that when we return on Tuesday we would truly understand why it is called that. The day started with an overview of the club and instruction from Mark, the club director. Mark is very upbeat and passionate about the club and that energy was passed on to the boys as they accepted their mission to first clean the building on Monday in preparation for buddying-up with a boy when the center is open for the remainder of the week. 

Mark led the group in a quick Simon Says (of course, Mark was Simon) to see how many of us were listening; a great way to get everyone engaged. After a tour of the facility, each person scanned in a visitor badge which helps the club track its volunteer hours for possible grants, etc. Then the work began. The club is building a nice-sized outdoor fort and was putting the finishing touches on pouring the footing and moving a bit of earth for the foundation; a few boys moved cement from the mixer truck and put some sweat into the project. The club also maintains a garden so a few boys were off to water that on this off-day. The majority of the day was spent in some "Spring Cleaning" where boys and adults pitched in to vacuum, mop, and wipe down the majority of the building. The capstone project was helping to haul in a 700+ lb slate pool table donated that day to the club. The slate was very hot after being transported from the donor site to the club which added to the challenge of bringing it into and through the building. With many hands making lighter work, the table was set up just as the work shift ended for the day - a very satisfying end to the day's work!

The work day was followed by clean up, showers, and a pizza dinner at a Christian school 20 minutes from the work site, and a visit to Mount Rushmore. Later, when the group assembled back at Trinity Lutheran, our home base in Rapid City, stories were shared of the day's events across all site about God's good work through our youth and adults.

Peace,
Chris Read

Rapid Arrival to Rapid City!

We arrived in Rapid City about an hour ago, settled into sleeping rooms, and enjoyed some free time before dinner. We worshipped with First Lutheran in Mitchell, SD this morning and spent a really fun afternoon in Custer State Park. Check out a few pics below! Everyone is doing well and looking forward to finding out where we'll be serving this week!

Blessings and peace to everyone at home!
 - Katie Strand

Made it to Mitchell on Saturday just in time for a quick visit and silly pic in the corn palace. Day 1 drive went smoothly and we had fun mixing up the vans to meet new friends :)

Pulling out of the Custer State Park game lodge for our jeep safari! It was an awesome adventure.

Safari Crew!