Dumfries, Va. — A group of 26, including Youth Pastors Brad and Erica Lewis and Senior Pastor Gary Caruthers, left Virginia on Monday, August 11. Ron and Kathy Countryman, Church of God missionaries to the Native Americans took us to the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. While on the reservation we held a Kids’ Crusade and encouraged the people.
Radiate Student Ministries of Montclair Tabernacle was blessed for the second summer to participate in Virginia’s “Beyond Our Borders” initiative. Our group of 26, including Youth Pastors Brad and Erica Lewis and Senior Pastor Gary Caruthers, left on Monday, August 11. Ron and Kathy Countryman, Church of God missionaries to the Native Americans took us to the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. While on the reservation we held a Kids’ Crusade and encouraged the people.
Services were held in the evenings on a vacant lot. We gave away food to the people and presented the gospel. Cars were beginning to line up with the windows down as far as the eye could see. We now refer to these services as the “Drive-In”, a first for our group.
On Wednesday afternoon, our group participated in a giveaway program co-sponsored by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and World Vision DC. We gave away school supplies, clothing, and personal hygiene products to over 300 families. This event helped us to see the dire needs on the reservation. Although the town is named Lame Deer, Isaiah 35:6 says, “Those who are lame will leap like a deer. And those who can’t speak will shout with joy. Water will pour out in dry places. Streams will flow in the desert.” We claim this scripture for this community.
Friday was an “Extreme Makeover Day”. We went to the Big Timber Church of God where Eugene and Brenda Vaughn are the pastors. Pastor Vaughn had been in Vietnam and lost his sight during the war. Pastor Ed Parrent from Livingston Church of God had coordinated some much needed improvements to their parsonage, and we went to work to complete the tasks. The Vaughn’s were brought to tears as they witnessed the work that was done.
On Sunday we had a service at Livingston. A time of prayer for the local body followed, and the small congregation was left with a sense of hope and destiny.
We returned to Virginia on August 19 tired but fulfilled. Many stories are yet to be told of the impact that this trip had on the people of Montana and the members of our team.
Elise Simpson, Youth Leader Montclair Tabernacle, Dumfries, VA.
This article was taken from the Virginian – Fall 2008 – Vol. 52 No. 3
© 2008 Church of God World Missions
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