Ooops...blog?

Attended the Taize Pilgrimage to
Red Shirt Table on the Reservation.
Over 500 people from 22 different
countries attended for the weekend
of prayer, singing and conversation.
Beautiful flags with the sacred
colors on top of the hill.

Welp.  Since it's been nearly two months since my last blog post, I suppose I better update this.

Thank you for all of you who are reading and investing time into understanding my year of internship in this place.  It's a beautiful thing and I'm thankful for your prayers and support.

Since I'm an amateur photographer...and because I see the world in snapshots sometimes, I'll use photographs to highlight the last few months.

I would love to write more, but with only 17 days left in Pine Ridge, I want to spend my time with the people who I have grown to love...and finishing up the paperwork for seminary, my candidacy committee and the Center, which is not nearly as fun.

Peace and pilamayaye (thank you),
Meredith

Sunset over the tipis set up for camping.

This really beautiful moment happened at the last prayer. We were asked to pick up the boards, benches, concrete blocks and all additional "pieces" to what enabled us to worship together in that space all weekend. As I watched everyone walk up out of the valley, lifting and carrying these items, I couldn't help but to reflect on how this image is what we're called to do as Christians. Sure, let's sit in a nice, quiet, contemplative space, surrounded by people who agree with us, at least on worship, but the hard work comes when we stand up and begin to climb out of that womb, going out into the world with the concrete blocks pulling at our finger tips and the wooden boards injecting splinters into our forearms. Life isn't easy, nor is faith, but we trudge up the hill, knowing only that one foot in front of the other will enable us to see the faces of our sisters and brothers in a new and beautiful way.

Clothed in Christ sometimes means a white robe and sometimes it means putting the weight of the world onto our shoulders and into our hearts.

We experienced our share of flash flooding this spring,
along with tornaodes.  One night, the road was so flooded
that I had to actually wade through 14-16 inches of water
to carry kids to their homes.  Thankful to have messy feet
and safe children.

 

We installed a community garden this spring.  I hope to
post more pictures once I get some photo releases for the kids.

Went horseback riding with one of the elders that I so dearly
respect here.  It was...amazing.

With all the thunderstorms, Steve was not happy.
"Nobody puts baby in the corner."  Though, he
puts himself in the corner out of fear.

Attended Oglala Lakota College's graduation ceremony.  Nearly all of the graduates
work a part-time or full-time job AND care for their family.  Pretty spectacular.