On the weekend of June 26, nine Saint John's members visited the Wind River Lutheran Mission Church. This small group represented the Heseders and several other interested members. They worked to discover how Saint Johns can support WRLMC and their congregation on the reservation.

On Saturday, they met with Pastor Belke (former pastor of WRLMC), Pastor Judson (new pastor, as of mid-June) and a social worker, Deb, who works with Saint John's member Gilda Mark on the Reservation. The group learned about the cultures, the needs of the community and what the church is currently accomplishing. WRLMC's current and primary mission is reaching out to the community's children, as their child members far outnumber the adults who attend.

After a marathon brainstorming session, the group enjoyed a guided tour of the reservation, gift shopping, eating fry bread and being absorbed in the drumming at the Powwow. 1,000 dancers from around the country came to support Wind River's Powwow. Every dancer was covered in countless hours' worth of craftsmanship. It was a great display of community and cohesion at its best.

On Sunday, the group joined Pastor Judson for bible study and the church's worship service before heading back after lunch.

The Heseders will be reviewing the small group's findings and determining what course of action will be successful in working with WRLMC. Our goal is to focus on the process and not the project. So, if you are committed to building a relationship with WRLMC, stay tuned for how you can be involved! As always, prayers for the Holy Spirit's guidance is much appreciated.

“Hesed” is a Hebrew word that means “kindness”, “mercy”, “loyalty”, “loving-kindness” or “steadfastness.” It’s the way God intends us to live together—a “love your neighbor as yourself”, active, selfless, sacrificial, caring-for-one-another brand of living contradictory to our fallen natures. The “Heseders” are continually looking to work together to share some small measure of God’s extraordinary love. Won’t you join us?