Newsletter

Issue 2 – Winter 2020

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…

May God bless you for all of your prayers and support. For you are a blessing to this ministry.

This past year was full of the blessings of God as He continued His work among the Lakota. In July of 2019 I joined with S.W.A.M.P. I.N.’s CEO, Debra Wills to attend Pastor Byron Buffalo’s one year memorial service. We arrived in Eagle Butte, SD on July 15th. The memorial service took place in the remote community of Bridger on Wednesday, July 17th. Pastor Byron’s life and work were remembered with give aways and stories of his life. Many Lakota were there and mission workers from several different states.

After the memorial service we returned to Eagle Butte. Debra and her team member, Caitlyn Gorman, finished up the week doing service projects for the Cheyenne River Youth Project. I was asked to assist in revival meetings by Pastors Jerome and Randy Slides Off. I brought a message about forgiveness on Thursday night and was asked to help Pastor Randy with leading the Sunday night service. Friday and Saturday night’s messages were given by other visiting ministers. On Sunday morning I was blessed to help serve communion and to assist in two weddings that took place after Sunday’s service. There is an alter call after each service for those wanting to receive Christ as Lord and for those who are in need of healing. It was an honor to be asked to assist in this area as well. Eight precious souls came to the saving knowledge of Christ during these services.

On Monday, July 22 we left Eagle Butte and went to Bridger for the remainder of our stay. Pastor Randy joined us there. We sorted through donations at the UCC Church building and organized them to better serve the community. The UCC Church is not in operation, but is used as housing for short term missionaries and as a community center for the residents of Bridger.

While in Bridger I did a video recording of Pastor Randy Slides Off’s testimony. It is a powerful testimony of deliverance from a life of alcohol abuse and witchcraft.

We left Bridger that Friday and made a stop at Haskell University in Lawrence, KS. Haskell is a Native American University with a long history. You can find more information here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haskell_Indian_Nations_University

I was given a tour of the university by Bill Paris; a missions worker at Haskell Light (Located on the university grounds). We left Haskell on Sunday morning, July 28th, and arrived safely home that night.

Pine Ridge…

On September 27, 2019, Christie Breisch, from Calvary Chapel in Troy, MO, and I left for the ReCreation and Worship Center in Oglala. We arrived safely the next day. I was excited to see the Rec staff again and especially my Lakota tȟakožas (granddaughters). I was dubbed unči (grandmother) by them a couple of years ago.

We started the week out with Sunday service where we helped keep an eye on the young children during worship. During the week we worked on a project for the staff. They needed all of the children’s program’s blankets and sleeping bags washed. This was a monumental task! It took us all week and we finished up just before it was time to head home. In between loads we attended prayer with the local ministers, prayed with the sick at the local hospital, and ministered at the women’s jail. Christie and I also helped with the Wednesday night meal and attended the women’s Bible Study.

At 2:30 in the afternoon the kids begin to show up for after school play time. We spent time playing with them and working on crafts. In the evenings my tȟakožas would stop by the trailer we were housed in. They would join us for supper and spend the evening talking. One of them would want to discus difficult subjects such as her suicide attempt this past winter. These discussions can be very heart wrenching. I can only pray that God will use what I say to bring her hope and some sense of healing.

On Saturday, October 5th, we took my tȟakožas into Rapid City for the day. Before heading out we had a home cooked breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast. I was quickly taken off duty and the youngest took over the cooking. When we first arrived in Rapid City we stopped at the Dollar Store and let them pick up some goodies for the trip. I give each of them a spending budget for the day. When buying goodies they think more about buying for family members than for themselves. At lunch we met up with our Bridger family, the Dupris, along with the district supervisor and his wife. During lunch we discussed the Sunkwakan Agli Riders Program.

When lunch was over we headed to Dinosaur Park. The girls played on the dinosaur statues while the adults had prayer. Then it was off to the mall where the girls each picked out an outfit for school. This is a big deal for them as their clothes are usually hand me downs or picked out and purchased by relatives. After a long day in Rapid City we returned, happy and tired, to the ReCreation Center to watch the teens play a basketball tournament and enjoy supper with them.

Then Sunday came way too soon! We said our tearful goodbyes and headed home.

Bibles…

God has provided Bibles for this ministry through Denny and Karen Gladieux since 2014. They have been a blessing! They send cases to Pastors Jerome and Randy Slides Off in Eagle Butte and give cases to me for delivery to the ReCreation Center.

This year I discovered the First Nations New Testament with Acts and Ephesians. It is the first part of a Bible that is being translated into the cultural language of the Native Americans. It is written and produced by Terry Wildman of Rain Ministries and One Book of Canada. Denny and Karen have donated two cases so far. One is already completely gone and another is partially gone. Praise God! It has been well received and is a wonderful evangelistic tool. This Bible is even enjoyed by the children. Thank you Denny and Karen!

Red Warriors Ministries…

Healing Word Ministries has partnered with Red Warriors Ministries that is headed up by Pastors Jerome and Randy Slides Off. Just since Christmas they have seen close to 100 more salvations with new ones every week. They hold services in Eagle Butte and travel to the remote communities to bring the Gospel to lost souls.

This past month they saw five leaders in three communities give their hearts and lives over to Christ. Jerome and Randy will be working closely with these leaders to equip them for the work of the ministry.

We will be working closely with Red Warriors Ministries and the Bridger community. Kevin and Velma Porter will be going with us in May of this year and Pastor Randy Slides Off will be joining us when we get there. We will be working on fence, planting a garden, and holding services. Please continue to uphold us in prayer along with Red Warriors Ministries.

Donations…

In early November I received a phone call that a truck was being taken up to the Yankton and Cheyenne River reservations with donations of food and clothing. The Yankton Reservation had been flooded and people were having to leave their homes. I mentioned this need to our Wednesday night small group and they blessed us with multiple donations. Enough to fill the inside of our large crew cab truck! Thank you! I met up with Carla Goodson at the Flying J truck stop on November 10. All of the donations, and Carla, made it safely to those in need.

In December I received notice of a family in need of Christmas gifts. A grandmother raising six of her grandchildren wanted them to have a good Christmas. I mentioned this need to our small group and two families were able to adopt two of the children. We supplied a Christmas tree and gifts for the grandmother. Unknown to me Pastor Becky Roberts planned to announce the need at our Lady’s Tea and on Sunday morning. At the lady’s tea two women volunteered to help with some of the gifts and monetary donations were collected. Between what was collected by the church and given to me personally just over $500 was raised! This enabled us to send gifts to all of the children and provide Christmas dinner. Thank you Pastor Becky and the members of Faith Christian Family Church! There are too many to name, but be sure that we are very grateful for all of your support!

Since Christmas, the Gladieuxs and their ministry “Servant’s Heart” have made several donations of much needed clothing and household supplies. God is using them to bless the Lakota with many needed items. Thank you!

Needs…

1. With all of the physical donations coming in we are in need of a hitch and small trailer so that we can personally haul donations up to the reservations when we go.
2. I am wanting to be able to make more trips and to hold a women’s conference and possibly organize a leadership conference in the future.

In order to do these things it takes finances. Our ministry is a faith based LLC. Donations are tax deductible. Please pray about making a donation.

Donations can be made through PayPal using healingword@ps103.org or go to the website http://www.ps103.org and click on the donate button. If you don’t have a paypal account you can still donate through them. If you are uncomfortable donating online you can send your tax deductible donation to:

Healing Word Ministries LLC

301 Stella Rd.

Montgomery City, MO 63361

Once again, thank you for your prayers and support.

Many Blessings, Tina Barry