Prayer needed for Lame Deer, Montana

We moved our things from Fishermen's Bend to the old Rainier high school building that was given to Mountain Ministry, across the river from Longview in Rainier, Oregon. We got there 10/1 and hit the road for Montana 10/8. We did not even finish the sewer hooked up for the Winnebago...got to finish digging the trench across the parking lot before we can run the 3" pvc to the sewer when we get back!! We can continue to use the truck camper and just drive it to the other end of the school to dump into the sewer clean out every four or five days until we get this sewer connection finished.

We drove the truck camper to Lame Deer, Montana, because Mountain Ministry is reaching the Crow and Northern Cheyenne and has had several graduates from their addiction program return to this area. The graduates find it difficult there because the temptations to return "to their old ways" is very strong. They really need a transitional support group. Bible studies ...accountablility groups ...a safe place to live, a place to work... all need to be established where the graduates can get to them. The area churches were interested in hearing what the Mountain Ministry program needed for the returning graduates. A dinner meeting was held in Lame Deer on Oct 18th, at the church where John and Ruth Bole attend so that the area pastors could come to hear about Mountain Ministry and meet Tad and Connie Kruse, directors of the women's program. The "plus plus plus" to coming to Lame Deer was to help and encourage our dear good friends, the Boles.

John Bole is the leader of a team of five sent here to encourage, train and instruct the teachers in the Lame Deer schools so they can help the students improve their test scores. Ruth, his wife, has only been here 3 months. John started here in Feb and Ruth joined him in August. John was driving 400 miles to see her in Bismarck when he could. He was also driving to Great Falls and Missoula for training. He's one dedicated guy. Ruth got here and it was quickly realized that she should be hired to be the assistant to one of the 5 that work under John. So she's an assistant to an assistant. They make a good team. This is a 3 year endeavor...and they are in the 2nd school year now...already seeing wonderful results with the kids. It's not known if John will stay here longer than the 3 years...but the trailer that they have been given to live in has many issues. We fixed a lot of it... so now the toilets work but the sewer won't flow so the water is making the ground damp and there's a small swamp when the washing machine is going. They didn't take this job for the house and they won't leave because of it. They truly have missions at heart. They might be getting paid by the state of Montana but this is a Mission...not a job. So we were able to encourage and give them a little better place to live in. Light switches work. The faucet has a water filter on it (so drinking water does not have to be brought inside by the jug). The roof is patched around the furnace pipe. The porch has a railing and the steps don't wobble. The toilets are working (the innards of the tanks were too corroded to work)...and the rotted cabinet under the sink has a new bottom and the mice won't come in there anymore...not at that point anyway. Ruth had a list and we were able to get it all done. It will make the winter a little easier to deal with.

We're praising the Lord for many things here...things done and things that are to come. It will be exciting to be a small part of it.

If you would like to see what alcohol and drugs do to families watch this and you'll understand why prayer is needed at Lame Deer and other places... The Crow, The Northern Cheyenne, The Lakota Sioux are all fighting the same thing.
http://abc.go.com/watch/2020/SH559026/VD55148316/2020-1014-children-of-the-plains

Here is the newspaper article that was published in the Billings Gazette October 2, 2011 about the educational program the Boles are so dedicated to.
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_55920237-37f6-5998-9ad7-b5c8e560a36b.html