We're home from Montana. God is AWESOME!
(Clicking on the photo will make it larger.)
We have had a safe and wonderful time in Montana and I hope I can explain it in a way that glorifies all that the Lord has done.HE truly is weaving lives together for HIS purpose
but we've never seen it so clearly as we did on this trip.
We spent a few days in Mazama and Bridgeport, Washington, to see friends and family before we traveled north of Polebridge, Montana to meet up with Tad and Connie Kruse, from Mountain Ministry Ranch. They were at a retreat and invited us to join them for a few days. From there we drove to visit another Hard Hats for Christ couple, Cody and Crystal Swanson, near Lewistown before we traveled onto Hardin and Lame Deer, Montana where Tad and Connie Kruse were already waiting for us. We sensed something wonderful was being woven together but we didn't know (couldn't have known) just how woven and how wonderful it would be.
I've written already about our good friends from Michigan, John and Ruth Bole, being in Lame Deer and how Mountain Ministry Ranch has a connection to Lame Deer. Well, this trip's purpose was to make a connection between the graduates of the Mountain Ministry Drug and Alcohol Addiction Program (in Washington State) and the church body in Lame Deer, Montana.
For many years, Crow and Northern Cheyenne have been coming to Mountain Ministry to enroll in their program and for years the graduates that come back to the reservations have struggled with their returning addictions. Some would return to Mountain Ministry to go through the program several times. Others would not survive their old ways and another life would be gone.
Tad and Connie Kruse had never met with any of the pastors who have worked and served on the reservations for years. Because John and Ruth Bole lived in Lame Deer now and were involved with one of the churches, that was about to change. Invitations went out for the area pastors and church leaders to come to hear what Tad and Connie had to share. Those pastors were already organizing and meeting monthly to begin brain storming on how to fight the drugs and alcohol addiction in the area. They just had not come up with a plan yet.
Tad and Connie do not make presentations. They don't go to churches or groups to ask for funds. They are matter-of-fact tell-it-like it is folk. Tad began by saying he was glad to see such a large turn out...that he didn't arrange this meeting....that he did not know what was going to be the end result of the meeting. That was up to the ones there.
He explained how Mountain Ministry was started...how it grew by word of mouth...that one Crow Indian came to the program and after he went back to Lame Deer others followed. One by one or in married couples (either coming with a spouse or getting married toward their graduation from the program) they would come from the Lame Deer area and go back but fall into old habits. Some returning for rehab but others dying before they could get back for help.
Tad said that he was tired of reading obits. He sees a need for a safe house here a transitional home. MM could not build one. Could not fund one. Could only see the need for one. MM has 125 people at the MM Ranch in Washington... either in the program or staff. None of the staff get a salary. There is no budget. No regular money coming in. Everything is faith. MM Ranch needs $25,000 a month and they never know what's coming in the mail but time and time again... the money arrives by donations only and the bills are paid. The directors "on staff" are all individuals who have gone through the program...and have stayed to help others coming into the program. No doctors. Everything is based on the Bible. Show the Love of Jesus Christ to others.
One by one, those that came to listen spoke of visions and ideas that the Lord had given them. Some had been praying for years for the things that Tad and Connie were saying were needed. The room seemed to be united although many of them had never met each other before to discuss it. Only the Holy Spirit could have done this.
Graduates of Mountain Ministry were there and shared how they did not fit back into their families because of the drinking and drugs going on. They yearned for a safe place to live with other Mountain Ministry graduates...in a "safe" transitional house.
I've written already about our good friends from Michigan, John and Ruth Bole, being in Lame Deer and how Mountain Ministry Ranch has a connection to Lame Deer. Well, this trip's purpose was to make a connection between the graduates of the Mountain Ministry Drug and Alcohol Addiction Program (in Washington State) and the church body in Lame Deer, Montana.
For many years, Crow and Northern Cheyenne have been coming to Mountain Ministry to enroll in their program and for years the graduates that come back to the reservations have struggled with their returning addictions. Some would return to Mountain Ministry to go through the program several times. Others would not survive their old ways and another life would be gone.
Tad and Connie Kruse had never met with any of the pastors who have worked and served on the reservations for years. Because John and Ruth Bole lived in Lame Deer now and were involved with one of the churches, that was about to change. Invitations went out for the area pastors and church leaders to come to hear what Tad and Connie had to share. Those pastors were already organizing and meeting monthly to begin brain storming on how to fight the drugs and alcohol addiction in the area. They just had not come up with a plan yet.
Tad and Connie do not make presentations. They don't go to churches or groups to ask for funds. They are matter-of-fact tell-it-like it is folk. Tad began by saying he was glad to see such a large turn out...that he didn't arrange this meeting....that he did not know what was going to be the end result of the meeting. That was up to the ones there.
He explained how Mountain Ministry was started...how it grew by word of mouth...that one Crow Indian came to the program and after he went back to Lame Deer others followed. One by one or in married couples (either coming with a spouse or getting married toward their graduation from the program) they would come from the Lame Deer area and go back but fall into old habits. Some returning for rehab but others dying before they could get back for help.
Tad said that he was tired of reading obits. He sees a need for a safe house here a transitional home. MM could not build one. Could not fund one. Could only see the need for one. MM has 125 people at the MM Ranch in Washington... either in the program or staff. None of the staff get a salary. There is no budget. No regular money coming in. Everything is faith. MM Ranch needs $25,000 a month and they never know what's coming in the mail but time and time again... the money arrives by donations only and the bills are paid. The directors "on staff" are all individuals who have gone through the program...and have stayed to help others coming into the program. No doctors. Everything is based on the Bible. Show the Love of Jesus Christ to others.
One by one, those that came to listen spoke of visions and ideas that the Lord had given them. Some had been praying for years for the things that Tad and Connie were saying were needed. The room seemed to be united although many of them had never met each other before to discuss it. Only the Holy Spirit could have done this.
Graduates of Mountain Ministry were there and shared how they did not fit back into their families because of the drinking and drugs going on. They yearned for a safe place to live with other Mountain Ministry graduates...in a "safe" transitional house.
Connie went into great detail how single women live apart from the single men. That there is a 10pm curfew and nothing is allowed (no drinking, smoking, chewing...books, movies and activities had to be whole some etc). and she said that the "staff" monitoring the house must also live the same way and adhere to the same rules. Married couples could live together in these safe houses. There is a schedule of rising, Bible study, work, meals... that creates structure to promote a good routine. That the ones in the program are to serve others. Community work is done on a regular basis to help others.
The very next morning the area pastors had a meeting and in the weeks since then ,there has been some wonderful news. A building in Hardin is being turned into a thrift store and the empty Baptist Academy in Lame Deer will be a satellite store from it. This will be a place for graduates to work and for some to live, as well. The transitional "safe" house is being planned for as well. In the mean time, safe places for the graduates to stay with area couples are being offered.
Tad had several people come up to him at the meeting who wanted to know how to get a loved one enrolled in the Mountain Ministry program. By the time we returned to Oregon, several had been driven or flown here and are already at the Mountain Ministry Ranch in classes. It takes about a year to become a graduate but some take longer and even after graduation they are not always ready to return to their old haunts. Eventually they find employment and find their way.
There were several "timely miracles" that we noted and probably more that we didn't.
1. On our drive from Rainier to Mazama the sky was blue with no rain. The views through the North Cascades were perfect.
2. We hoped to see a special prayer partner in Mazama but she has no phone. Her internet email address had not worked in years either. We could not reach her to setup a meeting. As we came out of the grocery store in Twisp, there she was, driving by the doors. She saw us and stopped long enough for us to give her hugs.
3. When we drove north of Polebridge on our way to meet Tad and Connie at the retreat, it took 3 hours to go 30 miles. The road was that bad. BUT it had been graded just a couple days before we drove on it and it was the BEST it had been for years. GOD IS AWESOME!
4. Again, the sky and the road were dry as we drove on hwy 2 around Glacier Park to Browning, MT. (The picture above was taken along that stretch.)
5. When we got near to Cody and Crystal Swanson's, we stopped for gas and they pulled into the same gas station. There's only one out there but still... it was a timely miracle because we were able to follow them to their rural home. I don't know if we'd have found it on our own!
6. Before we started on this trip, I had ordered a delivery from Schwans. I didn't plan on bringing it all with me but it ended up that I filled our truck camper freezer with enough things to prepare enough food for several dinners in Hardin and Lame Deer that I had no idea I was going to have to provide for. The reason it ended up in the truck camper freezer was that when I tried to put it inside the freezer at the old high school, the door was locked and I did not have a key. It had never been locked before. But it all fit, somehow, into the truck camper freezer. GOD IS AWESOME.
7. We needed to invite the Pastor of The Rock Church to the dinner meeting at the Baptist Church but cell phones don't work in Lame Deer and we didn't know how to get in touch with her anyway. Lou went down to the video/hardware store to get some plumbing parts and there was one man in the plumbing aisle trying to figure out which parts he needed to buy. The man turned out to be the husband of the Pastor we were trying to reach. GOD IS AWESOME!
8. We needed to give a special gift to a certain person in Lame Deer before we left, but again, cell phones don't work and we didn't know how to get in touch with her. As we drove out of a parking lot, she drove past us on her way out of town so we were able to wave her down. GOD IS AWESOME.
9. Having the Boles living in Lame Deer at this moment in time is an AWESOME timely miracle.
10. Edie Micholovic's cousin, Nadine, is married to the Pastor in Busby. They came to the dinner meeting at the Baptist Church. Edie and her husband, Steve, were in Sunday school and church in Chicago with Lou over 60 years ago and they've stayed in touch all these years. There's quite a family resemblance between Edie and Nadine and Lou learned of the connection while he was meeting them at the dinner meeting. GOD IS AWESOME!
I'm sure I'm leaving something out.... but I don't know if I should make this any longer right now. The story is going to continue, that's a sure thing. It's going to be a blessing to be a part of this.
Here are a few pictures of our time in Lame Deer: CLICK HERE
The very next morning the area pastors had a meeting and in the weeks since then ,there has been some wonderful news. A building in Hardin is being turned into a thrift store and the empty Baptist Academy in Lame Deer will be a satellite store from it. This will be a place for graduates to work and for some to live, as well. The transitional "safe" house is being planned for as well. In the mean time, safe places for the graduates to stay with area couples are being offered.
Tad had several people come up to him at the meeting who wanted to know how to get a loved one enrolled in the Mountain Ministry program. By the time we returned to Oregon, several had been driven or flown here and are already at the Mountain Ministry Ranch in classes. It takes about a year to become a graduate but some take longer and even after graduation they are not always ready to return to their old haunts. Eventually they find employment and find their way.
There were several "timely miracles" that we noted and probably more that we didn't.
1. On our drive from Rainier to Mazama the sky was blue with no rain. The views through the North Cascades were perfect.
2. We hoped to see a special prayer partner in Mazama but she has no phone. Her internet email address had not worked in years either. We could not reach her to setup a meeting. As we came out of the grocery store in Twisp, there she was, driving by the doors. She saw us and stopped long enough for us to give her hugs.
3. When we drove north of Polebridge on our way to meet Tad and Connie at the retreat, it took 3 hours to go 30 miles. The road was that bad. BUT it had been graded just a couple days before we drove on it and it was the BEST it had been for years. GOD IS AWESOME!
4. Again, the sky and the road were dry as we drove on hwy 2 around Glacier Park to Browning, MT. (The picture above was taken along that stretch.)
5. When we got near to Cody and Crystal Swanson's, we stopped for gas and they pulled into the same gas station. There's only one out there but still... it was a timely miracle because we were able to follow them to their rural home. I don't know if we'd have found it on our own!
6. Before we started on this trip, I had ordered a delivery from Schwans. I didn't plan on bringing it all with me but it ended up that I filled our truck camper freezer with enough things to prepare enough food for several dinners in Hardin and Lame Deer that I had no idea I was going to have to provide for. The reason it ended up in the truck camper freezer was that when I tried to put it inside the freezer at the old high school, the door was locked and I did not have a key. It had never been locked before. But it all fit, somehow, into the truck camper freezer. GOD IS AWESOME.
7. We needed to invite the Pastor of The Rock Church to the dinner meeting at the Baptist Church but cell phones don't work in Lame Deer and we didn't know how to get in touch with her anyway. Lou went down to the video/hardware store to get some plumbing parts and there was one man in the plumbing aisle trying to figure out which parts he needed to buy. The man turned out to be the husband of the Pastor we were trying to reach. GOD IS AWESOME!
8. We needed to give a special gift to a certain person in Lame Deer before we left, but again, cell phones don't work and we didn't know how to get in touch with her. As we drove out of a parking lot, she drove past us on her way out of town so we were able to wave her down. GOD IS AWESOME.
9. Having the Boles living in Lame Deer at this moment in time is an AWESOME timely miracle.
10. Edie Micholovic's cousin, Nadine, is married to the Pastor in Busby. They came to the dinner meeting at the Baptist Church. Edie and her husband, Steve, were in Sunday school and church in Chicago with Lou over 60 years ago and they've stayed in touch all these years. There's quite a family resemblance between Edie and Nadine and Lou learned of the connection while he was meeting them at the dinner meeting. GOD IS AWESOME!
I'm sure I'm leaving something out.... but I don't know if I should make this any longer right now. The story is going to continue, that's a sure thing. It's going to be a blessing to be a part of this.
Here are a few pictures of our time in Lame Deer: CLICK HERE
posted by Lou and Kathy at 12:03 AM
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