(a recent prayer letter received from Ed and Ruby Bausell, Sioux Indians)

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in all the world, especially on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation where His kindness, love and mercy has really blessed in recent times.

The mountain of blessings started with a Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless, fractured families, and those who had no family at all. We were thrilled and blessed with the good number that came out.

Then the rush really began. Boxes of treasures that you all sent started pouring in with eighteen boxes coming to us from the biggest tribe east of the Mississippi River, the Lumbee Nation. Many joined with them and many of you sent us money to purchase treasures for our gift bags. Friends from Pennsylvania were present to help us with the sorting of the treasures for newborns to the elders according to age and gender.

The toys and gifts that you all made available were more than enough to fill the three hundred trash bags of thirteen gallon size that we transformed into our treasure filled gift bags. The greatest joy is absorbing the joy of the receivers who receive the treasures of the handfuls of purpose. Ray and Marlyn from Wyoming came for the ninth year to help us bag all the gifts. Distribution of the gift bags is no easy endeavor. The Double Dippers are the children that we feed each weekend and have services for on Saturday. This week after their meal, they got to Double Dip in remaining items. Thank you for helping make this a great success.

The Thanksgiving dinner gave us so much success, that our people wanted to have a Christmas dinner for the homeless, fractured families, and those with no family at all. The second dinner was a greater success than the first one. There was a prevailing sweet sweet spirit through the dinner and hearing of God’s Word.

The Lord continues to give us souls. Among those saved since our last letter was a Tribal Council member and a nurse practitioner. God is good and very able.

May God continue to bless and prosper you and yours. “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love….” Hebrews 6:10. You are loved and appreciated. May your new year be blessed, joyful, and bright.