Faith – Christian Alliance for Indian Child Welfare

5 and a half classic movies that keep ‘Christ’ in ‘Christmas’

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Dec 192020

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/5-and-a-half-classic-movies-that-keep-christ-in-christmas

By Elizabeth Wagner

December 24, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — This year, I paid closer attention to see which movies and shows settle for Christmassy window dressing, and which acknowledge the real point of the season. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) is famous, or infamous, for stating exactly what Christmas is all about. Linus Van Pelt tells a desperate Charlie Brown the “good tidings of great joy,” straight from the Gospel of Luke, that “unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Here are several specials, short films, and features that have the window dressing as well as the Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Mr. Krueger’s Christmas (1980)

This thirty-minute Christmas special, starring Jimmy Stewart, carries a powerful message about friendship with Jesus. Stewart’s character, a poor widower named Mr. Krueger, prepares for a solitary Christmas with his cat George (I see what they did there). Mr. Krueger is lonely but not discouraged. He enlivens his Christmas Eve activities with a colorful imagination. Eventually, when he kneels in prayer before his Nativity scene, he finds himself kneeling before a living Baby Jesus in the manger, surrounded by Joseph and Mary, the wise men, and the shepherds. Mr. Krueger pours out his heart to Baby Jesus in a speech that builds to these emotional words: “I love you. You’re my closest, my finest friend. And that means I can hold my head high wherever I go. Thank you. Thank you.”

The film’s director, Kieth Merrill, said that on the day they were to film this scene, Jimmy Stewart pulled him aside and said, “I need to do this in one take.” When Merrill tried to explain that multiple takes would be needed, Stewart clarified, “For me this scene and these words are very personal and very real and I will not be able to do it twice.”

The Little Drummer Boy (1968)

This one is a tear-jerker. This special from Rankin/Bass Productions is narrated by Greer Garson, with some of her lines taken directly from the Gospels. It features the Vienna Boys Choir singing the title song. The other songs are not particularly memorable, and the stop-motion animation is ungainly, but when the Little Drummer Boy meets Baby Jesus, have your tissues ready!

Romeo Muller, the writer, said The Little Drummer Boy was his favorite of the more than a dozen Christmas specials he wrote for Rankin/Bass (which include the best known favorites Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, and Frosty the Snowman). He wrote the script in one day to meet a deadline and produced a simple, moving story about how an encounter with the Savior can change a life.

Martin the Cobbler (1977)

This is a claymation short film by Will Vinton, based on Leo Tolstoy’s short story “Where Love Is, God Is.” The title of Tolstoy’s story, incidentally, comes from the Catholic hymn Ubi Caritas. In Martin the Cobbler, the emotion conveyed by the clay animation is subtle and moving. After the loss of his wife and child, Martin lives only for his work. One day, the Lord tells him in a dream that He will visit Martin that day. Soon Martin learns what Christ means when He says, “As long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me.”

The Andy Williams Christmas Show (1966)

This is one of many Andy Williams Christmas specials, which are great fun. They are unashamedly cheesy, full of jokes and playfulness, complex sets and costumes, moments of spontaneity because of the live audience, and even reverence.

In the 1966 special, we see Andy interacting with his parents, siblings, wife, and children; we hear the sibling harmonies of the Williams Brothers and the Osmond Brothers. After a series of secular Christmas favorites, including “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” which was written for Andy’s Christmas shows, we are invited to Andy’s family gathering. Andy holds his baby son and sings “Mary’s Boy Child,” the chorus of which is “Hark now hear the angels sing / A new King’s born today / And man will live forevermore / Because of Christmas day.”

Andy was known for including reverent performances of traditional songs in his shows, such as “Ave Maria” and “O Holy Night.” The 1966 show closes with Andy singing “Silent Night” in front of stained glass windows.

READ MORE – https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/5-and-a-half-classic-movies-that-keep-christ-in-christmas

Anne Graham Lotz Says Christians Must Be Bold in the Holy Spirit amid ‘Moral and Spiritual Free Fall’

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Mar 232020

Milton Quintanilla | Contributor for ChristianHeadlines.com | Friday, March 6, 2020

Daughter of the late great Billy Graham, Evangelist Anne Graham Lotz spoke at the Closing Gala Dinner at NRB’s 2020 Christian Media Convention, Feb. 28, sharing a message on the need to be bold in the Holy Spirit amid society’s current “moral and spiritual free fall.”

According to The Christian Post, in her message, Lotz highlighted seven aspects of the Holy Spirit found in John 16:5-15.

1. THE PERSONHOOD OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Lotz pointed out that the Holy Spirit is not an “it”, but more like an “invisible person.” She said, “The Holy Spirit is not an ‘it’. He’s not a dove. He’s not a flame of fire. He’s not an ecstatic experience. The Holy Spirit is a divine, invisible person. He has a mind to think. He has a will to act. He has emotions to feel.”

According to Bible Study Tools, in the 10 above-mentioned verses alone, the Holy Spirit is referred to as a “He” 11 times.

2. THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN BELIEVERS
In receiving Christ as Savior and Lord, Lotz says, “He comes into us in the person of the Holy Spirit.” She continued, “He will never leave us, and He will never forsake us. It’s a permanent relationship. Praise God.”

3. THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Lotz then stresses that “in our politically correct culture”, there is a need of the Holy Spirit’s “courage, boldness, and strength to stand against that tide and hold the line for the Gospel and the Word of God.”

Tell Congress How to Best Meet the Needs of Native Children

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Mar 132020

The Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children (also known as the congressional Commission on Native Children, or CNC) wants to hear your experience as a child with tribal heritage – OR – raising children who have tribal heritage. Too often, Commissions such as this have heard from only one segment of the population. However, this Commission – which is tasked by Congress to identify new strategies for lasting solutions and report back to them – wants to hear from ALL who have experience – no matter the relationship. Everyone matters.

– If you are an individual with tribal heritage – what were some of the most beneficial experiences you had growing up? What programs, entities, or individuals helped your growth most? Which experiences were most hurtful or destructive? Again, you can do this anonymously if you choose.

– If you are a parent, grandparent, other relative or foster/adoptive parent who is eligible for membership in a federal tribe but prefer to raise your child outside of the reservation system, please let the Commission know why. Your testimony can be anonymous and will help them to understand tribal members who choose not to be under tribal jurisdiction, as well as help them to assess whether living outside of government programs is beneficial to children.

– If you are a parent, grandparent, extended relative, or adoptive parent who is NOT eligible for membership, YOUR TESTIMONY IS JUST AS RELEVANT AND VITAL.

Has any government – federal, state, tribal or county – attempted to interfere with your

chosen worldview?
relationship with your extended family/parents/child/children, or
method of raising children

If so – how has this affected the well-being of child/children involved?

HOW TO SEND

Written testimony is to be given just as much weight as oral testimony and CAN be anonymous.

To send signed testimony identifying you and/or the child – Send your testimony directly to the Commission at: asbwsnc@gmail.com

See near the bottom of the page for how to submit testimony anonymously.

WHAT TO SEND

“The Commission will focus its recommendations on solutions to issues that would improve the health, safety, and well-being of Native children, including: child welfare; physical, mental, and behavioral health; educational and vocational opportunities; school district policies and practices; access to cultural and extracurricular activities; juvenile justice; early education and development; wraparound services for Native children.”

It is important to tell your child’s story. Your honest opinion about any of what is described above is important. The Commission needs to know your observations and experience – good or bad. They won’t know the full spectrum of experiences if they continually hear only from the same sources.

Also – if your child has struggles in certain areas, let the Commission know why you think that might be and what methods have been used to try to resolve it.

One federal program, the Administration of Children and Families (ACF), has a budget of about 50 billion and “awards on the average $647 Million to Native Americans through programs like Head Start… TANF, LIHEAP,…and the Administration for Native Americans, to name a few.” Have any of ACF programs benefited your child? Why or why not? Which government programs have helped? Which have hurt?

If your child is doing well physically, emotionally, academically, and/or spiritually – let the Commission know and tell them which factors you believe helped your child attain that well-being. Was there a close relationship that inspired them? A particular tribal, federal, school or church program? – OR no program at all – just stable, loving home life? If so, the Commission NEEDS to know this.

If a Commission hears only from Social Service professionals who continually say ALL Native Children suffer from (fill in the blank) and All NEED a certain social service program to get better… than that is what they will decide needs to be done. If the Commission is not able to obtain alternate data, it will rely on the data social services, organizations and agencies give it.
If you have a different story – please tell it. If the best outcome for a child is in a stable and loving home setting, independent of government programs, the Commission needs to know this.

All the below suggested topics are OPTIONAL. We are putting them here merely to generate thought concerning current federal Indian policy.

You could choose to include any other issue related to your child that you feel needs addressing, including any words or phrases commonly used by governments or organizations when referring to children of heritage that you feel diminish your child.

These are some of the words, phrases and sentences found in the legislation enacting the Commission or providing data to the Commission. What are the thoughts and inferences behind those words? Do they paint a correct or incorrect perception of your child? Are they truthful or paternalistic and condescending? Do they promote children or protect victim-hood? Do you feel ‘triggered’ by any of the words and inferences made by government agents and policies, or do they seem correct to you?

“The Wrongs We Are Doing Native American Children,”
“The protective role of Native American culture and language”
“Complex program requirements and limited resources stymie efforts to reduce the disparities among Native children.”
“Acts of Self-Determination Foster Strong Native Families and Communities”
“Native Language Holds Culture, Culture Holds Language, and Both Hold Wellness”
“Stakeholders” (when referring to a selective group that you don’t believe includes you)
Data on all “Native children” is required “to see how well children are cared for” and that the “rights of children and families are adhered to.”
ICWA “protects the best interest of the Indian Child and promotes the stability and security of Indian tribes and families.”
“Part of ensuring the safety and security of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children is having basic data collected that provides information on their circumstances.”
Under the AFCARS Rule, agencies can collect and keep “information on children who are not enrolled.”
They will examine the “unique challenges Native children face”
They will build “on the strengths and leadership of Native communities, with the goal of developing a sustainable system that delivers wrap-around services to Native children.”
“Resources and supports for Native children are currently inappropriate, insufficient, or limited by bureaucracy so that they are ineffective.”
“The vision of Native children and youth who are resilient, safe, healthy, and secure requires many types of evidence, including a wide range of evaluation data, descriptive research studies, performance measures, innovative practice models, financial and cost data, survey statistics, and analyses of program administrative data; all contributing to shared strengths-focused narratives relevant and useful to tribal leadership and stakeholders.”

OPTIONAL Adoption/Foster care Questions: [Wording is pulled from the conclusions of a 1998 pilot study report]
1. Does placing American Indian children in foster/adoptive non-Indian homes puts them at great risk for experiencing psychological trauma leading to the development of long-term emotional and psychological problems in later life?
2. Are there unique factors of Indian children being placed in non-Indian homes that create damaging effects in the later lives of the children?
3. Do American Indians have a cognitive process different from non-Indians – a cognitive difference in the way Indian children receive, process, integrate and apply new information—in short, a difference in learning style”?
a. Is the difference in learning style a cognitive difference in race, a familial difference, an issue unique to your child, or a symptom of fetal alcohol effects?
4. Are the ties between Indian children and their birth families and culture extremely strong, and the ties between Indian children and non-Indian foster/adoptee families only “foster parent-tie-to-Indian child, not Indian child-ties-to-foster parent?”
5. Do American Indian adults who were adopted into non-Indian families as children have greater problems with self-identity, self-esteem, and inter-personal relationships than do their peers from non-Indian and Indian homes?
6. Do Indian adoptees, regardless of age at placement, list identity with their family and their tribe as their first priority, and the sorrow of not knowing their culture, language, heritage and family as a life-long, often emotionally debilitating anguish?

Encourage as many people as possible to send in their testimony. There has been a long history of misinformation concerning children who have heritage, and it will take the stories of quite a few people to begin to correct the mind-view of government agencies.

**TO PROVIDE ANONYMOUS TESTIMONY TO THE COMMISSION:**

For the Commission to receive anonymous testimony, signed testimony must be given to a trusted CNC Commissioner who will then verify it, remove identifying data, and deliver as anonymous to the full Commission. Elizabeth Morris, chair of CAICW, is a CNC Commissioner.
Elizabeth will keep your signed copy in a protected file and deliver the anonymous copy to the Commission.

You can submit your testimony to Elizabeth Morris at:
administrator@caicw.org

or mail through USPO to:
PO Box 460, Hillsboro, ND 58045

Other Commissioners of the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native
Children who can receive signed testimony and provide an anonymous copy to the Commission are:

Gloria O’Neill (Chair)
President/CEO, Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc.
Alaska

Tami DeCoteau, Ph.D. (Co-Chair)
DeCoteau Trauma-Informed Care & Practice, PLLC
North Dakota

Carlyle Begay
Former State Senator
Arizona

Dolores Subia BigFoot, Ph.D.
Director, Indian Country Child Trauma Center
Oklahoma

Jesse Delmar
Director, Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety
Arizona

Anita Fineday
Managing Director, Indian Child Welfare Program, Casey Family Programs
Minnesota

Don Atqaqsaq Gray
Board Member, Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation
Alaska

Leander R. McDonald, Ph. D.
President, United Tribes Technical College
North Dakota

Elizabeth (Lisa) Morris
Administrator, Christian Alliance for Indian Child Welfare
North Dakota

Melody Staebner
Fargo/West Fargo Indian Education Coordinator
North Dakota

Fostering Hope in the City of Sin

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Mar 072020

Megan West, CBNNEWS.COM 03-06-2020

At the tender age of eight, Carly Souza witnessed a classmate’s adoption and it made a lasting imprint on her heart. Watching that journey unfold, Carly knew that one day she wanted to adopt. Little did she understand then just how profound that dream would become.

Fast forward to today. Carly and her husband, John, have seven incredible children; five by the gift of adoption through foster care and two by birth. She’s also leading Fostering Hope, a Las Vegas church-based ministry she founded in 2012.

Fostering Hope is working alongside churches in the Las Vegas valley to grow the number of certified foster families, provide ongoing support for current foster parents, bring awareness and education to the unmet needs in the valley, and meet the practical needs of local agencies caring for children.

In the United States, there are roughly 500,000 children in the foster care system. In Clark County, Nevada, where Fostering Hope operates, there are approximately 3,500 children in foster care ranging in age from birth to eighteen years old. A heart wrenching 28% of these children have experienced four or more placements within the system. In February of 2017, Clark County reported 1,002 licensed foster homes, leaving a large discrepancy between available homes and children needing placement.

While the goal of foster care is reunification, there is a tension to provide beneficial and healthy interim care for a child who has been removed from their biological home. As a result of these experiences, children will likely have experienced trauma, abuse, and neglect. The statistics are dire for older children. More than 23,000 kids age out of U.S. foster care each year. Without the support that comes from an adoptive family or permanency connection, these children face tough odds. Many will end up with chemical dependencies, criminal records, pregnancies and even being trafficked. Few will graduate college. It’s a critical opportunity for every congregation to act on the biblical mandate of James 1:27.

According to Jason Weber, National Director of Foster Care Initiatives for Christian Alliance for Orphans, in the past “the church would kind of sit back and sometimes be critical of the state and talk about all the ways they’re falling short to a different approach of humility.” But now, states Weber, “Churches are saying, ‘Man, we were supposed to be at this party a long time ago. We’re here now. How can we help?'”

There is still a challenging amount of caution from all facets when it comes to engaging the church and foster care. Carly experienced that first-hand. She and her husband were thrust into the foster care world by accepting a placement of four siblings ranging from 7 months to 5 years of age, just five weeks after fast-tracking from attending the first informational session on how to become a foster parent to bringing the four children into their home. While she and her husband had a strong support system of family and friends to help, she realized the desperate need she had for a community who understood her specific situation and all the physical, spiritual and emotional needs that come with caring for kids with a history of trauma.

So Carly opened up her home to other foster families to meet once a month for encouragement and support. The group outgrew the space of meeting at her home so she asked her church if they could hold the support group there. With hesitation, they agreed. It wasn’t until a few years later, after hearing Carly’s heart to grow what was becoming a vital resource to foster families, that the church stepped in to provide more space, childcare, assistance, and now, a fully engaged church – even to the point of calling foster care a core ministry of the church and bringing on Carly as a staff member to run Fostering Hope.

How Founding Fathers Who Loved the God of Liberty & Their Freedom Built the Freest of Free Nations

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Feb 222020

02-16-2020 – Paul Strand, CBN News

PHILADELPHIA – As we celebrate Presidents Day, it’s important to remember the first five commanders-in-chief were also all Founding Fathers of the nation. What you may not know is how crucial The Founders’ faith was in America’s beginning. And much of that beginning took place in Philadelphia.

In locations all around colonial Philadelphia, Founders who knew the God of Liberty fought to form a nation of liberty.

Take a Do-it-Yourself Tour

The Providence Forum has organized a self-guided Faith and Freedom Tour to show you how Christianity and the intense desire for liberty in these locations birthed this freest of free nations.

“Why Philadelphia? Because this was the big city. It was much bigger than the little farm town of New York,” Providence Forum founder Peter Lillback told CBN News. “Philadelphia was also centrally located. It was a big city right in the middle.”

Touring around the sights, Lillback described how Bible beliefs backed each step the Founding Fathers took. Standing near a statue of George Washington, Lillback stated the first president personified this.

‘Follow Jesus Christ to Succeed’

“Washington said we need to follow Christ or we’re never going to succeed as a nation. That’s not a minister. That’s not a right-wing conservative fundamentalist. That’s the father of our country!” Lillback exclaimed.

He offered that it’s significant and apropos that Washington’s statue is located right outside Independence Hall since that’s where the Founders declared the colonies’ freedom and formed the fledgling country’s constitution.

Washington led the army that fought for that freedom, then presided over the 1787 Constitutional Convention, and finally led the nation as its first chief executive. But he was always guided by his faith that he held so dear.

How to be a Happy Nation

Lillback explained of Washington, “He’s the one who said, ‘Unless we imitate the Divine Author of our blessed religion in terms of His charity, humility, and specific temperament of mind, we’ll never be a happy nation.'”

In a world used to rule by monarchs, he almost singlehandedly broke Americans out of the habit of being subjects.

“When he was called on to become king, he refused. Because he said, ‘We’re going to let the people decide,'” Lillback shared.

Followers of Christ the Carpenter Met in Carpenters Hall

But many years before that, leaders from the various colonies gathered for the first time and in Philadelphia in 1774 to figure out how to remove the oppressive grip Britain had wrapped around the colonies’ collective neck.

These colonial leaders were overwhelmingly of the Christian faith, following Jesus Christ, a carpenter. And interestingly enough, where they first met was called Carpenters’ Hall.

They longed to unite against Britain but were divided by deep denominational differences and even regional customs. Like when Massachusetts’ John Adams first encountered Washington, the Virginian.

Some Would Shake Hands, Some Would Bow

“They’re all gathered together. They’ve never been in the same room, they’re meeting each other for the first time. John Adams meets this big tall Virginian, George Washington. And they don’t even know how to shake hands. John Adams comes up to shake his hand and George Washington steps back. Because Virginians don’t shake hands. They give a bow,” Lillback explained.

These men gathering in Carpenters’ Hall were taking the actions that would someday give birth to America. Did it begin in rebellion? In bloodshed? It actually began in that hall with prayer.

Standing in front of Carpenters’ Hall, Lillback stated, “This is where the first prayer for the country happens. But not without a debate. They debated the question could they even pray? Not because they didn’t believe in prayer, but because all the different denominations believed that the others were wrong, and they couldn’t fellowship with them,” Lillback related.

The Spark Plug of the American Revolution said ‘I’m no Bigot’

That’s when one of the fieriest radicals against the British stepped into the breach and bridged the gap.

“This is the great accomplishment of Samuel Adams, called the spark plug of the American Revolution, who said, ‘I’m no bigot. I can pray with any man who loves his God and loves his country’,” Lillback said.

Adams called on this First Continental Congress to invite over local Anglican minister Jacob Duche to come and lead them in prayer. Adams was a Congregationalist. Not all that many years before, his people waged war against England’s Anglicans and even beheaded the British king, head of the Anglican church.

They Prayed in Jesus’ Name

But like Samuel Adams, Jacob Duche rose to the occasion, and soon arrived in Carpenters Hall.

“Leads in prayer and he does it in the name of Jesus Christ,” Lillback shared. “So we can honestly say the United States was begun with a prayer meeting.”

He went on, “I think it’s a beautiful thing to realize that American colonialists found a way to come together, and they did it in the Gospel name of Christ, crossing denominational boundaries.”

What these men accomplished, Lillback characterized as, “The spiritual and political first step of the First Continental Congress of the United States.”

And Lillback said of Adams reaching out across the denominational aisle, “It was at that moment that Sam Adams created the American ecumenical spirit, where, in the public square, we can walk over our denominational boundaries.”

Jefferson Wanted Liberty for the Slaves, Too

As the Revolutionary War began, these rebel leaders soon moved into what would become known as Independence Hall. From there, they sent Thomas Jefferson off to come up with the Declaration of Independence. Working nearby, he put together those famed words about life and liberty but also wrote a whole section against slavery.

For those who believe America was just a bunch of uncaring, hard-hearted plantation owners lording it over slaves they felt they had every right to own, the picture was much more complex.

Lillback said of the Declaration’s author, “Jefferson, although a slave owner, realized that they were making the world over again. He said something unique is happening here. And he said, ‘We need to end slavery.'”

Aided by the likes of John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, Jefferson finished and submitted the Declaration to his fellow delegates.

88 Changes to the Declaration of Independence

“It went to the Congress. And we’re told that while it was being debated, Jefferson was fuming in the corner. Because there were some 88 changes that were made to his document,” Lillback said, adding that one of those changes was taking out Jefferson’s idea to wipe out slavery.

But others continued the battle. Opponents of slavery pointed out the scripture from Leviticus engraved in the nearby Liberty Bell.

Lillback stated they’d remark, “Doesn’t that old bell say, ‘Proclaim liberty throughout the land to ALL inhabitants thereof?’ And this became the great icon of the abolitionists’ assault against slavery. And they’re the ones who named it the Liberty Bell.”

Accepting All Men are Sinners, All are Depraved

Meanwhile, at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Independence Hall, the Founders accepted the Bible’s saying all men are sinners and in their depravity can’t be trusted.

Lillback recalled, “There’s an amazing story that happens in James Madison’s record of the Constitutional Convention. They’re debating how they should distribute votes. And one of the large states says…

Christmas 2015 Newsletter

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Jan 162016

The two months in DC this spring were busy, but exceedingly blessed. I visited every office in the Senate and House, sitting down one-on-one with staff from about 100 House offices and 29 Senate offices as well as directors in the BIA. I dropped off information at all the others and sent a follow-up email to every single one. I also built a database using the business cards and notes from the meetings, and wrote CAICW’s comments to the BIA concerning their new guidelines and proposed rules. (https://caicw.org/2015/05/11/our-comments-concerning-icwa-rules-proposed-by-the-bia/)

The interest and reception received at several offices was both comforting and surprising. I have not felt as “listened to” on many of our previous trips. We did develop new relationships in new offices – some surprising ones. We now have a database to work from over the rest of this session.

But the most exciting thing was watching God’s daily answers to prayer concerning the entire trip. Having gone on faith – dependent on God to help in the speaking to Senators and Congressmen as well as for providence – was an adventure. While many argue that my work isn’t “Christian” (saying I am rocking boats) – the fact is, this trip was incredibly blessed and wouldn’t have happened at without His guidance and providence. We do not have tons of money to pay for junkets to DC or high-priced lobbyists. I went in a van and spent most of the time sleeping in it. I even spent four days living in Union Station.

As some of you know, I flipped my camper truck over on ice in January and totaled it. I came out of the wreck without a scratch, but lost the vehicle I intended to drive to DC. But – we felt at peace about it. If God wanted me in DC, he would provide the way. And He did. In March, God provided a wonderful Dodge Conversion van whose owner had originally wanted $4000 on Craig’s List, but called me and told me he would take $1500 for it due to the work we do. A supporter then sent the funds for it. I was told it was top of the line in its day – and it ran 100% smoothly the entire trip.
At the suggestion of a friend who used to live in Maryland, I found my way out the end of one of the metro lines. There, I was able to shower at a campground, go to Starbucks for Wi-Fi, find varied parking lots to sleep in, and took the metro subway train into DC for the day.

I never knew when funds would come or where they would come from. One day, I counted the little I had left and put most of it onto the metro card. I decided not to worry. I knew I had enough to get to DC for two more days. Well, getting home the second day would be a challenge. I didn’t have enough for that. But…I decided not to panic or tell people. I wanted to wait on the Lord. If He was the one wanting me to be here, doing this, He would provide.

It was just a day after that when someone called me to tell me to go get a room – she would pay for it. Another person put some money into my account. There were little gifts here and there – a woman pressed a $10 bill into my hand. Never from strangers – always from someone who knew a little bit about our work. Not once during this trip was I without food, gas, metro money – or any of the resources we needed to get the job done.

One of the most wonderful things was an awesome Church Family the Lord led me to. I literally stumbled onto an incredible group of people – a remnant of a longtime neighborhood church. It was the first day I was searching for a Starbucks out near the end of that train line. I took a wrong turn, so then took a U-turn, and there was this marquee type sign on a church lawn, announcing a free dinner that very day and hour. Sooo…feeling hungry – I stopped. Following a wonderful meal, they had a Bible study outside by the fire pit – and I fell in love with them. They were such a gentle, loving, searching, praying group. It was so filled with the spirit – a tremendous blessing of prayer and fellowship.

Lastly, when what was thought should be my final week drew near, I did not know how I was getting home. But again, didn’t want to say anything – trusting God that when it was time to go, He would provide the way. And He did – five different people sent funds within the last few days of my stay.

From making do on very little, to canvassing the halls of Congressional buildings, to sitting next to homeless in Union Station, to enjoying the fellowship of an awesome church, to walking the streets of NoMa – watching, listening, thinking, praying – there is so much to tell. Please continue to pray for God’s guidance in everything we do – and pray for the fruit of whatever it is we are supposed to accomplish.

The rest of the Year:

The year actually began in Brandon, Manitoba, where I was blessed with the opportunity over Christmas to help two elderly friends for about 6 weeks. Henry had suffered a heart attack, and Nettie needed a companion until he was able to leave the hospital. I can’t even begin to write down the myriad things I was able to learn from them both – in addition to the prayer time with them. It was a tremendous lead-in to going to DC. I’m so grateful to their extended family for asking me to do it.

I was also blessed this year with opportunity to frequently care for my grandson. My daughter is in school full-time and working part time, so I spent many wonderful days at her apartment as well as with my oldest son.

I was able to take my grandson with me on a two-week trip to Montana in our marvelous van. We spent a few days at Family Bible Camp near Glacier Park, and then visited several wonderful friends and supporters up and down western Montana.

In the summer, I also spent two weeks in Minneapolis, reading to my Dad at the nursing home. In October, following prayerful encouragement from a friend, I brought him home to live with me.

My Dad is bedridden, but we’ve been able to put together a good system that serves him well. We are blessed with an aide who comes in to care for him a few hours a week, giving me a little time to do office work, and my brother (who is an engineer) came up and built an awesome wheelchair ramp in under 24 hours – using almost total reserved wood from a porch he had taken down at his house.

The book “Dying in Indian Country” – endorsed by Congressman Kevin Cramer and telling Roland’s story – was released under a new publisher in December and, (if interested), is available through our site – http://DyingInIndianCountry.com – or through Amazon, which also has the eBook version.

Throughout the months of 2015, I continued online studies for a Bachelor’s and ran CAICW. Families continue to contact us on a regular basis, asking for assistance with protecting their children. At this point in time, we have fifteen families asking for prayer, emotional support and/or legal assistance. Ten are birth families, five are adoptive families.

All thanks, glory and credit to the Lord Jesus Christ, without whom we can do nothing. Blessings in your new year.

Sage’s Story: Running from ICWA

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Aug 132014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEogtESN5Wo

Sage was 4-years-old and one of the first children to be hurt by the Indian Child Welfare Act in 1978. She was 6-years when she and the family she loved went on the run to protect her from the law that intended to force to live with an abusive birth parent. She was 13 when she was finally forcibly taken from her family to be placed on the reservation with the birth mother who had almost killed her.

She tells her story of going on the run with her chosen parents, her trauma of being taken from them, and ultimate relief when she was finally released from the reservation and allowed to return home. To this day, thirty-some years later, she is upset by what the government and ICWA put her through.

– http://youtu.be/TEogtESN5Wo

Trusting God to Provide

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Jul 152013

Sitting in an airport on my last leg home after a two week break, I’ve been doing some work while waiting. While away these two weeks, I finished five books – one of which was a book by Corrie ten Boom. It gave me lots to think about – the least of which is how she managed funding for her post-Holocaust ministry. (I say the “least,” because, obviously, she had many vital things to say.)

But, equally obviously, these comments got my attention. She determined early on never to ask for money again. She would leave it to God. Her thoughts and prayers aren’t unlike those of George Muller or the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary. They all supported their ministry through prayer and faith.

It interested me because we have survived these last …almost ten years now… with extremely limited funding. I have asked the Lord many times through those years why, if He seriously wants us to do this ministry, we don’t have more funding. It was confusing because, you would think that money would be a confirmation of blessing on the work. Why have we never been able to build a good legal fund?

Yet confirmations were coming in other ways; primarily from families telling us how grateful they were that we were there for prayer, friendship and referrals to attorneys. They thanked us for being here and understanding their problems and emotions. This seemed to matter more to some than whether or not we had funds for their legal battle.

Now I am thinking about how some of the recent attacks from our opponents have included accusations that we have “just been in this for the money.”

I had to laugh when I first heard that. I’ve never had a salary for doing this. But… although salary would have been nice and many times I thought I would burst trying to do this work while working a “real” job at the same time – a salary apparently wasn’t necessary. We survived without it. We have also been blessed in that an office and major office expenses were also unnecessary. My functional desk cost $25 at a rummage sale. I found two boxes of paper (20 reams of paper per box) that someone was throwing away three years ago or so, and still have about 8 reams of it left. (So if you wondered why your newsletter paper looked a little…well, not bright white…).

Our biggest overhead expense is simply the cost of getting the word out / teaching those who haven’t gotten the message – i.e.: our job as an advocacy and ministry.

Yet…when the rubber hit the road and money was needed for Veronica – people in South Carolina and across the country raised it and almost $40,000 went through our system and out to the attorney’s.

So when it was vitally needed – the money was there.

Further, when we have gone to DC to speak to Congressmen about ICWA – the money has been there. People want us to go to DC, so they help with that.

And maybe that’s all that was ever necessary. Maybe, despite my earlier concerns about funds, we have always has exactly what we needed.

Now – we want to grow in areas of our ministry. We want to have a home to help parents and families with substance abuse – Patterned after Teen Challenge, but a long term facility where parents can stay WITH their kids and learn and grow together, as a family, so that they don’t have to be separated while one or both parents get treatment.

But I don’t want to worry about the funding. When the time is right, I want to trust the Lord to help it come to be.

I asked one of our pastors who I was with these last two weeks (I was at the Bible College campus where I got my B.A. in Christian Ministries) if I should take the donation button off of our website, but he said, “No. You have to provide an avenue for those who decide they want to give.”

I need to talk to our board about it more and see how they feel.

I like looking back and seeing how the Lord has always provided what’s been needed.

I also like that money has rarely been wasted – because there hasn’t been any money to waste. (Waste would be things like the brand new stapler that broke the first time I tried to use it – and then never had time to bring back to the store.)

And…I like that opponents can’t say we are in this for “money.”

Amen, amen. I have had a great two weeks and am ready to get back into the saddle.