FIRST NATION MINISTRIES, INC.

P.O. Box 30055    Portland, OR 97294

Phone: 503-408-2391   Fax: 503-256-8560

Issue 17

Visits #60,61,62,63                            March 2009

 

Dear Teammate,

This old brother is one happy ol’ boy. At long last the snow is phasing out! But as with all eighty-six winters I’ve lived before, God has brought us through. No frozen feet or wrecked vehicles or any other major catastrophe. We praise God "from whom all blessings flow"!

The work is going exceptionally well and it is very evident that it is not by man but God’s almighty hand upon it. How He makes a way where there is no way causes us to marvel at His power and wisdom. The pieces go together and fit so nicely that our team has again and again had praise meetings. We rejoice at His love and mighty power. Truly, we do not know what the future holds, but we do know who holds the future.

In spite of the adverse weather and travel conditions, we have made two more trips, visiting four mission works that we are helping. How thankful we are to God for making it possible. I wish, Dear Teammate, that you could be along to see the smiles and tears and feel the gratitude of the Indian people and missionaries we are privileged to help. Rest assured, my dear men and women, young and old, we are not praying or laboring in vain! Together you and I are making a difference.

How grateful we are for our wonderful help in the office doing the bookkeeping, handling the finances and operational business, answering the mail, making radio broadcasts, producing the newsletters, and all the other responsibilities. We are grateful to the drivers and field team and praise God for them. Then we are most thankful for you and the many other Teammates that keep it all going with your prayers and support! God bless you richly my Brothers and Sisters. "It will be worth it all when we see Jesus" and the Indian souls that we helped to make it to Heaven. God bless you all.

Your old missionary brother,

 

Don Cline

Still sits the schoolhouse by the road, 
A ragged beggar sunning;
Around it still the sumachs grow,
And blackberry vines are running.

Within, the master’s desk is seen,
Deep scarred by raps official,
The warping floor, the battered seats,
The jack-knife’s carved initial;

The charcoal frescos on its wall;
Its door’s worn sill, betraying
The feet that, creeping slow to school,
Went storming out to playing!

Long years ago a winter sun
Shone over it at setting;
Lit up its western window panes,
And low eaves’ icy fretting.

It touched the tangled golden curls,
And brown eyes full of grieving,
Of one who still her steps delayed
When all the school were leaving.

For near her stood the little boy
Her childish favor singles:
His cap pulled low upon a face
Where pride and shame were mingled.

Pushing with restless feet the snow
To right and left, he lingered;--
As restlessly her tiny hands
The blue-checked apron fingered.

He saw her lift her eyes; he felt
The soft hand’s light caressing,
And heard the tremble of her voice,
As if a fault confessing.

"I’m sorry that I spelt the word:
I hate to go above you,
Because,"-the brown eyes lower fell,-
"Because, you see, I love you!"

Still memory to a gray-haired man
That sweet child-face is showing.
Dear girl! The grasses on her grave
Have forty years been growing!

He lives to learn, in life’s hard school
How few who pass above him
Lament their triumph and his loss
Like her,-because they love him.


 

 

Poem by John Greenleaf Whittier, 1870

MISSION VISIT #60

This has been the "winter of the big snows"! These visits were scheduled for December, but the Columbia Gorge and the mountain passes had been closed for three weeks. Finally, January 19th, a break in the weather and we were rolling. The first visit was to Northwest Indian Bible School at Alberton, MT. Marv Boettcher, Leon Hansen and Don Cline used the big Dodge Diesel 4x4 with studded mud and snow tires to pull the fully loaded cargo van. The Ford Aero Star is also a 4x4 and we had chains and tow ropes if needed. We thank God for the best of equipment, his servants with their driving skills, and His hand upon us. He took us through!

 

MISSION VISIT #60 (cont.)

 

This is the 1996 Ford Aerostar, the answer to Misty Taggarts’s prayer, we told you about in the last newsletter, Issue 16. This noble Indian girl has devoted her life as a handmaiden of the Lord and is a great blessing now as a staff member at the Bible School.

Over the last forty years we have been privileged to put hundreds of wheels under Indian workers, and I truly believe this one is the most "like new" of them all. Misty prayed! We put out the request! God met the need in a most wonderful way! To Him be all glory and praise.

MISSION VISITS #61 & 62

On Tuesday morning, January 20th, Marv, Leon, and your old missionary Brother arose early and said goodbye to the Bible School. Our next stop was the Rocky Mountain Mission at Ravalli, Montana on the Flathead Reservation. We knocked on doors and searched in vain, then received the report that our good brother, Lee Wraith, had suffered a heart attack and was in the hospital. We have learned since that doctors were able to fix this problem and the Wraiths are convalescing in Arizona. We left all the food with Sister Bernie Lovell at near-by St. Ignatius where she directs the outreach to Indian people.

MISSION VISIT #63

Early Saturday morning, January 31st, Bob King joined Don Cline with the Dodge and trailer and met Hannah Cote, her mother, Jo Crownover, and her two children, Cash and Max at the Flying J Truck Stop in Troutdale. After fueling up, we "tail-gated" on up the river ninety miles to Celilo Indian Village for our 10:00 AM appointment. As always, it was a real joy to fellowship with our wonderful point people, Fred and Karen Whitford. Their reports of the growing interest in the Bible study were most encouraging. We are so happy to do the part that makes the difference with food, clothing, household items, and Bibles. Hannah and Jo hosted a lovely meal at The Dalles on our way home.