Coats and Blankets for Pine Ridge

“You are God’s angels!” He said it two or three times while we were unloading the truck.

This was our first contact with David Lays Bad, a Lakota minister who lives with his family on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He, along with his wife, Ella, and their five children; Napoleon, Mike, Esther, Mariah, and Elijah helped us unload twenty four large leaf bags full of coats, blankets, and other items. It was a delight to get to meet and visit with them . . . along with their eight friendly dogs.

A highlight of the visit was David’s testimony. “I decided they were not getting it right,” he said, as he proceeded to tell us of his decision to follow Jesus as savior. “I go to the Baptist Church at Sharps Corner when I’m not preaching somewhere.” “I’m really more of an evangelist,” he said. “I just want to help people know Jesus.”

Ashworth Road Baptist Church, Des Moines, Iowa and First Baptist Church, Smithville, MO were very generous with the donation of coats. Clay and Beverly Green of Independence, MO collected blankets and toys for the trip. Many of the coats and blankets were new and the rest were only slightly used. Before delivery, we go through all collected items to make sure that none of our donations reflect poorly the presence of Christ.

Women on Mission, Second Baptist Church, Liberty, MO donated two large containers filled with tooth paste, soap, and shampoo. Senior Adult ladies from a Baptist Church in Kansas City gave more than 100 hand knitted cap and scarf sets. We gave some for distribution on Pine Ridge and the rest we left at Crow Creek Reservation.