See, I am doing a new thing - Haskell
Do you remember your first day of school?
From kindergarten to graduation, the first day of school was filled with opportunity. It was the chance to redefine yourself; an opportunity for a fresh start and a new beginning.
You may also remember it as a scary time. Where there is opportunity, there is also the unknown. And as with all unknowns, we feel excited and exhilarated at a new beginning and yet… we want to know it will all end well.
In Isaiah 43:19, the Bible says:
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
As humans, we often see only what is directly in front of us. But our omniscient God sees the beginning, the middle, and the end. He knows the outcomes of all our efforts and tasks, and when we seek His will, He guides and directs our footsteps to results that glorify Him.
For Lutheran Indian Ministries staff member Bob Prue (Rosebud Sioux), and his wife Deon, this is a year of fresh starts and new beginnings. In June, Bob became LIM’s Ministry Leader at the Haskell LIGHT House in Lawrence, Kansas. We are excited that God has led Bob to accept the challenges of this important ministry opportunity! And in July, Bob and Deon became parents to their 3rd child (and first girl), Marlee Grace. Praise God!
Adjacent to the Lutheran Indian Ministries LIGHT House lies the campus of Haskell Indian Nations University. On 320 acres of Kansas prairie stand ancient classroom buildings that currently serve nearly 900 Native American students from diverse tribal backgrounds.
Originally built as an Indian boarding school, it is now Bob’s mission field.
Bob Prue overcame adversity to receive his call as a Deacon in the Lutheran Church. Now, he is eager to share God’s grace with the Native American students through Haskell LIGHT Campus Ministry, just as it was shared with him. He has spent valuable time over the last few months preparing, not only the LIGHT House, for the students’ return, but also himself.
Because you supported the mission of Lutheran Indian Ministries, this is your victory and your new beginning, as well. Your prayers and your gifts made this possible – thank you!
Haskell LIGHT is not your typical campus ministry.
The Native students attending Haskell often come with the same history of trauma and addiction frequently seen in the lives of Native peoples, even among the young. These issues can become barriers to opening Native hearts to the soul saving freedom they can experience in Jesus Christ.
With this knowledge, Bob’s preparation included training in “Beauty for Ashes,” a program that helps Native people heal from the aftermath of historic or recent trauma in their lives, and “Celebrate Recovery,” a biblically based program that helps Native people work through and overcome addiction problems.
Through God’s grace and thanks to your support, Bob is well equipped to begin this new school year at Haskell LIGHT!
With the LIGHT House now open in the morning for coffee and breakfast, and throughout the day for studying and fellowship, Bob has almost unending opportunities to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through regular Bible studies, he will help them understand Jesus as their only path to true healing, hope, and the freedom of God’s grace. While one-on-one conversations allow him a chance to hear and understand their unique problems and concerns.
The mission field on the Haskell campus is rich with opportunity for ministry. As Bob looks across the field, past the Haskell museum and the majestic statue of the unnamed Indian warrior, he sees the faces of 900 students who need to know that Jesus is their Lord and Savior. He sees the faces of those students who have unshared and untold pain, sorrow, and suffering in their lives. Bob knows that Jesus is the answer and that he has been called to serve Native people at the LIGHT House to the glory of God.
Because of your passion for Native ministry, you are a part of this new beginning as well. Your support makes this outreach possible. Your gift today to Lutheran Indian Ministries enables Bob, and all our missionaries, to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, disciple native leaders so that they might be equipped to share the Gospel with their Native brothers and sisters, and address social sufferings in a way that values Native cultures.
We are truly blessed to share this ministry with you. I humbly ask you to partner with us in ministry to ensure God’s Word will reach the Native people who desperately need to hear and believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.
Thank you and may God Bless you and keep you always!
In Him,
Tim Young Eagle (Pawnee)
Executive Director
Lutheran Indian Ministries
P.S. Bob asks for your prayers as he begins this new thing that God has called him to. He will have unbelievable challenges every day. And, there are so many needs among the students at Haskell. He asks that you also pray for the them – that their hearts and minds would be open to God’s ministry through him. Your support of Bob and Lutheran Indian Ministries makes a difference in the lives of these students every day. He is grateful for your financial support and prayers, which enable him to reach out to these kids with the hope found only in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you!