Gently Used Running Shoes?

We have a need that I hope some of you can help out with. We have kids here at our school coming from the Indian reservations across the country who are just amazing cross country runners yet lack the proper equipment to really excel at their sport. We have many kids who arrive in the fall with basketball shoes to run in instead of running shoes. It makes all the difference in attitude and ability to have proper shoes to run a race. 

If you have last season's running shoes that you could pass on to them to or running shoes that are gently used sitting in the back of the closet, we could use them! Generally, I'm usually most in need of boys running shoes in the 10, 10-1/2, 11 or 12 range but we'll gladly accept anything you might have, boys or girls sizes. Shoes can shipped to Flandreau Indian School Chaplain, 802 W Pipestone, Flandreau SD 57028.

Thanks for considering...

FREE COMMUNITY CONCERT

About Broken Walls...

Based on Native American/First Nations Heritage of North America, Broken Walls is a band that travels extensively around the world communicating a message of restoration, dignity, self respect, and Creator's Love to all cultures. 

This message is communicated uniquely through music, songs, dance and storytelling. 

Often starting with the Mohawk water drum, Broken Walls will perform on a variety of Indigenous instruments such as the Mohawk windflute, or the large buffalo hide pow wow drum, eventually graduating to a full-on contemporary band. Even while performing as a full band, you hear the ancient vocals, beats and sounds of their native heritage.

Please join the FIS Chaplaincy Program 

in a celebration of community.

For more about Broken Walls: www.BrokenWalls.com   

For I Know the Plans

We are a little different than most high schools in that we hold mid-year graduations at the end of the first semester which falls around this time in mid-January. There are students who just have a few credits to make up at the beginning of the year and it doesn't make sense for them to have to endure the whole year of school if they've completed all of the requirements.

It’s usually a very emotional time for everyone involved, students and staff alike. As we’re a boarding school for Native American teenagers, many of the students come to live with us during their freshman year and remain throughout their four years. We become a community of folks who laugh, cry, love and discover life together. For many of the kids, the staff and other students at the school are the closest thing they've ever known to being a part of a functional family. A lot of their backgrounds include legacies of drug and alcohol abuse. Often kids are raised by aunts and uncles or grandparents because parents are not able to. The American Indian community in general experiences a great deal of loss due to suicide, substance abuse and accidental deaths.  

It’s with mixed emotions then that we see these kids head out to their future. We know they need to go find their way in the world as adults and to go on to discover life and their purpose. I need to cling to the verse in Jeremiah 29:11 that says, “For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” As much as I love these students as I do my own children, I have trust that God cares for them even more and He has amazing plans for each of their lives. I must trust that He will continue to make Himself known to each one of them. And I need to trust that in following God, their lives will be protected and not end in disaster which is so often the case for this segment of society.

It’s been as much a test of my own faith as it has been for the students I serve. 

Taste and See That the Lord is Good

We began our third year on campus at the Flandreau Indian School with a bang. With many returning students knowing the Chaplain and the program, more parents than ever (almost half of the 250 students!) have given written permission to the school for their kids to attend worship services in town. Trust with students and parents has increased dramatically this year.

Numbers in attendance have been up all over. With weekly outreach programs aimed at reaching all students, Sunday afternoon chapel on campus, Bible studies and local worship services, there are lots of opportunities for students to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8) Many are experiencing church for the first time and realizing that church is really not a scary place. 

The exciting part of this year has been seeing lives in the process of transformation… encouraging Facebook statuses, positive music choices, students caring for students and challenging each other to live a more positive lifestyle, being able to pray with students before bedtime and as their day begins, inviting each other to go to church, and so much more. We have started small group Bible studies on campus midweek to explore the weekend messages a little deeper and apply the truths revealed in Scripture. Students have begun to take ownership of their faith. How exciting to see God at work!

FIRST TIMERS

I had the opportunity last week to help some students exercise their right to vote for the very first time.

One of the milestones of reaching adulthood and turning eighteen in the United States is being able to vote at election time. Our students are on campus nine months of the year so Flandreau Indian School is considered their permanent residence thus qualifying them to vote in our County.

We needed to research how to go about getting all registered who qualified. Registrations were made available in the Dorms for those who were over 18. Phone calls went back and forth between my office and the County Registrar’s office as they confirmed and verified information with the kids ahead of the October 22 deadline for signing up.

There was a great feeling of anticipation with these newly qualified voters as Election Day approached. Transportation was arranged and the voters were herded off to the polls. They took their responsibility very seriously, as they should, with many taking quite an extended period of time to complete their ballots.

You can see the expression on the faces in the photos of how excited and thrilled they all were to have been able to take part in this important election process for our country’s next President. 

QUIET TIMES

Trying to get back to blogging; it's been awhile.

This has been a busy fall so far. The Chaplaincy Program has been enjoying all kinds of influence on campus with record numbers of students attending events. The numbers of students going to church in town and attending church on campus has been up dramatically. We have been holding on for dear life as God has been revealing Himself to students in ways we've never seen before.

I think my favorite times though have been the times when fewer students have come out to events. It is a little less harried and frantic than when 175 students show for Root Beer Floats or 125 come out for Nacho Night and we need to hustle to keep up with demand.

I usually run events at night but last week on Halloween we did an after school Pumpkin Painting event so we wouldn't interfere with the Student Council Haunted House later in the evening. It was a much slower paced affair with students tending to stick around longer. I had lots of pumpkins so kids took their time and some even painted a couple of different ones.

The reason these quieter events are my favorite is because inevitably a smaller group of students will stay later and just hang out. I find out a lot during these times; I find out about places kids live or have lived, about relationships they’re in and all the trials that go along with that, about family members, and a lot of cultural information.  I find out who likes what kind of special treat like sunflower seeds or a certain kind of candy or that somebody is out of shampoo. I can usually meet a need pretty easily when I find out about it.

It just can be a time of sharing and discovering new things about students. The larger events serve a purpose of getting kids into contact with the Chaplain, sometimes for the first time, but the smaller group setting opens up a time for dialogue. It doesn't always lead to spiritual discussions but a lot of times it does. I’m grateful for the opportunities that come along during these times.

See the rest of the Pumpkin Painting Pictures: 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.482575271783333.108660.137847812922749&type=1

SPECIAL RESOURCES

Thanks to many of you donating to our program over the last year, we've been able to meet needs and to run some really great programs without spending directly out of our Program account. That makes a huge impact on our Program budget when supplies are already given for us. Additionally there have been many gifts that provide for the physical needs of our students as well. 

I've included a list of things that might be provided to us. Don't limit yourself to this list! If you're wondering "Hey, do you think they could use this for the students at the Flandreau Indian School?" then go ahead and send it to us! We'll find a use and come up with a really creative program for it. 

Send these gifts to: 

Flandreau Indian School Chaplain

Bill Britton

802 W. Pipestone Avenue

Flandreau, SD 57028

Personal Needs:

Shampoo

Conditioner

Body wash

Soap

Laundry soap

Deodorant

Dryer sheets

Granola bars

Snacks in individual packs

Hats

Coats

Gloves

Mittens

Towels

Washcloths

Sheet sets, twin

Socks, no show

Study Materials:

Bible study material 

NIV Bibles (NIV Study Bibles even better)

Christian music (current artists)

Veggie Tales, DVDs

Art/Program Supplies:

Scissors

Crayons

Construction paper, any size, any colors

Cardstock, white or colors, 8.5 x 11

20# paper, white or colors, 8.5 x 11

Scotch tape

Glue sticks

Pipe cleaners

Google eyes

Glitter

Pompoms

Jewels with flat backs

Clay pots, new, unused

Acrylic paints
Face paints

Paint brushes, small

Recycled margarine tubs/cottage cheese/yogurt containers with lids

Ziploc/Glad containers, small (to see contents)

Pony beads

Colored pencils

Markers

Staples, staplers

Cookies

Board games

Playing cards

Ziploc baggies, sandwich, quart and/or gallon

Paper plates

Napkins

Cups, cold (9 oz)

Cups, hot (16 oz)

Plastic spoons, forks
Disposable Table Cloths

For Prizes or Handouts:

Subway gift cards ($5.35 each card)

Hot cocoa, individual packets

Ramen noodles
Oatmeal packets
Cheese and Cracker Packets
Sun Flower Seed Snack Packets

Hard candy, individually wrapped

Walmart gift cards (Any amount) 

Hobby Lobby gift cards (Any amount)
Gasoline gift cards (Any amount)