A Newborn Lakota baby joins Red Shirt Table participants.

A series of meetings are being held at the small village of Red Shirt Table on the northern part of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.  Many years ago, the village of Red Shirt Table was mostly Seventh-day Adventist due to a loving Adventist teacher.  Many of the children attended a SDA school built in the community.  A church was also available for the community members to attend.  The local cemetery, still bearing the sign “Seventh-day Adventist Cemetery” indicates the number of past Adventists who held to the truth.

Now the Red Shirt village and descendants of those first Seventh-day Adventists of the Lakota people have forgotten their parents and grandparents first love of Christ.  The Dakota Conference of Native Ministries has organized a five-night series that is being held at the old public school gym.  The children are experiencing how Bible characters overcame the trials that they faced and gained more faith in Christ.

Margaret, a Lakota Seventh-day Adventist, greats one of the children.

The adults are hearing testimonies of overcoming given by Debra Claymore, Native Ministries Coordinator, Hermus Poor Thunder of the Martin, South Dakota and Dakota Conference Church Planter, Pastor Marion Miller of Hermosa, South Dakota.  One of the adults attending the seminar stated that she and a friend attempted to establish a non-denominational church near Red Shirt which met at the local Catholic Church.  Having worked for two years, the church did not succeed.

Pastor Miller presented end-time events and many of the attendees are descendants of those first Lakota Adventist.  There have been about 25 participants each evening, some driving an hour to attend the meetings.  Following the meetings, Bible studies will be given to those who are interested.  Seeds are being planted and we pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to grow those seeds.  Another series will be presented in the near future to focus on Bible truths.


December 4 Update

	The meetings at Red Shirt have resulted in four people taking baptismal classes. Pastor Marion reports that these dear souls are very eager to learn and their questions often extend the time spent on each lesson. We praise God for the seeds that have been sown through these meetings and look forward to more Bible studies in the future as the Holy Spirit nurtures these seeds in the hearts of each attendee.