Rain Ministries and RainSong Music

RainSong at the Bradley Indian Mission Church, near Gun Lake Michigan, Sunday July 29th.

After finishing a week of vacation at Silver Lake we are now back to work and still in Michigan. We are staying near Hastings and living in our RV. We home base here to travel locally.

We plan to stay here through August 26th and then we begin a southward journey that will land us in Birmingham Alabama for the “Redigging the Wells” event on September 15th. We hope to be home in Arizona at the end of September.

Make sure you check out our Online Calendar for our schedule.

Last night we reconnected with Ray and Carol Befus, Pastors from Vineyard North in Grand Rapids Michigan. Years ago Terry was one of the staff pastors there. We had a friendly gathering at their home for those interested in Native Ministry. Our friends Mike Peters and Kelly Ellis of 4Fires Ministry joined us there also. We will be leading the entire service at Vineyard North on August 19th at 10:00am.

Next Friday Terry will be attending a training seminar for educators being offered by the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe a the Zibiwing Center. The seminar trains educators with the tools and information needed to present to the public information regarding the Residential Indian Boarding Schools and their impact upon Native Americans today.

Thank you for your financial support and prayers!

RainSong will be sharing our Music and Message at this Historic event September 15th. Click on the image for more info.

Ashland Friends

We have had a busy couple of weeks as we have connected with friends in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. We returned to Heartland Church on June 3rd following the Miami Nation Powwow. What a great morning reconnecting with friendships made in the last 5 years!

On Friday June 8th we rejoined the Ann Arbor Lighthouse for an evening of Music and Storytelling. It was a sobering evening as Terry shared his heart regarding our visit to the Mt. Pleasant Boarding School for the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe’s day of Honoring, Healing and Remembering.

We took some personal time on Sunday June 10th to attend the open house of two of our Grandchildren for their High School Graduation.

We visited our friends at 4Fires Ministry led by Mike Peters in Grand Rapids on the following Wednesday.

Then on to Ohio where we did some follow up gatherings from the April visit to Ashland University and Seminary. Ashland UMC hosted us for an evening concert and then for their entire Sunday morning service. A time of Q and A was held after the service on Sunday and about 25 folks stayed to dig deeper into ways to bring healing and reconciliation.

RainSong Calendar

On Monday we shared our Music and Story telling at the Native American Indian and Veterans Center in Norton OH. There was a good community turnout with Native and Non-natives present.

On Wednesday we provided a Community Concert at the Menwa Apartments in Wadsworth OH. It was great sharing our Music with all the Elders present. We want to thank our friend Ken Brandes of Recon Ministries (who works there) for connecting us with so many places here in Ohio. We are staying with Ken and his wife Geo while were are here.

Be sure to click on our calendar for more of our schedule—->

Warren Petoskey (Lakota/Odawa) and his wife Barbara

On Wednesday June 6th 2012 we attended a special gathering hosted by the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe in Mt. Pleasant Michigan.

The government has given the Tribe the land and buildings where the Mt. Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School  was located. It was established in 1893 and ran till 1934 with an average of 300 students per year.

Our friend Warren Petoskey from Michigan was an honored guest and the day included the showing of a DVD documentary that he helped direct and produce about the Mt. Pleasant school.

Also our friends Mike Peters and Kelly Ellis of 4-Fires Ministry attended with us and participated in the prayers and tours.

It was a deeply moving day as many Elders shared their own experiences and those of their parents. I was born and raised in Michigan and found it difficult to hear and process the sorrow, pain and injustices that have taken place on that property.

It is hard to believe that such things took place in the “Land of the Free” where everyone is supposed to be considered “equal”. The pursuit of happiness was certainly denied these children.

Spirit Runners carried, through the streets and then into the gathering, the names of over 150 children who died while in that school. A roll call announcing the names of all the children was made in the afternoon. Officially only 5 children were reported to had died there, but independent agencies are helping the Tribe to verify the many hundreds of deaths that actually took place. New names are found regularly.

The atrocities that took place there are too horrible to write into this post. A Tribal spokesperson said, “Today we are forgiving the unforgivable, this gathering is a part of that process that will go on for many years.”

Christian Pastors were asked to speak, share and pray as a part of the spiritual component of the gathering.

The purpose of the gathering was to honor the memory of the children and the families affected by the school and to acknowledge the pain and suffering so that healing can take place.

Please say a prayer today for the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe and for the affected families.

Attend next year if you can.

Miami Nation of Indiana Powwow

RainSong has been invited to share our Music and Storytelling to open the 6th Annual Miami Indian All Nations Gathering and Powwow.

This is the second year RainSong has performed at this event. Bring your friends!

When: Friday June 1st

Gates open 6:00pm

Concert 7pm-9:00pm

$5 cover charge at the gate.

Where: 11515 East US Highway 36, Rockville, IN – 3 miles east of Raccoon State Recreation Area. About 50 miles West of Indianapolis on Hwy 36.

Make sure to bring your own chair! 

Terry singing with the Overcomers

Our second stop on our Summer Tour was the Navajo BIC Mission located about 30 miles south of Bloomfield New Mexico in Navajo territory. Duane and Diane Bristow are the directors of the Mission and have a number of full time staff. You can check out their Website HERE.

They have the NIZHÓNÍ Christian Academy with about 10 students kindergarten through high school. We shared our music and storytelling with the students during the week.

The also provide an Overcomers Program for adults. An intensive 3 month live-in discipleship, drug and alcohol rehab program. Terry spent several hours during the week teaching and talking with the five men who are graduating soon.

Terry and Darlene singing Holy Fire

It was a good week of fellowship and ministry. We deepened our relationship with the Bristows and will probably be visiting them on a bi-annual basis in the future.

Take time to visit their website and send an encouraging note to them as they share the love of Jesus with the Navajo people in a way that is culturally sensitive and relevant.

The Navajo BIC is a ministry that connects well with the local Navajo community. They offer much needed services such as a shop for local artists to sell their art, a deep well that provides fresh water, laundry and showers. On Sunday they offer a First Nations Gathering and provide a Native style Church service well attended by the community.

We feel it is a privilege and honor to be able to come alongside ministries like this to bring encouragement and fellowship.