Halito! It's been six months since we last updated our blog. Our family has experienced some changes, and our ministry at Pearl River Mennonite Church here in Philadelphia, MS is always facing something new, so we will attempt to fill you in.
In January, our church was blessed by two brothers in Christ from Canada who voluntarily renovated the two church restrooms to make them handicapped-accessible. Since one of our most faithful attenders is in a wheelchair, we are happy to be able to better accommodate her needs.
Since we have such a small congregation, we frequently face the frustration of having too few adults willing and able to help with various ministry needs. One of the ministries we desire to see established is that of a young adult ministry. Many times after high school graduation, the church youth fall away from the church (and the Lord) if there is no active young adult ministry available. Laurie had the privilege of individually treating two young adults named Akela and Nadaysha from our church to lunch for some special one-on-one time.
One of the highlights of the winter for Laurie and several of the other church ladies was being able to attend the Gulf States Mennonite Women's annual conference at Poarch Community Church in Atmore, AL. It was such a joy to fellowship with our Creek hosts, to participate in the contemporary worship (including being introduced to the awesome song, "Break Every Chain"), and to receive the Word as shared with us by some Native American speakers. One of the speakers, Lillian Rose Grandchamp Liles, shared her powerful testimony of having grown up Lakota-Sioux in Montana.
In mid-February, we had the joy of keeping Emelyn for about ten days while Dustin and Heather went on a Caribbean cruise with Dustin's family. Dustin and Heather's good friends, Randy and Tanya Watkins, kept Eme on the weekends. She was spoiled...just a little...by all of us!
In early March, several members of the church joined us in praying through the church building and binding/casting out any dark spirits which we heard had been manifesting themselves at times there recently. We praise God for the power and authority available to us through the shed blood of our personal Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!
The Choctaws are absolutely obsessed with sports. A 7th grader named Aspen from our church family is already on a varsity girls' softball team because she's such an awesome pitcher. Her cousin Dalmericka, another gal from our church family, is also an amazing athlete.
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| New believers Zack, Nic, and Jared |
Besides working as the data manager of a small company in Meridian and pastoring our church, Duane teaches the Youth Sunday School class and leads the church Youth Group. He's just another kid, although slightly older, when it comes to enjoying the Gulf States Mennonite Church Youth Rallies held each spring and fall at Pine Lake Fellowship Camp near Meridian. Duane usually comes home with a tick hitching a ride on him, but he doesn't let that diminish his love of youth ministry. Duane has had the privilege of leading four youth and two young adults to salvation in Christ so far this year. Sadly, it is often difficult to convince new believers to attend discipleship classes to help reinforce their commitments.
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| Sister Linda and Lillian Rose |
We hosted Sister Linda Stabler and Lillian Rose Liles, from Poarch Community Church in Atmore, AL at our home at the end of March. We learned some fascinating things about Lakota-Sioux traditional religion, including the fact that Sasquatches/Bigfoots are very real spirit beings which the medicine men "call up" or conjure. Lillian shared her testimony, which some of us ladies had already heard in early February, at a special Sunday morning service to which we had invited the Nanih Waiya and Crystal Ridge Choctaw Mennonite churches. Lillian admitted that she has had quite a struggle doing away with some of her Native practices (some of which she feels conflict with her growing relationship with Christ), without losing her identity as a Lakota-Sioux. Praise God that, as born-again Christians, our truest and most important identity is who we are IN CHRIST!
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| Dustin and the moving van |
As Christians, Easter (Resurrection Day) is usually one of our favorite times of the year. However, this year it was bitter-sweet:
Duane helped Dustin, Heather, and Emelyn move from here to Goshen, Indiana (our home area) that week. Dustin and Heather decided they wanted to move closer to extended family, get jobs, and eventually attend Indiana University-South Bend for further education in Social Work.
We were THRILLED to spend about ten days in Indiana at the end of May. Not only did we get to spend time with Heather, Dustin, and Emelyn (20 mo), but Brittany, Matt, Maile (4), and Kaira (8 mo) were there from Hawaii, also! It was a busy week, since Matt and Britt (and Matt's parents Jerry and Karen) were there to clean out their rented storage unit and prepare for and participate in a housing development-wide garage sale.
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| Our Glenn-Reinhardt-Terui Family |
We appreciated being able to stay at Bill and Karen's house during our Indiana visit. We enjoyed being treated to bonfires and a picnic supper by Randy and Delora. We enjoyed seeing old friends, including Tim and Diane Overmyer. We loved attending our "home" church, Wakarusa Missionary Church, one Sunday morning and sharing briefly about our ministry. And we were able to spend an evening with many members of Duane's family, including Carl, Marleen, Brandon, and Brandon's fiancee Ruth from Ohio. We hadn't been home to Indiana since Dale's funeral in 2012.
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| Elder Dave Yoder praying over us at WMC |
Much of our congregation is made up of single women raising their children or grandchildren. That fact gives a unique perspective to the meaning of Father's Day each year. Many biological fathers are absent from their children's lives. Several single mothers/grandmothers feel that they need to be both mother and father. Countless Choctaw children (and adult children) struggle with strong emotions about fathers, including the idea of God the Creator being a loving, faithful Heavenly Father.
Duane is planning, once again, to play stickball (
ishtaboli) on Beaver Dam's thirty-five and older team at the Choctaw Indian Fair in July. There are some great informative youtube videos available for your viewing. Update: Duane ended up with some bruised ribs and subsequent severe muscle spasms after playing in a game at the end of June. No more stickball!
Duane, the other pastors, and the church councils of our small Gulf States Mennonite Conference, part of Mennonite Church USA, are facing some very difficult decisions. We would ask that you would please keep us and our congregation in your prayers in the weeks and months ahead.
Living so far away from close family is very difficult for Laurie. Please lift her up before the Throne as the Lord brings her to your minds and hearts.
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| Cousins Emelyn, Kaira, and Maile |
That's all for now. Remember that we'd love to have you visit! We have two guestrooms with your names on the doors! We live within 3-6 hours from Nashville, Memphis, Birmingham, and New Orleans. FYI: Did you know that there are over 30,000 alligators
in Mississippi? Such fun!
We'll post again around Christmas time! Blessings!
In Christ,
Duane and Laurie
reinos4@juno.com
facebook: Duane Laurie Reinhardt
Christmas greetings once again from the Reinhardts in Philadelphia, Mississippi! We are blogging to let you know what we've been up to in ministry and life these past six months. If you missed it, please read our previous blog from June.
