a look into my life...

Here I am again. Sitting in my little home in #4 and wondering 'what the heck should i write about.' so many times i desire to write something amazing, but I am not an author nor an amazing poet I am simply me.
Things here are going amazing. I have been a little under the weather the past few weeks, but finally I feel like my old self again... Kind of!
the life i live here in Pine Ridge is a much slower, relaxed life. More time to ponder life's biggest question. Time to wonder why am I here. Time to wonder, who will i become.
One quote i enjoy is...

"Perhaps the questions shouldn't be 'what will i do with my life?' but 'who are you going to become?'"






There are so many good days here. Don't get me wrong, life is not perfect! Daily i struggle with home sickness. So much of me wants to go back to the life i am used to. Knowing fare well that i would sit most of my days in discontent with where my life is. I do not want to fit it, to blend in, to just be another. I want to live a life that is different, to speak truth and to have LOVE spill from my soul. I am here to be refined.




"Are you not much more valuable then they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"





There are so many beautiful moments in life, and when i worry about the next i pass so many moments by. I will never know all the moments i have missed, but my soul longs for the beautiful moments in life. Not the easy or selfish but the truly beautiful in Gods eyes, those are the moments i what to be around for.





My randomness is starting to bother me. My thoughts are all over the place and all i can do it take a moment and breath and enjoy this beautiful moment!

before there was snow...

Well winter has arrived here on the Reservation. The beautiful landscape has been covered with even more beautiful blanket of snow. I could hardly believe how large the snow flakes were. When i awoke the next morning it felt as if I had been moved to another place. Now the dirt and nastiness of winter have set in. Mud, sand, brown dirty snow is all the eye can see. I wait for the next snow fall to once again cleanse this land.

In other news... Things here are still going wonderfully. There are times when we feel cabin fever set in. There is not much to do around here. filling our time with positive thing are very important. Jake as even taken up painting. (Thanks to my friend Michelle back home) i also created one masterpiece, a buffalo. I believe i did ok. If anyone is interested in buying the art work just let me know. :)

I thought i would post a few photos as well. the first one is of our staff, we went to Rapid City and stumbled upon the most beautiful terrain. the next is of the most amazing tree captured right as the sun was setting. and the third is my lovely (not always thinking) husband. on both sides of him it was a extreme drop off. HE IS CRAZY!

Its almost November 4th!

Many days i spend contemplating who i should vote for. Growing up in a Christian home, going to a Christian high school and college it seems i should vote Republican. We all know its our 'Christian duty to vote'. 'Its our God given right' at that.
It seems though my life has begun to take a different path. I no longer feel obligated to stand on one side. Of course i have my ideals of what i think we should do, but lets just say I no more than anyone else have the best solution.
I question how i can vote on an issue that i do nothing about in my daily life. When i am willing to take in a child whose mother feels that they have no other way. Our to open my home for those who are not excepted by those around them. When i can love without question, then i will begin to decide what issues matter to me.

I know that i desire to live the life God intended me to live. To love those He loves. To become an example that points only to Christ. How can i say that i put my trust solely in Christ, but vote for one that is not Him. I am putting my faith in that person to change our lives. Faith in my God will lead me to change the things around me that must be changed. We are all human! We will fail. Our president will fail! My God will never leave me nor forsake me. His promises are that which no man can make. He calls us to be SET APART as a Believer. Today we have decided that we must be within, to look the same, to follow those around us. How are we set apart. Perhaps by the negative things we have done and are doing. Perhaps by not loving those who Christ called us to love!

Matthew 25:35-40 (New International Version)

35"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'


In my life i am only beginning to learn. Many will tell me its just my young age that has made me think this way. I tell them this: I believe these things because Christ is in me!

old faithful...

Our morning started out like any other.. No that is a lie. First of all we woke up before 10am, 7:40am to be truthful. Alissa and I were starting our first day of work at Wounded Knee school district. Alissa works in the first grade room and I work with the lovely Kindergarten.

We woke up packed our lunch and then the choice... What van do we take? I picked up the keys to the brown bulky conversion van, thought twice and set them down. I wanted to take the newer sleeker blue van. I grabbed the keys and we rushed out the door. We made a quick stop for some morning coffee. I need some caffeine do to the fact that we were awake so EARLY.

We started our drive, the whole 40 miles to the school. Just as we arrived to wounded knee, my pal Alissa leaned over...

"Did you feel that?

"um nope i sure didn't. What did you hit a dog Alissa?" (a common occurrence here on the Rez)

"oh no lizzie, WHAT DOES THAT LIGHT MEAN?"

(the check engine light flashing)

"Ahh, well i have no idea. I will look it up." (after a few moments i began to read the warning out loud.)

"When Check engine light flashes, there is a misfire and can result in exhaust entering the car and further damage can happen by your car irrupting in flames." (i for some reason could NOT stop laughing)

"Lizzie Its not funny, we could start on fire!"

( we decided to pull the car(van) over in the middle of no where. We couldn't get cell phone reception so we decided to make one more move and drive up onto wounded knee hill, you know where the massacre happened. Hopefully we could get reception. WE DID.)

(Jake arrived told us some things and drove us to the school. We were sure that the car had been fixed but on our ride home from Henry, a community member. He saw our van on the hill and said...

"You better move that van. People here are nervy. when you come tomorrow. you might only have a frame left."

"oh dear!" ( we towed to the van later and it is now being looked at by a wonderful man named Ata.

Praise God we didn't start on FIRE

the smell of fall!

If you were to ask me what is one thing I miss about home I would have to say the beauty of fall. Don't get me wrong, the beauty of Pine Ridge is amazing. There is just something different about a Minnesota fall. When a brisk chill enters the air and leaves begin to show their dying colors and a sweatshirt is warmly welcomed, that is when i love fall in love with Minnesota all over again. 

Out here the grass has been dead before June even ended and the few trees that sprinkles these grounds simply find them selves a golden yellow. Then before you can even enjoy the golden sunset of the trees the leaves have taken their final breath and fallen to 'mother earth.'

Although the death of the grounds may be ugly it will in return birth new life. Greens, reds, yellows all those colors and more then the eye can behold will make a beautiful creation again come spring.

I am blessed to be here. to see the beauty first hand in a new way. I will enjoy and take a deep breath the chill of the air and simply be still!

 

We could use your support! :)

Hey friends...

If you feel like supporting jake and I this year in Pine Ridge South dakota read this letter and then go to www.greaterworks.us and click on Lizzie Ladd or Jake Ladd then hit support. 

We would be so thankful. 

 

 Dear friends and family,

            I hope this letter finds you all well. Lizzie and I are a few months away from celebrating our two-year anniversary. It’s been an amazing couple of years. As you may know Lizzie and I had the wonderful opportunity to work with an organization called Youthworks! (www.youthworks.com) last summer on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Little did we know, that this was just the beginning.

            We are about to embark on a yearlong internship with Greaterworks Inc. (www.Greaterworks.us). We will be spending the next nine months living on the reservation, seven miles from the city of Pine Ridge. We will be living in community with our two other staff, and the people of the reservation, while immersing ourselves in their culture, and building meaningful relationships.

 Last summer while working on the Pine Ridge Reservation, we had the opportunity to meet a family, a mother and four young boys.  Originally, they started coming around to play basketball and meet the weeks’ participants, but soon after they began staying for dinner. It even got to the point where they wanted to spend the night. We eventually realized that these boys and their mother had made their home in their car. We spent many days playing, laughing, listening and most of all learning from this family. As the summer began to come to a close we had a feeling of overwhelming sadness. We were not ready to leave. There were more community cookouts to be had, and relationships to be built. We trusted that God would provide those opportunities, and through Greaterworks He has.

Greaterworks gives us the opportunity to invest long term into a community full of culture and love. We will be given the opportunities to partner with existing ministries on the reservation and support them in areas where we feel passionate. We would love it if you came along side of us on this adventure. You can do that by supporting us financially. We have the goal to raise $7,900 by January 2009. If you would like to financially support one week of our ministry that would be $240.00, one day would be $34.00. Feel free to give any amount. Jake and I truly see any gift as a blessing from God. Please continue to keep us in your prayers and we will keep you updated on all of our wonderful adventures here in Pine Ridge.

 

Thank you

 

 

 

Jake & Lizzie Ladd

LizzieL@greaterworks.us

JakeL@greaterworks.us

 

 

 

Oh the joy in problems

I have a problem!

 

I do not enjoy reading when I am told I have to. So Serve God Save the Planet was good and all. Well everything I read of it, but I just get to a point around chapter 10 that I feel bored or frustrated. ‘Why do I have to read this?’ ‘I know there are a lot of great points, but let me choose when I want to jump in and learn to hang dry my clothes or get rid of my dog.” I wish I could sit here, well stand I guess and tell you all the great things I enjoyed about the book I read, but I can’t. It just so happened that I was simply taken over by another book that has forever changed my view on my father. No not my dad, but God. As I read each page I could feel my soul breaking free from the lies its been told my whole life. I felt the distant, punisher of a God become tangible and compassionate. I felt Jesus next to me, holding me, helping me lift the heavy load to the dumpster. I have begun to feel the Holy Spirit breath life into my deflated lungs.

 

I have been FREED!

 

What joy I have knowing that in my life I will never be alone. I have never been alone. I will never disappoint my God. You will never disappoint our God, our Father, and our savior.

 

Amen