FIRST NATION MINISTRIES, INC.

P.O. Box 30055 Portland, OR 97294

Phone: (503) 408-2391 Fax: (503) 256-8560

Issue 15                                                                                                              Visits No. 51-52-53-54                   

December 2008

Hello there, Neighbor,

Praise be to our God! Many things we do not know, but our God knows it all from beginning to end. We do not know the way, the how, or the why many things happen as they do, but our God know it all. He promised to lead us; we are to follow. "Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."

"Fear thou not for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of naught." Isaiah 41: 10, 11, 12

So far, we have made a total of 43 trips, visiting 58 missions and churches. Six of the trips, where we made 25 visits, were with the eighteen wheeler big rig. Our hearts cry out, "Thank you Jesus!" We thank you, dear Teammates, for making it all possible with your love, prayers, and support.

As I write these words to you, we are putting the finishing touches on loading the van trailer. Tomorrow, Saturday, December 13th, Leon Hansen and I will take the Dodge diesel truck and van trailer fully (and I mean fully) loaded, for Christmas to the Tulalip Reservation north of Seattle. We will minister Sunday at the chapel with the wonderful little band of Indians who are believers. We are grateful to Sister Frances Morden and Pastor Emitt Thrower for this open door.

Monday, December 15th, the Lord willing, we will be home fully loaded again to go to Montana. There we will minister at Northwest Indian Bible School with President Karl Karpenter and his fine staff at Alberton, Montana. The next day we will take Christmas to Brother and Sister Lee Wraith’s Rocky Mountain Mission Society at Ravalli. Finally, on to

St. Ignatius and Bernie Lovells’s Flathead Reservation Outreach. We must then hurry home to catch up on mail, phone messages, radio broadcasts, and letters at the office. The final trip will be, the Lord willing, to Celilo Village with all the remaining food and Christmas things on December 24th.

This will make a total of forty-eight trips for our first two years; an average of two trips a month. We praise God and we thank you for being on the team! God bless you and give you a blessed Christmas.

Your old missionary brother,

Don Cline

(Grandmother shared this poem with my mother when she was a child. Mother shared it with me and I committed it to memory. I’ve shared it with my children and grandchildren and now I hope to share it with my great-grandchildren.)

ANNIE AND WILLIE’S PRAYER

By Sophia P. Snow

‘Twas the eve before Christmas, "Good night" had been said, and Annie and Willie had crept into bed; There were tears on their pillows, and tears in their eyes, and each little bosom was heaving with sighs, For tonight their stern father’s command had been given that they should retire precisely at seven instead of at eight – for they troubled him more with questions unheard of than ever before. He had told them he thought this delusion a sin, no such creature as Santa Claus ever had been. And he hoped, after this, he should never more hear how he scrambled down chimneys with presents each year. And this was the reason that two little heads so restlessly tossed on their soft, downy beds. Eight, nine, and the clock on the steeple tolled ten. Not a word had been spoken by either till then, When Willie’s sad face from the blanket did peep, and he whispered, "Dear Annie, is ‘ou fast as’eep?" "Why no, brother Willie", a sweet voice replies, "I’ve long tried in vain, but I can’t shut my eyes, for somehow it makes me so sorry because dear Papa has said there is no Santa Claus. Now we know there is and it can’t be denied, for he came every year before Mamma died. But, then, I’ve been thinking that she used to pray, and God would hear everything Mamma would say, and maybe she asked him to send Santa Claus here with that sack full of presents he brought every year. "Well, why tan’t we p’ay dest as Mamma did den, and ask Dod to send him with p’esents aden?" "I’ve been thinking so too", and without a word more four little bare feet bounded out to the floor, and four little knees the soft carpet pressed, and two tiny hands were clasped close to each breast. "Now, Willie, you know we must firmly believe that the presents we ask for we’re sure to receive; you must wait very still till I say the ‘Amen’, and by that you will know that your turn has come then." "Dear Jesus, look down on my brother and me, and grant us the favor we are asking of Thee. I want a wax dolly, a tea set, and ring, and an ebony workbox that shuts with a spring. Bless Papa, dear Jesus, and cause him to see that Santa Claus loves us as much as does he. Don’t let him get fretful and angry again at dear brother Willie and Annie. Amen." "Please, Desus, ‘et Santa Taus tum down tonight, and b’ing us some p’esents before it is light. I want he should div’ me a nice ‘ittie s’ed, with bwight shinin’ ‘unners, and all painted wed; a box full of tandy, a book and a toy. Amen. And den, Desus, I’ll be a dood boy." Their prayers being ended, they raised up their heads, with hearts light and cheerful again sought their beds. They were lost soon in slumber, both peaceful and deep, and with fairies in dreamland were roaming in sleep. Eight, nine, and the little French clock had struck ten, ere the father had thought of his children again. He seems now to hear Annie’s half-suppressed sighs, and to see the big tears stand in Willie’s blue eyes. "I was harsh with my darlings", he mentally said, "and should not have sent them so early to bed. But then I was troubled, my feelings found vent, for today my bank stock fell a good ten per cent. But, of course, they’ve forgotten their troubles ere this, and that I denied them the thrice-asked-for kiss. But, just to make sure, I’ll go up to their door, for I never spoke harsh to my darlings before." So saying, he softly ascended the stairs, and arrived at the door to hear both of their prayers. His Annie’s ‘bless Papa" drew forth the big tears, and Willie’s grave promise fell sweet on his ears. "Strange – strange - I’d forgotten", said he with a sigh, "how I longed when a child to have Christmas draw nigh. I’ll atone for my harshness", he inwardly said, "by answering their prayers ere I sleep in my bed." Then he turned to the stairs and softly went down, threw off velvet slippers and silk dressing gown. Donned hat, coat, and boots, and was out in the street, a millionaire facing the cold, driving sleet! Nor stopped he until he had bought everything from the box full of candy to the tiny gold ring. Indeed, he kept adding so much to his store, that the various presents outnumbered a score. Then homeward he turned; when his holiday load, with Aunt Mary’s help, in the nursery was stowed. Miss Dolly was seated beneath a pine tree, by the side of a table spread out for her tea; a workbox well fitted in the center was laid, and on it the ring for which Annie had prayed. A soldier in uniform stood by a sled "with bright shining runners, and all painted red." There were balls, dogs, and horses, books pleasing to see, and birds of all colors were perched in the tree! While Santa Claus, laughing stood up in the top, as if getting ready more presents to drop. And as the fond father the picture surveyed, he thought for his trouble he had amply been paid. And he said to himself, as he brushed off a tear, "I’m happier tonight than I’ve been for a year. I’ve enjoyed more pure pleasure than ever before; what care I if my bank stock falls ten percent more! Hereafter I’ll make it a rule, I believe, to have Santa Claus visit us each Christmas Eve." So thinking, he gently extinguished the light, and tripping down stairs, retired for the night. As soon as the beams of the bright morning sun put the darkness to flight and the stars one by one, four little blue eyes out of sleep opened wide, and at the same moment the presents espied. Then out of their beds they sprang with a bound, and the very gifts prayed for were all of them found. They laughed and they cried, in their innocent glee, and shouted for papa to come quick and see what presents old Santa Claus brought in the night (just the things that they wanted), and left before light. "And now", added Annie, in a voice soft and low, "you’ll believe there’s a Santa Claus, Papa, I know." While dear little Willie climbed up on his knee, determined no secret between them should be, and told in soft whispers how Annie had said that their dear, blessed mamma, so long ago dead, used to kneel down by the side of her chair, and that God up in heaven had answered her prayer. "Den we dot up an pwayed dust as dood as we tould, and Dod answered our pwayers, now wasn’t He dood?" "I should say that He was if He sent you all these, and knew just what presents my children would please." ("Well, well, let him think so, the dear little elf. ‘T would be cruel to tell him I did it myself.") Blind father! Who caused your stern heart to relent, and the hasty words spoken so soon to repent? ‘T was Lord Jesus who bade you steal softly upstairs, and made you His agent to answer their prayers.

MISSION VISIT #51

   A young man felt God’s call to reach out to reservation Indians and asked if I might mentor him. My first move was to introduce him to our Friday morning prayer group. I believe that prayer is the power that moves the hand of God; except the Lord build the house, our labor is in vain. How wonderful it is to have good equipment. Thirty-five years ago, when I answered the call to Indian ministry, I had a well worn pick-up, an old U-Haul trailer and a Bible under my arm. Praise God when I started over in January of 2007 He provided some wonderful equipment, some wonderful, uncrowded, Indian territory and a host of friends, both old and new. We were privileged to visit the Worker’s Conference at NIBS and fellowship with the Karpenters, the Ritcheys, John Bush and many old friends.

     MISSION VISIT #52

     What joy that God has given us a place in the hearts of Rev. Ken and Sandy Azure and their Blue Sky Ministries on the Ft. Peck Reservation at Wolf Point, MT. Theirs is one of the most exciting stories of God working in the hearts of Indians and using them to reach their neighbors with the joyful sound, "Jesus saves, Jesus saves!" Bro. Marv Boettcher presented their need for paving stones to Western Interlock, Inc. and that fine Brother donated a whole truck load to meet the need at the new church. We were honored to be able to haul them from Dallas, OR to Wolf Point, MT. We have now made six trips visiting twenty-five missions and churches with the eighteen-wheeler.

MISSION VISIT #53

For many years we have been blessed with the prayers, participation, and financial support of many who listen to our broadcast on KGLE (Glendive) from eastern Montana, western North and South Dakota, and northern Wyoming. The fine people of this station have been most gracious to us for many years and have made it possible for us to be back on the air. Praise God! It’s the same voice and "Hello there, Neighbor!" greeting doing the same ministry which God has so richly blessed. We praise God and thank you, Teammates.

MISSION VISIT #54

We visit these five churches every autumn with the big rig and receive their donations of clothing, household items, and things of use to the poverty stricken Indian reservations. Praise God for all these good Teammates! 1. My friends at Ekalaka reach back over 50 years when I lived at Medicine Rocks and married Winetta Clocksene 2. Some of the Plevna people are friends from long ago when I pastored at Baker, MT. 3.&5. The good people of the Bowman and Hettinger Assembles of God have been most helpful. 4. The Lutheran Church at Scranton was our first support from North Dakota and has carried on these many years.