Joe Mixer, a WAEM staff member who has his CDL license and will be the bus driver, shares his experience:

“Sir, where is this bus going?”

That question resonates in my mind all the time. On October 22, 2011, Wings as Eagles was having an open house at the Dream Center on Pine Ridge. We had just purchased a bus for our bus outreach; this was its maiden voyage. After 3 communities my last stop was Manderson. There was one young Lakota woman nearby. She walked up to the bus and all she asked was: “Sir, where is this bus going?” I told her we were going to the Dream Center.  We were having an open house and all were invited. “So I can come?” she asked. She climbed into the bus, not saying anything more. I saw her throughout the day, mainly sitting and listening to the worship  bands, Outside The Camp and Soul’d Out. At the end of the day, while driving everyone home, she asked for a phone. A staff member gave her his phone to use and she dialed her mom. “Mom? I’m ok! I am still alive! I went to the Dream Center. It was good, I’ll see you soon!” She hung up and smiled.  We asked her if she was okay. She told us she was going to end her life that day but the music just really ministered to her and it calmed her and she felt uplifted.

I saw that young lady several more times and on our Resurrection Day Celebration she brought her mother and her daughter to the Dream Center. I drove for nearly 7 hours in that bus making a few trips back and forth to the Dream Center. Over 200 children, teens and adults came, with many more wanting to come. After that day I told my wife that we need more buses. The next morning Pastor Lori said to me, “We need more buses!” I just think back to October 22nd, that day a  life was saved because of a bus that God gave us and I think what if  we had 3 buses how many lives would be saved, how many lives would be changed?

Joe Mixer
Facilities Director

We want to thank God from deep in our hearts for all of our friends and partners out there. Who, from the ground up, came, labored, sent, gave and prayed. Without God’s people and their obedience to His Word the Dream Center would not be. May the Lord richly bless each and every hand that labored, finances that were sent and the knees that bent. Thank you again!

Welcome to Rachel Sedgwick, our newest WAEM employee! 

Rachel will be joining us officially in May as the full-time Administrative Assistant to Lori McAfee. Rachel served on the Pine Ridge Reservation with WAEM for the first time in March of 2011 with her mission trip team from Southwest Baptist University. God tugged on her heart and Rachel was touched by the Lakota; she felt she could really connect with them. She was pulled towards the gentle nature of the Lakota, their beautiful culture, and their need for a better future after all of the wrongdoings towards them in the past and present. Rachel enjoyed being a part of Wings of Eagles so much that she returned with SBU once again this past March, 2012. Her love has continued to grow for Wings as Eagles and their work with the Lakota children.

“I never would have dreamed in a million years that God would call me to a Native American reservation hundreds of miles from home. But I’m ready to serve God, Wings as Eagles, Lori, and the Lakota in any way possible. God has big plans for this place!”

One of the highlights of the night was the opportunity for the children to think about their dreams. At first, when we asked them what their dream was, they said, “I don’t have a dream” or “Nothing.” One little girl responded, “I don’t have dreams. I have nightmares.” Then, Pastor Lori took a marker and started to write her dream on the wall: “I dream to be…” At that point, all the kids starting saying, “Oh, I have a dream!” It took the actual writing on the wall to show them that they could have a dream. Each child was then given a marker and they wrote on the wall what their dreams were. It has started to cover the wall like a beautiful mural and will continue to grow as more children add their dreams. Some of the dreams included being a teacher, being an NFL player, or to be a doctor. One little girl was very proud of her dream to be a cashier. We hope to continue to encourage these children to grow and reach for their dreams.

[Show as slideshow]

12►

The families will receive three meals a day, snacks, beverages, and the youth will receive Dream Center t-shirts. Families will enjoy showers and all the amenities, plus daily Bible study and worship each evening.

Will you sponsor a family this summer to give the gift of love and safety for our children?

$285 will sponsor one family (or up to 5 children)
$530 will sponsor two families
$795 will sponsor three families

This year we have our own bus to pick up the children. Donations are also needed to help fill up the gas tank in the bus. $180 fills the bus for a round trip to the Evergreen, Porcupine, Sharps Corner, Wounded Knee, and Manderson communities.

If you are interested in sponsoring a family or supporting the event, please contact Wings as Eagles at 605-455-1131

It was a dream come true to see hundreds come to the Dream Center.  After 18 years of bringing Christmas to the streets, community centers and schools, God has blessed us with our own facility that stands as a beacon of light on the reservation.  Giving hope and promise to the children that they have a safe, loving place to grow and learn more about Jesus. 

More pictures from the events will be posted soon but here’s a little preview.

[Show as slideshow]

12345►