Introducing Cantemawaste Youth Camps...Coming This Summer!

The Dakota Sioux language word for heart is “cante” and for something good it is “waste”. When

used together to form the word Cantemawaste (Chun-Tay-Mah-Wash-Tay), it infers something

within one’s heart, or soul, that is good and where peace dwells. Of course, the source of this true

and lasting peace comes by a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Much of DWM’s focus over the years has been reaching out to the youth of the reservation with this

message of hope. The summertime has been a particular focus, with many work groups from across

the country coming onsite to help teach, encourage, befriend, and mentor the youth here that face so

many challenges. Much good has resulted from these efforts, relationships formed, and lives

transformed.

Those of us at DWM that see firsthand the daily battles facing the youth are compelled by our love

for them to continually examine how we can most effectively bring God’s love into these youth’s

lives; to bring them into a state of “Cantemawaste”.

With this in mind, the summer youth outreach programs at DWM have been “overhauled”.

Beginning in mid-May, when the Crow Creek Sioux Tribal schools dismiss for the summer, and

running through early August, just prior to our local powwows, DWM will conduct a total of eight,

age graded camps, the Cantemawaste Youth Camps. The staff at DWM is working diligently at

making these changes by writing curriculum, tweaking schedules, preparing menus, inventorying

supplies and getting ready for the start of the camps.

Workgroups and individuals will serve as camp staff. We are looking for 25-30 people to serve as

camp counselors, kitchen staff, drivers, recreation directors, and craft staff for each week. Training

for all staff occurs each week on Monday night and Tuesday. The camp will begin on Wednesday

and run through Sunday Morning. The new format will be that of an outdoor Christian Bible camp.

DWM will coordinate the food, curriculum and supplies for each week.

The curriculum for each camp will be Biblically based, culturally

relevant teaching materials, suited for the age and gender of that

week’s specific campers. Of course, there will be fun activities,

games and other adventures (swimming in the river and fishing of

course!), including an over-night campout on Friday nights. The

summers will be much more structured than in the past, the teaching

more intentional and integrated with DWM’s year-round programs,

and ultimately more youth will be reached with the clear message that

God loves them and has a plan for their lives. For this to be a success,

we need your partnership! See the article on page 3 to see how you

can be a part of these camps.

JANUARY /FEBRUARY 2013 , (VOL . XII , N O . I)

PO Box 438 Office: (605) 245-2685

Fort Thompson, SD 57339 Website: www.d-w-m.org

E-mail: info@d-w-m.org

“Serving one another in love” — Galatians 5:13

Innovating To Build Lasting Relationships

P AGE 2

Building Relationships:

Funeral held at Diamond Willow Ministries for 4-year old Mason Naser. February 26

Thomas family moved into new duplex addition. Thank you everyone that made this addition

possible! February 2

DWM hosted an ice fishing tournament for both youth and adults. After the tournament awards

were given and chili was enjoyed. Many stayed to watch the Super Bowl. February 3

Seven youth and two adult sponsors travel to Kimball, MN to attend a youth rally, Snofeast.

Everyone had a great time of learning and having fun. The group was held up on the return trip for

three hours by a ground blizzard. January 18-19

Grace Community Church and friends from the Ohio area came and installed drywall, taped,

textured, painted and trimmed the duplex addition. Also the drapes, carpet, tile and laminate floor

was installed. Thank you all for your help on this project. January 2-6

DWM held their annual Christmas program which included a bonfire. The kids performed a

Christmas program and everyone enjoyed chili, hot dogs and marshmallows. December 30

The Kretzer family led a work group over Christmas break. The group spent their days working

one-on-one with youth of the community. December 15-23

Wake and funeral services held for local teen Shauntae Marks. The wake was held Saturday and

Sunday night at 7:00 PM each night with the funeral on Monday at 10:00 AM.

December 1-3

International Conference on Missions (ICOM) was held in Indianapolis Indiana. DWM sent a

delegation made up of 25 individuals to represent DWM at ICOM. Many local youth and adults

from the community participated. Thank you to Kingsway Christian Church and Chapel Rock

Christian Church in Indiana for feeding and housing our group! November 15-18

(To read more about News at Diamond Willow go to www.d-w-m.org, look under “What’s Going On”, then “Journal” )

http://www.d-w-m.org

P AGE 3

Cantemawaste Youth Camps and YOU!

A foundational element of the ministry at DWM has been a focus on relationships and this will

remain paramount within the new Cantemawaste Youth Camps. As youth come to camp, they will be

entering a setting where they will receive individual attention and interaction from camp staff. Camp

staff will teach Biblical principles while modeling Christ-like values and

attitudes. There is still a need for groups, families, couples, and even individuals to come onsite to

work at the camps. In other words we still need folks like you!

At this time, we have enough camp staff for two of the weeks of camps, need many more workers for

two additional camp weeks, and could use just a few more folks to assist at the other four camp weeks.

If you are interested, please contact us. You can also visit our website (www.d-w-m.org) and go to the

“You Can Help” page where you can read more about the camps. It is much work, physically, emotion-

ally and spiritually, but what an awesome opportunity to make an eternal

difference in the lives of the youth of the reservation.

As we enter this new camp structure, DWM is in need of specific items to conduct the camps, for exam-

ple twenty additional camp mattresses, additional kitchen items and more with an approximate cost

of $5000. Support for the Cantemawaste Youth Camps through giving, or the donation of specifical-

ly needed items, is needed. Financial support can be sent to DWM with the notation

“Cantemawaste”. A list of specific items being sought is on the website, or can be obtained by contact-

ing DWM directly.

The Cantemawaste Youth Camps are an ambitious undertaking for everyone involved. The seeds of

hope and peace that will be planted in the hearts of the youth will certainly make all the hard work

worthwhile. Again, WOPIDA TANKA (a big thank you) for all your encouragement, and especially

for your prayers, as this new endeavor moves forward.

Prayer Points.

Please pray that we at DWM will make lasting connections with many of the new younger

youth that have started coming to DWM. Pray also that they remain open to receiving God’s

Word.

Pray as planning continues for the Cantemawaste Youth Camps. Pray also for all the groups and

individuals that will be traveling here this Spring and Summer.

Renovations have started on a farm house donated to DWM. Matt and Jessica Knight who

relocated here to help at DWM need to be in it before summer kicks off. There is a housing

shortage on the reservation so this farm house is quite a blessing. We have a few groups

already signed up to help work on this important project. Pray for them as well as the needed

funds to be available. We have a need of about $10K to make this house livable.

A Praise, that the duplex addition is finished. The Thomas family started making use of the

space on February 2nd. Ministry has already expanded in the Thomas home.

http://www.d-w-m.org

CROW CREEK SIOUX RESERVATION

PO Box 438

Fort Thompson

South Dakota 57339

Office:

(605)245-2685

E-mail:

info@d-w-m.org

Website:

www.d-w-m.org

DIAMOND WILLOW MINISTRIES, PO Box 438, Fort Thompson, SD 57339

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The Most Hopeful Destinations

Mark, (representing Face it Foundation) came to Crow Creek last summer to

present some hope-filled information and personal accounts regarding

depression. His fifteen year old daughter Anna traveled with him. Follow-

ing are some excerpts she wrote in her journal regarding her visit here and

has allowed us to share with you.

“‘You are so out of place.’ I thought, as we traveled down the dirt road

to…… where we were to park the RV for the night. I felt as if I was intrud-

ing, a foreigner on a land that was not meant for my footprints.”

They used the camper hookups here at DWM while presenting in the com-

munity. Regarding the basement commons area of the IOCC, Anna wrote,

“This was the area that kids often hung out after church, or anytime they wanted. People shared memo-

ries there, became friends there. People went there not to forget about the terrible things going on

around them, but to work through those terrible things. And we were being welcomed into this building

as if we had been there countless times before.”

As Anna left she reflects, “Despite the undeniable despair of the Crow Creek Reservation that I was

leaving behind, I felt hope greater than I had felt for a while. I believe that a place doesn’t have to be

somewhere you can stand; it merely has to be somewhere you can be. And sometimes it takes the most

difficult of places to see the most hopeful destinations.”

We Treasure Your Partnership & Prayers!