A Wolf Point Reflection - Anna Griekspoor

This past May, I stood in the living room of my college house asking my roommate, Matty, “So are we going to Montana this weekend?” We had signed up to go to Wolf Point, Montana for a service trip on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation but we were hesitant to make the commitment and long drive to northeastern Montana with our peers. We eventually started throwing clothes in our suitcases and within two days, we jumped on the 14 passenger van for a trip that would change our lives and entire perception. 

Me and my peers from Friends University in May.

Visiting the Montana State Fair in Great Falls.

After being in Wolf Point and serving in the local elementary school for only a few days, I knew God was inviting me to be a part of His plans on the Reservation. Everything I saw and every interaction I had with kids solidified my desire to be an active role within the ministry. When I was offered a summer internship with Tikkun Olam, I knew God was opening doors and waiting for me to say “yes” again. 

This past summer was unlike any other. Similar to how Matty and I packed for our week long service trip in May, I threw clothes in my suitcase once more and drove to Montana for the summer. While many days I spent hours applying for grants, posting on our social media, and hosting mission groups who traveled to Wolf Point, I also got to interact with the community by serving the homeless, having new friends over for dinner, celebrating three baptisms with my church family, and serving at a camp that taught Native American kids about their culture and ancestry. The week long camp was my first opportunity to experience the richness of Native American culture. As a Clan Leader, I learned alongside my kids; taking workshops about herbal medicine, practicing my archery skills, and learning about the importance of suicide and drug prevention. Outside of this week long camp, my favorite activities in Wolf Point were going to pow wows, eating all the fry bread I could find, and attending the infamous rodeo called the Wild Horse Stampede. 

Me, Carter, and Ruth at the 2019 Creators Game, a camp for native American kids to learn about their culture. They slept in the tipis all week!

Attending the Red Bottom pow wow.

The most impactful aspect of the summer was listening to the stories and struggles of many Native Americans on the Reservation. Whether it was a testimony at church or a teenager sharing about a family member who killed himself, I felt the pain and heartache of what is considered a “normal” life in Wolf Point. My first reaction to deep hurt and decades of brokenness is “What can I do to help? How can I be a part of change?”. I want to move mountains and make the earth tremble. I want people to experience how the goodness of God can heal and restore your soul. Meth and alcohol are a temporary fix; only Christ can bring restoration to the Reservation. 

While idealistic, one hard lesson I learned this summer is that healing takes time, and often in the journey of recovery, you take one step forward and two steps back. Through it all, God is sovereign and walks with those dealing with trauma, addiction, and the feeling of hopelessness. As the body of Christ, we have the opportunity to choose people every single day, even when our flesh doesn’t want to. We can stand with each other when we continually fall short of the glory of God and pick our brothers and sisters up when they fall. 

Jon, Cherrish, and Tammy came to visit Wolf Point and check out our ministry. One of our favorite aspects of the summer was showing them around town and getting to know them more!

The Tikkun Olam family!

As I left Wolf Point in August, I immediately felt a piece of my heart was missing. I missed the teachers, community, and the kids that continually win your heart over. By October, I was missing Wolf Point more and more and by the sounds of it they were missing me too. Morgan called several times to check in and when she offered me the position to work with her on a more formal basis, I was excited to accept the part time Development Coordinator position for Tikkun Olam. 

I look forward to helping the organization grow, meet with potential donors, and work with mission and university groups who are interested in coming to Wolf Point. I think God continues to open doors for me within this story of His in Wolf Point and I can’t wait to see where it goes. If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas of how we can keep growing, please feel free to contact me at anna@repairourworld.org.