The Illinois Team poses in their shirts for a photo. Photos courtesy of Spirit Lake Ministry Center.

The summer at Spirit Lake Ministry Center was busy and buzzing with Volunteers in Mission (VIM) teams working on projects, cultural nights, tribal cultural camp, Vacation Bible School, "Pray and Play" day, and socks distributed at a powwow.

"We had teams from all over the United States, including Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio," said Kim Paulson, co-director at Spirit Lake. "We had a Celebrate Recovery team from Bismarck [N.D.] come over a weekend and do a retreat."

For Kim and Paulette Paulson, co-directors at Spirit Lake Ministry Center, building partnerships and vision were goals throughout the summer.

"The tribe held a cultural training camp for their summer youth employment program. Partnering with the tribe in different endeavors is part of our work and will support our dreams for the future," said Paulette Paulson. "Some of our dreams are to make the retreat center a year-round place for people to come to rest their souls."

The teams worked on building a new shower house, which was made possible by a grant from the Burgum Foundation. The shower house has been temporary or seasonal for the past 15 years. After summers without teams, VIM teams worked on some weatherization projects and updates that were needed at Spirit Lake Ministry Center.

Another important partnership is connecting with children throughout Spirit Lake.  "We concentrated on the children in the neighborhood getting used to us being here," Kim said.

There was a week of Vacation Bible School and "Pray and Play" day.

"We had a weeklong Vacation Bible School. We had the elders come and teach us how to make fry bread. We had a tribal day where everybody got to come," explained Paulette.

The team from Colorado led "Pray and Play" day.

A youth group from Colorado led "Play and Pray" day. The youth group organized and led different games. Between the games, the youth led a short prayer or devotional. Paulsons invited the ice cream truck from Devils Lake to the ministry center.

"They really put on the dog. There were kickball games and water balloon fights. They had nail painting—fingernails and toes and doing hair," described Kim.

The team from Ohio brought 1,000 pairs of socks with them. Bombas donated the socks, as one of the team members had a son who worked for Bombas. The socks were distributed at a Spirit Lake Nation PowWow.

"We set up a stand at the PowWow. In one evening, we gave away 1,000 pairs of socks. There were high-quality socks. The man whose son donated the socks was there as we distributed the socks. It meant so much to him," explained Kim and Paulette.

Each team that visits experiences a cultural night. People from Spirit Lake Nation share their traditions and beliefs.

"It gives some of the people from the community here a chance to gain some understanding. They explain where certain beliefs and traditions come from. I think people are really surprised that a lot of the beliefs and traditions aren't that much different than our Judeo-Christian beliefs and traditions," Kim shares. "Whatever God decides to do on that night happens."

More than 400 backpacks filled with school supplies, from Arthur UMC were delivered to six schools across Spirit Lake Nation.

Arthur United Methodist Church in North Dakota brought more than 400 backpacks loaded with school supplies to Spirit Lake Ministry for the children of the Spirit Lake Nation. Volunteers delivered  backpacks with all the school essentials—notebooks, crayons, and markers—to six different schools in Spirit Lake Nation.

Vision for the future

Under the leadership of Kim and Paulette Paulson, work is underway to make three of the cabins four-season cabins and finish the shower house. They are working on grants to support this effort to make Spirit Lake Ministry Center a year-round retreat center.

"The ministry center is just a tremendous place to come and seek a little bit of solace and recharge your battery," said Kim. "In this unique place, barriers seem to come down, and people seem to feel comfortable. We don't do much, but listen. We don't fix people. It's a chance for people to catch their breath and just kind of reexamine things. We feel like the ministry center might be the kind of place where God wants to offer up that experience for people."

As the summer ends, the Paulsons sum up their first summer in leadership this way. "There is a lot to digest. There were a lot of prayers said—We were not sure how this is all going to work, but God helped us work it out. Amazingly, God pulled all things together," said Kim and Paulette.

Preparing for Shoebox Christmas 

More than 5,000 Shoebox Christmas gifts were donated and distributed to North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota reservations in 2023. On the reservation, up to 70 percent of the children would not get a Christmas gift if not for the Shoebox Christmas Gift program and the generosity of those who donate.

Shoebox Christmas is a program that provides Christmas gifts to needy children across the reservation communities and beyond. In South Dakota, the Rosebud reservation and the Enemy Swim School near Sisseton receive gifts. In North Dakota, the Spirit Lake Nation, Turtle Mountain, and Standing Rock reservations receive gifts. In Minnesota, the Red Lake Reservation receive gifts. 

"We are so appreciative of everybody's generosity," said Paulette. "These gifts are special, and you have to always ask yourself; What would I give my own children or relatives in this box?"

How can you participate? Read a letter of invitation with details.

Drop off your gifts by November 8, 2024, at one of the Dakotas Conference collection points. Collection sites this year are North Highland UMC, Aberdeen, South Dakota; McCabe UMC, Bismarck, North Dakota; First UMC, Fargo, North Dakota; Zion UMC, Grand Forks, North Dakota; First UMC, Jamestown, North Dakota; Vincent UMC, Minot, North Dakota; Dakotas Conference Office, Mitchell, South Dakota; First UMC, Pierre, South Dakota; Canyon Lake UMC, Rapid City, South Dakota; and Sunnycrest UMC, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. All gifts must be at the collection sites by November 8. Please call the site before you drop off your gifts.