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MTW

1 to 2 Weeks

 
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Native
American

 

Information

Med/Pol Risk: Low risk  

Challenge Level: Level 2

Dates: July 6-13

Cost: $430

Ministries:

Children Childrens Ministry

Teams host VBS at the James Bull Senior Center on the Louis Bull Reserve.


Children Community Health

Medical teams can host seminars (community health, parenting, etc.)


ChildrenConstruction

Teams help repair homes of Tribal elders and paint Tribal buildings on both the Louis Bull and Montana Reserves.


CommunityOutreach-Evangelism Community Outreach

Teams visit homes in the community and attend a program hosted by the Tribe for the Tribal Elders.


Elderly Elderly Ministry

Teams have an opportunity to interact with the Tribal elders whose homes they are working on and build bridges of trust.


Youth Youth Ministry

Some of the native teens help with VBS & construction projects. Teams have the opportunity to share their lives and build relationships with them.


Experience and Risk

Level:

1-junior high age and up; no language barriers; minimal cross-cultural setting; no missions experience required

2-junior high age and up; moderate language barriers; moderate cross-cultural setting; missions experience helpful

3-senior high age and up; some language barriers; challenging cross-cultural setting; missions experience helpful

4-adults (some mature senior high); increased language barriers; intense cross-cultural setting; missions experience required

Risk:

L=LOW RISK (western country or major city in developing world)

I=INTERMEDIATE RISK (developing country, travel outside city)

S=SUBSTANTIAL RISK (few western amenities, marginal medical system, political unrest sometimes present, possible infectious disease)

H=HIGH RISK (few western amenities, marginal medical system, travel to remote areas, environmental extremes/altitude, heat, etc, infectious disease)

Pregnant women are not permitted to participate on projects rated as Intermediate, Substantial or High Risk.

Contact

Contact a project administrator today:
2wk@mtw.org 
or 678-823-0020

 
 

Cree First Nation
Hobbema, Alberta, Canada

 
 
 


The Cree Indian Tribe is Canada's largest native group with 200,000 registered members. Hobbema is made up of four Cree Reserves: Louis Bull, Montana, Samson and Erminskin. MTW's ministry is currently taking place on both the Louis Bull and Montana Reserves.
 
 


Short-term teams minister to the Hobbema Cree through VBS, sports, construction, and building relationships.  Medical teams provide community health teaching and counseling.  One participant shared, "(This year) more of the Cree people were involved directly with us than ever before…. They believe we really care for them. ….. This is so unusual from past years – we seldom met the people who lived in the homes.  Not that they didn’t appreciate the work, but they didn’t trust us enough to get to know us."

Frequently Asked Questions

Where will we stay?

Louis Bull: Teams are housed on the Louis Bull Reserve at the Tribal School. Air mattresses and sleeping bags are recommended.   Shower and toilet facilities are available.

Montana: Teams are housed in the Tribal Community Center on the Montana Reserve. Air mattresses and sleeping bags are recommended.   Shower and toilet facilities are available.

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Are all of the meals provided?

Yes, meals will be provided from arrival on Saturday evening through departure on the following Saturday morning. Possible exceptions may exist based on different arrival or departure times, also meals may not be provided for half-day off activities that are away from the group kitchen during the lunch or dinner meal.

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Can you accomodate people with food allergies?

Yes, although we are not able to provide separate, special meals, arrangements can be made with the cook for you to prepare the food you bring.

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What will we be doing as a team?

Teams may be divided up and in many cases be involved in both work projects and relational focused ministry. (our desire is to make everything we do relational but some activities are by nature more relational than others). In many cases the activities will involve half-day work projects and half-day relational ministry.  Ministry assignments will be determined based on need, and team leader’s assessment of your team’s gifts and skills.

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What does a relational ministry look like?

Relational ministries vary but can include anything from Vacation Bible School (VBS), Sports Camp, Elder Ministry, Home Visitation, Community Outreach, Senior Center Outreach, Nursing Home Ministry, Music Ministry, Prison Ministry, etc.

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Will we need to bring tools and materials for a work project?

Many people like to bring their own tools; however for most of the jobs we will have available the tools needed for the projects.  In most cases the materials you need to complete the jobs are provided and will be on site. (VBS materials are not provided and typically are carried with the teams or purchases locally by the teams).

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Is previous missions experience required?

No, (but helpful) in most cases returning teams and Associate Staff provide the experience necessary to manage projects closely and train new teams. It is recommended that all new teams attend the Project Orientation Trip (POT). Training and planning information will be presented during the trip in order to better prepare each team for the mission project. Most if not all returning team leaders and Associate Staff attend the POT each year.

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Can you accomodate team members with physical challenges?

Possibly, depending on the nature of the disability and the housing facility, we will gladly discuss this in more detail with anyone interested on a site specific basis.

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Where will we worship on Sunday?

We generally worship at local churches in the area near where we are staying. Depending on the location we can also choose to worship together as a team if that is the will of the team leaders. The worship options will be discussed during POT. Teams can choose to worship at one of the local churches, or we can arrange to worship together on the reservation as a group. (We also have team devotionals nightly).

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When are we expected to arrive and depart?

The week begins the arrival Saturday at 6:00 P.M. with supper, followed by an orientation meeting.   The departure Saturday, we ask that teams depart by 8:00 A.M. (we can generally make arrangements for either earlier or later times if necessary).

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How do we prepare for the mission week?

We strongly recommend that new teams attend the POT planning and training sessions where they will receive information about the area, cross cultural missions, and plan their mission week. (Additional resources will be  included  in the Team Leader materials and a team devotional will be provided).

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Are there age restrictions on who we bring?

Recommended for High School students and older. We encourage those attending be grounded in their faith as the reservation is a spiritually dark area.

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Videos


We Shall Remain (PBS documentary)

Photos

 

 

Click here to see more photos from this project.

Web Links

Learn more about this project with these web links and downloads:
Hobbema Project Brochure
Directions from Calgary to Louis Bull
Directions from Edmonton to Louis Bull
Hobbema Packing List
Directions to the Montana Reserve
 
Learn more about the Cree people and surrounding area with these web links and downloads:

MTW Native American Mission Statement:


MTW seeks to walk with Indigenous peoples of the Americas, wherever they are found, growing together in the grace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are committed to ministry that flows through long-term, interdependent relationships. We realize that trust is key and that we have much to learn from each other. By reaching future generations, respecting the tribe, and focusing on the development of leadership, we hope to:
•    Present a credible, trusted witness
•    Encourage one another in the paths of discipleship
•    Strengthen existing churches
•    Start new churches whenever appropriate