“It’s like stepping into a Third-World country,” Smith said.
“Eighty-five percent of the residents are unemployed, and the
median income is between $2,500 and $2,600 a year.”

Critical to residents there, for example, is something residents
here take for granted – adequate housing with electricity and
running water.

But “although the conditions are terrible,” Smith said, “the
people are loving and have a strong sense of patriotism and of
their history and family.”

The missions to Pine Ridge, roughly two-thirds the size of
Connecticut with a population of about 30,000, started three years
ago, thanks to Barbara and Steve Meyer.

The Meyers started visiting Pine Ridge 10 years ago with a group
from Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in Virginia, where they
lived.

“When we moved to Parker, we brought the idea with us,” Barbara
Meyer said. “We have a passion for the people and the
culture.”

Three years ago, 14 people from Parker Methodist Church signed
up for the trip. Last year, the number doubled to 28. So far this
year, 20 people have signed on to spend the last week of June and
first week of July repairing and remodeling houses, building
wheelchair ramps and working on Habitat for Humanity
houses.

“I don’t have a list made up yet,” said the Rev. Larry Peterson,
director of the Pine Ridge Retreat Center. “But I will have by the
time they get here.”

Shannon County, S.D., part of Pine Ridge, at one time was listed
as the poorest county in the United States, Peterson said. It’s now
one of the top 10 poorest counties.

“We go carrying a beacon of hope to the people on the
reservation,” said Meyer, noting that participants share a strong
sense of Christian spirit.

But, she said, they return home with so much more.

“One of the issues the reservation faces is the need for those
of Western European descent to understand the history of what’s
happened to the native peoples,” Peterson said. “That understanding
comes with intentional exposure to the culture.”

To accomplish that, teams work half-days on building projects
and spend the rest of the day immersed in the culture, either by
working with children, visiting tribal elders, the hospital or
schools, Peterson said. Teams will attend a pow wow the weekend of
July Fourth.

Smith said he will continue to return to Pine Ridge as long as
he’s able to work.

“I feel this is a great thing to do,” he said. “Once I was there
and saw the need, I knew I needed to come back every
year.”

For information on the mission, call (303) 841-3979.