A breath of hope

At Thanksgiving time some schoolchildren learn how Squanto, a member of the Patuxet tribe, helped the Pilgrims to survive by teaching them the Native method of cultivating corn. For four decades Ron and Kathy Countryman have returned the favor by ministering to Native Americans in Montana.

The saga began in 1975, when the couple sold their home and farm in Illinois, put all they had into a 4-by-8-foot U-Haul trailer, and headed west. They dreamed about opening a ranch with horses for Native American children near the Yellowstone River, and they began by learning about tribal culture and becoming known to their tribal neighbors.

They learned that patience is essential in such ministry. When silence invades a conversation, Native Americans do not feel a need to say something, even if the silence lasts for 10 minutes. English is the first language for most Native Americans, but they can be extremely casual. When asked, “Can we do something for you?” or “Are you guys going to eat?” they might simply reply, “OK.”

Patience is also essential in presenting Christianity, since those who convert often face ostracism. Tribes typically make decisions as groups, not individuals, and forsaking the religion of their ancestors is tantamount to treachery. Of Montana’s 60,000 or so Native Americans, no more than 1,000 profess faith in Christ. Most Montana reservations have a Catholic church and a few other small churches, but some of these are vacant or lack trained ministers.

Ron and Kathy Countryman have seen few conversions, but those few have had multiplier effects. When 16-year-old Shanlynn Spotted Elk came to Christ, she began a Bible study with four or five other girls, and they all vowed to avoid getting pregnant in high school. They all made it. One Native woman made her son, Calvin Two Teeth, go to church before letting him drive her car. He ended up professing faith in Christ and becoming an influential pastor to Native Americans.

The Countrymans bought the Four Winds Ministry Center in Big Timber, Mont., in 2001, with Church of God funding, and opened their center three years later. They now have 13 buildings, including dorms, a chapel, a kitchen, and an office. They hold discipleship and leadership sessions for adults, as well as week-long summer youth camps run by volunteers from around the United States.

Native American children often experience poverty, abuse, addictions, neglect, and hopelessness.

When kids arrive at Four Winds, they might be suspicious, distant, or troublesome, but the Countrymans have witnessed toughness melting away. Many go on a water slide for the first time in their lives—one of Montana’s biggest water parks is down the road. By week’s end, they have experienced compassion, joy, and—sometimes—repentance or even baptism in the creek on the property.

As Ron Countryman ministered to others, he had to minister to his own son, Justin, who rebelled against being a pastor’s kid. He turned to tobacco, drugs, alcohol, and bad relationships for a long time, despite his parents’ fervent prayers. Then in his mid-20s, Justin realized his life was going nowhere, and attended an evening service at Four Winds—one of the few times, recalls his mother, when she did not ask him to come to church.

Justin soon confessed faith in Christ and quit his bad habits. He spent two years as a foster parent on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, and with wife Jessica had 11 foster kids last fall plus Justin’s 11-year-old son, Logan. When they handed out Christmas presents, some of the children had no idea what to do—they never had unwrapped a present before.

Jessica gave birth to their firstborn son, Conner, in May. They now have five foster kids and want to adopt two of them, sisters, through the tribal system—and that requires enormous patience.

A Crow Nation family has adopted Ron and Kathy into the family and tribe—an extremely rare honor—and Justin has joined his father as an associate pastor at their church. He and his dad sometimes explain the biblical connection to the name of their ministry, Four Winds: Ezekiel 37 says, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”