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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (April 12, 2007)
Pgge 2 April 12, 2007 Spilyay Tymoo, Wdi-m Springs, Oregon Church group helps Simnasho w ith fence project By Leslie Mitts S pilyay Tymoo Though icy wind brought back reminders of winter, it didn’t stop students working busily during their spring break trip in Simnasho. Some of the middle school students w eren’t even much taller than the fence they worked to build. The group from Oregon City quickly learned about the de mands of fencing, but worked steadily through the cold as part of their bigger mission to help the community. It’s not the first trip of its kind. The students volunteered their time as part of a much larger effort on behalf of the O regon C ity E van gelical Church. Members of the church have been helping local people for several years, according to Tami Wattenbarger. W attenbarger said church members first began traveling to Warm Springs about three years ago. This trip is their seventeenth. Students spent the week building a fence near the Red Lake Corral in Simnasho, as well as weeding and picking up gar bage near the Warm Springs Baptist Church. According to Jason Smith, agricultural and range manager, the fence will help the Simnasho Grazing Group. He explained, ‘W hat it’s go ing to be is a holding pasture that is hooked onto the Red Lake Corral.” “This will be a great benefit to the Sim nasho G razing Group,” Smith added. “They will be able to work their stock better, work their livestock more efficiently.” The group decided to work on the fencing, Wattenbarger said, because they hoped to have Leslie Mitts/Spilyay Youth from the Oregon City Evangelical Church worked during their spring break. an even bigger impact than on prior trips. She explained, “We wanted to do something out in the com munity a little bit more” As for the youth working on the fence (which will be over a mile long), Smith said, “It a tough job for kids of that age, and they’re finding out that fencing is very physical.” According to Katie Stag!, 12, “Basically it’s a lot of hard work and we just kind of stick to it.” “It takes team w ork and strength and patience,” Stagl said. “We had to just kind of realize that we were working for God and not for other people.” As for what motivates them, the students agree that God is the main factor. Shawna Williams, 13, said, “You ask God for strength and he’ll give you the strength to keep on giving.” A cco rd in g to K enneth Forney, 14, the w ork goes quickly when they work as a team. “Every time we go here we actually get ahead of schedule,” he said. “Everyone just works at their best.” Wattenbarger said the church members were m otivated to come to Warm Springs instead of leaving the country to help. Rather than helping else where, she said, they felt more inclined to help those nearby— and they do all of their own fundraising for trips. The work they’ve done has varied, she said, but they are happy to help in whatever way possible. “You name it, we’ll do it,” Wattenbarger said with a laugh. They’ve worked on various local buildings and houses, and the church is responsible for completing wiring, plumbing and more construction at the Spechtrum Youth Center. Wattenbarger and her hus band are both contractors, so that type of work comes natu rally to them, she said—but they aren’t willing to stop at simply fixing up buildings. During December the church members throw a Christm as party, and they’ve also painted houses and done additional con struction locally. B ut, W attenb arger said, “M ost im portant, though, is building relationships with the people.” “We’re very big on going out and encouraging people and car ing for them,” W attenbarger said. “That’s really the most important thing.” The Wattenbarger family be lieves so strongly in helping lo cal people that they also have a foster son from Warm Springs. In Wattenbarger’s opinion, her work with the Oregon City Evangelical Church is all part of using her faith. “My faith is dead if I don’t do something with it,” she said. Plus, W attenbarger added, “We just love the people over here.” Coming from a rough child hood of her own, Wattenbarger is also motivated to help those who have undergone a difficult upbringing. “It only takes one to break the cycle,” she said. The am ount o f trips has slowly been increasing over time. Now, Wattenbarger said, they travel to Warm Springs regularly. “We’re over here almost ev ery month,” Wattenbarger said. In fact, the church has so many members eager to come to Warm Springs to help that they had to establish a board to manage the trips, Wattenbarger said. T he size o f the church helps— the Oregon City Evan gelical Church has over 1,000 members. Their work locally also helps church members back at home, Wattenbarger said. “It gives us a chance as a church to learn to work to gether,” she explained. In the end, W attenbarger said, they hope to be able to help the Warm Springs community connect with other communi ties— “We’re trying to become a bridge,” she said. W attenbarger encourages those needing help to contact the church. “We’re game for more,” she added. “Work is never done, that’s for sure.” If anyone wishes to request help from the O regon City Evangelical Church, call (503) 656-8582. Births N akomis Wanbli Smith Shirley Eder and Frank “F o o ter” Sm ith are pleased to announce the » birth of their grandson, Nakomis Wanbli Smith. * ► N akom is was born to Shasta Smith on March 24. He weighed 7 pounds 10 ounces. Sandra C ecile T olentino Phil Tolentino |r. and M aria M oroyoqui o f Warm Springs are pleased to announce the birth of th eir d au gh ter Sandra Cecile Tolentino, born on April 6, 2007. The father’s parents are Philemon and Sh irley T olentino. The mother’s mother is Sandra Moroyoqui. IV IO U ! Design There will be a stone setting and memorial for Anna Halfmoon in May. Stonesetting: Thurs day, May 10 at 9 a.m. at the Agency Cemetery. Services to follow at longhouse. Memorial Service: Saturday, May 12 at 9 a.m. at the Nez Perce Longhouse in Nespelem, Wash. 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