Your dreams have to be bigger than you are

I’m always on the lookout for an inspirational quote. Besides scripture and more obviously spiritual sources, today I was touched by a line I heard while watching highlights from the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction. Deion Sanders grew up poor. He strove for excellence on the playing fields to rise above that and to provide for his family, especially his mother.

Your dreams have to be bigger than you are.

I hope that we pass that attitude on to our Lakota youth, that they can dream big and be dedicated in the pursuit of excellence, so they can grow and thrive.

We were delighted to offer hospitality to Brother Conrad, a Capuchin Franciscan who worked on Indian Reservations in Montana for many years. He has stayed with us several times over the years as he travels back to visit and reconnect with the people he came to know and love. While each tribe is unique, many of the Northern Plains tribes share much in common, and we compared stories about the joys and challenges of working in Indian Reservation communities. One of Brother Conrad’s gifts is carpentry and mechanical skills, and he spent many hours fixing buildings and helping people in that way. Because of his interest, we toured some of the construction projects happening on our campus.  While making the rounds we ran into a Houseparent couple, Robb and Cheryl, preparing the Hogebach house (HS girls) for the arrival of our students in a few days. Besides seeing the facilities, they gave a good overview about the kind of work and mentoring that goes on in the homes.

Author: St. Joseph's Indian School

At St. Joseph's Indian School, our privately-funded programs for Lakota (Sioux) children in need have evolved over 90 years of family partnership, experience and education. Because of generous friends who share tax-deductible donations, Native American youth receive a safe, stable home life; individual counseling and guidance; carefully planned curriculum based on Lakota culture and individual student needs and tools to help build confidence, boost self-esteem and improve cultural awareness. All of this helps children to live a bright, productive, possibility-filled future. View all posts by St. Joseph's Indian School