by Carla Lefebvre

 

Lifelong missionaries Gary and Marla Marsh began their ministry among the Indigenous people on the Ft. Peck Indian Reservation in the early 2000’s. This region, although not an overseas “mission field,” is just as important and comes with many of the same challenges.

 

The social, economic, and spiritual needs of the Sioux and the Assiniboine tribal nations are great. Alcohol, tobacco, drugs, depression, and suicide are big problems, as well as a variety of health issues—over 50% of the people on the reservation are diabetic.

 

But how did the Marshes end up on this Indian Reservation in the “middle of nowhere”? Gary briefly told me the story: “My son and daughter-in-law worked for Indian Health Services for a couple years to help pay off her school bill. We came out to visit them, and then in 2008 we returned for a mission trip to the Ft. Peck Indian Reservation. We returned at Christmas time to give gifts to the kids that attended the VBS program.

 

We also made friends with Kenny Smoker, who was in charge of the Health Promotion Disease Prevention program for the tribes. In 2009, we came back again, and people started asking us, ‘Why are you here—there’s nothing out here?’