THE BOOK OF HEAVEN STORY

My wife Traci's Grandfather was the son of the last Assiniboine Chief Redstone. They are members of the Assiniboine clan known as the Wadopana or Canoe Paddlers. The Clan name came from the story of early Assiniboines warriors who went on a long journey across the sea in round hide boats. The warriors had been selected by the Medicine Man who had a vision in which the Great Being (God) appeared to him and gave him instructions to take a long journey to the land of other human beings. The long journey was harsh and they encountered harsh conditions surviving attacks by sea monsters and camping on islands that dotted the great sea. After many days, the party arrived on shore and saw other human beings, but their faces were covered with hair like on their heads. During the night the Great Being visited the Medicine Man and said, "You have arrived at the end of your journey. These people you see will not harm you but will help you and your people live better." After many days, the party returned to their people but when they arrived they found no one in sight. The people had feared the party had been killed on their journey and that these were their spirits. When a spokesman finally came forward he discovered that these were indeed the loved ones they had sent. The Medicine Man spoke up, "It is I and my four young men, we have brought our people good words, we have brought friends who will teach us many new things." These types of stories are common among the Native people. Long before the White Man arrived Native prophets and holy men had received visions and dreams of a new race of people who would come. Many of the visions were of the "Book of Heaven", and others were of Holy Men coming to teach the people how they may better serve the Creator. The hearts of the Native people were being stirred to receive the message of the Son of God and His gospel. Among the Plateau Tribes in the northwest the influence of prophetic visions was especially strong. Many of the tribes like the Spokanes, Nez Perces, Salish were so desperate to see the prophesies fulfilled they gathered around the coucil fire and made plans to travel to the land of the White Man to get the Book of Heaven and to bring missionaries to teach the people. A Spokane Prophet by the name of Siimxnotylmilakobok received many of the earliest recorded revelations; among them was the vision of the Book of Heaven which would teach the people how to better serve the Creator. A Pondera Prophet by the name of Shining Shirt received visions of Black Robes who would come and teach them the right way. It was these types of prophesies that fueled the expectations of the western tribes. In 1831 a delegation of Nez Perces warriors set on a journey to find the Book of Heaven. Two of the party were killed by attacks from hostile tribes, and four arrived in St Louis and began to inquire about the Book of Heaven. Because of their strange language it was difficult to communicate and so they were brought to Captain William Clark, of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The Discovery Expedition had been rescued from starvation and assisted on their journey by the Nez Perces. Lewis and Clark promised the tribe that after them men would come with the Book of Heaven. The Native party weas put in contact with the Catholic church and came away disappointed when their request for the book and their Macedonian call was rebuffed. During the winter two more of the warriors died in St Louis leaving two to carry the sad news back to their people. Captain William Clark reported that the delegation had inquired about the White Man's Book of Heaven and had requested missionaries to come and teach them the right way. In departing they made this speech, "We came to you aver a trail of many moons, from the setting sun. You were the friend of our fathers who all have gone the long way. We came with our eyes partly opened for more light for our people who sit in darkness. We go back with our eyes closed. We made our way to you with strong arms, through enemies and strange lands, that we might carry much back to them. We go back with arms broken and empty. Our people sent us to get the White Man's Book of Heaven. You took us where they worshipped with candles but the book is not among them. We are going back the long sad trail to our people. When we tell them, after one more snow, in the big council that we did not bring the book, no word will be spoken. One by one they will rise up and go out in silence. Our people will die in darkness and they will go the path to the other hunting grounds. No White Man will go with them, and no Book of Heaven will make the way plain. We have no more words." The picture of the Bible on the healingforthenativesministries.org home page is an authentic 1832 Bible from St Louis. The incredible story of how this Bible came to us in 1999 is a supernatural story of how God never forgets His promises. I received a revelation in the fall of 1998 to hold a camp meeting on the Agnes Vanderberg campsite on the Flathead Indian reservation; this revelation was confirmed by three native brothers who came to visit me. The purpose of the camp was to call together Native leaders to hold a council on how to reach our Native people with the gospel of Jesus. In July of 1999 we set a gospel tent up at this traditional campsite. This was the first time a Christian event had been held on this traditional native ground where tribal members go several times a year to conduct jump dances and sacred ceremonies. You could sense the ominous presence of evil spirits and spiritual strongholds. We began to pray over the land, and as we prayed over a sweat lodge the largest ugliest toad I had ever seen jumped out of the lodge. This was the beginning of many spiritual battles we would go through on this ground. We had just set up our cook tent when an older Ford pickup with tepee poles on top pulled into the camp. A man jumped out and approached a group of us with greetings. He explained to us how the Holy Spirit told him to come to this camp and asked if he could camp with us. I said, if the Holy Spirit had sent him he was welcome. As we talked I noticed he had a leather pouch hanging on his side with a bible in it. I inquired about the book and he said, "This is an 1832 Bible from St Louis." This statement almost floored me! I asked, "Do you know the story of the natives seeking a bible in St Louis." He answered that he was not really familiar with it but that he was retracing the journey of Father DeSmet and he knew the Indians had gone to St Louis. I told him the story, I shared above, and how the Indians returned heart broken and empty handed. I also explained that our campsite was on traditional Salish ground and that they were one of the tribes who had desperately sought for the Book and for missionaries. I asked, "Why do you think an 1832 Bible from St Louis would come to the land of the Natives who were searching for it over a hundred years ago." The Holy Spirit fell upon all who were there, and Brother Jeff Sindelar fell on his knees and with tears said, "Brother, I believe God wants me to give you this Bible." You must understand that this Bible had been in his family for over one hundred years. His family had settled in St Louis at the turn of the nineteenth century and this Bible was one of their most precious possessions. This Bible was in St Louis when the Indians were there searching for the Book of Heaven. For Brother Jeff to give me the Bible was a tremendous sacrifice. I asked the Lord, "Why Me?" I believe this was a prophetic message from God that He has not forgotten the Native people. Even after one hundred and sixty seven years He was answering the cry of the Native people. I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness for the Church of America to return to her original mission to the Native Americans. During this campmeeting there were several manifestations of angels. The unique thing about these angels is that they were all dressed in Indian regalia and had horses. As the services increased in intensity these angels would gallop around the tent like a whirlwind. On the last day of the meetings the Lord instructed us to command these angels to return to their reservations and to prepare them for revival. Now it is up to the Church of America to respond to the call of God to fulfill the mission He originally sent them to do. Why should God give us another mission if we have not obeyed the first?