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The Thunderbird is a legendary creature in certain North American Native Peoples' history and culture. It's considered a "supernatural" bird of power and strength. It is especially important, and richly depicted, in the art, songs and oral histories of many Pacific Northwest Coast cultures, and is found in various forms among the peoples of the American Southwest and Great Plains. Thunderbirds were major components of the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex of American prehistory.
Across many North American Native cultures, the Thunderbird carries many of the same characteristics. It is described as a large bird, capable of creating storms and thundering while it flies. Clouds are pulled together by its wingbeats, the sound of rolling thunder made by its wings clapping, sheet lightning the light flashing from its eyes when it blinks, and individual lightning bolts made by the glowing snakes that it carries around with it. In masks, it is depicted as many-colored, with two curling horns, and, often, teeth within its beak. The Native Americans believed that the giant Thunderbird could shoot lightning from its eyes.
The singular Thunderbird was said to reside on the top of a mountain, and was the servant of the Great Spirit. The Thunderbird only flew about to carry messages from one spirit to another. It was also told that the thunderbird controlled rainfall. The Sioux believed that in "old times" the Thunderbirds destroyed dangerous reptilian monsters called the Unktehila.
What Is Rolling Thunder?
The Thunder was cultivating here in Nashville, so we launched media warriors, musicians and evangelists into the harvest! We're excited because most schools never get to the point of launching their students into what they have been trained to walk in to. Well God did it! He opened a door, through Harvest Sound, to launch these amazing students, who have graduated from THUNDER SCHOOL to go on a 3 week tour out west to minister to the Native Americans and Amish community.
Rolling Thunder is a 21 day intense Mission to take the Gospel of the Kingdom into the places in this nation where it very seldom goes. Our first tour was in 2009 and we travelled to Native American Reservations in South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming, we spent several days in an Amish Community in Northern Montana, then finished the trip in an amazing creative town, a town that is much like Nashville but much smaller, Bozeman, Montana.
During our trip, there were 45 people on two busses an SUV with a trailer and two motorcycles, and another 15 to 20 who travelled with us for shorter parts of the journey, we slept on air mattresses on floors in churches and community centers, we piled in homes of people we had never met, people we will never forget. We saw historic places like Wounded Knee, South Dakota, the site of one of the worst massacres of Native Americans in history, Mount Rushmore, and Yellowstone National Park. We also visited small town that most people never would know existed like Gardiner, MT, Parmelee, SD, Meeteetse, WY, and Libby MT. The South Dakota Badlands are some of the most beautiful acres of land in the nation, one of our busses had a little belt issue and some of us spent some extra time there.
The best part of the whole trip was the fact that we got to share the love of Jesus with so many people who had no idea who He is. Children in this nation had never heard the name of Jesus on a couple of the Reservations we went to. We saw people get totally healed as they realized that Jesus died for them and rose from the grave so they could have eternal Life.
We're doing it again this summer! Departing Nashville, TN on July 5th and returning on July 25th. We need your support! If you would like to help us take Jesus to these Reservations and other towns and cities, you can donate toward our mission by using the DONATE button below. All donations are tax exempt and greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance for your support. We will keep everyone updated during the trip.
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