Tikkun Olam Team Member Highlight - Laura Curl
Introduction
My name is Laura. I moved to Wolf Point with my two children five years ago as a teacher. I had been teaching in Denver, but felt that I never had time for anything but work and needed a change so I could dedicate myself to God. Joining Tikkun Olam gave me the opportunity to still use my skill set as a teacher, but more importantly, I would have more time and support for using those school connections for God’s glory. My children and I visited Wolf Point before deciding to move here and God made it abundantly clear that this is where He wanted us to be, so two weeks later, we moved here.
What have you learned about the community and its people?
There is so much pain (generational, historical, ongoing…) My heart aches for all the people who are in broken families, dealing with depression, considering suicide, giving up on their children/jobs/or any other form of hope. Just like everywhere else, the greatest need is for Jesus to transform lives.
There are quite a few churches in this town, but not many people attending or doing anything more than just attending. In general, I would say there’s a lack of strong discipleship amongst believers.
On the bright side… there are definitely some “lighthouses” (as my daughter would say): those who speak God’s word boldly, those who care for the needy compassionately, those who pray faithfully, those who love selflessly, those who respond humbly -- as fruit born from their connection with God. You gotta love that!!
Which ways are you involved and serving in the community?
After two years of teaching, I wanted to work with even younger kids. I had several students in my Kindergarten class who had already been through so much trauma, that I thought I’d like to be part of making those first five formative years the best they can be, at least for the children within my circle of influence. Our first two years in Wolf Point, my daughter and I babysat for some foster families and saw how hard it was for them to find good childcare, so I mentioned to some of the board members the idea of Tikkun Olam starting a daycare. They put the ball back in my court and asked if I’d be willing to start one up. Long story short, I have been working in our Tikkun Olam daycare for the last three years: Little Orchard on the Hill. I love it! Besides getting to work with the young ones, I get to support foster families and grandparents who are raising their grandchildren, provide respite care for foster children who do not have a placement yet, meet other families from the community, and homeschool my own two children these past two years -- allowing me to spend lots of time with them.
In addition to the daycare, I actually still have some time left over to be active in our local church, just being a part of this little piece of the Body of Christ. That has been a blessing and a challenge, as I have tried to be obedient to whatever God leads me to do in service to Him and the church. I’ve actually had the opportunity to preach after the pastor moved away and we had run out of guest speakers. I’m not including this in here because I want any kind of recognition, but because, as awkward as it could have been for me, God actually used that opportunity to grow me and encourage me in obedience and boldness. I pray it also served to build up the church, but only He knows those kinds of results.
Along those same lines, Hannah and I felt the need to provide biblical teaching to the women of our community who have expressed to us their hurt, confusion, and spiritual hunger. Since we started, back in September, we have had a small group most weeks, but sometimes a large group. And regardless of the size, God’s Word is being planted in the lives of the women who attend, and that is exciting! It’s His Word, along with His Holy Spirit and His Body that will bring the kind of transformation so desperately needed.
What are your goals while here in Wolf Point?
To remain in Jesus and bear much fruit (John 15). That includes being a good mother to my teenage children, a good provider to my daycare families, a good sister to my brothers and sisters in Christ, a good team member to the Tikkun Olam group, and a good ambassador to the community at large. The reality is: I can’t do any of that… unless I’m plugged in to Jesus!
What is your hope and prayer for the Wolf Point community and the Fort Peck Native American Reservation at large?
My hope and prayer is that anyone with an open heart and listening ears will receive the Good News and be transformed. That means that those of us who have the Good News have to live it, share it, teach it. Not just attend church, not just live a life that looks good on the outside, but actually die to ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Jesus.
Here’s a poem I learned as an adolescent, but recently found again, along with the author’s second part, which upholds the hope we have in Him.
