Native Family Attacked by Skinheads

Discrimination against Native Americans still happens today.  When will the church stand up for those whose voice has not been heard?

This article does contain some foul language.
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/06/native-family-attacked-by-skinheads/

Parkcrest Christian Church's Short-Term Ministry Team's Recap Video

Here is a video of Parkcrest Christian Church's High School Ministry's short-term ministry trip!
April 2011

http://animoto.com/play/03oI0rLfznWlFgXFZdKlWg

Faith To Be Strong

The following is reprinted from our April 2004 newsletter:

“Faith To Be Strong” by Andrew Peterson

Give us faith to be strong, Father we are so weak,

Our bodies are fragile and weary

And as we stagger and stumble to walk where You lead,

Give us faith to be strong

Chorus

Give us faith to be strong, give us strength to be faithful,

Cause life is not long, but it’s hard

Give us grace to go on, make us willing and able,

Lord, give us faith to be strong

Give us peace when we’re torn, mend us up when we break,

Cause flesh can be wounded and shaky

When there’s much too much trouble for one heart to take,

Give us peace when we’re torn

Give us hearts to find hope, Father we cannot see

How the sorrow we feel can bring freedom

And as hard as we try Lord it’s hard to believe

So give us hearts to find hope

This song “happened” to be playing this past November when we were in Globe wrestling with God’s plan for our lives.  It quickly became our battle cry as we staggered and stumbled to walk where God was leading.  As we left family behind in the Midwest and dropped my parents off at the Phoenix airport after they helped us move down, this song became our cry of surrender (through many tears) as we were torn between family and the call of God.  Now as we have spent two weeks on the reservation it has become our plea of intercession on behalf of a nation so hopeless.   We do not completely understand the sorrow we see in our brothers’ eyes, but we do know the only one who can mend their brokenness.  Lord, give us faith to be strong!

The following is reprinted from our April 2007 newsletter:

Three years later this song has continued to be our prayer as we strive for faithfulness.  Over the past three years we have experienced incredible victories and some heartbreaking defeats.  We have watched kids suffer from the choices their parents were making and we have watched kids suffer from choices they were making.  We have walked alongside our Apache brothers and sisters on the mountaintops and we have walked with them through the valleys.  We have really seen that life is not long, but it’s hard.  But through it all, God continues to lead us, give us peace and give us the strength to continue.  We pray He gives us the grace to go on until He returns.  Thank you for your vital partnership in this journey.

Thoughts from 2011:

Almost one year ago 3:18 Ministries was officially incorporated.  It has been an incredible journey as we have found our way through new territory.  Through this process our focus has been on relationships.  Our hearts remain broken for the lost and hurting on the San Carlos Apache Reservation.  Our hearts break for a 10 year old boy who is so lost, angry and confused that he was threatening suicide this past week.  Our hearts break for a 13 year old girl who was at the emergency room alone because there is no sober adult to take care of her.  Our hearts break for a 22 year old who had so much promise and was making a difference on his reservation and now his life is gone.  We are so weak.  We are staggering and stumbling to walk where He leads.  Our biggest prayer is for our hearts to find hope so we can share Hope with our dear brothers and sisters.  Please Lord, give us faith to be strong.

-tory

Another Article on the Use of "Geronimo"

Here is another article.  What are your thoughts?

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/05/apache-leader-jeff-houser-on-use-of-geronimo-name/

What Are Your Thoughts?

More interesting articles in the news regarding Native Americans.  Osama bin Laden was codenamed "Geronimo."  What are your thoughts?  After you read the articles come back to the blog and leave your comments!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_bin_laden_geronimo

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42897871/ns/world_news-death_of_bin_laden/

When Did This Become OK? Thoughts from Liz Crews

After returning from a short visit to Arizona, my head spins as I try and catch up with what we experienced. I struggle with taking it from my head and heart and putting it into words...

After arriving at 2:00am we got up later that morning so Robert could go out to the Reservation with our good friend Tory and help prep a house for a ministry team coming next week. This house, maybe 20 x 30, has 2 rooms and a tiny bathroom. It is Mary’s house, an 84 year old Apache woman living in 2 small rooms and a bathroom. But she was not living alone, no the house was also occupied by roaches. More roaches than I think you can imagine (it was more than my brain could wrap around). They had literally taken over her house, walls, floors, ceiling, etc…. along with the scorpions. This 84 year old woman had nowhere else to go, because when this is your reality, it just seems normal. It was her home, so why would she leave? Instead she slept with cotton in her ears every night so they would not crawl in. While this is graphic for some, it was her certainty, her actuality every day. Where were her family, friends? I am not sure. When did this become ok?

She was finally forced to move into a tribal run Shelter care facility, where she is clean and fed and sleeping without cotton in her ears. However, she wants to go home, it is her home. It is in the middle of a gang infested street, shoes strung over power lines, 2 doors away from a house that sells alcohol and who knows what, but it is her home. Almost all of the income she has now goes to the shelter care to provide for her, leaving her not much every month; she wants to go home. So we tore down walls, dug up floor tiles amongst the thousands (literally) of dead roaches and various “substances” they and the scorpions left behind. The smell was appalling, the dust covered us (by the way it was not “normal” dust). Yet the 7 of us worked in conditions most would consider inhumane. We had masks on and work clothing and protective eyewear, in the same place she lived and ate and watched TV in. When did this become ok? It never did! I know I do not have the answers, and perhaps it is not for me to know. What I do know is what my response should, no will be. So 2 guys and 5 girls, did things we never thought we could. Some of us terrified of a small spider or tiny fly at home, worked among bugs I cannot begin to describe and conditions that were heart-wrenching, and did so without grumbling, whining or one complaint. We did what God enabled us to do, no doubt. We never could have done this on our own. Isaiah 41:10 says: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” So my response today was to do whatever God asked of me, and tomorrow will hopefully be the same. I asked God to break my heart for what breaks His…and He did.

Liz

When Did This Become OK?

Please take three minutes and read this blogpost from a dear friend of 3:18 Ministries. Robert and Liz Crews came this past weekend to spend some time with us and we put them to work! In the midst of our work on Saturday Liz asked, "When did this become ok?"  Here are Liz's reflections on the weekend.

http://crewsfamily3-18.blogspot.com/2011/04/when-did-this-become-ok_21.html