Thousands of Native American youth in the United States and Canada are expected to have the opportunity to respond to Jesus this summer during the Summer of Hope 2008 tour.
Native youth touring among tribes have been invited to testify amidst desperate cultural conditions prevalent with violence, drug and sex abuse, and suicide.
Native youth from On Eagles’ Wings and Ron Hutchcraft Ministries finished training for the Summer of Hope after the Warrior Leadership Summit held earlier this month. Over 700 Native youth from 76 nations attended the conference, where 90 additional Native youth responded to evangelistic outreach.
The next step for Summer of Hope takes place as the teams travel around the country to 12 or so tribes — many of them dwelling among dire cultural conditions.
On average, Native Americans live 30 years less than other Americans, due to suicide and violence, according to MNN. Only five percent are Christian, even after hundreds of years of targeted mission efforts.
Ministry leader Ron Hutchcraft described the desperate situation among the tribes by reading a letter one community sent, inviting the Summer of Hope team to come.
“One letter simply says, ‘Our kids are dying. Can you please come?’” Hutchcraft said.
“And it’s true, with out of control suicide rates and sexual abuse and violence and drug abuse and alcohol abuse and meth gangs targeting native young people as a prime market for their products,” he added.
According to the ministry leader, the youth are responding to invitations like this one with sincerity. “We prayed with our teams last night that God would keep the young people alive, until the [other] young people can get there and tell their stories,” Hutchcraft told MNN. “Hope is on the way.”
Hutchcraft and his team said they don’t want to face this spiritual battle alone and are relying on the prayer support of the Christian community. “Now these young people are going to be warriors for their generation and their people. They desperately need the prayers of God's people.”
Summer of Hope 2008 comes at a crucial point in Indian mission in North America. Hutchcraft has reportedly seen about 5,000 youth accept Christ publicly in the last 4 years.
“Through the history of Indian missions on this continent … I can find no record of any harvest like that,” he said earlier in the year.
“God is really moving through native young people.”
The teams’ summer outreach events will conclude in August with the ministry at the Native Olympic Games, where up to 5,000 young Native athletes will gather.
RSS
Comments
hello lk 20850...I wish 'Eagles Wings' good luck with bringing other youths and maybe even elders to the fold of Jesus' loving arms. I have enjoyed my years of learning about Native American culture and was wondering how you go about your 'Spirituality', Spirits in the sky and all the mythology... etc. while accepting God and Jesus and The Holy Spirit? Our Aussie Native/ indigenous Aboriginals have the same sorts of troubles in their native lands and reserves and even suburbs and regional cities. Many are accepting the Bible and so leaving a life full of hardship, rape, child sexual abuse, child neglect, drunkeness, drugs, petrol sniffing and neglect amongst other things. Our govt embarked on the Intervention program of helping them to help themselves and in so quarantining the majority of their welfare payments. Many of their people wanted this, begged for years for it...but as usual there were the ones who wanted no interference from govt...just the welfare dollars.
I am American Indian and believe that Jesus is the only one who can help Native people. The years of government assistanace and programs of all types addressing various needs have not helped. In fact, one reservation has sent letters to the government and anyone they can think of because they have the highest suicide rate in the U.S. among their youth. Drugs, rapes, murders, diseases, and suicides are devestating the Native population. I believe we are in a position now where God is our only hope.
Thank you, On Eagle's Wings, for bringing the love of God to American Indian people.