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New Life Church is sending a team of 15 individuals to the Yakama Indian Reservation on June 27, for a one-week missions trip. We are pleased that this is our second year in Washington in support of the local missionary, Chris Granberry, and his family’s work with the Indians of the Yakama nation. Here are some of the details of the trip and how you might pray for the team as they serve the Lord Jesus Christ during this week, and the Granberry family as they live out the love of Christ before the Yakama people on a daily basis.
The People and The Need
In 1855 the Yakama people, along with 13 other tribes and bands, reluctantly signed a treaty with the United States government which established the Yakama Reservation at the foot of Mt. Adams in south central Washington state. The Yakama Reservation, which is 1500 square miles of land, is the largest Indian nation in the northwest and one of the most populated in the nation with approximately 10,000 enrolled members. They are also among the poorest of all Indian tribes/nations in the United States. The area enjoys 300+ days of sunshine a year. The annual rainfall on the reservation (8 inches) is less than the evaporation rate, making the reservation area the desert of eastern Washington. Since 1855, the culture, families, and dreams of the Yakama people have steadily disintegrated. Today, individuals and families on the reservation are struggling with many real needs such as lost vision and hope for the future, alcoholism and drug abuse, broken families, neglected and abused children, at-risk teens (30% in White Swan are technically homeless), crime, violence and suicide.
The Work
In Isaiah 58 God continues by saying that when His people respond lovingly to the needs of their needy and oppressed neighbors He will make His children like "well watered gardens" or "springs whose waters never fail" in a "dry and sun scorched land.” The Granberry family longs to be such an "oasis" full of "the living water.” They are being used by God to bring life, hope and joy to hurting individuals and families. To this end, the teams working this summer, in their efforts to support the work and relationships of the Granberry family, will be roofing and painting homes in Yakama. In addition, there is an active Backyard Bible Club ministry that will be happening each and every afternoon with the children of the Yakama nation. These opportunities give the teams the ability to offer hope and love selflessly for a people that they may not know personally, but have been called to serve by Christ, thereby strengthening the trust and relationships of the Granberry family among a hesitant people. Additionally, God has provided an exciting opportunity for ministry to another nearby Indian nation. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon, have approached the Granberry family about extending their ministry into Oregon. They have heard of their work and relationships in Yakama and have invited Sacred Road Ministries (the official name of the Granberry Ministry in Yakama) to come to Warm Springs. This sort of invitation is virtually unheard of among the Indian nations, so it is with anticipation and joy that part of New Life’s team will be serving in Warm Springs this summer. Like in Yakama, the work of the team will include a good amount of manual labor coupled with Backyard Bible Clubs for the children of Warm Springs.
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Did you know that there are 2.5 million native Americans in the U.S., but only two percent claim to be Christians?! Here are some statistics from Sacred Road Ministries, which serves the Native American community of White Swan, Washington:
- 75% of the children have fetal alcohol syndrome or other conditions related to their mothers doing drugs while pregnant
- Most of the teens are considered "at risk"
- 30% of the teens are technically homeless
- 65% of kids 6th grade and higher drop out of school
- The unemployment rate is 75%
- Life expectancy is only 39 years old
The life expectancy rate is lower than in AIDS-ravaged Africa... and these people live within the borders of the United States of America!
Why do we share these statistics with you? Because in July, a group from New Life Church will be going there on a mission trip! We first heard about White Swan from the Mission To The World (MTW) Missionaries we worked with in Cherokee. Bruce and Linda Farrant have begun working with Mission to North America (MNA) with their focus on reaching out to the Native Americans.
Before Cherokee, we didn't think much about the "foreign mission field" right here in the US. As we read more about short-term projects on the MNA website, we and the Missions Lead Team felt drawn to White Swan.
What will we be doing in White Swan? The possibilities seem endless -- mercy ministry, roofing, painting, hauling trash, home repair, and helping with Vacation Bible School and sports camps. These people are hungry for the love of God and in need of understanding the truth of Christ's salvation. We have an opportunity to display this Love and Truth to them through this short-term short-term mission trip. Please pray that God will direct our steps and those of the missionaries who are in White Swan full-time. Would you like to join us?
You don't have to be an expert in Theology or "have all the answers"... all you really need is a desire to serve people who desperately need to know how much God loves them. The fires of spiritual renewal and salvation is beginning to spread throughout this deeply hurting community, and we are being called to help fan the flames through our service and acts of love.
Check out Mission to North America's website to learn more about who we are working with this summer: MNA's White Swan web page
Sacred Road Ministries website
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