All four missionaries Meredith, Lydia, John, and Nick spent the entire day with us. After breakfast Larry lead us in devotion by asking all of us about our strengths/spiritual gifts and how we feel God can use them for His Glory. We also discussed our favorite story in the Bible and how it speaks to us.
We headed to the reservation and picked up Tamara,Toreo, and Nick what a pleasure it was for these youths to want to spend time with us again today.
We visited Kinishba on the reservation, it is an ancient ruin dating back to 800ad. It was really neat to see how people lived and what is leftover from the original village. We looked at original pieces of pottery that are being exposed from the river bed washing away.
We decided to continue our Prayer Walk from Tuesday and our first stop was the most profitable business on the reservation the liquor store. Once again we listened to some sad statistics about how alcohol abuse is destroying homes and keeping the natives in bondage. Some of the kids shared their personal experience of how this has affected them and their families with us. We read this verse:
“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”
Proverbs 16:25 NIV
We prayed over the entire Apache nation for the chains of addiction to be broken. Next we headed back to the High School and prayed for the students for this coming school year. Finally we headed to the "Kennel" (youth center) we prayed over the building, the programming, and the three students that were with us. These kids have been a real blessing to us by being the Light in a very dark place. We said our goodbyes and shared some encouragement with the kids and then left the reservation.
At lunch we shared again in devotion time and listened to the missionaries talk about this past week and how it benefited them.
We ended our night with a final dinner all 10 of us together, it's amazing that after spending a week with someone you have never met before you can feel like you have always known them. I feel that's the beauty of being Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Our common bond is our Love for Jesus. We said our goodbyes for now, but are looking forward, hopefully for the team and the kids coming to Maryland in October as a reward.
This trip has been such a Blessing to us. We were able to look at others with compassion and we slowed down enough to listen to thier needs and to feel His presence.
Also I realized how personally some days I take for granted the blessing of being surrounded by family and friends who Love me just as I am.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.””
Acts 1:8 NIV
John
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