We started our day with devotion time from Jerry. We discussed Prayer and how we can Pray for AYM missionaries and the Apache on the reservation. How we need to put our reliance in God. We need to Pray big God size Prayers. Always know who are enemy is , even though he can come at us in different forms.
We traveled to the youth center with Meredith and Lydia. Meredith gave us her poverty talk presentation. There was too much information to write ,so here are a few facts about the Apache reservation.
2nd worst violent crime rate of all U.S. Native land
Unemployment rate currently 82%
47% live below poverty line
More then half of people are under age 25
Suicide rate 13 X national average
40-50% girls sexually abused by age 13
Only 291 people out of 5696 people over age 25 have high school diploma
High School Graduation rate 50%
The Spiritual Poverty here is also overwhelming. There is not much hope in the Apache people. The kids live for the moment , because they don't see a future. All decisions are based on current needs and wants.
Here are some things AYM is currently doing.
Right now after school daily the youth have free time , then tutoring and followed by enrichment. The youth that participate in enrichment can get rewards and skill training for perfect attendance. Last year 8 kids earned a trip to San Diego where for the first time some of them viewed the ocean and also went on a college visit.
On Tuesday nights they have small group and on Wednesday is the Rising ( Echo/Collide) with between 70-100 kids.
The focus of the missionaries is to explain to the youth "Who their Identity is in." That in Christ they are a new creation and to point them towards Jesus. This is all done through relationships between the youth and the missionaries.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
After the talk Jean and Kat went to a sewing event for the native women at the church we attended Sunday. The spent time fellowshipping with the women. The men went to Lydia's classroom to help her move some items around , since she is getting ready to teach in a few weeks.
After this we drove to Fort Apache on the reservation. We met Lloyd again he is one of the youth that participates with AYM and currently is learning how to cook at a snack shop set up by John Hopkins. The day before Lloyd told us he wants to be a chef. So here was someone who before lacked Hope and now he sees opportunity and a future.
We visited a museum and learned some history before Jean lead us in Devotion time. Practicing the Presence. A constant reminder that if we're too busy we miss out on what God is saying to us. That spending more time with Him is necessary for a deeper relationship.
We ended the evening enjoying a meal with John Book he is another missionary here. We just spent some quality time talking and listening to what is happening in his life.
John Raccioppi
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