Three Days in the Life of On Eagles' Wings®

What is it like when an On Eagles' Wings team of young Native Americans visits a reservation? Here is a typical three-day visit.

Day One - Arrival

On this hot, July day, the temp has reached into the mid-90s. The OEW Team arrives with a bus, a handful of other vehicles, and an equipment trailer. In this rural Native community, a group arriving like this is a big deal!

The team is perhaps staying at the local school. The classrooms serve as bedrooms, the gym has hot water for showers, and the cafeteria is where the volunteer cooks prepare the team meals. These are all welcome luxuries!

After quickly unpacking, the team meets for time to get acquainted. "OEDubbers" meet the local leaders, who have been eagerly awaiting the team's arrival! A local pastor and his wife share their broken hearts for this community and talk about the destruction that drugs and alcohol are causing. Recently a local, teen football star committed suicide. And, children as young as three and four are playing until well after dark at the park, because Mom is off drinking and just doesn't care. The team prays passionately and fervently for the people of this reservation, for this lone Christian couple, and for spiritual breakthroughs over the next few days.

Canvassing the Community

In the afternoon, team members in groups of three knock on doors of the local tribal housing. It's amazing to watch when they see positive, young, Natives from two to three different tribes standing at their door!

As they give them information flyers, the team introduces themselves and talk about the On Eagles' Wings team and the events going on during the next few days.

The first night's outreach can often be the most difficult. Everything is new, and trust takes time to develop. While the first night is usually the hardest, the following nights often produce the largest response.

Setting Up for the Outreach Event

The team travels by bus to the park basketball court at the center of town. This is where all the night activities will be held. Many Native youth hang out here and it is ideal. Our team always wants to be outside, on neutral ground (for example, not at a church.)

5:30 pm - The team quickly gets to work. Sometimes, there is trash in the park, so team members pull out garbage bags and gloves and get to work. Others put new nets on the basketball goals while the rest are assigned to quickly set up the sound system. Because of the lack of easily accessible electricity, the team uses a generator for power.

The athletes on the team help set up the sports events, and the literature table is stocked with resource items that will be distributed during the events. Within minutes, Christian hip-hop music can be heard booming throughout the park. OEW is "in the house!" The outreach of On Eagles' Wings has begun!

6:30 pm - With everything set up and music playing, some of the team begins to shoot hoops, and generate interest in basketball. We also start signing-up individuals for tonight's "3-point shoot out" contest. Two team members are our hosts for the night, and they use microphones to "billboard" all the exciting things to come. Most of the team is in the process of initiating relationships and conversations with local young people.

7:00 pm - The night is in full swing! Sports contests, fun games, crowdbreakers, and hip-hop music can be seen and heard. Every team member has been equipped to share their relationship with Jesus and the Gospel one-on-one. The goal is that every person who attends the OEW outreach, whether young or old, will be visited personally by one or more of our team members. A clear presentation of the Gospel is given to them regardless of age.

As the evening progresses, God uses the simple strategy of empowering Native youth to share Christ with their peers. For many of the local youth, it is the first time that Jesus Christ was ever considered to be an option. And this happens because the messengers of the Gospel are Native young people with whom they can easily relate.

After plenty of fun, the team "lines up" to officially introduce themselves to the community. It is always impressive to hear that the OEW team usually represents over 25 different Native tribes! "My name is Fred, I'm Choctaw..." (Something about this begins to establish credibility with the local Native young people.)

Then, it's time for the "hope story." One of the Native young girls shares about the abuse she suffered as a child. She talks about her emptiness, her sense of worthlessness. Then, after attending a Warrior Leadership Summit Conference, she describes what it has been like to give her life over to Jesus. She talks about a sense of hope, peace, and fulfillment that can only be explained by the power of Jesus in her life.

9:00 pm - The rest of the evening, the team continues to pursue conversations, often asking, "What did you think about what you heard tonight?" Dozens of conversations are taking place all across the park.

Team Debriefing

At the end of the long, first day, the team returns to the school and the team debriefing is held. The team celebrates victories won, and prays for God's Spirit to continue to break through pain-hardened hearts.

Day Two - Networking and Equipping

On the morning of day two, the team "big brothers and big sisters" lead and help mentor some of the younger team members. This takes place through a morning Bible study.

Later that morning, a "Leadership Round-table" takes place. Participants include a handful of Christian leaders from this community, and some neighboring reservations. Ron Hutchcraft, and other OEW veteran leaders, provide tremendous encouragement and equipping for how to build and lead an effective Native youth ministry.

After lunch, some of the team members visit the reservation radio station, and do an extended interview. Other team members rehearse for the evening.

The second night of outreach goes well. Even more people show up this night. Hearts are beginning to soften. If night one was characterized by a "cautious, just checking it out" mentality, night two actually has more local kids smiling, and opening up. Many of the OEW team have identified several local kids that they now know on a first name basis.

More hope stories are given and the Gospel is clearly presented. Several OEW team members lead Native young people to Jesus through personal conversations. The harvest begins.

Day Three - Grand Finale

The OEW team is passionate about maximizing this last opportunity to share Christ. The focus of the team is clearly on the mission at hand - the last opportunity for rescue.

That afternoon, the entire team goes on a prayer hike, finding a nearby hill overlooking the entire community. The prayer is earnest, and powerful, praying for a spiritual breakthrough of the hard-hearts on this final night.

The attendance has been building each evening, but the last night usually turns out the largest crowd. Tonight the OEW basketball team challenges the local basketball stars to a basketball game, drawing many local adults, children, and elders to cheer on their local team.

During each quarter break of the challenge game, a team member shares his hope story. At the end of the game, an OEW veteran speaks from center court, and gives a clear, relevant presentation of the Gospel. Then, an invitation is given for people to come forward, and publicly surrender their lives to Christ. "If you want to stand for Jesus, and make Him the boss of your life, I invite you to come to the middle of this basketball court right now..."

This night, at first...nobody moved. Then, one of the strong young men of the community, came and stood at center court. After that, a flood of young and old people came to indicate that they, too, wanted to belong to Jesus.

This was a genuine move of God's Spirit! Our team sat down with each person, clarifying their commitment to Jesus, and getting their information for follow-up.

Deputizing the Local On Eagles' Wings Leadership Team

At the very end of the evening, all the local Christian leaders have a chance to stand on that basketball court. An OEW team member lets people know that to truly live for Jesus, you'll need to get connected to these local leaders. The On Eagles Wings experience is going to continue through these people, who are going to be organizing future On Eagles' Wings events.

Final Debriefing

Upon returning to the school, the team has the final debriefing and meal as we celebrate what God did in the past few days! The local leaders share with our team how God has moved so powerfully. To God be the glory!