Twenty-four Years. Twenty-four "On Eagles' Wings" rescue summers.
But this was the summer like no other.
No team has ever had the challenge of reaching so many seemingly "unreachable" and unreached Native young people.
No team has been more consistent, more relentless in fighting for lives night after night after night - no matter the resistance, no matter the rejection.
No team has ever done a Summer of Hope without OEW's beloved mom, my Karen. Their Mama Hutch.
And the story God wrote through these trailblazing warriors is nothing short of amazing...
- 34 days
- Nearly 4,000 miles
- 48 warriors
- From 26 tribes
- Rescuing on 11 reservations
- 11 tribes/bands
- In 2 nations (U.S. and Canada)
- 32 Rescue Events
And to the glory of Christ, and Christ alone...
Nearly 600 Native young people who began a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!
Beyond the size of the harvest is the even greater significance of the harvest. Commitments to Christ where any commitment is a breakthrough. Also, on some reservations where few, if any have ever heard the Gospel...where some even asked, "So who is Jesus?"
And now, as our dedicated partners on these reservations move full-speed into follow-up, we pray for this breakthrough moment to become a Jesus-movement on their reservations.
Woven into this history-making story, there are...
- So many tears. Night after night, Brad and I prayed with one Warrior after another whose hearts were deeply broken for a heart closed to Jesus.
- So many broken walls. Walls that have long kept out Jesus. But walls broken by a young warrior pouring out their own brokenness in their Hope Story - and sharing Jesus through it. Again and again, their open heart opened hearts.
- So many moments when we missed the Mom who, in so many ways, marked these warriors' lives. We are reaping the harvest of her selfless, surrendered life.
- So many astonishing changes in these warriors as God used the intense battles of this summer to mold them into rock-solid followers of Jesus.
And...answers to your prayer, wherever we went!
So many closed hearts that opened to Jesus...so many enemy attacks thwarted...so many victories in warriors' lives...so much power in those game-changing Hope Stories...so much supernatural strength for a marathon month of hard-fought battles.
A hugely victorious summer that can only be explained as God, and God alone! Hearing and answering the heartfelt prayers of His people. Like you! If there was ever to be a Summer of Hope "in honor of Mama Hutch," let it be this one.
The clearly-inspired theme of Warrior Leadership Summit became the miraculous reality of a Summer of Hope on eleven reservations...
Hope Rising!
I watched it happen night after night. In places where Jesus is the only Hope, but where He has been either unwelcome or unknown. Now places where He has come so mightily. So unforgettably.
Through the warriors you sent. That you prayed for.
"I'm ready to shake the gates of hell and bring hope to a dying world." - On Eagles' Wings Warrior 2016
