Wildfire Nearby and The Final Battle
"It's just too dangerous. I'm not sure we're going to be able to do our closing night here."
Wildfire Nearby
The sun was orange, and the air heavy with acrid smoke from nearby wildfires. The air quality monitor had been in the highest-danger red zone since noon. We had waited as long as we could to make a decision.
Night Three here was really on the hearts of our team. Our venue was a basketball court in the middle of a major reservation housing area. We had some of the biggest crowds of the summer.
Our warriors' spiritual conversations revealed that the young people on this Fort Harmon reservation face many life-destroying choices. The fentanyl flood. Violent gangs.
On Night Two, a bunch of people heard our music at their party and joined us. JJ was a crack baby who's being raised by her 70-something aunt. One team member who knows how deadly gang life can be, talked to a person trying to get out of a local gang. Another warrior was talking to a guy who wanted out - suddenly his friends whisked him away.
It was a battlefield. With the battle being fought in dozens of conversations around a neighborhood basketball court. With lives at stake.
At the Night Two debriefing, I told our team, "All of you are creating a sense of the presence of Jesus out there. And it's drawing people to Him."
Then came the smoke. It was at its worst as we approached dinnertime. At stake - the night we would invite Fort Harmon young people to publicly choose Christ. The red zone air quality on the map was enveloping the reservation.
The weatherman was predicting conditions to remain dangerous for several more hours. We bypassed the weatherman and went straight to the Weather-Maker! In a large circle of prayer, the theme of our impassioned praying was direct - "It's gotta be God or it ain't gonna be!"
By faith, we boarded the bus to travel to the court.
At 5:00 PM, the chart was high in the dangerous red zone, with unbreathable air.
At 6:00 PM, the air quality plummeted to normal, virtually off the chart - and became breathable!
The sun was visible, and the air clear. And the harvest happened! Again, that soul-saving surge to the center of a reservation basketball court! What a victory for our "mighty to save" Savior!
And what an unforgettable God-sighting for every warrior of Hope Team 2024! They literally breathed it!
I have a feeling that we were not alone in our prayer that night. You may not have known the situation, but I'm pretty confident we were living the answers to your prayer, too.
The Final Battle
"I know you all are tired from all you've done. But my Carmi People really need you. Some of us have been praying for years that God would send something that could reach them. You are an answer to those prayers." - A local Carmi believer who helped invite OEW
Local believers explained the Carmi rejection of Jesus is rooted deep in history. They cite, as one tribal member said, "all the terrible things done to our people in the name of Jesus."
This is why OEW warriors stress that the issue is Jesus, not His followers or leaders, not a religion about Him. It is Jesus Himself - their brown-skinned Savior from a tribe called Judah - who has changed their lives.
Our OEW teams have many times prayed away rain and storms. But our Night One in Carmi it was pouring rain. We sat in our vehicles and prayed that God would still give us an opportunity to reach some people that night.
Weary as they were, these warriors just refused to quit. As soon as the rain slowed down, the sound crew set up the sound system in a small covered area not far from the court. Others went down to the nearby beach where a couple of men were working on their canoes.
One lady arrived with her three young boys. Becky (Tuscarora), a true pursuer of lost sheep, immediately connected with her. They talked about her battles, including drug addiction. On invitation night, this embattled mom was one of the first to go forward - with Becky by her side.
It was late when the rain began to move out - not many people showed up. The walkers on the road - a warrior met them there. People checking things out in their car - warriors talked with them there.
God answered prayer the next two nights with more Carmi young people showing up!
On our final night, our fervent prayer warrior/inviters got to see the first-fruits of their longtime praying for God to start a work among their people. Carmi young people, standing at center court, publicly choosing Jesus! Our local partners already had follow-up events set. They are eager to grow this breakthrough moment into a youth movement among their young people!
___________________________________________________________
On Eagles' Wings ministry among the Carmi people was a reminder of why God has raised up this instrument to reach the First People of this land. The dark chapters of mistreatment by religious people, in the name of Christ, have closed Native hearts everywhere to "religious" ambassadors who come in His name today.
Unless His messengers are, as they say, "just a bunch of rez kids," who are alive today because of Jesus. Who can argue with their deeply moving Hope Stories? And their inexplicable boldness in telling about their Rescuer.
Humanly speaking, they truly are the hope of their people for such a time as this.
And all glory to God, this summer 368 Native young people began a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!
As one veteran Hope Team member said, "This past month was full of miracles and we got a front row seat. Six reservations, a team full of rez kids, lives forever changed. It was an honor to see God do His thing."
THANK YOU for the lives you helped reach, and those you helped grow deeper in their walk with Jesus this summer! We are amazed at what God did through your prayer and giving this unforgettable Summer of Hope!
"The Lord your God is with you, the mighty warrior who saves."
* Names and locations changed for privacy.