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Freshman Parker Creel (background) looks on as two boys on the Apache Reservation horse around. |
-Photo by Jason Harville |
Some people might not understand why I would rather spend my spring break on an Apache Indian reservation instead of going to a beach and getting a great tan. If you want to know why, just ask any one of the 22 of us that went.
Nineteen of my fellow students and I traveled with Crossroads to White River, Ariz., the heart of the Apache Indian Reservation. We worked with Apache Youth Ministries on a week-long outreach program for teens.
Before we began our week of work, we attended a Sunday morning church service on the Navajo Indian reservation. It was amazing. We heard prayers and the sermon in both English and Navajo. I don’t know about anyone else, but hearing people praise God in their native language was so awesome. We were so honored when the minister asked our group to come front so the congregation could pray for our work the upcoming week. I stood in awe as everyone began praying at the same time and in whatever language he was most comfortable.
We traveled next to Canyon de Shelly for hiking and sightseeing. The only words that I could say when I saw the canyons were “God is amazing!” We spent a few hours hiking down and having fun hanging out as a group before we began our mission the following day.
Our week was not the most organized adventure I had ever been on but that was okay because we allowed God to work with us and guide us on our mission. Every morning we woke up and ate breakfast, had a time of worship and devotion and then split up into two teams to work on various projects on the reservation.
One team spent their morning at Ron’s house cleaning, fixing and doing odd jobs, while the other team hauled around garbage bags full of trash that was picked up around the church where the program was held each night. Although it was definitely not the most glamorous job in the world, it was humbling and I knew that I was doing it to glorify God.
Every night Ron took a big school bus around the reservation to pick up teens for the evening youth rally. Once all the teens had arrived the first night, we split them up into smaller groups with two or three Milligan students leading each group. We all had to come up with silly team names such as “Pizza Monkeys” and “Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My!” Each night we played team games, worshiped God with singing, watched skits, listened to a speaker and discussed questions in our small groups. We then talked and prayed with the teens who were struggling with their relationship with God, dealing with deaths of friends or families or just wanting someone to listen to them.
It was so humbling to see the teens’ desire to have a relationship with God. They struggle with so much each day at school and at home that we have no concept at all. They want to follow God so bad and their longing to do so is truly inspirational.
Just like last year, I had an amazing time getting to know the teenagers on the reservation as well as bonding with the other members of the Milligan team. The teenagers were a great encouragement because of their total faith in God and willingness to be broken by Him and be changed. I think that we all learned a little more about ourselves and about how faithfully God works in all things.