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Dear Friend,
I live in a small town. Not long ago, a local young man committed suicide. It rocked our town into action. Agencies mobilized, task forces were born, money was allocated, reporters were all over it. Because of one young suicide.
In a similar small town in Native America, there have been 30 suicides and 150 attempts in less than a year. No one knows about it. Little is being done. Because it's happening on an Indian reservation.
Can you imagine the national outrage if this were happening anywhere else? "Nightly News," "60 Minutes," Congressional inquiries, disaster response. But when it happens in Indian country, it's simply invisible. But no less tragic. Native young people are a generation dying at twice the rate of their generation ... where up to six times as many kill themselves ... where meth gangs have targeted them as their generation to own ... where their life expectancy is thirty years less than the rest of their generation.
A compassionate heart cries out, "How can this be? How can we not know about this? Why isn't someone doing something about this tragedy?" Because the Native people of this continent are...
The FORGOTTEN people.
We've been blinded to the most desperate, most devastated young people on this continent. They're dying out of sight and few are doing anything to stop it. But that's where you come in. You do know. You do care. And you have not forgotten. You are in a small little army of God's people who are saying, "It's time to act. In Jesus' Name."
"Why isn't someone doing something about this tragedy?" Someone is. Starting with some young men and women who have lived the plight of Native young people and now are unleashing the potential. They've been rescued from their hopelessness by Jesus Christ. And they're ready to do something most of us could never do. Break through to their generation in the Name of Jesus.
Over the past four years, God has used the young warriors of RHM's On Eagles' Wings teams - and the partners who have sent them - to help over 4,000 Native young people come to Christ. That's nothing short of historic. This summer, Lord willing, two spiritual rescue teams will bring Christ's hope to over a dozen reservations. Their message will be the dramatic Hope Stories of their rescued lives and of the Savior who died for them.
And they will be there because of some people who've seen the need and will not forget. People like you. People whose prayers will be the difference in whether the battles will be won or lost. People whose giving will decide if the warriors can go.
It takes three dedicated partners to rescue a lost Native young person. First, a broken-hearted believer on the reservation who asks us to come. They can't forget. The hurt is all around them. Second, it takes a broken-hearted young Native Christian who will give his summer to fight for his people. They can't forget either. They've lived it. They've buried their friends.
The third rescue partner is a friend like you. A partner whose sponsoring of an On Eagles' Wings warrior makes it possible for them to go to their people. Someone who invites us ... someone who will go ... and someone who will send them. That's the partnership that is the face of hope for so many desperate young people. All tied together in a fellowship of the broken heart.
An On Eagles' Wings Warrior Scholarship is a practical way you can take action. Your gift can make possible an entire month, week, or day of one Native warrior's amazing outreach on reservations this summer.
We've got promises to make for this summer. To hundreds of Native young people from some 60 Indian nations that we hope to bring to our Warrior Leadership Summit conference. To dozens of Native young people who are ready to be a warrior in the Summer of Hope 2008. To people who've invited On Eagles' Wings to come this summer - who believe they are the best - or only - hope for the young people on their reservation.
The deciding factor - the money to do it. That's why your gift to the Summer of Hope '08 will be so decisive and mean so much. No, it's not summer yet, but the decisions - and a lot of the needs - are now. So please, pray about what part God may want you to have this month in sending a young Native warrior who can do what you and I could never do. And thank you for caring as you do.
Hell has not forgotten Native young people. Heaven has surely not forgotten them. We must not forget them.
Grateful for your caring heart,
Ron Hutchcraft |
