Battlefield and Breakthrough

"You will never get this reservation out of your heart."

Ron told the team that in our first briefing. There's something about this reservation. Maybe it is, as one of this summer's OEW team said about her people here, "the spiritual bondage" that is "so dark."

It's hard to describe what a "yes" to Jesus means on this reservation. As local Native believers explain, following Native religion here isn't just what you believe - it's who you are. And you are raised to reject Jesus or else, in essence, lose who you are. The walls of this stronghold extend very high. It is that wall the warriors of On Eagles' Wings 2022 had to surpass in order for their Message of Jesus' Hope to break through.

The last night of Warrior Leadership Summit we introduced what seemed to be one of the strongest teams we have had. We sensed that God was going to do something very special in and through them.

You could feel the electricity in the room!

Hundreds of Native American young people from scores of tribes, raising the roof with songs of praise to Jesus!

Back home, Jesus is to many "the white man's God." Not in this gathering. Here, Jesus is Lord!

Hundreds of Native American young people have experienced life-change at Warrior Leadership Summit (WLS). 

God has been moving powerfully at the annual WLS Native youth evangelism and discipleship conference hosted by Hutchcraft Ministries.

The construction for the On Eagles' Wings Leadership Center continues. Check out this exciting video update to see the progress, tour the facility, and meet Student Life Coordinators, Seth and Sarah Stevens (Navajo).

We are so excited about the progress on the construction for the On Eagles' Wings Leadership Center.

The On Eagles' Wings Leadership Center is a place where Native young men and women will be discipled and equipped to be lifetime Jesus-followers. They will be prepared with the skills and strategies needed to be messengers of hope to Indigenous and worldwide communities.

29 Summers of Hope. This one was different...

"Muscle memory." You've seen it as you've watched Olympic athletes...when you drive...type on your computer...play a musical instrument. It's "a movement repeated over time that creates long-term muscle memory, eventually allowing it to be performed with little or no conscious effort."

"They're really hard there."

That's what I kept hearing about the Cloud Lake Reservation. That's probably more of a reason to go there.

Even though our venue was surrounded by Indian housing which the team had canvassed earlier - and where our sound system can't be ignored - we started the night with just us. Finally, one girl hesitantly checked it out. Missy (Lakota), whose self-harm scars are now evidence of her new Hope, quickly went to welcome her. Neither girl realized the destiny in that meeting.

"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" they asked about Jesus.

"Can anything good come out of Bluffton?" those who live on or near the Antelope Valley Reservation have been asking for years.

Tribal people call Bluffton "the most dangerous place" on their reservation. Locals in the area say "it's a place I never go."