Meet Our 2013 Team: Rhiannon

Meet Rhiannon

Age: 20

Occupation: Coffee Shop Manager

Nickname: My nickname bears no significance… We woke Andrew up from his sleep on the drive to Arizona to give me the first name he could think of. And that name was Radahlia.

What I Enjoy Doing: I enjoy anything that has to do with the creation or enjoyment of music. My husband also got me a lab mix puppy for Christmas so I have enjoyed playing with and training her… And laughing at the silly things she does. Her name is Daisy, and let me tell you, she’s absolutely hilarious.

What I Enjoy Eating: I absolutely LOVE pasta!! And recently I’ve been reigniting my love for sushi.

Strange Fact About Me: I love tomatoes. I detest ketchup.

My First Trip to the Reservation: My first trip was in 2011.

My Testimony: I grew up in a non-religious home as a kid. After my parents’ divorce when I was in 2nd grade and after subsequent moves throughout the states with my mom and older brother (we actually lived in Tucson, AZ for a long time!), we eventually moved to Oklahoma where I came in contact with Sam Mather and other leaders at Jesus Revolution after they paid visits to my school during lunch. I began attending their camps, Bible studies, and weekly meetings in 7th grade. I accepted Christ in 2006 and my life has never been the same since!

Something the Lord Taught Me on the Reservation: Our first trip in 2011, the Lord showed me something I will never forget: We were on our way home. Camp Bita Hochee was over and we all piled into our vehicles before sunrise ready for our journey home. In the car we had put on some worship music to listen to on our drive. It was very moving and beautiful, and I began to truly put myself in a place of worship before Him. Song after song was describing this desire: for Jesus to return. “The Spirit and the Bride say ‘Come.’” It was the heartfelt, lovesick desire to have full and perfect fellowship with Jesus when He comes back for His Bride, the church. Now, I’m not saying I had a vision or anything – but He put a picture in my heart of what it could be like when Christ really does return, that first moment when it happens. And I began to weep, just flat out weep… right in the middle of the car in front of my friends and everything! Not just at the idea I saw in my head, but because in my heart I was saying “yes” to Him. Yes. Come, I’m desperate for You to come! Prior to this trip, if anyone brought up the subject of Christ’s return, I would nod and agree with everything they would say. I would recognize the truth of the Scriptures, but in my heart I rejected it. In my heart, I didn’t want Christ to come back because I didn’t want to be forced out of a life that I was very comfortable in. But Jesus set me free from that! My heart completely changed in that moment. After experiencing everything we had encountered in Bita Hochee, God awakened me to what is the reality waiting ahead of us and what is only a shadow here and now.

My Expectations for Our Next Trip: I am so beyond excited to be coming back to the Rez! What my heart is most stirred up for is fellowship and discipleship – to truly become of one mind, desire, and attitude as we go after God together. I’m asking Jesus to reveal Himself to us all as the only One worth seeking and adoring, and I believe He will do this through the course of worship and prayer, so I’m excited to be on the worship team again. And of course, that He would further the work He began in me on our 2011 trip. God is going to do some amazing things!

Meet Our 2013 Team: Olivia

Meet the Team

Over the next few weeks leading up our trip to the Navajo Reservation, we thought we would introduce ourselves! We are one, cohesive family, but the reason why we stick together so well is because we each have a testimony of the beautiful work that Jesus has done to bring us into deep fellowship with Him. We would like to share our stories with you over the next few weeks. As you read about us and little snippets of our testimonies, we ask that You would consider praying with each of us to see God move in us and in the Navajo people this summer and beyond. Thank you for your partnership with us in the Gospel!

Meet Olivia

Age: 17

Occupation: Student

Funny Nickname: “O.C. Bachbogus” (nickname invented on the long drive to the Reservation last year)

Things I Enjoy Doing: Coaching gymnastics, being with friends

Things I Enjoy Eating: Chocolate!

First Trip to the Navajo Reservation: 2011

Funny Rez Trip Memory: “When some girls from camp poured water on me as a joke.”

Testimony Snapshot: “I had been going to Bible studies with Sam and Lyndie [leaders within the ministry of Jesus Revolution] during 8th grade, and in 9th grade I got invited to a camp where I experienced the Lord in a really real way. God got rid of feelings of self-hatred and insecurity. Since then, I have grown in the Lord so much and am excited to see where He will take me in the future.”

Something the Lord Taught Me on the Reservation: “He taught me that His love can reach anyone at anytime. There are no limits to His love. He taught me to trust Him and remember that He is always in control.”

Hopes, Dreams, and Goals for this Upcoming Trip: “What I am wanting God to do this trip is to help me to see people and love people the same way that He does. I want to learn to trust and rely on Him more completely. I am wanting everyone we meet to be able to experience the Lord in a real way, and see God’s love from them individually.”

Chelsea’s Rez Testimony

During each trip to the Navajo Reservation, it was so exhilarating to watch God take our simple and weak acts of love and multiply them with His own love and power. He turned Camp Bita Hochee into way more than just a summer camp. Chelsea describes how God moved on the heart of one of our Navajo friends:

Hi Everyone! Here is a short testimony from my first year to the Reservation. It was a night service and everyone was worshipping in the chapel. Some were on their knees crying, others were motionless, some were praising Him. I looked over to my right and saw a young boy sitting with his knees up, clasping them together with his arms. He was resting his chin on his knees and staring blankly as if consumed with thought. I wondered what the boy, Levi, was thinking, but didn’t want to interrupt him unless the Lord wanted me to. I got a tug in my heart that said “Go ask him if he has something to tell you”. Those words didn’t drop into my mind, but I’m learning the way the Lord speaks to me is its like he drops a bundle of His heart into mine, and then my heart has to take a moment and examine His message, then put it into English. Its how I tell the difference between me talking to myself in my head and wondering if its God, and an actual message from God.

Anyways, I went over to the boy and asked him if he had anything to tell me. He lifted his face and said “Yes, I want to be saved”. WOW! I was caught off guard and had never led someone directly to the cross, I had always scooted people along on their way. I was afraid of messing up or forgetting something, and out of my lack of confidence, went to get our leader to do it so I could watch and wouldn’t mess it up. So that day Levi accepted the Lord whom I know is faithful to finish His good works! I’m exited to see where Levi and lots of others will be in their walks with the Lord this coming summer!

We can’t wait to go back and see our friends again this summer – and to watch God do a new thing in their hearts once again!

The Need in the Navajo Nation

It came to me today that a lot of people in the United States who aren’t closely connected with any Native American heritage are rather unfamiliar with the Native American nations within our own borders – including the Navajo Reservation. After perusing the internet to get some more exact facts to some of my pre-existing general knowledge about the Navajo Reservation, I wanted to share some insights about what they’re actually going through. My hope is to increase an awareness of the need for the Gospel and for prayer to be made for the beautiful people of the Navajo Reservation. They are immensely valuable in the eyes of the Lord, but they have many trials to overcome on a practical level and a spiritual level. Jesus is worthy of an inheritance in the Navajo people and I believe His invitation is that they would have a great inheritance in Him!

“Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” (Psalm 2:8)

Facts about the Navajo Reservation

• The Navajo Reservation is situated on the Four Corners, encompassing land within Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.
• The Navajo Reservation is the largest Native American reservation in the United States.
• Population: approx. 180,000
• The median age on the reservation is 24.
• The average household income is $20,005 per year.
• 42% of the population is unemployed.
• From the ages of 25 and up, about 56% have a high school diploma and only 7% have a college degree.
• 43% of the population lives below the poverty rate.
• 10% of kids ages 12 to 17 have tried using meth.
• 39% of kids ages 12 to 17 have tried marijuana.
• 57% of kids ages 12 to 17 have tried alcohol.
• 65% of child abuse cases on the Reservation involve meth.
• An estimated 60% of newborns at regional Navajo Reservation hospital are suspected to have been exposed to meth.
• Meth is the #1 drug problem on the Reservation.
• 75% of surveyed, self-reporting students on the Reservation say they have used some kind of drug, 45% said they’ve actually used meth.

To me, these statistics are a staggering revelation of what our Navajo friends are going through. The youth we’ve met each year are some of the most compassionate and even humorous people we’ve encountered, but all of this beauty buried under the weight of the things they’re going through. If you’re reading this and your heart is as grieved as mine is regarding the struggles represented by these statistics, I encourage you to pray regularly for our friends on the Navajo Reservation.

We believe that Jesus has a greater desire and purpose for the Navajo than all we see represented in these numbers and percentages. We believe that He created them to know Him and to be His people – and that He intended it before the world began. We want to see God deliver them and bring them into everything He purposed for them today. Please partner with us in prayer and support as we go to the Navajo Reservation this July.

Until He Comes,

Samantha

Sources:

http://www.navajobusiness.com

http://www.wikipedia.com

http://www.projectpueblo.org

 

The Seed in Mark 4:27

In 2011, we all went on a trip that changed our lives. We experienced the deep love of Christ for His people, the Navajo people, and they became beloved friends. That was our first trip. We returned to the Reservation in 2012 with hearts full of longing to see once again the friends we had made.

Taylor shares what impacted her about the 2012 trip and what she anticipates for this coming trip to the Reservation in 2013:

After one year of sharing Jesus and building fellowship with our Navajo friends on the reservation, some of the questions on our minds when returning for a second year were, “What will we return to? Did our seeds fall on good soil, or was our sowing in vain? Will everyone have just reverted back to their old selves after that church camp high wore off?” What we discovered was extremely humbling and encouraging. The people had not only produced fruit, but they had also grown in the Lord. At school they had gone and lived as the expression of Christ. The strongholds they had been delivered of from the first year had not taken hold again. We did not return to the same struggles, but engaged in a week of growing even closer to God together as people caught new glimpses of His heart. Sure we encountered new struggles, but we were able to take them on with all the more joy and confidence after witnessing the lasting victories of the previous year!

We are excited to go back to the reservation this year because we don’t know what to expect. We now know from experience that the seed truly does sprout up and grow over night even though we don’t know how (see Mark 4:27). We can’t wait to dive in with all of our hearts and allow ourselves to completely be poured out in love. We can’t wait to go and see the fruit from our second year. We can’t wait to build deeper relationships with a people who have not been forgotten by God, but have been fearfully and wonderfully made (see Psalm 139:14). And most of all we can’t wait to go and see our God lifted up and glorified.

We need your help to get the Reservation this year. Not only does each missionary need the support to cover travel expenses, but we would really love to give a love offering to our friends in Shonto, AZ (the church that is hosting us) to leave them more blessed and refreshed than we found them. Would you consider partnering with us in prayer and financial giving to see the name of Jesus glorified on the Navajo Reservation? Click the “Support Us” link at the top of this page.