Arizona Reflections

We've been back from the San Carlos Reservation a week now, and it probably takes that long (and longer) to assess lessons learned, positive take-aways, and future possibilities for us. I've been chewing on these thoughts throughout the week, and although there is much that remains difficult to wrap our hands around, there are some tangible products from our time with the Arizona Reservation Ministry, and the Apache people. Here are a few:

1. We took a team of 21, second largest in the eight years I've been at KACC. About half of the team was new to short-term missions and/or the San Carlos venue. We were able to introduce a new group of people to what God is doing (and wants us to do) in our own backyard. We made new and deeper connections with each other, and challenged our team to be the ambassadors for ARM as well as KACC GO! Teams upon our return;

2. We were able to further the work on two homes on the reservation, and our efforts mean that the homes will be ready for their occupants that much sooner. Sacrificial service will provide blessings for a few more people, and hopefully open them even more to Christ's message of hope;

3. We got to spend time with kids, loving on them and showing them that God loves them through our interaction with them. There are many walls of distrust built through years of conflict. We pray our time with these young ones will help break down some of those barriers and replace them with foundations of trust;

4. We connected with the ARM team and (hopefully!) were an encouragement to them. After all, groups like ours come and go, but these brothers and sisters live in the trenches, on the front lines of ministry in a desperate and difficult place. They can become discouraged and disenchanted, impacted deeply by the spiritual warfare in which they're engaged. One of our goals is to refresh them as they give themselves for the Kingdom. They've become our friends, and we theirs;

5. Our eyes and hearts have been opened, some for the first time, some a little more, to the needs and circumstances that exist- so close to our lives, and yet a world removed. We've been challenged, convicted, and shocked by what we've experienced, and now we're called to do something about it. It may look different for each of us, but one thing is certain- we cannot afford to be the same people that we were a couple of weeks ago. We know too much.

Thanks goes to each of you who, in some way, gave your support to those who did the legwork of this trip. We are a team together, some sending, some praying, some encouraging, some going. Your part, however big or small, was vital (perhaps more than you can ever know) and we are grateful. And so are a handful of people in eastern Arizona.

Our next trip to San Carlos will be April 23-26, 2009. Consider and pray about the possibility of joining us. And if you can't go in person, ask God how He might use you in a another way on this team. But in some way, plan to become part of a group seeking to make a world of difference among a people so close to- and yet so far from- us.