Dear Prayer Partners and Supporters,
A few months ago we were approached by our long time friend, Lori Hornback to join her and an excellent church mission team from Full Gospel Temple Muncie, Indiana, on a trip to the White Mountain Apache Nation in Arizona. We had several “signs” from the Lord that we should go along – in church services and even in our ministry to Muslims in Dearborn, MI!
Liz’s Mom has always had a love for Native Americans. This love for them prompted her sponsorship of this mission, along with those others who financially supported us. Thank you so much!
We were also so glad to have you, our partners, from Pakistan to the UK, Chile and Honduras – around the world praying for us, on this our first visit to a Native American reservation.
Sunday ministry was underway when we arrived for the afternoon service and feeding program at the White River Apache Tribe, Hope Center.
We had heard of the desperate need amongst the First Nation people and we soon experienced it for ourselves. The first people we met would not even look at us. Their eyes steadily on the ground, they answered questions quietly in voices tired with despair. These people were hopeless with broken families because of alcohol and drug related problems. There was shame and oppression. Within a few hours of our arrival we heard that a 17 yr old boy had thrown himself off what was referred to as ‘Suicide Bridge’ to his death in the gorge. The next day Syd was praying for a young lad whose brother and cousin had been attacked as they walked along the road that night. The brother was flown to Phoenix with severe head wounds from an axe and the other was badly beaten by two other Indians.
So many young girls and boys abused, so many with family members alcoholics, victims or perpetrators of rape, addicted to drugs and gambling, children lost to suicide…on and on.
BUT GOD is at work and things were (and we believe with your prayer support, are going to continue) to change! Our first night out, we prayer walked with Missionary Deborah Clendon to the bridge where so many have taken their lives. We renounced the work of darkness that seems to require the sacrifice of young people. We declared that the Risen Jesus is Lord over the area and renamed the bridge ‘The Bridge to Hope’.
It was amazing to us that all the songs we sang and the references in our talks were to “hope”. It didn’t register with us until we arrived there that we were working with the Hope Center where the emphasis is bringing hope to the most hopeless.
Indiana native, Deborah, and her husband Veldon, an Apache, have been tirelessly working amongst these people for several years. They have a small center where they feed the hungry and minister to the broken along with giving spiritual assistance. When we arrived about 30 – 40 people were sitting outside in the burning heat eating the meal provided by the small volunteer staff of Native Americans at the Center. As we led the music, and began sharing the Good News of Jesus, eyes brightened and smiles lit up the faces of the people there. However, just as we were preparing to pray for people to come to Christ and be healed, pouring rain drove the people back to their houses on the reservation.
One of the projects the team had planned was to build a ‘shelter’ for the feeding and worship area. We experienced in the first hour why this was needed! In four days it was completed and nearly doubled the floor space at the Hope Center and gave cover for the church service and ministry to all ages in all weathers.
There must have been 30 children at the 2 day Vacation Bible School. One parent was 28 year old Rebecca. She lives with her mother on the reservation. She has a young son and is looking after her brother’s 6 children who left them with her 7 years ago and vanished. She is a lovely young woman who has been doing her best in difficult circumstances. Her main problem is that the devil is stronger than she is. She came to an open air we had in an overgrown park. She was invited to bring the kids to VBS the following afternoon. She sat next to me and I knew God put her there. We talked about our lives and I invited her to another open air to take place after VBS. She came and I was able to tell her that there was hope out of her hopeless situation, the devil is strong, but JESUS is stronger! She prayed with me and gave her heart to Jesus. Tears streaming down her face she was so grateful that God cared for her and sent me to tell her so! Thanks for your prayers that opened heaven for her…. we looked up after she prayed and there was a triple rainbow in the sky!
The next day we were praying under the new “shelter” when we looked up after a few minutes of crying out to God. A group of young men had assembled to ask for prayer. All 6 of them were addicted to alcohol and together with us, cried out to God for deliverance. A 19 year old girl then came riding in on her bike. She said she was drawn into
the shelter.
Please pray for Bernita!
We talked with her and found that because of her alcohol problem, she only completed 9th grade. She prayed to receive Christ and got signed up to join the new GED class to start this week at the Center.
Every night we had a meal for anyone who would come. We preached the Gospel and prayed with both men and women who wanted to be set free to serve Christ. One couple had lost 8 close family members in the last 2 years, including 2 sons who committed suicide. They came to the meetings totally drunk, but at the end of the final meeting they were sober after having received Jesus. In all we prayed with 30 people young and old to receive Jesus. We were thrilled to hear that the following week another 4 young men came to the Center to receive Christ.
We were honored to meet one of the Tribal Leaders who came to visit us after the Rodeo Parade. She was the only woman on the Council and talked with us about her life. She grew up in a home destroyed by alcohol and then married a man (now deceased) who devastated her family using alcohol! Two of her sons were dead, one committing suicide. These are such tragic stories. When I asked her what she wanted us to pray for, she said, the children and young people on the reservation. They have no hope. We prayed with her and her new husband. We also were featured on the Reservation Sunday Radio Show with Pastor Veldon. (at the station below)
All of this seems so hopeless, but we believe this could be a turning point for these people…if the weather is an indicator of the spiritual climate – for the first time in some 20 years this was not a desert, but it was blossoming with abundance of rain! We took that to mean it is time for spiritual rain to fall! We praise God for a solid week of productive ministry and vital encouragement and support to the workers who are there. Through the week, every day and at the parade on Saturday we gave out hundreds of tracts including Syd’s tract ‘The Volunteer,’opening up a good talk with a former Apache helicopter pilot who had been in Desert Storm, alongside British Special Forces and the famous ‘Desert Rats’.
Not expecting to meet any Muslims, right there, the day before we finished, was an Egyptian, Dr Anwad, from the local hospital! Syd let him know we were praying for Egypt’s crisis and he was grateful to accept an Arabic tract ‘How to Know God.’ His wife is an Apache who had become Muslim, so begin to pray please for them both to find Christ.
By the way, a prophetic sign fulfilled….while teaching Assembly of God College students from around the USA in Dearborn, on how to engage in cross cultural ministry, we were divided into groups to pray for AOG Bible Colleges across the USA. Guess what we were asked to pray for? The American Indian College. You can imagine our surprise and delight when the same College was on mission on the Reservation, and yes, at the Hope Center, ministering with us on the last evening! What great testimonies from young Native American students delivered from all we had see that was destroying the people! Their only hope is the Savior of the world. All kinds of government programs have been put in place and failed. We saw what Jesus can and will do!
Please keep the Hope Center in prayer. We believe a revival there could begin something throughout he USA. We can see the Native American people having an important place in the Who’s My Neighbor? vision.
Now we are entering into a very busy time of ministry. Our Schedule for continued prayer…please join us in any of these meetings if you are in the area. We’d love to see you! If you wish to help us financially, please send your gifts to Nations Light Ministries, P.O. Box 155, Dundee, MI 48131
September
20 – 22 Liz Speaking and leading worship at New Hope Women’s Retreat, Gladwin, MI
30 – October 7 Liz in California – various meetings
October
13 – Syd preaching River of Life, Dundee, MI
19 – Syd & Liz sharing World Missionary Press Banquet, Goshen IN
27 – 29 Syd & Liz in various meetings TBA at Living Waters Church, Mooresville, NC
29 Syd sharing at Prayer Breakfast, Concord, NC
30 Syd sharing at Men’s Breakfast, Cornelius, NC
31 – November 2 Homecoming at Columbia International University, Columbia, SC
November
3 Syd & Liz speaking Hendersonville, NC
8 Liz speaking Princess Warrior, Cornerstone Church, Highland Michigan
11 Syd & Liz to N. Ireland
16 Syd & Liz to Austria
21- 24 Syd & Liz to Ashford, Kent for Prayer, Evangelism, Fellowship and Preaching at Ashford Christian Fellowship.
26 Return Home
Please keep praying!
In the Fields,
Syd & Liz Doyle Acts 2:17
www.whosmyneighbor.org
Nations Light Ministries
P.O. Box 155
Dundee, MI 48131
USA
