So, I'm very excited that I just (within the hour) received a call from Megan and Willie Kirschke that they presented the fundraising case I designed for them to a donor who pledged to give a $1,000 dollars a month. A couple days of my time along with their hard work raised $12,000 for their yearly budget! They can now minister full-time with Native students at Fort Lewis College, Co., and have benefits for their family, praise God!
When Megan called two months ago asking for help with their fundraising presentation, I was excited. My family friends the Rendalls, who have "known me before I was born", helped pioneer InterVarsity's Native Student Ministries in the past decade. It's a new student group to reach, so there aren't many materials to use. And, just the day before Megan's call, I had signed up to join a potluck and worship time with a Native American church from Minnesota. Though my project schedule was full, the time seemed right--even overdue.
In the long view, ministry to Native American students is long overdue. The suicide rate among Native Americans 18-25 is the highest in the country. Tribes suffer rampant depression and alcoholism, and reservations lack not just jobs, but electricity and plumbing. The third world isn't overseas-- it's in our own backyard. Even well-meaning missions of the past have often torn families apart and stripped them of their traditions. They've shared the bad news of human nature instead of the good news of Jesus Christ.
Native nations need young leaders with physical, mental, emotional and spiritual strength to light the way, and InterVarsity can help raise them up. Indigenous students who make it to the college campus will be the leaders in their communities. InterVarsity can teach them to lead in Godly way. And did you know Native American missionaries shared Jesus with the Mongolian church--now one the the fastest growing christian churches in the world? Christ-following Native Americans have an important witness to the world that God loves people from every tribe, language, and nation, and we must empower them to live it!
So, I'm overjoyed we've raised $12,000 for the Kirschkes and the students at Fort Lewis. This is how your giving multiplies many times as I use my skills to help staff! Thank you so much! Praise God with us!
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| A Ft. Lewis College student celebrates his frybread-making contest win, with his prize IVP book One Church, Many Tribes. |
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