USA (MNN) — With a suicide rate four times higher than any other demographic of American youth, it is clear that Native American youngsters are in search of something more. So why is it so difficult for them to find?
Ron Hutchcraft says there appears to be a double blindness keeping native youth from the Truth of the Gospel. "Native people have been blinded to Jesus–who's not only their only hope, but anyone's only hope–by the lies that He is a ‘white man's Savior.'"
On the other side of the coin, many American believers have failed to reach out. "Satan has blinded American Christians to native people. We don't even see them. They're not even on our radar. We know more about lost people in China and South America and Asia than we do the first nations people of this country," notes Hutchcraft.
As a result, there seems only one tried and true way to reach the desperate native youth. "It's going to have to be Native American young people reaching Native American young people. And that's exactly what On Eagles' Wings is."
On Eagles' Wings is a sector of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries that has been trying to reach Native American youth with the Gospel for the last several years. The annual Warrior Leadership Summit which begins today gathers youth from over 70 native nations, revving them up for Christ and His Great Commission. Some of the kids attending the retreat will go on to witness to native youth at several reservations throughout the summer.
The reservations that will be visited this year include one filled with extreme violence, one in which there were over 150 suicide attempts out of the group of 10,000 people in a year, and one in which, Hutchcraft says, "dying is a way of life."
As the native youth minister this summer, they will be accompanied by the presence of God and the testimonies of the past with them as they venture into this uncharted territory. The ministry has reached thousands in just a few years.
"It is breaking through like nothing has in 500 years of missions history," proclaims Hutchcraft. "I've had the privilege myself of seeing, in about the past four or five years, over 6,000 native young people give their hearts to Christ."
Despite the awesome ways God has worked in the past, this ministry still must be covered in prayer to be as effective as possible. Hutchcraft hopes that after hearing this story, there might be at least one person who says, "God has spoken in my heart about this. I want to join you guys in this battle." If you would be willing to take a few minutes every day to pray for this important ministry, click here to get a free prayer kit and start praying today.
For more information about the ministry of On Eagles' Wings, click here.
