On Eagles' Wings® Update

On Eagles' Wings Team USA Prayer Update #4

Weary. Wounded. Winning.

That's how On Eagles' Wings Team U. S. arrived at Reservation Four in this amazing Summer of Hope. The weary wasn't just about a grueling schedule with limited sleep. It was about running into hard hearts and stronghold walls night after night since they arrived in this area. Every time you battle for a soul here, you're going up against entrenched centuries-old strongholds that see Jesus as their Number One enemy ... and it's soul-exhausting!

We came to this reservation wounded, too - with more physical injuries and infections than we can ever remember a team having. At the last reservation, two team members were whisked away in ambulances because of medical crises after a victorious outreach. They're both back with us, but weakened. No sooner did we arrive at Reservation Four than another team member had to be ambulanced to the hospital with a serious infection. Praise God, she is being released today, days before we thought possible.

Weary and wounded, yes - but also winning. With a trail of lives across these reservations who have surrendered to Jesus Christ. It's something that just doesn't happen in this hard ground. But God has chosen to bring breakthrough victories here through a little team of wounded warriors called On Eagles' Wings.

But as we did our first night of outreach on this new reservation, we all felt the wonderful mercy of God for a beat-up team. Warrior after warrior came back glowing with reports like, "They're so ready here!" The traditional religion of this area is here, but there's also a history of Gospel influence, as well. So our combat-weary warriors felt rejuvenated by people who listened when they explained the love of Jesus. God knew exactly what this team needed and when they needed it.

The reservation we're coming from was incredibly tough. The one we're going to is probably the most closed to the Gospel in North America. In between, we had the encouragement of people who were refreshingly open to the Message these warriors bring. It wasn't easy. But for three nights, it was easier.

Three reservations in a row - a weather miracle. The storm that parted at invitation time on Reservation Two. The rain that stopped at kickoff time and left a double rainbow on Reservation Three. On our final night at Reservation Four, we were told that it was pouring rain all over the area around the reservation - except where our events were going on.

Some local Native believers had felt led to rent a big tent for us to have next to the court. It added a nice ambience. With a light drizzle falling, it tended to concentrate the people who had been spread out over a large area. And in the decisive final hour of the final outreach, that tent became part of the weather miracles of Summer 2007. The heavy rain finally arrived - and became God's tool to pull all the people together in one place. A harvest tent! We've never had a tent before. We've never needed a tent before. But it was there the night it was needed for the harvest!

When the time came for the public invitation, the local Native believers told us what they were thinking - "I know these people. Nothing has ever gotten past the high walls they put around themselves. I'll be surprised if two people go forward." But God chose to do something that no one on this rez could ever remember seeing before. First, some of the big guys came. Then people surged to center court from every direction. It was an amazing response to the invitation of Jesus Christ, right in front of so many who knew them.

It was stunning for the people who had worked and prayed so hard to bring On Eagles' Wings to their people. They're excited about seizing this miracle momentum to launch a community youth ministry that can rescue young lives here for a long time to come.

After these victorious three nights - the largest harvest of our reservations so far this summer - we had a critical team meeting to prepare for where we're going next. A reservation where no pastor or missionary is allowed to live. Where nothing Christian is allowed outside the walls of a church. Where we cannot canvass door-to-door as we have on every other reservation we've gone to. It is the heart and soul of the region's centuries-old religion.

I challenged our team in three areas that will be critical as we go into this spiritual "D-Day." Purity. Unity. Focus. Then we went to the Cross together in a celebration of the Lord's Supper. It was a chance to thank the Lord for allowing us to "proclaim His death til He comes" ... to cleanse ourselves from anything that doesn't honor Him ... and to prepare our hearts to fight the major battles ahead.

We have so much to praise Him for. We have so much to trust Him for. And we have so much need of your continuing prayer for God's little army.

Thank you for making their battles your battles - and their victories your victories.

Ron Hutchcraft for OEW Team USA