On Eagles Wings - Ron Hutchcraft Ministries

A last-minute addition to our schedule. A broken down basketball court in gang territory. In the middle of a reservation that's a hotbed of centuries-old spiritual practices and beliefs. This one could be tough. "Ransom Butte"*, our fifth reservation rescue mission of this Summer of Hope, is one of the largest in the country. This late-blooming outreach is actually taking place in "North Fork," the center of this reservation.

As the team canvassed homes and passed out flyers all over North Fork, my son Brad (Director of On Eagles' Wings) and I went to check out the venue our local partners had secured. I think my first reaction was "uh-oh." It was tucked away from a main street in an area known for its gang activity. The power line over the court was decorated with sneakers hanging from it, a sign of marked out turf. The basketball goals had been torn off their posts. Instead, there were skater ramps for the skateboard "tribe" who have destroyed the basketball goals and made this slab their home. And in certain parts of this strategic reservation community, skaters rule, not basketball.

Basketball is our main tool for drawing and holding a crowd. Suddenly we were in a Native community where skateboarding is king. In the wise providence of God, we were led to invite a Christian skateboard pro to join the team this year. God also gave us two other team members who are both basketball players and skateboarders. Other years we might not have had the tools to respond to the skateboard challenge. God knew, and this year we do. No two places we've been so far have been alike. Each one has required special wisdom and an adaptable team. In each case, I'm convinced your praying downloaded the answers and attitude we've needed.

When we got our music and microphone going, the local young people began to descend on that slab. We had a large first night audience, dominated by the skater tribe. Tony, our skate pro, reflected that this "tribe" lives skateboarding because it's who they are, not just what they do. Many of them come from hurtful, neglectful or abusive families, and, along with skateboarding, drugs and alcohol are their escape from the pain. They've been burned by people they should have been able to trust and they're used to being rejected. No one seems to want skaters around. And the vibe they send doesn't help - they often communicate a "leave me alone" attitude when, in reality, they desperately need someone to love and accept them.

And that's what our team did for three amazing nights at North Fork. The quality events we put on for them were a message in themselves that these kids matter. Our rescue conversations took place against the backdrop of flying skateboards, skill contests and tricks performed by our skate pro. While the team did encounter some "shut-down" responses, we could also tell that God was accelerating the softening of their hearts.

We had another good crowd on Night Two with the addition of young bikers joining the skaters. The Hope Stories and Gospel wrap-up were presented from the highly visible - and unusual - vantage point of the top of a skate ramp. One Hope Story that really communicated was from "Marty" (Cherokee). He told about his battles with anger and depression and his descent into hard drugs and alcohol. He said he constantly found himself in a position where he had to fight for his life. His desperation was evident with sleepless stretches of up to ten days and resorting to kicking in doors to find things to steal for drugs. He didn't just use drugs - he sold them. "Anything to separate my mind from my daily life."

No one talked, no one moved as he talked about how the death of his cousin broke his heart - and brought him to Jesus. The joy and peace he spoke with was living testimony to the power of Christ to change a life. That night the team had the opportunity to lead about one out of four people there to Christ! As Night Two ended, we all had a strong sense that God had picked this time, this place and this "tribe" to do a mighty work.

That's what made the monsoon rains at "game time" on Night Three so hard to understand. Our team sat on the bus next to the slab, just watching the dangerous lightning and drenching rain. And crying out to God for the weather to clear so they could have their chance to finish the work He had started. A few minutes after our normal starting time, the storm began to clear. But the slab was covered with water that effectively made the skating events impossible. Then the wind changed. In minutes, that wind totally dried the court! And the young people started to come. God again displayed His power through the weather - and His love for these lost ones.

"Greg" (Nez Perce) gave a powerful Gospel presentation of Christ and His cross. The previous nights, most of the influential "chiefs" of the skater tribe had retreated to benches on the side of the court. When the invitation was extended for people to give themselves to Jesus publicly, the response was instantaneous - and stunning. These slow-to-trust young people responded immediately to put their trust in Jesus - the Jesus they saw in the love and transparency of young Natives with stories like theirs. They cleared the bench and the sidelines, coming to Jesus with their skateboards in hand. And then there was the biker who rode his bike to Jesus!

It was a night of deep emotions as a parade of Native young people left with their skateboard in one hand and their new Bible in the other. No one was more jubilant than "Carrie," the incredible Native young woman who has worked so relentlessly at our Headquarters to help put this Summer of Hope together. This Spring, she had lived through the shock of losing Ricky (Cherokee), her tremendous co-worker and friend, and one of our best and brightest young leaders.

When a hole in our July schedule opened up, she asked, "What about North Fork?" It was last minute on our schedule, but clearly on God's schedule from eternity past. That night on a concrete slab on her rez was her payday for all the sacrifices she had made. Former classmates of hers, people she had prayed for over years, were among those who stepped out to begin a relationship with her Savior. I've never seen her so aglow with "joy unspeakable."

God was all over the place. A concrete slab in a dangerous neighborhood on a needy reservation had become the stage upon which God unforgettably displayed His glory and His love. We will need that God more than we've needed Him all summer when we head for our next reservation. Their gods are many, their religion fiercely defended. And fiercely opposed to the message of Christ. We anticipate strong opposition. But we go in Jesus' name and in the victory He brings through your prayer. After what we saw Him do in North Fork, we have every reason to expect Him to amaze us again.

* All names and locations are changed for privacy and safety.