On Eagles Wings - Ron Hutchcraft Ministries

Update from Ron Hutchcraft with Team U.S.

It's not common for On Eagles' Wings to receive an official invitation from the Tribal Council of a reservation.  But they're pretty desperate about their young people at "Fort Marshall."  Recently, a gang expert identified twelve violent gangs on this reservation.  And there's way too much drugs and dying.  The council wrote to us, offering to "welcome you with open arms ... to our native homelands."  They even sent a check from the tribe.  They summarized their reason in nine words:

"We have had many youth that we have buried ... we truly believe that your message of hope will affect the lives of many."

After our first night of outreach here, it was clear that this mission wasn't going to be easy.  After amazing attention and large crowds at our first reservation, the people were just dribbling in at Fort Marshall.  And they were restless during the program.  Our warriors were on mission.  One local Native leader said, "No local person can be there for two minutes without one of the team starting a conversation with them."  But the team members said, "It's really hard to talk to these people about Jesus."

Only God can open hearts.  So it was time for a special prayer meeting.  Some of our team interceded for a great change in our last two nights - because they had met young people who needed Jesus so much.  Like Wendy, for example, whose mother hanged herself in prison a short time ago.  One of our warriors made a good connection with Wendy - but she's put up high walls.  She was just one of many whose hearts were needy but closed.  But through the stubborn love of several OEW young women, Wendy would give her heart to Christ.

This reservation has something going for it that is uniquely powerful.  For twelve years, every Friday morning, a group of men have met in the tribal council chambers to pray for their nation.  They have seen a tribal council that once had little sympathy for Christian concerns become a council with three believers and a Christian tribal chairman.  But their great burden has been to see something happen among their young people.  They believe the coming of On Eagles' Wings is part of the answer to twelve years of praying!  What a way to come into a reservation.

We needed those prayers - and certainly yours - to break through to these hard hearts.  During the team's door-to-door canvassing on Day One, they discovered a "tribe" within the youth tribe - Native young men who spent hours every day skateboarding.  Recently, a skate park was built for them in one reservation town.  We hastily put together a skaters' outreach on the afternoon of Day Two - right at their skate park.  These young people who are largely marginalized and unappreciated were excited that On Eagles' Wings cared about them. 

Nearly 80 of them showed up with only overnight notice and a dozen of them gave their hearts to Christ under a merciless summer sun.  One of the Native men on the inviting committee said in amazement, "You reached the renegades of this reservation!"  Through this effort, they have "discovered" this largely unreached people group within their tribe - and have been inspired to continue reaching out to them.

That night, the Native attendance at our basketball outreach was much stronger, and an amazing peace settled over the court.  No one moved, no one talked when the Hope Stories or the Gospel were presented. 

"Mark" is a 17-year-old OEW rookie this year who was deeply touched when the team came to his reservation last year.  This year he's a warrior himself, fighting for lives on reservations far from his home.  In spite of his shy and quiet personality, he agreed to do his first-ever Hope Story on Night Two.  He said his knees were shaking so badly that he could hardly stand.  Minutes later, a young man came to him and said, "Mark, your story is just like mine."  And that night, this quiet young athlete led his first person ever to Jesus Christ.  His "divine matchup."  It's happening every night in this Summer of Hope.

Incredibly, one out of four people there that night indicated a personal commitment to Jesus Christ!  As the Native chairman of the local committee went through the cards with me, he suddenly choked up and bowed his head.  Since he had come to Christ twelve years ago, several of his siblings had met the Lord.  But not his older brother, a hard-core guy who recently got out of prison and shut down any conversation about spiritual things.  But not this night.  The chairman's brother had given his heart to Jesus Christ.  The man who had worked so hard to bring this team to his reservation was rewarded with the greatest gift God could give him.

On Night Three, Valerie (Navajo) shared her Hope Story for the first time ever. This 19-year-old girl commanded the attention of a crowd dominated by some of the reservation's big basketballers.  Her story of repeated sexual abuse, followed by a life of drugs and alcohol to relieve the pain, was riveting.  Minutes later, "Brad" (Nez Perce) gave one of the clearest Gospel presentations we've heard on a team.  I prayed fervently as he invited those who had prayed a commitment prayer with him to step out and declare it publicly. 

I had attended the men's prayer meeting early that morning.  They expressed amazement at how relentlessly, how boldly the OEW warriors pursued every lost person they could from beginning to end.  Then we came to God together with a bold request - that "the big boys would lead the way to Jesus."

And they did.  Instantly.  Within moments, I was watching a stunning sight - what appeared to be almost every person there had gone to center court to declare their commitment to Christ.  For three nights, the warriors of On Eagles' Wings had refused to give up on hard hearts.  Many of the Fort Marshall young people had been touched by three or four different warriors - sowing, watering ... and reaping.  And tonight it was harvest time.

A Native leader of the local committee told the team, "We are in awe of what God has done through this team."  They are totally energized to work to make the fruit remain.

But we have the feeling that these victories were won well before these three nights.  God heard his sons crying out to Him for their people - for twelve years.  And He decided to answer those prayers this summer on a reservation basketball court ... through the walking miracles we call On Eagles' Wings.