Excitement Builds

Excitement mounts as the team moves into the final month of preparation for the mission to Broken Arrow Bible Ranch in New Mexico. 

Work parties have begun to complete tasks that cannot be finished during our training sessions.  At this week’s meeting we will set dates for the following work parties: 

·       Finish preparing materials for a craft project

·       Collate welcome gift bags

·       Sort and pack donated gifts

·       Collate printed packet pages

·       Packing all materials for transport

Please join us in praying for:

•   God to be glorified in everything we do
•   His help and guidance as we prepare for this    mission
•   Provision for enough gifts for game prizes (150 are needed)
•   Keep us spiritually and physically strong and focused on Him

It is a joy and blessing getting to know the wonderful women on this mission team.  God is clearly using each woman’s unique gifts to accomplish His work.  Always it seems that when we step out in faith to serve our Lord in short term missions, we are more blessed than the people we go to serve.  God’s grace is amazing!



Moving Forward

The EFCC mission team is already working on their fourth training session.  It is surprising to realize how quickly time is rushing towards our departure.   Excitement builds as we move forward!

The team is busy completing their pre-trip tasks of gathering gift donations for the dear Navajo women; purchasing craft materials; designing and purchasing table centerpieces; researching game ideas; decorating our team aprons; preparing worship music selections; and completing all the other hundreds of details that are necessary for this Navajo Mission. 

In addition to the physical preparations for this mission, the team is also journaling about what God is teaching us through the process of serving on a short-term mission.  We are learning about the Navajo culture.  We are bonding into one supportive cohesive unit as we pray together; write and share our three-minute testimonies; and work together.  

God has been evident in all aspects of our preparations!  Spiritual warfare has been active, but God has intervened again and again.  There was a surprise budget deficit that was quickly rectified through savings on airfare and generous donations.  There have been physical attacks but healing has been swift and sure.  It is always amazing and exciting to see our wondrous God at work!  This mission is bound to be a great success if the amount of spiritual warfare is any indication. 

Please pray that God will be glorified in everything we do; that He will guide all preparations and planning; and will keep us spiritually and physically strong.

Navajo Culture

The Navajo Reservation is a vast region of land ever changing in its visual impact.  High mountain overlooks give way to flat barren desert interrupted by an occasional cluster of structures where a Navajo family lives.  There is beauty here and also stark desolation.

The Navajos are a matriarchal people.  When a man and woman marry, he comes to live with the family of the bride.  The home and material possessions belong to the woman and all children born to the couple are born into the mother's clan.  Respect for the elderly is a significant part of Navajo society.  Elders are nurtured and considered the leaders of the community.

Native America is not static in its make up.  Through more than 300 years of forced settlement and resettlement and various levels of assimilation, Native American culture has experienced drastic changes.  However, Native Americans are a proud people that strongly identify with those factors that make them a unique and valuable portion of the social make-up of North America.

A team from Emmanuel faith Community Church in Escondido (San Diego) California will go to the Navajo Nation in New Mexico in April 2011.  The team of 11 women and 3 men will travel to Broken Arrow Bible Ranch in VanderWagen, New Mexico where the team women will prepare and present a retreat for Navajo women.  The men will do repairs at the camp and help in the kitchen to prepare meals.

The hard job of training has begun for the team.  While this project will stretch us in many ways, we are confident that God has called us to serve Him in this manner and He will enable us to do this work.

We are excitedly anticipating what God will accomplish in us and in the lives of our Navajo sisters.  Please support us by joining us in praying that our Lord and Savior will:

• Prepare our hearts to serve Him and the wonderful Navajo women
• Guide all preparations and planning
• Keep us physically and spiritually strong
• Equip us to be a blessing to the Navajo women and to each other
• Help the team bond and unify as we train and pray together
• Remind us to put God first and glorify Him in everything we do

Keep watching for updates for our adventure ....