Chinle, Arizona Navajo Nation Mission Trip 2009
Our church youth team arrived at 8:00 pm on a Sunday evening at the Chinle SDA Church. We began unloading the vans and settled down for the night in the church sanctuary. For the next week, we were going to live and sleep in the church. Our goal was to begin working on the church building early Monday morning after we had our devotional and breakfast. Our team was very excited about this opportunity to serve and have a positive impact on the Native Indian community in Chinle.
Our goal was to help fix up the driveway to the church and we were able to put down new gravel to improve the church parking lot. We witnessed the progression and the hard work as we applied new paint to the church walls. A baptistery was needed in the front of the church. We began demolition to make room for the new baptistery. A whole was dug out bow the existing stage. Slowly the Lord put us in contact with the right people who made it possible for us to finish the baptistery in time for church service on Saturday. We were very happy to have been able to contribute. The Lord truly blessed our efforts beyond our expectations.
We were making great progress and the church was beginning to look so nice! We were able to make new friends in the community and had an opportunity to hear some amazing testimonies how the Lord had used this little church to bring people to Him. This small church was busy teaching others about the love of God and the sacrifice of His son Jesus. We were excited to see how the Lord was working in the hearts of the people. Through our acts of kindness, we were able to build friendships and share the love of God. I remember listening to a man who had struggled with alcohol for 25 years. He lost his wife, children, and house. Life seemed to be hopeless. One day, as he was in the grocery store, he met one of the members from the Holbrook church. They began a short Bible study at his home and soon the man had expressed an interest to go to church. He had not been to church in over 30 years. A glimpse of hope for a man who had suffered with alcohol all of his adult life.
Serving others means being challenged, being humbled and being found by God. We heard so many wonderful stories how the Lord was able to bring people into the church that were hurting and struggling with different addictions and temptations. It was such a blessing to share this time with the people of Holbrook. To God be the glory for what He is doing in the lives of men and women who are seeking and searching with open hearts. Will we hear and respond to His calling to go forward and help those who are in need. Maranatha!