|
|
Fort Apache Reservation - Arizona
American Indians Mission Trip
July 25 to August 1, 2009
|
|
|
|
| Ministry Detail |
|
|
|
Project Overview:
Pastor Valentina (Tina) Begay of East Fork Riverside Church in Whiteriver, Arizona, is shepherding a congregation of Apaches who are in love with Jesus. They are all about sharing Christ with one another and the people of their community. Their year is filled with camp meetings, youth events, revivals, and so much more. East Fork Riverside is truly the body of Christ in community - encouraging, teaching, discipling, and fellowshipping together with their doors wide open to the people of Whiteriver. Their enthusiasm has rubbed off on the youth, and the teens are on fire for Jesus. Each one has a story of what Christ has done for them and they are not shy about sharing or worshiping their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
In the midst of this body of believers are hurting people: people who have pain in their lives, but are looking past themselves to the needs of others and are listening to God's call and direction. As this body of believers reaches out to others, they would greatly benefit from others reaching out to them. They need to hear that there are Christians beyond Whiteriver who care about them, who are willing to encourage them in the Lord, and who are willing to walk beside them in ministry.
We are answering God’s call of partnering with East Fork Riverside Church by sending a team of Christ followers who are willing to share in the vision that God has given them for their community. We must also be willing to share in their pain and encourage them in their walk with the Lord.
Ministry Description:
Our team will come alongside the youth and families of East Fork Riverside and simply share life with them for a week. We could disciple one another through Bible studies, Sunday school classes, youth services, game nights, community dinners, conversations about Jesus, hiking, picnics, an outing to the lake, door-to-door evangelism, fishing, or swimming. Our mornings will be filled with personal devotions, chores, and daily orientation. During the afternoons and evenings, we will partner with East Fork Riverside in ministries that they choose.
|
|
|
|
| Trip Requirements |
|
You are going to be living among the White Mountain Apache, so you may share the discomfort they sometimes experience. The power may fail, leaving you for a time without air-conditioning. The plumbing may fail, leaving you without showers for a day or two. Your ministry may be outside in a hot, dusty environment.
Relational ministry here can be challenging. People are often resistant to your message of hope. You may struggle to connect with people you are hoping to find. Please come determined to break through the emotional walls you will encounter. And you’ll be tired – relationship building and sharing Christ often carries into late-night hours.
You’ll need to exercise initiative to reach the lost and disciple those who struggle with their faith. Participants with developed social skills and the ability to engage people in conversation, sometimes at deeper, spiritual levels, will do well.
This is very much a cross-cultural experience, and it will stretch you. Spiritual warfare is waged regularly in Indian Country. Maintain plenty of prayer cover and let the Lord run the mission.
|
|
|
| Food & Lodging |
|
|
Food is prepared on site and safe drinking water is provided. You will sleep on the floor of a church, so please bring single-sized air mattresses, bedding, and towels.
Food will be prepared at the youth center.
|
|
|
| Dress Code & What to Bring
|
|
|
Dress Code:
Refer to AIM's training manual, Missions 101.
|
|
| Travel Information |
|
Airport & Transportation:
Groups may drive to Whiteriver or fly to Phoenix, AZ (180 miles west) or Albuquerque, NM (260 miles northeast). Both airports have excellent vehicle rental capabilities, but please book early. We suggest getting price comparisons on airfare and van rentals.
Groups must provide their own ground transportation. Extensive travel is common on the rez, so at least two vans will better facilitate travel for activities with local kids.
|
Shots & Vaccinations:
An updated Tetanus shot is strongly recommended for ALL projects.
|
Suggested Travel Agency:
- Donna Booth, CTC Domestic and International Travel
Consultant
MTS Travel
9440 Philips Hwy, Ste 3
Jacksonville, Fl. 32256
Phone (800) 888-8292 ext 208
Email donnab@mtstravel.com
- Karol Fleming, CTC Domestic and International Travel
Consultant
MTS Travel
9440 Philips Hwy, Ste 3
Jacksonville, Fl. 32256
Phone (800) 888-8292 ext 208
Email karolf@mtstravel.com
|
Suggested Travel Insurance:
We highly recommend that all program participants have health insurance coverage.
|
|
|
|
| Location Information
|
|
Location Description:
The Fort Apache Reservation is home to the White Mountain band of Western Apache and encompasses more than 1.6 million acres in east-central Arizona. The entire reservation lies within the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest boundaries. Its terrain ranges in elevation from 2,600 feet in the desert foothills of the Salt River Canyon to 9,000 feet in the forested mountain regions, with Mount Baldy reaching 11,590 feet.
Weather:
Temperatures range from 85-90 degrees in the summer months during the day, with considerably cooler temperatures at night. Annual rainfall is only 18 inches, with five of those inches falling in July and August.
Area Attractions:
The reservation’s wide range of natural resources and activities include 25 excellent fishing lakes, 420 miles of trout streams, swimming, rodeos, fairs, and a four-acre public park in Whiteriver. The Salt River originates on tribal land, creating opportunities for whitewater rafting, kayaking, and canoeing just south of the reservation in the Salt River Canyon.
The Apache Cultural Museum, located on the 288-acre site of Fort Apache, provides insight into the history and culture of the people. Fort Apache Historic Park includes a self-guided tour of the fort’s history as well as a re-creation of an Apache village. The Office of Tourism is located in General Crook's cabin built in 1870. The Theodore Roosevelt School still operates on the grounds of Fort Apache as a boarding school for children of many tribes.
Kinishba Ruins, a few miles from the fort, is a partially reconstructed 14th-century ancestral pueblo. The Alchesay Fish Hatchery is nine miles north of Whiteriver.
|
|
|
| People, Culture and Religion
|
|
The Apache are closely related to the Navajo (Diné); both peoples separated from other Athapaskans in western Canada and migrated to the southwestern United States sometime between 1200 and 1500. The Apache language is divided into six regional dialects.
During the late 1800s, the Apache became known for their resistance to government attempts to restrict them to reservations. The U.S. Army found them to be fierce warriors and skillful strategists. In 1870, with the cooperation of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, construction began on an army outpost that became known as Fort Apache. Without the wisdom and foresight of the White Mountain leaders, the Apache Wars of the late 1800s would have gone on indefinitely, with an enormous loss of life and resources. Partly because of their cooperation as scouts during this time, the people were given a portion of their homeland as the Fort Apache Reservation.
Apaches were hunter-gatherers and farmers who also traveled widely, trading and raiding throughout the region and deep into Mexico. They are known for their basketry (burden baskets) and beadwork.
Traditional Apaches believe in a creator that they call “The Giver of Life.” They also believe that a number of supernatural powers exist and that everything has life. But for others, traditional religion has been replaced by Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Catholicism, and Protestant Christianity. The people are, for the most part, open and friendly toward Christians and are generally willing to listen when approached by someone sharing a testimony.
|
|
|
| Government and Economy
|
|
The Fort Apache Reservation is a sovereign nation, and as such has its own tribal government, clinic, schools, and police force. Whiteriver is the seat of the tribal council.
The land is blessed with natural resources and scenic beauty which the tribe uses for its benefit. Their network of enterprises includes the Fort Apache Timber Company and a hardware retail center. The tribe owns one of the best ski resorts in the Southwest, Sunrise Park Resort, as well as the Hon-Dah Casino located a few miles south of Pinetop. Today, the main source of income is derived from the lumber industry and tourism.
|
|
|
| Statistics
|
|
Population:
12,429 - Fort Apache Reservation |
Poverty Rate:
The unemployment rate is low, but with the median household income around $14,000, more than half the population lives under the poverty line. |
|
|
|
|
