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Letter from Johnny
Hughes, President
“Our children are dying! Our
children are dying!”
This is the cry of the parents, elders and leaders
of the Native American and First Nations People of
the United States and Canada. The suicide rate is
three times the National average for ages 15-24, and
exceeds that in many areas, such as Alaska, where it
soars to 12 times the National average. For ages
10-14, the rate is an alarming four times that of
the general population. The Native American youth
are killing themselves in record numbers. Filled
with despair, confusion and hopelessness, they see
suicide as the only answer to the hurt inside of
them. These feelings are brought on by all of the
introduced behaviors, physical abuse, mental abuse,
sexual abuse, etc. In addition to those, there is
extreme poverty, alcoholism and drug addictions that
lead to a life of loneliness and a feeling of
absolutely no self-worth. A generation that feels so
unloved, misplaced and rejected by society is
searching desperately for an answer to the pain in
their inner being.
“Where is the church?
Where is the church?”
That is the cry ringing out from the ministries that
are passionately attempting to reach this generation
and this population with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
America, we are part of the world, and it is time
that the Church starts turning some her attention
and resources toward our own homeland. The First
Americans are in desperate need of the truth and the
hope that a relationship with Christ will bring. It
is time for the church to arise, with the fire of
the Holy Spirit and sacrificially lay ourselves over
a forgotten people like Paul did over the deceased
boy in Acts 20.
It is time that the resurrection power of
Christ is manifested in a group of people that hold
the key to America’s spiritual future. Numerous
prophetic words have been spoken that if America is
to see a true end-time revival, it will come through
those who possess the authority over the land. Billy
Graham called the Native Americans the “sleeping
giant.”
I say it is time for the giant
to awake! “These dry bones shall live!”
As an ambassador for Christ,
Indian Ministries of North America, Inc., is
reaching into the hearts of the Native youth across
America. For the last few years, our goal and vision
has become focused on igniting a fire into a
generation of bold warriors. We have made a
commitment to teach, train, and release Covenant
Warriors into the footprints of Christ. Therefore, a
group of young leaders, who are passionate about
their relationship with Christ, is rising up and
storming the gates of Hell to rescue their families
and peers.
Many of
these new leaders have experienced the spirit of
suicide first hand. They have had family members and
close friends fall prey to this demonic beast that
is prowling the earth. Evident through their
personal testimonies, most have had to confront this
spiritual attack in their own lives. As testified to
by a young Navajo teen,
“My home life was always a
continual argument, no one got along with each other
and the split was coming. I began to cut, to show my
parents the pain they were causing me and it became
easier each time. The demonic oppression became so
heavy that I couldn’t take it anymore! I tied a rope
around my neck and over the closet rod. I jumped
from a chair, and as I was gasping for my last
breath, something cut the cord. I lay face down,
passed out on the floor for some time, but when I
awoke, there was an overwhelming presence of God in
my room. He spoke to me and said, “‘You cannot end
it this way. I have a purpose for your life!’ God
cut the cord!”
In
contrast, this summer I stood at the casket of a
12-year-old Lakota boy on the Pine Ridge Indian
Reservation in South Dakota. He had been enjoying
the fellowship of Christian youth at a day camp.
However, he didn’t have the strength to combat the
devouring attack of the enemy that was waiting to
ambush him at home. His grandmother found him with a
rope around his neck. God gave us favor as this
traditional family asked our Christian youth to sing
at the wake. With tears streaming down their faces,
the Navajo youth stood beside his casket and sang
about the love, joy and hope that come through
Christ.
It is impossible to know
what walls were chipped away as Lakota families were
open to see the love of Christ in the caring faces
of the Navajo teens. There were 4 other teen
suicides this same week and another 7 after we left
the Pine Ridge area. We are receiving calls about
the increase in suicides in other reservations as
Satan tries to destroy
a chosen generation.
Areas of
the Native American land have the highest poverty
rate in our nation and life expectancy is many times
lower than anywhere in the western hemisphere except
for Haiti…..hope
must arise.
These are the
stories that are a part of everyday life for Native
American youth. Some are joyful interventions of the
resurrection power of the Holy Spirit, and some are
full of desperation questions for lost loved ones.
What will the next story be? Where
will it come from? What Native American youth will
hear the Word and realize the hope that comes from a
redeemed life?
Enough is
enough! It is time to arise and stir the
“sleeping giant.” It is time to put this
spirit of suicide under our feet!
We need
the church NOW! Arise and join together with IMNA
and our Native youth team to storm the gates of Hell
and take these youth from the mouth of the devourer.
We are looking for 250 churches over the next 6
months to stand with us and commit to prayer and a
financial investment for the next 3 years. This will
allow us to go into some of the most desperate areas
and give them HOPE.
If you will help make a difference, make an
investment TODAY
Lives are depending on it
Thank you for visiting our site. Come back soon!
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