Time Away With Our Youth...

By John Book

    I knew as soon as we began to plan this year’s fall retreat that it was going to be different, new, exciting, and full of memories. It did not disappoint! We had close to fifty students attending this year from two different reservations, a ton of activities, and great speakers. 

    The most popular activity this year, by far, was paintball. We were blessed to have a company come in and run everything for us. From the guns, the gear, and even the specific games we played; they came ready to give us a good time. I did not see one unhappy face coming from the field. Everyone had a blast. 

    A new aspect of our retreat this year was a special time set aside for a service project. I thought for sure it would not have been accepted by the students, but I was totally wrong. The youth took full advantage of the opportunity and did a great job cleaning up brush, and cutting up wood for the American Indian Christian Mission, the location where the retreat was held. I was extremely proud of them. 

     It's no question that God moved at the retreat this year. Through the worship, the speaking, and the small groups; He moved through the lives of our youth. Something else new this year was bringing in a guest speaker, someone that was on the level of our kids and can speak to them in ways that we as an AYM staff could not. Joe Donnell, a Sioux native from South Dakota, brought a powerful series on a new hope for a new generation. He really brought home our theme this year, New generation, new hope. Though it sounds simple, the theme as a whole was extremely complex, and Joe was able to embody the that theme into his series. Our kids learned that no matter what we have done previously, we are all made new in Christ. 

      God provided a great weekend in which we, as a staff, were able to grow closer with out youth, and it was no question that the students had an awesome time. We heard from many of them after the weekend was over that they wished it had lasted longer! Was it exhausting? Yes. Was everyone ready for a couple days straight of sleep? Yes. But I don't think any of us would have traded it for anything. Thank you to all those who made this Fall retreat possible!

Teaching Jesus, Changing Lives...

By Meredith Carpenter

What is one thing that no one can ever look cool doing? 

This was the ice breaker at our Tuesday night Bible study last week and the answers were hilarious. They ranged from brushing your teeth to walking out of a port-a-potty, and we all laughed until we cried. Though these questions are just for fun, it has been great seeing our students become more comfortable with us as a staff. 

For the past few months our numbers have been spectacular. We have had around 30 kids at our Bible Study. . .when we used to have only 8! At the Rising, our Thursday night event, there have been up to 90 students in attendance. But what has been most encouraging recently is not the super high numbers, but the low ones. Each of us as a staff have been intentionally investing in five students. We work to understand their lives, their families, and their performance at school. Through focusing down on five students each we have been able to be attentive to their needs as we speak Scripture into their lives and pray with them when times get hard. It has been a rewarding process of discipleship. 

Another number that was encouraging was the number 35. Last week when we told our students that we would not be hanging out at the Kennel after the worship service, we watched over 50 students walk out the door. But 35 stayed. 35 students resisted the peer pressure to leave and made a statement that they were there to learn more about Jesus Christ and how He can impact their lives. It was perhaps one of the Rising’s finest moments. 

Here at AYM we are not about numbers, we are about lives changed and transformed by the power of Jesus Christ. But we are also grateful that so many students walk through our doors and that we have the chance to speak truth into their hearts, (as well as have fun).

Boots On The Ground

By Lydia Humphries

How I met your Mother, Friends, and Cheers, are all Television shows about a group of people who live, love and learn together. They (as we in the church world like to say), “do life” together.  Mixed with the occasional crude humor, these shows are wildly popular for a reason. They depict something that is attractive to our culture, we desire to have a group of people who know and love us unconditionally, and who will always be there for us. The lyrics for the theme songs state these things plainly. You want to go “Where everybody knows your name” and live in a place where someone says “I’ll be there for you”. We desire to be known and loved, and accepted in a community of people. 

As of the end of September, our team at AYM has added its most recent member, and we have come together remarkably. Our full team is now assembled of six people ranging from ages 23 to 32. Our original homes are spread across the map from places like Indiana, Georgia, Maryland, Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas. We are diverse in many fashions. We like opposing sports teams and types of sports, a wide variety of music and movies, we even have a few different views in politics. It would appear on the outside that people with such varied views, likes, and dislikes would be bound for disaster, but that’s not the case. When people flow in and out of our lives throughout the summer and the year, people like our students, short term teams, or visiting churches, there is one thing that remains. They see something in us, an identifying factor that we all share. 

Admittedly, our youth doesn’t always know what they are seeing. They simply see the way we love each other as brothers and sisters, but they don’t quite get it. They see the friendly banter or the love in the acts of service we provide for one another, but they can’t always identify the reason they desire to be around us more.

Do you know what they’re seeing? It took me a while to label it myself. When they witness authentic community they are seeing Jesus. They see the way we mutually submit to one another, the way we share our joys and our burdens, and the hope is that they want to participate, that they want to be part of something where love and grace abound in a powerful way. They look at our team, but what we hope is that they are actually seeing Jesus. 

As a team we have discussed how humbling it is to have Christ working in us so strongly. We are truly nothing special. What is special, is Christ in us, and His light that draws others to Himself. If it was up to us alone I doubt anyone would take a second glance, but because He shines through us we are able to live in authentic community that calls each other to a higher purpose. We are able to share what a family in Christ looks like with our youth, and hopefully, bring them into our family as well.

Paintball, Jesus, and Kids...oh my!

When your weekend includes hiding in the woods, bonfires, paintball, and community meals, you know it is going to be good.

I am happy to announce that our Fall Retreat was an absolute success. With approximately 30 kids (plus 2 from the Navajo rez) we were able to build relationships, discuss deeper issues, and have a lot of fun while we were at it. Here are some pictures to give you a better idea of the weekend...and thank you to those who helped support the retreat!

With our great friends from the Navajo reservation during the basketball tournament. 

Look at the joy on their faces! 

So much love!

During our service project, collecting wood for American Christian Mission 

Hard workers! 

These guys volunteered to do the dishes. We might invite them over to our house next! 

Paintball! 

What a blessing and a privilege to work alongside these kids! 

Welcome to the Blog!

Well, hello there! 

Welcome to the new and improved AYM blog!

To be truthful, the only thing “new and improved” is that we are actually going to start keeping this thing updated regularly. We at AYM rely so much on your support and encouragement, therefore we want to do a better job of keeping you up to date with our needs, prayer requests, joys, and happenings here in the White Mountains. Are you excited?

Now that you are here, I (Meredith) would like to introduce you all to something else new(ish)- our AYM team! God has been doing a great work and has brought together an incredible team (if I can say so myself). 

From left to right: Ron (who began AYM), Meredith, Lydia, Tiffany, Alvina, Seth, and John (in the back). Sarah is not pictured, but no less important!

I (Meredith) am the latest to arrive, having been here for just a week. Over the next months I hope you will get to know each of us on the team a little better through this blog. But today, I want to ask for you to join with us in a very awesome endeavor:

The Rising presents: Fall Retreat!

This is one of our key events for the students that attend our Thursday night youth event. It is a great opportunity for us to get to know our students better in a setting away from the reservation. The weekend includes music, messages, paintball, bonfires, and other fun things. We really love these retreats, but in order for them to continue (and for us to pull this one off) we need your help!

We are currently in need of $800 to fully fund our Fall retreat, which is coming up on October 11-13. This helps fund the cost of food for the weekend, the speaker we are bringing in, and other aspects of the retreat. We would love for you to partner with us to make this a life-changing weekend for our students. 

Click here to donate to our Fall retreat!

In addition, we ask that you mark October 11-13 on your calendar and be in prayer for us. Pray for our student’s hearts to be open to the messages they will hear. Pray that they will come to us as staff with their questions and concerns, and pray that our relationships with our students will be deepened. I know I can speak for all of our staff when I say that we love these kids and we truly desire to see transformation in their lives through the power of Christ and His healing love. 

Thanks for sticking by us as a ministry and for putting this great blog on your bookmarks bar (hint hint). We are forever grateful for your continual love and support. 

Sincerely,

The AYM team 

2012 Warrior Leadership Summit

by Meredith Carpenter

It had been a long week filled with dehydrations, foot injuries, and a great lack of sleep, but sitting in that circle under the lamppost I could feel God’s presence among us. We had brought twelve students to the Warrior Leadership Summit in Missouri, a conference for Native Americans aged 15-30, and my expectations had been exceeded. When the week began I had been the new intern, having spent only a couple weeks on the reservation, and from the first 26 hours on a bus I knew it was going to be a week of new experiences. The conference was a gathering of over six hundred native students with over one hundred tribes represented. We spent six days hearing the truth about the power of God unleashed in our lives, building relationships, and doing a good amount of swimming, snacking, and laughing. The six days we spent in Missouri were life-changing for our students. I watched as they slowly transformed throughout the week. Slowly they became more unified, more responsive to the messages, and more open to us as leaders. On the last day we gathered as a group as we had done each day and we asked the students to confess one thing that they wanted to change when they got back to the reservation. We were amazed at how God was pulling at and fighting for their hearts and their lives. Only six days earlier these students had been closed off and unresponsive. Now I watched as each of them opened up to the group, putting themselves in a position of great vulnerability, confessing what was wrong in their lives that they needed to change. Our students broke down to tears as they spoke of giving in to sexual sin, stealing, and living life for all the wrong things.It was a moment none of us leaders expected, but we were thrilled. This conference had been the push some of our students needed to turn their lives around. As we got back to the reservation we continued to watch our students thrive. They planned events so they could hang out with each other and weeks later still had new life in their eyes. They were changed by the work of God when they were in Missouri, and we watched as these students committed to working hard and to staying strong and unified back in the battlefield that is their home. 

The battle is far from over for our students so we ask that you pray for the twelve that went to WLS, as well as for the impact that they can have on the other students that come to the Kennel. They are full of potential and we a praying that they have a great impact on the reservation. 

This opportunity for our students was made possible in part by donations and sponsorships from supporters like you. We are so grateful for the way that God provides for our students through your prayers and financial support, so from all of our students, thank you! 

2012 Hoops On The Rez

By John Book

Each year, basketball coaches from all across the country come together for something special and exciting. A basketball camp called Hoops on the Rez. In its ninth year, Hoops on the Rez saw its largest number of Apache Youth in its existence, with over 150 Apaches from elementary thru high school. Not only did they enjoy the insights on basketball, but also a daily devotion into Gods Word. Learning valuable lessons such as; winning with a good attitude, the importance of being a good teammate, and finishing strong when things are hard. This years Hoops on the Rez in one word could be described as, amazing!

            However, this year the minds that put together this amazing camp did something a bit different. Each year when we see the students it is sometimes difficult to pick out the ones who really have a passion for the game of basketball, but this year we had a couple of students who the coaches asked to come back for a special "Elite" camp. Which was only for the students who really wanted to work, and put in the time for individual improvement. As a college basketball player myself for three years, I can say from experience that if you want to become a better basketball player, you have to be willing to work on individuals. This consists of dribbling drills, shooting drills, and conditioning drills that you do on your own, or with a partner. They are not easy! Especially when you have seasoned coaches like Jake Deer of Florida Christian College, and Jon Everingham of Dekalb High School at the helm. With the years each of these coaches had, they had plenty of drills to teach the players, as well as put the players through specific drills for there playing spot. These coaches worked the students till they could go no more, but they became better players because of it.

Hoops on the Rez "Elite"

            Though Hoops on the Rez has only been a camp for only nine years, the bonds and the friendships are ones that will last a lifetime. Not only the bonds between the coaches and staff, but also between the staff and the Apache youth. Without a doubt I believe that each staff member, weather basketball coach or just someone that came to help, that has ever been to Hoops can tell you they are still in contact with at least one Apache still on the Rez. If there is something more special than that, I dare you to prove me wrong. The friendships are special, the coaching is special, and Hoops on the Rez is just that, special.

            The entire AYM staff is so appreciative of the sacrifice everyone made to be here this year. Weather if you were from Ohio, Indiana, or Florida, we thank you for being a part of this camp. I hope we can have even more next year, after all it will be the 10th year anniversary of Hoops on the Rez. Now that is Special!!