On Eagles Wings - Ron Hutchcraft Ministries

The On Eagles' Wings team is living so many answers to your prayers!

This was a crossroads moment for this young team of warriors – what we called our Divine doubleheader! We had arrived in an area where there are two reservations, an hour apart. It was not until the last days of Warrior Leadership Summit, when God had doubled the number of warriors we had, that we knew we could divide this team and reach two reservations at the same time.

We've needed every warrior for the first two reservations – and now each team would have half as many. For, as God would have it, the largest crowds yet of this Summer of Hope! This would test these young men and women to their limits.

I'll be reporting this time on the mission to Reservation #3, the South Fork Reservation. Brad Hutchcraft, RHM's Director of Native Ministries, will be reporting next time on how God answered your prayers on the Eagle Crest Reservation, our Reservation #4.

Reservation #3 - South Fork Reservation

At 3:00 PM on the day of our first of two outreaches, virtually no one here knew On Eagles' Wings was coming. It was only days ago that we were able to tell our missionary host that we had enough warriors to come to South Fork. So when our team of 25 went canvassing house-to-house through the neighborhoods of the main town, people were hearing about that night's 3-on-3 basketball tournament (a big draw for the big guys) for the first time.

What surprised us was how receptive the people were. It wasn't that way when the team was here years ago. This is a warrior people who we had found to be hard and untrusting. But something had happened since our last mission here. Regular prayer walks have happened! Our missionary pastor host has repeatedly taken teams out to pray on every street, at every house on the reservation. The darkness has been pushed back by the light, and hearts are softer, more open.

So, our half-sized team was overwhelmed as some 250 people flooded into the park where our events were going on. When one team member rushed into town to round up some last-minute supplies we needed, she kept finding that stores were closing early – because "we're all going to your event!"

Again, we were so proud of our warriors. They couldn't get to everybody, but they all got to several somebodies. I watched with prayer on my lips as ominous skies and dark lightning moved our way – and then shifted direction to skirt to our north. That lightning electrified the sky for an hour, just beyond our outreach.

One local leader said she couldn't believe who was there that night. "Guys I've never seen sober before." "Six of the eleven biggest drug dealers on this rez are here tonight – and they're never seen at the same place!" Hardcore basketball players and many who had come to watch were riveted by Zack's (Nez Perce) Hope Story – doing and dealing drugs on his reservation. Until he saw his younger, pre-teen siblings following his example. That's when he turned his life over to Jesus – and found life for real. Immediately one basketball player made a beeline for Zack. In moments, there they were there praying together, right on the court. The OEW warriors led 22 South Fork young people to Christ that night.

Night Two, our final night, the crowd matched or exceeded the night before. Jarrod (Sioux) powerfully proclaimed from center court the Cross of Christ. Then he challenged the people there to do "the most radical, most important thing you've ever done" – to step out from their friends and come to center court to declare the commitment of their life to Jesus Christ. He said, "This is a choice that can bring life to your people." I was in my vehicle, praying out loud for a South Fork breakthrough.

Suddenly, one of the biggest basketball players there stepped out and walked without hesitation to center court. Other big guys stepped out from all over both basketball courts, joined by young people coming from all directions! The Holy Spirit was sweeping across that park, doing His saving work! The scene of all those young people in a holy huddle at center court is something that will not soon be forgotten.

Roxanne (Cherokee) led a young woman to Christ who had left this reservation and ended up as a prostitute on the streets of Houston. When she said, "I have no one," Roxanne said, "That's not true anymore. You have Jesus now – and He'll never leave you." Travis (Sioux) connected with an old acquaintance from his reservation – who he'd gone to jail with! Travis said, "He led me to jail. I just led him to Christ!" Brandon (Navajo), who had given his powerful Hope Story for the first time that night, ended up talking with the leaders of one of the rez's violent gangs. Amazingly, he confessed, "I want to change" – he hasn't surrendered to Jesus yet, but his heart seems ready. Another young woman prayed to receive Christ as her violent former girlfriends taunted her and threatened her with physical harm. Welcome to the reservation.

The past two nights, God made a powerful appearance on the South Fork Reservation. This can be the beginning of an historic breakthrough among this warrior people. When our missionary partner there boarded the bus and was handed the stack of new believers to follow-up, he literally shouted out loud. I told our team, "We have walked on the ground that this man and his people have prayed over step-by-step. Tonight, we have lived the answers to his prayers." And not only his, but yours.

Meanwhile, an intense battle was raging for the rest of the team at Eagle Crest. What happened there will be the subject of our next report from Brad Hutchcraft.

We appreciate your continued prayer as we travel from reservation to reservation expecting God-sized miracles!

*All names changed for privacy.