A History Lesson

Joshua Tsavatewa is the Children's Director at Sacred Road Ministries. He recently sent out the update below regarding a trip he took with Wendell Lee, a Yakama elder back to the east coast. He talks about the Indian Boarding Schools and their place in Native American history. It is very well done and, with his permission, I thought many of you might be interested in learning more about this.

As you read, keep in mind the ministry Joshua has with the children of the Yakama Nation. Joshua could use partners to come alongside him in prayer and finances. Financial partners that might come alongside him to help with his personal support as well as to fully fund the needs of the Children's Ministry. If the Lord so moves, here is the link.

Dear Friends and Family.

“And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel – and God knew.”  Exodus 2:24-25

We recently covered the story of Moses with the children and this passage has been on my mind, and it’s long been one of my favorites. I love the sequence of God hears, God remembers, God sees, God knows, and then God MOVES, as the story of the Exodus then unfolds. His timing is not always ours but He is always at work. 

I’ve also thought about that passage because of recent events. At the end of September, Wendell Lee and I traveled to Pennsylvania for the East Coast Talking Circle. While we were there we went to Carlisle to see the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. In my letters, I haven’t talked about much of the past regarding Native history, and most of you have a general grasp of the tragic history.

Sadly, few know of the legacy of the boarding schools. Until the 1970s, thousands and thousands of Indian children were taken (often by force) from their families and raised by strangers while their culture was systematically destroyed and/or undermined. There are countless stories of neglect, abuse, mistreatment, and death. The schools were always run by whites and usually had Christian denominational ties. The schools have left many scars on Native communities, and the influence is especially seen today with many parents and grandparents who do not know how to love or care for children, as they were not loved as a child.

Carlisle was the first Indian Boarding School, and its founder famously said, “Kill the Indian, and save the man.” So when Wendell and I went to Carlisle, it was with very heavy and sad hearts. It was made even worse when we visited the old campus. It’s now a military base with no memorial to what happened. There’s barely any recognition of the hurt and pain that Native communities experienced and still feel today that came from those schools. Wendell and I had just been at The Talking Circle where we both shared about how Native communities feel forgotten, invisible, and ignored. Then we visited Carlisle to see one of the most important events in Native history brushed off. It’s not exactly the same, but imagine if Auschwitz were a giant German military base today with a few plaques? 

Carlisle, and every other Indian Boarding School, has a cemetery. 186 children are buried there. A few weeks ago, Anglican Bishop Mark MacDonald spoke here on the Yakama Reservation regarding the Truth and Reconciliation Process in Canada and the trauma of Canadian Boarding Schools. He pointed out, “What kind of schools have cemeteries?”  At Carlisle, and all the others, hundreds of children died, and when you read their stories, it breaks your heart. I walked through the cemetery at Carlisle and read off the names – names that also belong to children I work with: Charles, Alfred, Maggie, Anthony, Lucy, Leah, Robert, Elizabeth, Percy, and so on. I also thought about the pain and heartache they face because of what was inflicted on their grandparents and passed on to them. 

There’s a lot of pain, death, hurt, and sadness in Native communities, and when I got back to the Rez, it all kind of overwhelmed me. I began to feel overcome by grief and despair. I talked with Chuck about my trip to Carlisle and it became clear that I can be nowhere else but here, working with the kids here to give them hope in the light of Christ. I thought of John 6 when many disciples leave Jesus and Jesus asks Peter, “Do you want to go away as well?” Peter responds, “Where are we going to go? You have eternal life.” At times, it appears the light is going to be snuffed out and darkness will triumph. However, we, like Anna and Simeon, hold on to the promise, and believe in the one who has eternal life. 

We also know that the story of The Exodus is replayed over and over again in our lives and in others. God hears His people’s cry, remembers His covenant, sees the pain and hurt, knows our weakness and that we are dust, and then He Himself comes to deliver us. 

I write all this so you can have more insights into what we face here and how you can pray for us. I know God’s people have been praying for White Swan for many years and He is moving here. It’s a wonderful thing! Many are coming to faith and walking with God. But there are 310 Reservations in the USA, and 961 Reserves in Canada and I don’t know about the Indigenous communities of Latin America. But there are hundreds of pockets of poverty and darkness with layer upon layer of sin and sadness. Thank you for your continued prayer and support and please pray especially that God would bring more people and reach more Native Peoples. Pray that God’s people cry out on behalf of Native people, that God would hear His people, and He would move in Native communities. 

Here a couple of links if you want to find out more about boarding schools:

Here’s a great article from the Washington Post regarding a visit to Carlisle, and the story of Ernest, son of Chief White Thunder.

Rabbit Proof Fence is the best movie dealing with boarding schools. Aboriginal boarding schools, but basically the exact same as what happened here. Here’s the Trailer. Watch it; it’s a powerful movie. 

Here are some pictures I took at Carlisle. 

Requests:

Please pray for us during the Christmas season. It’s very busy and the roads can get icy.

Please pray for me as I’m now teaching the lesson for the Middle School kids

Praises:

We’ve been averaging 70 teenagers for Youth Group on Tuesdays, and as a result split them so the High school kids meet downstairs and the Middle School kids meet upstairs. It’s a great problem to have too many kids!

We took a record 95 teenagers to the Corn Maze in October, and it was a huge success, lots of fun, and a great outreach. 

We had an awesome Art Day in November! You can read and see more about it by clicking here. 

Grace and Peace,

Joshua Tsavatewa

Cell 509-930-0100

www.sacredroadministries.com

jtsavatewa.blogspot.com

jtsavatewa2002@yahoo.com

youtube.com/sacredroad

Address (mail)                             

PO Box 223                                 

Harrah, WA 98933                                              

Address (support)

Sacred Road Ministries

PO Box 400

Harrah, WA 98933

Financial Update

After seven-plus months of fundraising it seemed appropriate to provide an update as to where we are at in this process and where we still have to go.

As it stands today, the Lord has provided pledges from many people that total 78% of our annual budget needed. Many have already started giving to the account that is set up at Sacred Road. When we add the amount of cash that is building up in this account plus the pledges, the total is almost 59% of the two year budget amount that the SRM Board requires for us to move out to the Reservation.

We think this is incredible and awesome!  We have been so encouraged by everyone that has heard our story and responded by committing to pray for us and support us financially.

I'm currently moving full speed ahead and transitioning clients at work. Engaging in many interesting and some strange conversations with clients and other professionals as I tell them what I am going to be doing. All for the glory of God, I pray.

What does this mean?  We need another 22% of our budget before we can start the process of selling our home and moving to the Reservation. It would be great to have these funds raised by the end of October so we can move to the Reservation in January 2015, go to cross-cultural training in February and come back to begin ministry in March.

If you are already supporting us financially, thank you so much.  We are very grateful.  We are really looking forward to seeing how the Lord uses this partnership in our lives, your lives and in the lives of people on the Reservation.

If you have thought about supporting us financially, we would humbly ask that you start now.  The Lord will guide you in this, we just ask that you pray about it and consider how you can be involved with us in this ministry.

If you know of someone that might be interested in this ministry, we would love to share our story with them.

We are looking for churches who would consider partnering with us as well.  If you think your church missions committee could be interested in Sacred Road Ministries we would love to be able to talk with them.

Darren, Susie, Emily and Rachel Maxfield
425-652-1910
dhmaxfield@gmail.com
maxfieldsintheshadow.blogspot.com
sacredroadministries.com

Ed Harper is Awesome!

We would like to give a big shout out (as the kids like to say) to Ed Harper.  He ran a marathon this morning down in LA in 4:07:26.  Way to go! I'd be lucky if I could ride a bicycle 26.2 miles in 4 hours.

But more than just running the marathon, Ed used this as a way to raise money for us to go to Sacred Road. We don't know the final total of funds raised, but as soon as we do we'll let everyone know.

It has been a blessing to us to know that we have friends like Ed (and his wife Marcia and kids) that love Sacred Road.  To give of themselves, their time, and their money for Sacred Road is awesome.

If you would like to continue to support Ed and his efforts, here's how you can do that:

1. Checks can be mailed to:  Sacred Road Ministries, PO Box 400, Harrah, WA  98933.  Include "Maxfield" in the memo line of your check.

2. You can give via PayPal on the website if you go to the giving page, check the box by our name and follow the prompts.   www.sacredroadministries.com

3.  If you would like to make this a monthly donation, you can also go to your bank and have them set up to write automatic checks each month and mail to the above address at Sacred Road.  You'll also need to include "Maxfield" in the memo line of your check.

Thank you Ed and for everyone that supported him in prayer and financial contribution.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

This fundraising process is very interesting.  The word interesting used more in the sense of a car accident you can't look away from rather than a good book you can't put down.

The whole idea of having to ask people for money to financially support us is not an easy thing.  Particularly when I've been working all my life to establish myself in a career and move up the corporate ladder, so to speak.  To go from "See what I've been able to do" to "I can't do this, I need your help and please pray for me because God's doing His thing here" is quite the adjustment.  Nothing like walking out on a limb.

All the sales type activity I've done in the past is to get people to purchase a service in which they get something back - a tax return, expertise on a certain topic, etc.

Now I'm just selling this idea that in exchange for your money we'll try to change the world.  Well, not really the world, just a small little corner of it.  A small, little, inconsequential part of Washington State.  A part of the state that no one knows about and no one really cares about.  Where people live in obscurity, in a society that doesn't work, with no jobs, no family structure, literally (yes, literally) almost nothing. While the people of this small little corner of the world don't have much of anything, they do have one thing that matters.  One thing that we care about, but more importantly, one thing that the Creator and Redeemer of the Universe cares about.  A heart.  A heart that we pray, will open the door when that Redeemer knocks.

But hey, don't forget, you can get a tax deduction for your contribution!

For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe  yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.  Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.  Revelation 3:17-20