Three years ago, Lifeway Women Events embarked on a gigantic faith journey with our God. He called forth an invitation to believe Him for ministry in a desert land with a people we did not know. He asked us to trust Him for ministry, for every kind of resources, for solutions where there were huge challenges. He promised that He was in it and He would provide.
And He did. He provided scholarships—lots of scholarships—from so many of you. He provided women to pray, supplies, hundreds of volunteers, counselors, and event team workers. He provided authentic worship through Travis Cottrell and his praise team and a Holy Spirit-inspired message through Beth Moore.
Beth and our team spent three days on Native American soil, breathing their air, listening to their stories, and falling in love with them. Every member of the team had the same experience with this beautiful, gentle, sincere people.
We were grateful to have been invited into their world. We were full of anticipation to see God work, as He had promised, in miraculous ways. Every preparation was painstakingly made for what was mostly unknown. How many would come? Would they all be women? Would they be receptive to the Word of God?
And then the doors opened. There was a small line of Native American women, and they entered with so many questions. There had never been a Christian event in this arena before. Nothing like this on their land before. Whether they came out of curiosity or with a notion of what it would be like, they came. Women of all ages, children, and lots of men.
Nearly 3,000 filled the the seats in the arena. They were wide eyed with expectancy of what was about to happen. As the music started, they filled the floor and the aisles with raucous worship. Some remained in their seats waiting to see what this was all about.
When worship concluded, Beth made her way to the small platform in the middle of the arena. She humbly welcomed each one and expressed her deep appreciation for the invitation to be on their land, in their community. God enabled her to invoke every ounce of what she had experienced in her time with them into her message. She told her story and taught Scripture that poured water on dry souls. Love and hope rose up in that arena, and we could see the visible evidence on the faces in the crowd.
They responded by the hundreds to the call for prayer. They leaned in to the women who had been praying for them for months. They opened their hearts, told their stories and received the prayers for freedom, hope, and encouragement.
The gospel was presented clearly, and so many responded to the call for salvation. More than 50 made first time decisions and others clarified their commitment to Jesus. For Paula, who initiated and carried the vision for this event for three years, there was an extra measure of grace. She had been praying for her sister to come to Christ for 25 years. When the invitation was given, her sister was one of the first to the altar. Glory!!
When the event concluded, the group was invited to participate in impromptu baptism at the church just around the corner. Pastors were waiting, along with those who would hold towels and assist in changing rooms. It was raw and powerful to watch these 18 women, one after the other, confirm their commitments in baptism outside in a horse trough with dozens of rejoicing witnesses. It was a slice of heaven.
Watch the recap video:
As the sun set in the desert that night, we knew there had been remarkable transformation. Seeds had been planted, salvation had come, freedom and hope had had been re-born. Our love for God’s people in this desert land had been confirmed, and we were assured of a greater harvest yet to come.
Our prayer is for God to open doors for ongoing ministry with this land. Their needs are great, and God knows that. May He continue to send resources of all kinds, and may He continue to use us in this ongoing faith adventure.
Betsy Langmade is an event coordinator on the Adult Ministry Live Events team. She is the lead coordinator for our Living Proof Live events with Beth Moore, and she had the privilege of coordinating this event held in Chinle, AZ.
