September 14

Dear Friends and Family,

I had some “cute” things to write to you, but a tragedy struck one of our school families – a sibling of one of our students took her own life. When our Principal asked me to step outside, I couldn’t imagine why his eyes filled with tears. Each of us had a different reaction, from a horrible sinking sensation, to feeling like we’d been socked in the stomach, to nausea. And with God’s help, we made it through the day.

This precious daughter had struggled. She was being raised by a grandmother because of an unhealthy home life. (In Navajo a grandmother could also be your grandmother’s sister because the family ties are so intertwined.) The daughter was making emotional and spiritual progress.  She had enrolled in a small Bible college in September and appeared to be happy and doing well.  We rejoiced to see God working.

The enemy is very real and evil. Our student struggled when he first came, but has made significant  strides academically and socially. We have seen improvement in the areas of responsibility, attitude, and listening to God’s Word. But as we rejoiced to see these steps of progress, the enemy sought to steal his peace by destroying a life.

Suicide is recognized as a huge problem on the Rez, and many programs have been established to raise awareness and offer help and prevention services. The death of so many young people is blamed on their feelings that their prospects are limited (due to poverty and unemployment and family pressures) and an increasing threat of drugs and crime. According to what I have read, American Indians and Alaska Natives have the highest rates of suicide compared to other ethnic groups. There is not a word for suicide in their native language, and often the problem is not addressed honestly.

Our Pastor encouraged us to rally around the family with love, comfort, food, and prayer for comfort. I couldn’t sing “Blessed Be Your Name” because my heart was aching at seeing the grandmother and the student crying as they heard the words: Blessed be Your Name on the road marked with suffering, though there’s pain in the offering...when the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say, “Blessed by the name of the Lord.”

Please pray for our student, and his family, and for the students at the college where the young lady attended. We do not understand, but we do have a loving God who is more than capable of bearing our burdens and struggles.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come   by Glenn Robertson

All who are thirsty

All who are weak

Just come to the fountain

Dip your heart in the stream of life

Let the pain and the sorrow

Be washed away

In the waves of His mercy

As deep cries out to deep

We sing, come, Lord Jesus, come

Thank you for your ministry with us,