Across Nations Celebrates 86

Colossians 2: 6-7 — Grow in Christ

*Follow Him simply in faith

*Drop roots deep down in Christ

*Build my life on Him alone

*Grow my faith in truth

*Overflow with thankfulness

This October 6-8, Across Nations celebrated its 86th year of ministry and dedicated the new Radio Center. Howard Clark founded the mission first as a Bible School in 1937, with the urgent desire to equip Navajo pastors and teachers. He must be praising God to see how the ministry has grown in depth and breadth. The new radio building, constructed of cargo containers, has only a few more knots to tie until we move in the radio equipment and offices.

The radio building was christened the Thomas Woods Media Center. Thomas Woods was a radio personality here before our time, but we learned about him in a strange and wonderful way. We dropped in at Gray’s Rock Shop (Holbrook) on our way back from Flagstaff a few years ago. In chatting with the clerk, we told him we were from Tse Bonito. He got excited and asked if we knew about the Christian Radio station there. We confirmed that we did. He told us that he got saved by listening to Thomas Woods on KWIM, and he has never gone back to his old life! As a young man, he learned to follow Jesus in faith because of the teaching of Thomas Woods in his native language.

One of the men who is pictured in the old photos that were displayed  is Hastiin Notah. He worked right alongside Howard Clark in preaching and teaching all over the Navajo Reservation. At the celebration, we were privileged to meet his granddaughter.  Hastiin Notah dropped his roots deep down in Christ when it certainly went against the cultural current of his day. The Notah Retreat Center on the hill was named to honor him.

At the Banquet (and the Radio Building Dedication) Pastor Milt  led us in prayer. Pastor Milt has a great story of conversion himself.  But to our surprise and delight, at the Banquet, the father of one of our students leaned over to me after Pastor Milt was introduced and said, “I was strung out on coke for ten years, and Pastor Milt visited me in jail.” That father has turned his life around and built his life on Jesus alone. He and his wife are raising good kids who also love Jesus. 

The first quarter is over, and we are preparing for Parent-Teacher Conferences this week.  It’s beyond our wisdom to know what to say. We are teaching academics, but our main purpose is to lead these children to our loving God and salvation through Jesus Christ. We want to teach them the truth of God’s Word so their faith will grow in truth.

We heard another amazing story this weekend. We thought this radio project would be completed three years ago, but the State kept changing the rules. Originally the churches that donated the containers were going to finish the inside and deliver them ready to “plug and play.” Well, the State changed the permit and said that it had to be built here on site. That took additional time and required us to hire workers. But we here at Across Nations are overflowing with thankfulness because eight men have met Jesus and been saved because they worked here where they were loved and led to Jesus.

As for prayer this month:

We are looking for a fourth grade teacher.

Pray for our conferences that are coming up.

Love,

R and S

Christmas

December 25, 2022

Merry Christmas to all,

            Just as the shepherd boy David arrived with his sling at the perfect time to defeat the giant Goliath, David’s greater Son arrived on earth when we needed Him to overpower the twin giants of sin and death! (Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.) Generations of believing Jews had prayed for and watched for the Messiah.

            In our Hilltop Christian School Christmas Program we shared through songs, verses, narrations, and poems how the puzzle pieces of prophecies fit together to show Jesus is the Promised One. Each class told a part of the story. Third grade shepherds and preschool angels made an appearance, and we closed with a jubilant song – Joy to the World. Jesus came and He is returning again in His time.

            The Christmas Program was another one of those “God brings it together in His timing” events. The week of the program, a water-leak emergency kept us from having school at all on Monday and Tuesday; so Wednesday we practiced only during music class, and Thursday (the morning of the program) we had a run- through. That evening we gathered for the program at a church in Gallup that the students had never seen. We had no time to fret about the lack of rehearsals and left the results up to the Lord. “We loved how the gospel was woven into the entire program,” said one Grandma. “It all went so smoothly,” remarked several people. Others blessed us saying the Christmas message came through and was very encouraging and enjoyable.

            Speaking of “in the fullness of time”: in August we did not have a 4^th grade teacher. At the last minute, our reliable substitute, who had taught at Hilltop previously, said she’d teach for a semester. She came and started the class on a good path, but last week when break began, she needed to leave. We’ve been praying for a new teacher; and on that last Friday morning, we rejoiced because another substitute stepped in to finish the year! Just in God’s timing. 

            As we watch and pray, we rest in God’s perfect timing as the leadership in the Navajo Nation has changed, and it is not clear how the government will respond to Christians and Conservatives. We continue also to pray for a Principal for Hilltop Christian School. Cindy  is doing a wonderful job in the interim, but she’s added another hat to the already teetering stack on her head.

            We wish you all a very blessed Christmas, for unto us a Child is born. Unto us a Son is Given.         (Isaiah 9:6)

 

Love,

S and R