Spur Ministries News

December 2009

2010-02-09T13:20:00.000-08:00

No room in the home! That is the current plight of many on the Navajo Reservation. But two Navajo families have hope for a new Hogan home.

Willie and Raphaelita Foster and their three children are sharing a home with another family of 16 in Dilkon, AZ. They have a rotation for the kitchen/meal preparation and the cleaning. The house has two bedrooms and one bathroom; tempers have to be cool and dreams of privacy a mere fantasy. Willie is trained in construction but out of work for months and Raphaelita worked in housekeeping and has been laid off.

They wrote to me (Spur Ministries) when they heard of Roberta’s new Hogan we built last year…”Even tho, promising may not be there, but we have hope and have faith, that what we’ve requested and enclosed our application it will help us, in anyway with our family we love, and would have a better living environment in the future to come. …”. They listed three other family members who pledged to assist with the construction and ended their application with a blessing on us for the support that has been given to others who have been in need.

Our other family is the Barton family in White Cone, AZ on the Navajo reservation. These are two very similar stories: both enthusiastic about any possibility of shelter, floors without dirt and warmth instead of cold over winter.

With your support we have laid two foundations. Marty Etsitiy, Bob Ekenberry, Mike Stevenson and I, along with many helpers from the families, joined in for the foundation laying. Snow, mud and sleet would not stop us!

Next we will be raising funds, gathering materials, and the building of walls and roofs. We are all walking in faith and hope that God has the provisions for the remaining needs. Please keep us in your prayers and spread the word. We know that we are not just providing shelter but Hope. After only one project last year with Roberta and John, hope has spread again. It is a glorious thing!
“And for this we labor and strive, that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.” 1 Timothy 4:10

God Bless You in this season of Christ’s birth and through out the New Year,

Steve Thompson
Spur Ministries azspur2002@yahoo.com
3453 Spur Lane www.spurministries.com
Show Low, AZ 85901

Spur Ministries Newsletter- June 2009

2010-02-09T13:11:00.000-08:00

Statistics state the fact that Native Americans are faced with some of the worst housing and living conditions in the United States. Spur Ministries and other ministries that work on Arizona reservations see these facts firsthand on a weekly basis. Other facts that factor into the state of poverty are *50% unemployment rate, **low income per capita ($7500 annually), minimal existing jobs or new jobs created and lack of public utilities. Tribes are unable to fund new housing needed for existing families and the list is growing continually. Existing housing funded by the government back in the 1950- 70’s are now in dilapidated conditions. One area on the Navajo Reservation where Spur Ministries is doing missionary work has been set back in development by a ***federal freeze that had been in place for about 40 years. Even if the freeze was immediately lifted there still remains the fact that affected families would have 40 years of catching up to do. Here is where Spur Ministries and partnering ministries are making a difference for families on the reservations.

Our foremost work is in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our desire is that individuals would make a commitment of faith and baptism to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are using the Navajo Hogan Project (subsidiary of Spur Ministries) as a tool to make inroads onto the reservations and as a testimony of our faith and commitment to the peoples of the reservations. Along with ministry partners from Florida and Pennsylvania we completed our first project in December 2008. We felt the Lord’s hand upon us during the duration of the project because local businesses donated needed supplies, equipment and manpower at crucial times. Still, there were times when we didn’t know if the funding would be there, but the Lord provided in His time. Since then word has spread about our work and we have been inundated with requests for help building more homes for Navajo families. With much prayer we are now ready to take on our next hogan project.

Ray Johnson, a single father from White Cone, Arizona, is raising 2 of his 4 children with help from his mother in a wooden shack strapped together with little or no insulation. Ray is an unemployed carpenter who drives 100 miles one way when work is available. With lack of jobs in the White Cone area Ray has turn his attention to raising his boys and caring for his mother’s property. Mr. Marty Etsitty a Navajo Pastor in White Cone estimates that there are less than 80 jobs available for an estimated population of 1600 in an area covering 300 sq. miles. Spur Ministries accepts God’s calling to take the reins in providing Ray and his family with adequate housing.

Currently, we have 5% of the estimated $23,000 needed to make the hogan (house) a reality. In faith we will soon be going to White Cone to stake out the foundation for Ray’s new home. We are asking for prayers and support from you. Please pray for us as we follow Gods’ leading in ministry. Pray that God will touch the hearts of people who will help with finances and work teams. We also invite

individuals or mission teams that are willing to come out and help build new hogans. Please write donation checks to Spur Ministries- in memo put Navajo Hogan Project. Contact us at:

Spur Ministries

C/O Steve Thompson

3453 Spur Lane

Show Low, AZ. 85901

(928) 205- 1279

azspur2002@yahoo.com

www.spurministries.com

View video on youtube.com @ URL- spur ministries Navajo hogan project

Spur Ministries is a non-profit organization with 501(c) (3) status

* 2005-06 Comprehensive economic development strategy of the Navajo Nation

** Navajos largely unscathed by recession (AP) May 16, 2009

*** Bennett Freeze; Navajo/Hopi land dispute

Spur Ministries 2007

2009-08-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

A Navajo lady gave me two lumps of coal for Christmas and told me I was naughty! The rest of
the Navajo men laughed as we gathered around for the church’s Christmas celebration on December 31, 2006.

The Navajo men of the Tse Bii Otseel Church were handing out bags of coal to their community.
Coal here is a hot commodity. Most burn either coal or wood in their potbelly stoves at home.

Many can’t afford the propane fuel to heat their homes and have to rely solely on wood or coal. But thanks to you, Spur ministries was able to donate fuel to a couple of families who ran out of propane around the holidays.

The best gift I received was hearing the old Navajo stories of Christmas’ past. One was from
David Joe; he lives near Keams Canyon on the Hopi reservation. I met David up at the market when I was handing out scarves, hats and blankets to the Hopi children and their families. David took me to his house and showed me something special; an old wooden beam church that was donated by his father.

His dad, (David Joe also) was a Navajo medicine man. He became a Christian in his older years
and went around his community preaching about Jesus. Several of them are believers to this day. During his lifetime David Joe sent his children to church and boarding school. His son asked his dad, “Why did you keep sending me and my sister to the Baptist church and not the Catholic Church in Keams Canyon?” His dad replied, ”Because the Baptist Church gave out more Christmas gifts than the Catholic church!” Through the years when David was about to give up on life, he remembered the hope that was taught during those Christmas Programs and during those Sunday church services. David Joe finally gave his life over to Jesus and is now keeping the little wooden beam church going. In fact some of the gifts that we received from you were handed out during Christmas at his church. Your warmth and love is being shared to children and Navajo families. Thanks to you, the Antelope Springs church can give hope to others in their community. The Christmas gift giving Sundays is an enormous outreach time. For
some it may be the only message that they hear and remember from Christians.
When I talked to David about their physical needs, he said they needed a new roof on the church
building, and a generator so that they can have electricity in their church. So that is one of my projects this year.

Spur Ministries would like to thank you for all the generous gifts that you have donated over this
past year. Thanks to you we have donated clothing, blankets that were made from Georgia, Bibles from Indiana, toys and health products from Florida, and propane from the general fund. We are also truly grateful for the churches and people who donated their gifts to Jimmie Begaye, who lost his home last Christmas. He has been able to resume his silversmith trade. He received temporary shelter and is now going to Tse Bii Otsell Bible Church. (We are still waiting on the paper work from the Navajo tribe to build a permanent structure.)

Thank you Jesus for all the friends, family and super supporters!
Spur ministries is still teaching and preaching down at the Rainbow Treatment Center and the
Apache jail. Please pray that we will see new fruit this year and men would step up and lead in the community churches.

Thanks partner! Keep sending the ”coal” and toys! (All tax deductible.)