Years ago when the Lord asked if we would consider being a support ministry to launch and assist Native Americans in Christian ministry we gladly and wholeheartedly said “Yes.” This meant that we would take a backstage approach to ministry; no longer would we be the ones in the spotlight. We are good with this idea, as a matter of fact it is our heart to see Native Americans develop an intimate, devoted relationship with Jesus Christ, and see Native American People embraced as co-equal partners in Christian ministry, the Church of America, and the Great Commission.

What we didn’t realize was how hard it would become to explain to our supporters exactly what we were doing. After all, if you’re not the one who is doing the “hands-on” ministry what do you report to your supporters, where are the pictures of you preaching the gospel to the poor and binding up the broken hearted?

God has assured us in our hearts that what we are doing is what He has called us to do, it is His plan and we are fulfilling His purpose. And He has ministered to us through Richard Twiss, the leader and founder of Wiconi International, the ministry that we committed to serve several years ago. Richard and his wife Katherine continually tell us how Wiconi could not be where it is, or continue to move forward without us and the other staff members. Katherine always says, “It takes a minimum of eight people to make one Richard Twiss.” What she is referring to is the fact that so much work is going on behind the scenes but the people only see Richard because he is out front while we are in the back.

So I would like to share with you some of what God is doing through you who support us with prayer and finances, through Agape Lane Ministry, and finally through Wiconi International who we are all a part of via our support. The following is several excerpts from public, and in-house correspondence from Richard:

Worshipers in Pakistan

Last December I was in Pakistan, I had been invited to participate in peace talks between the Christian Leaders and the Muslim Clerics as a mediator of sorts. I had the opportunity to share my faith with the police chief of Sialkot, Pakistan among many others. I felt safe because I was in God’s earth with God’s people called ‘Pakistanis’. In partnership with friends like you, Katherine and I and the staff of Wiconi have never had more profound opportunities to share the love of Christ with so many people in such a wide variety of audiences as we do today.

Messiah College

In April Wiconi took it’s annual Dancing Our Prayers Domestic Tour. This year we went to Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and several other areas in Western Pennsylvania. What an awesome experience to share the love of God through our culture with Christian Universities, and many churches; especially those who support our staff members Howard and Charlyne Lane (PGH is their old stomping ground).

Jacob & Howard at the PPG fountain in PGH

Wiconi International will organize and co-host the first ever National Native Prayer Breakfast as part of the National Congress of American Indians Annual Conference in Phoenix this October. This is a remarkable opportunity to serve our elected tribal government leaders in the Spirit of Jesus as they wrestle with the devastating problems facing Native people today.

I, as leader of Wiconi, accepted an invitation to an “invitation only” gathering of 70 leaders engaged in national and international reconciliation initiatives to be held at Duke Divinity School with some amazing people to seek the heart of God for better ways to communicate the life of Jesus to heal the brokenness that is in our world.

Gavriel Gefen in Israel told me of how God is preparing the way for the 7th World Christian Gathering of Indigenous People (Wiconi is part of the planning committee, and Richard sits on the board of W.C.G.I.P.) in September (www.wcgip.org) as 150 tribal people from Indonesia (the most populous Muslim-majority nation) registered to attend; many of us native/indigenous people from around the world are preparing to attend this historic event.

I will travel to Kigali, Rwanda to be part of Amahoro Africa (www.amahoroafrica.org) where I am deeply honored to be part of a larger dialogue about the development of post-colonial Christianity and reconciliation in Africa.

From there I fly to Virginia Beach to present a formal academic paper at a “big league” Missiological Consultation at Regent University; “The Missiology of Jamestown 1607 and Its Implications for 2007 and Beyond Project.”

Our annual cross cultural immersion teaching course on the Rosebud Reservation is set for July 12-18 with many already registered.

Our Dancing Our Prayers Ministry Team members are now confirmed to be an official participant of the Luis Palau Oaxaca, Mexico ministry team in November.

As great as these things are, I want to come back to the one thing we look forward to more than anything else each year, one of the most rewarding and enjoyable opportunities Katherine and I and the staff of Wiconi International have - our Living Waters Family Camp and Powwow.

God has clearly given Wiconi International an international leadership voice; however, it must be born out of the realities of our Native people here in North America.

Youth ready to chow down at Family Camp

All of this is made possible by God first and then by you, our dedicated staff. From Kath and my view, we so appreciate each one of you for how you see and live out your lives in this world and highly value your friendship - let's be praying for family camp this year and one another as we get ready to spend some hang time together - peace -- your brother, --Richard

Richard in Bolivia

We find ourselves amazed, honored, and excited as we realized not only the ministry that God has allowed us to be a part of, but that we are seeing the desires He put on our heart (shared in the 1st paragraph) manifest before our eyes! What an awesome God we serve!

Prayer & Praise

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. From whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.   Ephesians 3:14-21