Team History
by Susie Alexander
The Arizona Mission Team first formed back in 1992 when members of the Singles Ministry at Union Chapel UMC felt the calling to do a mission project. The team considered various options, including going to a different country, but something just didn’t seem right.
As a member of this very first team, I would like to give you an overview of the trip history.
Our friend and fellow Hoosier, Tom Johnson had been in the Show Low area for almost a year, and on occasion helped at the American Indian Christian Mission School (AICM). Show Low is approximately 170 miles northeast of Phoenix, right outside the Fort Apache Reservation. Tom told us about the Navajo Boarding School that needed some help with finishing an office they had just built. It needed some dry wall and paint before the school year started. So off to Show Low we went!
For the next six summers we returned to the area and completed the office area, built a library, three dorms, and furnished all the rooms with new bunk beds – all hand built! We also worked on the children’s home located in Dilcon, Arizona.
In addition to addressing basic physical needs, we also tended to the spiritual ones by conducting VBS in the evenings on the San Carlos Apache Reservation, located about 1 1/2 hours south of Show Low.
During this time, we met a Navajo pastor and his wife, Willie & Sarah John. Willie ran a half-way house, helping recovering alcoholics. One summer our team camped at Willie and Sarah’s and helped with a tent revival. We were in charge of the kids and tried to keep them busy with short Sunday School lessons and playtime. You may think this sounds pretty simple, but these tent revivals lasted for days and all through the night. The kids got pretty restless at times, and so did we, but we learned a lot about the Navajo culture on that trip.
After the tragic death of Andy Shearer, Director of AICM, God decided He needed us to move on. He opened up the door for our team to go to Chinle and work with Tom and Delphina Johnson, both missionaries on the rez.
The last eight years the team has been working in Chinle. The biggest part of our work has been spent on finishing the two-story Youth Center at Grace Fellowship Church. This is pretty much the only church with an organized youth program, as well as a special meeting place for the kids in the area. And we are proud that we are some of the tools God used to make it happen. You name it, we did it - from hanging dry wall, to installing a drinking fountain, to digging a new septic system. Now the church has indoor plumbing and running water! Good-bye outhouse! Welcome flushable toilets and shower facilities. Yes, right here in the United States, there are still people living without running water - pretty hard to believe, yet all to common on many reservations.
After completing the major work on the youth building, we helped to put a new roof on the main church building and last year we got the foundation ready for the new sign that was purchased for the church. We also held our first VBS in Chinle. The number of kids and youth was overwhelming!
Believe me when I say these mission trips are much needed. Our goal is to continue building relationships, and nurturing existing friendships. We want to help as much as possible. Too much harm was caused in the past by talking the talk. It's time we show through God that we are all brothers and sisters. We need to walk the walk!
.jpg)