Arizona

Arizona

By Alexis Veness, Class of 2014

Morganton, North Carolina

           

I can do all things through Christ, through Him who gives me strength.Philippians 4:13

            In April of 2011 my dad and I flew to Arizona on a mission trip. It didn’t take us long to get there and as soon as we arrived we were told where to stay, what to do, and how to do it. The place where we were staying was a community center, but the Navaho there also used it as their church. While we were there we planned to repair the community center and also build a home for one of the natives that lived close by. As soon as we were settled in we went to see where we would be building this house. We hoped we would get to meet the man who would live there..

            When we arrived we saw nothing but a small square-like thing that appeared to be where he was living at the time. It was nothing but some cardboard, stick, and wire fencing that was held together by some mud and maybe some rope here and there. As we stood looking around, this man and his wife walked out.  They were so excited for us to be there and to finally meet us, as I was anxious to meet them.

            He showed us around the area and told us where they had dropped the wood for us to start building; so we wasted no time. Every day that we worked, the man came and watched us, always asking if we needed anything or if there was anything he could do to help. He always asked about our religion and what we believed.  He was very curious.

            By the end of the week, when the house was nearly finished and we were packing up to head home, this man came up to us and made us a promise.  He said, “I never knew about this God until now, and I promise you that as of today I will attend the church and continue to follow your God.”

            That man gave his life to God, and through him, God touched mine.