Transform A Family
by Ben Pitney

The San Carlos Apache people have a truly incredible history and a fascinating, beautiful culture. Unfortunately, the history overshadows the culture. It’s full of controversy, deep hurts and staggering tragedy. There are such diverse perspectives that it’s fairly difficult to find the clear truth.

But one thing I am clear on is that the social problems the modern day Apaches face are extreme. Unemployment, alcohol abuse, drug abuse and other social ills heavily influence deep cycles of poverty.

The San Carlos Apache Reservation, at its current size, spans three Arizona counties: Gila, Graham, and Pinal. Currently it has a land base of 1.8 million acres, mostly rural and lacking basic infrastructure. The total population is roughly 13,000 members. Although these people have worked to develop the reservation economy, 76% of the reservation population is unemployed compared to the national unemployment rate of 8.6% and the state of Arizona rate of 9%.

It is truly hard to express enough the dire housing shortage these people are facing. There are approximately 2400 families on the reservation that are in need of homes. 39% of them live in substandard housing and 40% live in overcrowded conditions. They suffer from a poverty level of 77% and many Apaches lack plumbing and -- unbelievable to me -- drinkable water.

94% of 3,067 total families living on the reservation are considered low income as defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Low income! Seriously, are you kidding me! That’s the way they are defined. It sounds like these folks are just in the lower part of an average in America that just have less than most. This is not “low income!” This is different. I can’t even develop a proper sentence to express what this is! Unaccept able, insufferable, inappropriate, unreasonable, disgraceful, deplorable, beyond bad. It just pierces my heart to know this about people who are so geographically close to us.

The San Carlos Apache Tribal Council has calculated that it would take building 125 homes a year for 10 years to meet the housing needs of tribal members. I think this is why God has led us in our journey of home building projects as a church to the San Carlos Apache Nation. Projects like this have always been a big part of our DNA. So as the shepherds of our church we are planning for you to respond and make room in your life to partner in the Gospel and serve the Kingdom through this opportunity.

On March 15, 2012 we can begin to meet the needs of the poorest families living on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. But this project will do more than just make life easier for a family in need -- we believe that God will open hearts to truly see the grace and love of Jesus Christ through providing tangible objects of security, safety, and stability.

Everyone who participates will have a different experience, but I’m very confident each experience will include sweat, outhouses, team building, sore muscles, bucket showers, new friends, hand tools, true purpose, difficulties, sacrifice, worship, culture, community -- and of course the indescribable knowledge that in just a few days your hands will have helped transform a family's life forever. I’m also pretty sure that transformation will take place in your own life and in the lives of your family as well!

I would like to encourage you to register and work it into your plans this year. There is no doubt that this project will cost you a fairly big chunk of money and time. As a team we have done our best to keep the cost to only what is necessary, but each home costs Amor Ministries close to $35,000.

Join this project and help demonstrate to the poor the same love and grace that God demonstrated to us through Jesus Christ.