Creating change in the Apache community

Hope is making a comeback on the Apache reservation as the community experiences physical and spiritual support from within.

This is what hope looks like

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 5:5

Hope is one of the strongest character blessings God gives us. Hope that comes from the Holy Spirit is what sustains Christians when troubling seasons of life come our way. When Godly hope comes into a community, it doesn’t mean that the struggles will immediately go away, instead it gives people the ability to have peace and joy in their hearts as they walk through the fire.

The financial challenges facing many families on the Apache reservation make it difficult to afford things like basic home repairs. The DIY Home Repair Workshops were started as a way to respond to this reality by using the talents of fellow Christians to bring physical and spiritual blessings to the Apache community.

While poverty still exists on the reservation, hope from the Holy Spirit is beginning to impact the way community members see themselves and their futures.

“This program is impacting the community. It might be starting small, but it is going to help lots of people, and this gives me hope.” – Amber, local volunteer 

Zhan and Roy are two men from the Apache reservation who have each been impacted by the Holy Spirit at these workshops and are now sharing their faith with those around them. They have seen firsthand how the physical and spiritual support offered at the DIY workshops are encouraging Apache men to become Christians and step up to help others in their community.

In essence, the DIY Home Repair Workshops are a place where attendees get to learn new construction-based skills and hear about Jesus, and where volunteers get to practice sharing their faith with others. These DIY workshops are rebuilding the community one home and one heart at a time.

By choosing to invest in the betterment of their fellow neighbors, Zhan and Roy have shown the community what it looks like to be a Christian male role model.

Standing out to bring others in

Having positive male role models like Zhan and Roy standing out and sharing their faith is an encouraging sight on the Apache reservation.

Amber is a frequent volunteer at the DIY workshops, and she told us that, “We don’t have many men on the reservation that choose to stand out or take on the role of being a Christian male role model. We need more Apache men like Roy and Zhan who are talking about and living out their faith. I see that spark in them and it gives me hope.” 

While male leadership on the Apache reservation is not entirely absent, there remains a need for strong Christian male role models. There is also a need for men to feel needed and valued in society. Without role models to look up to, Apache boys don’t see what they could grow up to be like if they worked to reach their full potential.

The DIY Home Repair Program is empowering men to learn new skills, gain confidence in themselves, and see the men they can be when they have Jesus as their main role model in life.

As more men join Zhan and Roy in their boldness of faith, the Apache community is beginning to reclaim its strength. Homes are being repaired, people are using their skills to get jobs to make money, and more families are coming to learn about Christ. The DIY workshops are bringing invigorating, sustainable change by providing a way for community members to address their physical and spiritual needs.

Become a supporter of change

You have an opportunity to ensure that the Apache DIY Home Repair Program is prepared to meet the ever-increasing demand.

The Lord is blessing the efforts of our volunteers on the Apache reservation but there are still many people who don’t know Jesus and who are living in homes that need repair. With your help we can ensure that the DIY Home Repair Workshops will be able to expand to new locations on the reservation and continue to build a better future for families there and beyond. 

Grow that spark of hope