November 8-11 I was privileged to take a University of Idaho student to InterVarsity's national Native American Student Conference entitled "Would Jesus Eat Frybread?". WJEF (as I will now call it for short), was hosted in the Yakama Nation. I have been thinking about how to process my experience into words for awhile. This is in part as a result of a busy fall, and in part because my experience was so multi-layered. As a result, forgive me for choosing to reflect on my disjointed thoughts with bullet points.
- Why have a Native student conference? Because it is extremely necessary. Less than 1% of students on campus are Native. Many come from reservation life, which I am learning, is very different than any other culture in America. Many students who came to WJEF are the only Native students in their IV chapter (this is the case for the student I took from Idaho). The questions that they are asking cannot be adequately addressed by a Christian who does not have experience on the Res, no matter how well meaning that person may be.
- What happens at Native student conference? Here is where I need to make a confession, WJEF was the most cross cultural experience of my life. More so than being in China for six weeks and more so than living in a Latino neighborhood in the southside of Chicago. I first noticed that there was no powerpoint! Not even one slide! If you have been to a Christian conference before, you know how strange this is. Worship was led by an amazing women of God (Cheryl Bear. Google her and buy her music.). She led not only through music, but through stories. She told personal stories, she told the story of God and she exhorted students to follow God. She spoke directly (and sarcastically!) about how to reconcile ancestor worship and the "great cloud of witnesses" in Hebrews. In China I spent most of time in a classroom and in Chicago my church resembled churches I had grown up in (albeit in Spanish rather than English). WJEF, on the other hand, had very few of the trappings and rhythms that this "professional Christian" was used to. I had no idea how much I have began to assume that I will be an expert and Christian events. Lord have mercy.
- What am I taking away? More than I think I know. First of all, I have precious friend in this Idaho student. I am so honored that I was able to share the weekend with her. I am also challenged in how I see God. My prayer life is often rich in requests, questions and friendly familiarity (all important components of a relationship with Jesus). At WJEF though, I saw a prayer world that was filled with awe and gratitude; awe that God was powerful enough to create all that we can see and interact with and gratitude that we have a land and creation to occupy. For both our hosts from the Yakama Nation and from leadership from the outside was a constant reminder of the blessing of the land. Even though these were the First Nation Peoples of the land, no one seemed to treat the land with entitlement. This posture convicts me about my own entitlement and how that alters the way that I approach God and His blessings.
- What's next? God has opened an amazing door at Heritage College, which located in the Yakama Nation. Two students have decided that they would like to plant a Bible study and would like InterVarsity to come along side them with training and support. I will be traveling to Heritage on January 26 and I would invite anyone who is reading this to pray! I am honored that I will once again be a guest in the Yakama Nation. I am hoping to continue to learn, pray and serve in any capacity that I can going forward!
Please don't read this blog and think that you know what God is doing among Native students. I am so young in this process. Please visit http://mem.intervarsity.org/nm/about-native-ministries for more information about IV's work with Native students. Also, go to http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/CherylBear to buy some Cheryl Bear music.
And of course, a picture:
