Jesus Way Path

On March 10, 1995, we held our first Native meeting. The local newspaper got hold of the event and decided to give us front page coverage in the local section. In the middle of the paper was me and my singers and a big drum with the blur of the drumstick striking the drum as we sang praises to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I was both excited and scared over the article. Excited because I felt it would get the word out to other Natives in the area that need Jesus Christ as their Savior, but scared over what the Christian community would say and do. Well, both of my expectations came true. I was excited about the phone calls I got from the Native community, but my worst fears also came true as the Christian community seemed to have conglomerated against what I felt God wanted us to do. Church after church and ministry after ministry came against our ministry.

Pastor Robert Soto, Lipan Apache

Let's Continue Our Journey On The Jesus Way Path

T H E   J E S U S   W A Y

A BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE        with a rich heritage.

A PROUD PEOPLE            treated shamefully for 500 years.

A FORGOTTEN PEOPLE        in a dominant white culture.

A REJECTED PEOPLE        still on the lookout for acceptance.

And now-alcoholism, suicide, drug abuse, violence, unemployment, teen pregnancies, mistrust, tensions between traditional fullbloods and non-traditional mixed bloods-all these things plague our people. Are there answers?

solutions?          real choices?          or just escapes?

The appealing vision of white America tempts us on TV. We see all the things---the beautiful people, the great machines---and it looks like a promise of happiness. A treaty we sign with our dollars. But somehow the white image on the screen never becomes red reality. And then we learn that even the white people get cheated here. No one redeems this treaty. We cannot buy our dreams.

Sometimes we are tricked into thinking the chemicals will give us a way out. But even as an escape they fail--they only increase the suffering of our people. Alcohol and drugs cause more problems than they soothe. The pleasant haze of forgetfulness they bring disappears fast. But the hard pain of their hurt and violence lasts.

Some say returning to our traditional Native religions will solve our problems. Others are looking for a life by melting into the rest of society. Often this has resulted in leaving behind our Native cultures. But is any of this really working? It seems to be all searching, but never finding. The right trail eludes us. What shall we do? The old Kiowa chief, Satank, once said, "Teach us the road to travel and we will not depart from it forever."

Now is the time to learn. Now is the time for a choice. The Creator has a way of life for all our people. He alone has a path of beauty for you.

The JESUS Way Path taken from International Bible Society. Scripture "NirV" and "New Internationall Reader's Version: are trademarks of International Bible Society.