Gathering of Nations

ALBUQUERQUE – Every year on the last weekend of April, Native American tribes from every corner of North America and Canada converge on Albuquerque, N.M., to participate in the Gathering of Nations, which is the largest Pow-Wow event in North America.

Tribes include Cherokee, Choctaw, Comanche, Oneida, Dakota, Hopi, Iroqouis, Pawnee, Shawnee, Navajo, Acoma and a host of others. Indian dances, a Miss Indian World pageant and an Indian Traders Market are just some of the attractions that take place over the three-day event.

This year, volunteers from several Texico Conference churches were thrilled to host a booth at the event. The church volunteers offered to pray with attendees and also shared Adventist literature including Ellen G. White’s Steps to Christ in Navajo; White’s book The Desire of Ages;  and GLOW tracts. They also shared health information to thousands of attendees at the event. Texico Conference Health Ministries Coordinator, Robert Gardner, handed out over 100 health-related DVDs. He and a member of the Rio Rancho Seventh-day Adventist Church designed and provided an attractive banner for the booth.

Overall, volunteers received lots of interest from individuals who wanted free family Bibles, Bible studies or were interested in attending a health presentation. Those individuals were enrolled in the Voice of Prophecy's "Native New Day" Bible Study program.

The church volunteers noted a genuine spiritual interest in the visitors who came to the booth and were happy when an individual picked up some literature, then returned shortly after to ask for more to share with friends. We praise God that Jesus Christ was lifted up and His imminent return for the final “Gathering of Nations” was emphasized. Please pray for the Native American people of North America—may they continue to find and embrace Jesus!

The Texico Conference would like to thank volunteers Raymond and Angie Nez (of Navajo heritage) from the Gallup Seventh-day Adventist Church and several volunteers from the Rio Rancho church; the Los Ranchos Company; and the Albuquerque Heights Seventh-day Adventist Church.

We also thank the volunteers from the Corrales Seventh-day Adventist Church who provided housing for several out-of-town members of the team.

By Jep Choate