Bitter Reality

A "bitter reality" for native women - sexual assaults and abuses. We as Christian's need to be aware of the chances of our contacts with women and children that live daily with awful abuses. Even some men too. We can help them to cope with life, and especially to extend to them God's grace. We have the words of Life.

"Interview with Alaska Native support worker (identity withheld), July 2006 Violence against women is one of the most pervasive human rights abuses. It is also one of the most hidden. It takes place in intimate relationships, within the family and at the hands of strangers and it affects women in every country in the world." Amnesty International

"a bitter reality for women on the reservations." (2003 Report, Justice Department)

“Many of the criminals know Indian lands are almost a lawless community where they can do whatever they want.” (Chickasaw Tribal Police Chief Jason O'Neal)

“She named all the people that were there, the ones that were hitting her, the ones that were fighting her, she named everybody - what more else?” (Rhea Archambault)

All above quotes are from the National Public Radio (NPR) Website.

Rape Cases Go Uninvestigated

Rape, Abuse High For Indigenous U.S. Women

A Warped World For Native American Women Seeking Justice

Maze of Injustice - AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

RAINN Urges Congress To Support the Use of DNA in Solving Rape Cases

"Then I turned and considered all the oppression that is done under the sun:

And look! The tears of the oppressed, but they have no comforter-

on the side of their oppressors there is power, but they have no comforter.

Therefore I praised the dead who were already dead, more than the living who are still alive. Yet, better than both is he who has never existed, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun." Ecclesiastes 4:1 - 3.

"Surely oppression destroys a wise man's reason, and a bribe debases the heart." Ecclesiastes 7:7

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalms 147:3

Pray for Alaska's Justice system today. Pray for our judges, our law enforcement officers, the jails system. Ask God to protect them from bribes and that our justice system will be JUST, especially to Native women!

2008 Northwest Arctic Men's Prayer Conference

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

The first annual Northwest Arctic Men's Prayer Conference kicked off on Monday March 31st in Kotzebue. It lasted four days and included sessions during the day for the men to focus primarily on three things:

A Return to God

A Revival of His Word

A Commitment to Pray

Men came from the surrounding villages and spent time together seeking God, confessing sin, and praying for revival both personally and regionally. A service with music and preaching ended each day and was open to all in the community. Lance Kramer, from the Alaska Native Baptist Church, presented a powerful insight into the Christian's relationship to Christ using the Jewish wedding as a picture of Christ as the groom and the Church as Christ's bride.

God was obviously working in hearts as confessions and commitments were made. In preparation for this conference, Lance asked us to pray that the Holy Spirit would soften all our hearts as we humbled ourselves.

The vision of this conference was for a revival among the men that attended the Conference and would move to other village Christians, eventually bringing a Spiritual Awakening among the lost in the villages. Another conference to continue what was started here is being planned to happen during fall 2008.

For your learning pleasure, here are some links to information on how Jewish weddings happen (not from Lance Kramer):

The Jewish Wedding Guide

Guide to the Jewish Wedding

For more, just type 'Jewish wedding' into Google and hit Enter!

Did you attend this conference? What did you learn from Lance Kramer's teaching?