Dear Soldiers of the Cross,
We have an urgent request we would like to make you aware of. The Navajo Reservation is our largest reservation in the United States, taking in part of New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. It is over 27,000 square miles, making it as large as West Virginia. The Navajo Nation has over 298,000 members with more than 178,000 living on the reservation.
The coronavirus or covid-19 has impacted this reservation in a profoundly serious way. At present there are 4,002 infected cases and 140 deaths. High diabetes and poor living conditions on this reservation enable this virus to spread with greater speed throughout the reservation. Ten percent of the Navajos live without electricity and 40% of them must haul their drinking water and use an outhouse. The tribe is working diligently through checkpoints and curfews to try and stop the spread of the virus. The curfews are from 8PM to 5AM weekdays and 8PM Friday thru 5AM on Monday. Most of the churches are meeting on Friday day because of the weekend shutdowns.
Finally, this brings me to the urgent request. I have talked with 10 missionaries on the Navajo Reservation and asked them how we could help them. Because of the seclusion of many of the people and the curfews, and even some of the surrounding towns shutting down, many of the people need food and other home essential supplies. I am asking our churches to come together and help us meet this need.
We would like to send out banana-size relief food boxes to the reservation, packed with home essential products. Recommended list: A durable KJV Bible, KJV tracts, non-perishable foods (resealable meat packets, canned meats, rice, flower, powdered milk, pinto beans, lima beans, ramen noodles, beef jerky sticks, fruit snacks, peanut butter and jelly, canned vegetables, coffee, sugar, salt, pepper), face masks, paper towels, toilet paper, hand soap, disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizers, vitamins (adult and children), toothbrushes and toothpaste, Depends (for adults), baby supplies, diapers (sizes 4-6) and baby wipes. We would also like to send out as much bottled water as possible due to so many having no running water or indoor plumbing at home.
We have two drop off points available: Rescue America Baptist Missions, 231 Benton Ln, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659, (336) 667-8660 and Anchor Baptist Missions, 3232 Hendersonville Hwy, Pisgah Forest, NC 28768, (828) 884-7610 or (828) 606-5011. If you would like to send a check by mail, you can send it to Native American Mission Fund Ministries (NAMFM), 3232 Hendersonville Hwy, Pisgah Forest, NC 28768, for (Navajo Relief Fund )or you can make an online donation by going to our website nativeministry.org and click on the drop down page,( Navajo relief fund). Please help us meet this need before June 8th.
As We Labor for Christ,
Gerry and Sheril Locklear