Streams in the Desert

Dear Pastors, Family and Friends,

This is a copy of the letter that I sent to several of our supporting churches. It outlines our needs with regards to putting up a new building in Ganado. Please feel free to look it over and prayerfully consider having a part in helping us raise the additional funds needs to complete the project in a way that does not cause us to "just get by." There is a photo page that follows which shows a bit more of what we are trying to do.

If you should feel led to help, please send any gifts through our clearing house in Fort Worth or our home church, Trinity Baptist Church of Arlington, Texas.

Thanks for looking!!

Dear Pastor,                                                                                    March 2012

 A Great Ministry

God has blessed the ministry of Ganado Baptist Church in a mighty way. When we came to Ganado 6 years ago, there were a handful of people gathering for services about once a week. We now average over 130 on a regular Sunday with high days of over 170! The Lord has opened the door for us to start Ganado Baptist Bible College to train Navajo preachers for the task of starting churches on the Reservation. Classes begin this August.  It is our prayer that God will use this college to facilitate our God-given desire to start ten (10) churches in the next fifteen years.

A Great Ministry Need

We are now using every room in our existing church building for Sunday School and lack room to grow.  The auditorium is overflowing every week.  Our current building does have heat but no air conditioning. The electrical is dangerously outdated and our septic system doesn’t nearly meet code.  In order to fulfill what we believe is a God sent vision for our area and people, we will need better and larger facilities. When the college is started this fall, there will be a need for better facilities to house various classes. I have included some photos to show you how crowded we are and the state of existing buildings.

We met with Bro. Tom LaSalle of Cornerstone Baptist Builders to determine what we need to put up an adequate facility. Let me assure you that we are not trying to build something fancy. We want to build something as nice as possible with the money we have to adequately meet the needs of the ministry here, now and in the future. Bro. LaSalle has also recommended that we tear down a portion of our old facility, save the slab, and put another structure in its place. The cost of maintaining the old building with its outdated and dangerous wiring, among other things, is not worth it.

 What We Have Done

Our people are not wealthy, but we believe that we ourselves must do all we can on this building project. Our goal was to raise $25,000 by April of 2012. As of today, our folks have raised over $45,000. It has been challenging, but I am proud of all our good people have done.

 What You Can Do

We are asking you to prayerfully consider helping us financially to raise the rest of the funds needed to build at Ganado Baptist Church. We would like to raise an additional $45,000 to go along with what our people have done and are doing. This will ensure that the project will go forward without having to do “just enough to get by.” I realize times are difficult financially, but we strongly believe that this project is a worthy investment for the souls of Navajo people.  We would ask that you would pray and seek the Lord on this matter. All contributions should be sent to our clearing house and designated “Ganado Building.” If you have ANY questions at all about the project or would like to see a preliminary building plan, please get in touch with me. I would be glad to answer any and all of your questions so you can be better informed.

Thank you for all you have done for our family and the Navajo people. Thank you for your prayerful consideration of this exciting opportunity. Your prayers for us are worth far more than finances. May the Lord bless you as you seek to reach the world for Christ.

For the Navajo,

Mark Haynes – Missionary to the Navajo Nation