As we reflect over this last year we are reminded again and again of the faithfulness of God in our lives. It has been a year like we have never experienced before. On January 20 Steve entered the VA hospital for his first knee replacement. He had never been in the hospital before so was a very new experience for him. We were so pleased with the care he received and our Doctor was wonderful. He was in the hospital about 5 days and then came the recuperation at home. He was able to get out after about two weeks which really amazed us and then started the physical therapy at the VA once a week and then at the gym on his own. All the while his other knee was deteriorating quickly. By August at his six month checkup he told the Dr. He was ready to get the other one done, so on October 20 he went in for the second one and is now in the physical therapy phase of getting this one back to normal. So many were praying for him and he has done amazingly well. With two new knees he will be ready to get back to his work that he loves. Now as for Chris, she has been the nurse and driver and caregiver for Jaden (3). We had our family reunion this year at our house here in Rio Rancho. There were 12 of us and it was very cozy. We had wall to wall beds, but it was just fun to be together. Kendall’s family did not make it or we would have had 17. We took in many of the sights of Albuquerque and made a trip to Durango, CO to go to the Bar D Chuckwagon which was great fun. Our family has expanded this year as our oldest granddaughter Hannah married Sam McBath in May. They live in Virginia Beach and will present us with our first Great-Granddaughter Sadie Ann to be born in February. Once again our family will expand. Steve, Jr., Melanie, Jonah (18) Emma (14) and Caleb (9) still live in New Jersey and continue to work with Albanians. Melanie is still home schooling the children so they are a busy family. Kendall, Tina, Austin (16) and Noah (6) are in Oklahoma City. They are very active in their church and with the boy’s school. Tina is also in school almost halfway through. I already to you about Hannah, their oldest. Shanda, Nathan, Cody (14) and Savannah (10) are in Macon, GA. Shanda is in her 16th year of teaching at Central Fellowship Academy and Nathan is now a Polygraph technician with the Macon police dept and also head of Central Records. They too are very active with their church and manage to stay busy with school activities as well. Jaden and Kristen are with us and Jaden is in Head Start this year and loves going to school. He is in school from 8:30 to 2:30, so Grandma has time to get a few things done around the house. Kristen is almost finished with her Associates Degree in Health Information Technology and will graduate in May. She has done very well and hopes to find a job here in Albuquerque and be able to get her own place.

Our ministry with CHIEF continues on. It has been hear to make much headway this year with two surgeries for Steve but he has been able to do a lot of lesson preparation for CHIEF Bible Institute and has some new leads for teaching on the reservation as well as here in Albuquerque. He has able to get two sessions in this year between his surgeries. He has also had toe opportunity to teach at Indian Bible College and on the Choctaw Reservation.

We want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We are so blessed to have you in our lives. Many of you we don’t see very often but we know our friendship is always there. Thanks for your prayers and support for us. Please continue to pray for complete healing of both knees and for our Native friends who need to know the Lord.

His Servant and Yours,

Steve and Chris

Dear Friends:

THANKSGIVING wishes to you and yours as we consider all of God’s goodness to each of us from day to day!

God wonderfully answered your prayers for David as he taught in Malawi this past July.

• He spoke at a missions conference,
• Preached in one church to 5,000 plus people,
• Spoke to over 2,000 needy prisoners,
• Taught pastors ministering to 65,000 people.

The needs for teaching are great and the response overwhelming. Please PRAY for the church in Malawi experiencing some real trials.

In a previous letter we wrote about a movement of God’s Spirit among Native American young people called, “On Eagles’ Wings”. Youth, who are coming to salvation, have a growing burden to reach their own people on the reservations. Some are realizing the need for Bible training. Toward that end, they are enrolling in three different Bible Schools around the country. We, from CHIEF, are teaching twice yearly at Mokahum Indian Bible School in Minnesota. Others are in Flagstaff, AZ and Oklahoma.

In October David taught Old Testament Survey in two weeks time to eight students. Carolyn and I together developed two charts that gave the students a simplified, visual aid to help understand God’s eternal redemptive plan as it unfolded through Old Testament persons and events.

During the course one student experienced strong spiritual attacks. God wonderfully intervened answering prayers for her deliverance. That and other opportunities for interaction with the students provided many opportunities for informal counseling and relationship building.

Just know how we value your PRAYERS!!

Hugh and David just returned from yet another week of teaching at the Potter’s Place in Vancouver, B.C. Located on Hastings Street, considered by many one of the most dangerous streets in all of North America, Potter’s Place has a strategic outreach seeking to meet physical and spiritual needs of unloved, overlooked people. In addition, they are offering teaching and training for those sharing their outreach vision. Ten Korean and three First Nation people attended the classes that Hugh and David taught on missions and evangelism. Both courses were timely as the group had just returned from a mission trip to a Reserve and their hearts were prepared to better understand that to which God is calling them.

Each evening David shared during a worship service held for people coming in off the streets. Following the service, we offer to prayer for any who might make that request. One night, following David’s message on Lazarus and the rich man, three came asking for prayer. We prayed and counseled with two drug addicts and a prostitute. Do PRAY they will follow through at the Potter’s Place and seek God’s deliverance.

A return visit to The Colony Fellowship in Reno is scheduled for the middle of November. And already the winter and spring 2012 schedule is nearly complete. As you think of us, we offer the following for PRAYER:

• Continued safety in travel

• Teaching at Flagstaff Indian Bible College during the entire month of January

• For Carolyn as she maintains correspondence and keeps things running at home

• For possible expanding teaching opportunities in Canada and Alaska

OUR APPRECIATION AND BLESSINGS!

Dave and Carolyn Hopkins

Depending on where you are, you will receive varying politically correct responses. In the lower 48 states the acceptable term is Native American, and refers to 565 federally recognized tribal groups in addition to other state-recognized and non-recognized tribal groups.

In Alaska, the accepted term is Alaska Native people, which is inclusive of 11 distinct cultures speaking 20 different languages and living in more than 200 different villages. These distinct Alaska Native people groups are inclusive of the Athabascan of interior and south central Alaska, the Yup’ik and Cup’ik Eskimo of southwest Alaska, the Inupiaq and St. Lawrence Island Yupik of northwest to northern Alaska, the Aleut and Alutiiq from Prince William Sound to the end of the Aleutian Island chain, and the Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian of southeast Alaska. Today’s indigenous Alaska Natives live in cities, towns, and villages which are separated by vast distances. Though each group is distinct, they share common goals and values.

In Canada, the accepted term is First Nations people, and refers to about 80 distinct tribal groupings spread across all of the provinces and territories of Canada.

In the United States Census, these tribal groupings are referred to as American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN). In Canada, the government refers to these tribal groupings as First Nations. The Native American population in the last 20 years grew from 1,478,523 in 1980 to 1,937,391 in 1990 to 2,475,956 in 2000. That is a growth of 997,433, or 67%, over the last 20 years. The 2000 census furthermore indicates that an additional 1,643,345 people indicated Native American origin in combination with one or more other races. That brings the total Native American population in the United States to 4,119,301.

The last census taken in Canada was in 2006. At that time, the Canadian government reported that there were 1,172,790 people of Aboriginal origin. This included 390,000 Metis (people of North American Indian origin mixed with one or more other races), 700,000 North American Indians, and 50,00 Inuit. When added to the total Native American population in the United States, the combined total is 5,292,091.

Dear Friends:

Thanks for all your prayers for Steve. He came home on Monday and has been pretty weak and tired since then. We will see the physical therapist tomorrow and I think we will end up with a machine at home to keep his leg bending. It is an ordeal getting him in and out of the car to get him to therapy but we just have to take our time. The pain seems to be manageable this time and a new addition of an ice wrap that keeps ice water circulating on his knee has really helped. The ice business loves us we are going through about 3 bags of ice a day!!

This is the hard part of the surgery, having to get up and do exercises and back and forth to physical therapy. Please continue to pray for the knee to be flexible and no infection to set into the wound. We appreciate all of your prayers and emails, it is a real encouragement to us both!!!

Thanks again!!

Steve and Chris

 

 

You, too, can be an integral part in the ministry of CHIEF! There are countless ways to assist us with your time, efforts, prayers, and gifts.

BE…..

Informed

through

Prayer -

• Become a CHIEF Prayer Partner and keep informed of the needs and issues Native people face.
• Receive updates of the ministry of CHIEF and ways you and your church, small group, class or family can participate with Native peoples throughout the Americas.

BE…..

Involved

with your

Time -

• Become a volunteer serving at the CHIEF Shepherd Discipleship Center in Phoenix during one of our campus sessions. View our training schedule!
• We need volunteers to help clean up at the CHIEF Center after each training session. See our Training Schedule
• Volunteers are needed to help once a month in the CHIEF mailing (approximately 3 hours).
• Consider taking a 2 or 3 day Vision Ministry Trip with your family or Church group to gain a greater understanding and deeper appreciation for faith of a Native Believer.

Talents -

• Call, write, or email us and let us know what skill or skills you may have and would be available to serve in some capacity. We are always in need of carpenters, electricians, work oriented skills for work projects on Native communities in both the reservations and the cities.
• Consider a ministry group that would assist CHIEF or a similar ministry in a event and relationship building among Native American peoples.

Invest

through

Scholarships -

• Many Native pastors and lay leaders are unable to receive Bible training in formal institutions of learning, yet it is possible to be trained through the CHIEF Shepherd Discipleship Session in Phoenix. Consider sponsoring a Native pastor or lay-leader to a CHIEF Session.
• Consider having your church, small group, men’s or women’s group sponsor a CHIEF School Without Walls Event, purchase Bibles and/or resources to be given as an ministry event.

Donations -

• Financially support the personal ministry of the CHIEF Staff. They are a valuable and vital part of the overall ministry of CHIEF. CHIEF is a faith based organization and each member of the staff must raise their full support.
• You can mail your donation to CHIEF Inc. today by sending a check or paying by credit card (Visa or MasterCard) via telephone donation.

Dear Supporting Friends:

It is with great joy to be alive that I write you this ministry report. I apologize for not writing a report for July and August. As some of you know, I was hospitalized on August 11. When my Christian doctor examined me that day, she recommended that I go directly to the hospital. It took my three doctors 18 hours to figure out my case. After many tests and x-rays, I was taken to the operating room at 2:30 p.m on Friday. After 2 hours of surgery, the surgeon reported to the family that it was a miracle that I survived a massive infection due to a perforated and gangrenous appendix which must have been this way for quite some time. Thankfully, my surgery was a success! And my recovery has also been successful! The doctors said that my recovery would take 4 to 6 weeks and I am writing this 5 weeks after my surgery. This week has been the first time that I feel back to normal. In fact, I have resumed my normal work. Although I still get tired easily, I am regaining my strength little by little.

I want to thank all of you for praying for my family and me. I also want to thank you for writing and/or calling us. Let me tell you that your concern has helped us to experience the love and care of God during this difficult time. Through this trial, I have gained a new understanding of the power of the love of God that has been expressed by the love of His people for one another. Your caring love has brought part of the healing that my family and I needed.

During this trying time, I decided to study the book of Job. Although I did not experience the intensity of Job’s trials I did experience the presence of the same God. The good Lord prepared my heart and my spirit to wait on Him and to believe that He would help me not only to get well but also to wait on him if another trial would come my way. And, lo and behold, some more trials came! First, after my surgery, Ginny fell down and hurt her foot badly, so much that for a couple of days, she could not walk. I praise God for Annie and David who rose to the occasion and took care of me as I was in the hospital. Then, during my third week of recovery, my frail, 90 year old mother was hospitalized due to a severe infection in one of her legs. Thankfully, she is out of the hospital now and the infection is under control but still not completely healed.

I feel that we are under the attack from the enemy, authorized by our God, to test my faith and my commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me tell you that my meditation on the story of Job has helped me to continue trusting our sovereign God. He is in control of my life, my family and the ministry! No matter what, I hope to bring glory to His name. I have been praying that I may not sin with my lips, nor blame God for my situation as Job did, (Job 1:21,22). Please continue to pray for my family and me so that, together, we may honor the name of the Lord.

On the other hand, as Roman 8:28 says, God has purpose for everything that comes our way.

The day before I went to the hospital I had a meeting with the Administrative Board of Radio TGN. This Christian Radio station is a respected station in Guatemala that has been in ministry for 65 years. During this meeting, I found out that this ministry had bought a good piece of land in our area and had built a studio for the sole purpose of broadcasting to and reaching as many Quiche Indians as possible through the radio. The TGN Board told us that day that when they went to different Quiche towns to evaluate the Quiche radio programs that are being aired, they discovered that our program, Panorama of the Bible, has been well accepted by the Quiche people. In fact, it is seen as the best program not only for its content but also for the fine production of the material. Consequently, the TGN Board decided to make our ministry the leading ministry not only for radio program production but also for directing the programming for the new station. Although we were surprised by this news, we accepted the opportunity even though we knew this great responsibility would demand much of our time. Last week we began recording our second course, Synthesis of each book of the Bible, and the Lord is blessing our efforts. Since I am feeling better, I have been able to prepare the material and have recorded three half hour programs for broadcasting. Although my voice is not completely normal, I decided to start the recording, hoping that soon I will sound completely normal. God, in his sovereignty, has prepared us for this occasion by providing us with a professional recording studio right here at our headquarters so that I don’t have to travel an hour and a half to the recording studio as we have done in the past. Isn’t God good to His children?

On September 28 and 29, Jorge, our assistant, will carry out his first training session for our six new young itinerant teachers who are eager to start teaching the Bible wherever the need presents itself. This is very exciting to us because the teaching ministry will expand to new areas and reach many more Quiche church leaders so that they can teach the Word of God in their churches. Although God is at work, the enemy is attacking as well. Two of these new teachers have experienced not only rejection but also persecution from their own families. But, in spite of their trials, they are willing to go ahead with the training because they have experienced the life and the joy that the Word of God has brought into their lives.

I also want to mention how grateful I am to our local Ministry Board. During my illness, these Quiche leaders have stepped up to meet the demands of the ministry. While I was sick, the president of our board and another member were able to solve some problems that occurred among our students. Through this experience, I really saw the importance of having a ministry team. I praise God for these brothers who sacrificially give their time and their resources to help us in the ministry.

I also praise God for blessing me with a great family, my wife, Ginny, and my daughter, Annie, and son, David, who gave themselves sacrificially to take care of me when I needed it the most. Truly, I feel tremendously blessed!

Last, but not least, I praise God for each one of you that stands behind us by praying and by giving so that we can keep on doing what God has called us to do: to enhance the Kingdom of God among the Quiche people of Guatemala. May God continue to use you and us to continue working for our Lord until He comes!

A. MINISTRY GOALS FOR SEPTEMBER 15 THRU OCTOBER 15:

1. For Jorge and Isaias to produce 20, thirty minutes radio programs by October 15. This will be the production of Synthesis of each book of the Bible adapted for broadcasting purposes.

2. September 28-29, for Jorge to hold the first training workshop for our new itinerant Bible teachers. These 7 new teachers were recruited by Isaias at the beginning of the year and they are not only eager to be trained, but also eager to open new teaching centers in different areas.

3. October 3, for our ministry Board to hold their next meeting at headquarters.

4. October 15, for Isaias and Jorge to participate in the opening ceremony of the new Christian radio station.

B. PROGRESS TOWARDS MEETING LAST MONTHS GOALS:

1. June 15, for Isaias to meet with Jorge to present to him a follow up training for the 6 young men that came to the teachers’ training that Jorge planned and carried on June 8 and 9.

ACCOMPLISHED

2. June 17, for Jorge to meet with Vina, a sister organization that teaches ministries how to produce radio programs. Jorge has been asked to help teach the materials that he has received to another Mayan group.

ACCOMPLISHED

3. June 20 , for Isaias to meet with pastor Manuel Guarcas, the President of the Ministry Board to discuss items for the agenda for the next Board meeting as well as how he can best help in the supervision of the overall ministry.

ACCOMPLISHED

4. June 29 thru July 2, for Jorge to go to Huehuetenango to train people who work in Christian radio programs.

The participants were very interested in Bible training as they saw Jorge’s knowledge of the Bible. These people are already ministering in Radio,, but they came to the realization that they need to prepare their Bible lesson more accurately.

ACCOMPLISHED SUCCESSFULLY

5. July 6, for Isaias to meet with 6 young men from Chichicastenango to present to them the opportunity to receive teacher training to become our future young itinerant teachers.

These young men accepted the challenge to be trained for the purpose of teaching the Bible in new needy areas.

ACCOMPLISHED SUCCESSFULLY

6. July 11, for Isaias to meet with Wycliffe missionaries to discuss his participation in a workshop for the Use of Scripture in the Guatemalan Mayan groups that Summer Institute of Linguistics will host in Guatemala at the end of July.

Isaias’ participation in the workshop was of great blessing for the attendees.

ACCOMPLISHED SUCCESSFULLY

C. PRAISES:

1. I praise God for allowing me to live thru the Appendix ordeal.

2. I praise God for the doctor that took charge of my case; this Christian doctor went beyond the call of duty to bring me to health.

3. I praise God for my wife and children who are helping me to recover successfully.

4. I praise God for our churches and friends who held us up in their prayers as we experienced these hard days.

5. We praise God for my successful recovery!

6. We praise God for the financial provision to cover the expenses for the health emergency that we experienced, (we don’t have health insurance).

7. We praise God for seven church leaders that graduated from our Bible Training program, August 4.

8. We praise God for the new opportunity to be part of the ministry of the New Radio Station that will be opened in our area.

9. We praise God for the new group of teachers that will be part of the ministry.

D. PRAYER:

1. Please continue to pray for my full recovery.

2. Pray that we will accomplish our goal of producing a month’s worth of programs before the radio station opens in October.

3. Pray that the new teachers apply in their lives what they will learn in their training, so that they teach what they have experienced personally.

4. Pray that the Ministry Board will have wisdom in the new challenges that we are facing in our growth.

5. Pray for our daughter Annie as she is seeking God’s guidance in regard to her future.

6. Pray for Ginny, Annie, and David’s health.

7. Pray for the election of a new president for Guatemala.

Good morning dear friends,