Our Board of Directors and ministry Leadership Team have received the results of a Feasibility Study in which many of you graciously participated several months ago. Individuals and supporting churches across the United States provided valuable information through phone and personal interviews and mail-in surveys. Thank you all for your time and attention in completing the study. Results of the study are revealing and very encouraging. While space precludes a comprehensive and detailed report on the 35 page study, the following is a brief summary of your thoughts and impressions of AICM.

The purpose of the study was to answer the following essential questions:

A. Do our supporters understand the reason for AICM’s existence and the purpose of our ministry to children?

B. Do our supporters understand the need for specific items, programs or facilities?

C. Will our supporters invest physically and financially in AICM’s plans for future growth?

Your responses indicate a strong feeling that AICM is extremely valuable to Native American children and their families and the mission is greatly needed to improve their life on reservation. Bringing Native children to Christ and educating them was the overwhelming response given by survey participants as the primary reason for AICM’s existence. 94% of respondents rated the ministry of AICM as extremely valuable to valuable. 41.7% of respondents have worked or volunteered at AICM during the previous two years.

Survey responses indicate that you want to see AICM expand and serve more Native children and families. You recognize the need for expanded facilities; specifically the need for kitchen/dining, classrooms, dorms and vocational educational facilities. When asked to rate the importance for each of these proposed projects, all four were rated as essential to very important to AICM’s future. In prioritizing the three primary areas of focus within AICM, you rated Christian School (K-12) as #1, the bus ministry as #2 and Summer Enrichment as #3. However, all three areas came very close in importance indicating that all have a high priority in the minds and hearts of supporters.

Survey participants indicated that the need, clarity of vision and reputation of AICM were the main reasons given as positives for a fundraising campaign. Over 65% of respondents indicated they would definitely contribute financially to a campaign and the remainder would likely contribute subsequent to self assessment of their giving potential. Several participants indicated a willingness to contribute in-kind gifts toward completing future projects.

One of the most helpful pieces of study information is your constructive criticisms and suggestions to make AICM better known and more visible. Suggestions such as visits, DVD presentations, continuing improvements on our website and more of our success stories printed in newsletters were offered. These suggestions have merit and are being acted upon. In partnership with Dickerson and Associates, we are in the initial phase of a fundraising campaign which includes the production of an informational DVD. In relation to our website, one of our administrative staff has received training so as to make more timely changes and updates. Prior to training, website changes have occurred only when knowledgeable volunteers had time to perform this technical and time consuming task.

In His service,

Roger Nosker

Hello! My name is Marty Etsitty. I am a Navajo from the Tachii’nii (Red Running into Water) clan. My wife, Patt, is also a Navajo from the Biih Bitoo’nii (Deer Spring) clan. This makes our children Donovan (26), Dayetta (23), Joshua (13), Kayla (12) and Calie (1) all Biih Bitoo’nii.

In the Navajo culture, clan introduction is proper at the beginning of conversations. I do respect this custom, but above this I have a Christian heritage which I am most proud of.

All my life I have had Christian influences all around me. My Godly mother took us to church as we were growing up and insisted that her 7 children have a Christian education. She enrolled me at Twin Wells Indian School as a kindergartner back in the early 70’s. On the day of school enrollment my mother dropped me off at the dorms into the care of a lady by the name of Flora Packard. Ms. Packard kept my attention with a toy top as my mother snuck out the back door.

I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior at a revival service the school held in the early 80’s. I would like to say that I lived for Christ from that day forth, but that would not be close to the truth.

Twin Wells did not have a high school, so I enrolled at a public school that used a BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) dormitory system. Anything "went" at this dorm as I became just a number to the dorm aides earning their paychecks. I was able to maintain my Christian values there until my mother died. The bitterness of losing her and the slackness of the dorms made me slip from my Christian values.

From the mid-80’s through 1997 I lived life as I pretty well pleased. The Bible teaches of temporary fulfillment in the temptations of this world. This was my world, yet the Lord was always tugging at me throughout this time in life. I got tired of the merry-go-round. In 1997 I rededicated my life to Jesus Christ and have been very satisfied since. I always say, "I was a great sinner; now I want to be a great follower of Christ".

I have given my life to ministry wherever I can be of use. We serve as interim pastors at the West White Cone Baptist Church on the Navajo reservation. We travel over 200 miles every Sunday to hold services at White Cone. This is our second stint on staff here at the American Indian Christian Mission. I serve as the Kitchen Manager and volunteer as the Athletic Director. Patt is the school’s "laundry person" as well as a substitute dorm parent.

I hear many Christians say they are waiting on the Lord’s will in life as they continue to wait. I feel the Lord’s will is spelled out for us throughout the Bible. The verses teach us to "go and make disciples", so that is what I strive to do. Christian service is the Lord’s will in my life and any day that I don’t "go" is a day that I can’t get back. I do regret the lost 15 years of my life which I could have used for God.

I now raise my family with the Christian values my mother stood for. I strive to be the husband and father that God wants me to be. I am thankful to the AICM for a safe environment to raise my family. I am thankful for the Christian people God has brought into my life.

One of my favorite people in life is the lady who tricked me on my first day of school. I am proud to say that I now serve alongside Ms. Flora Packard. She is the librarian here at the American Indian Christian Mission. I am most thankful to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross so that I might live.

We invite you to join us on September 12 of next year in thanking God for the past 40 years and looking toward what He has in store for us in the future. We would like to ask any of you who have special memories or a testimony of what part AICM has played in your life to write them down and mail them to us to be included in a publication for the celebration.

We encourage former staff members, ministry team members, church pastors, child sponsors, our supporters and friends to participate in whatever way possible. Details of the events of the day will be given in the months to come. But right now, please mark your calendars and plan to come and join us!

Summer has passed. It was very busy, yet very good and productive.

We were able to bring in nearly 360 campers for our 6 weeks of Summer Enrichment programs, which is always a highlight for children from the reservation. We also had a VBS program on the Apache reservation, reaching nearly 250 children. There are many more children on the reservations that we have not reached.

Since we had a large number of ministry teams, we were able to use 2 buses this summer for our outreach. We drove both the "blue bus" and the "white bus" and went to different communities every day. The children were given a special blessing with great Bible lessons, new games, songs and new people to play with! God promises "times of refreshing" and He sent these people to refresh us and to lighten the load. We give Him the praise for sending these brothers and sisters and are thankful they took their time and resources to share in this way. We do pray that they will all be able to return!

One project that was done this summer was to help Pastor Reno Johnson in Canyon Day on the Apache reservation. His church building was vandalized and then set on fire and he contacted us for help with the demolition process. Gene and a ministry team worked 2 days removing items that could be salvaged and began the work of tearing the remaining structure down. AICM had helped build this church several years ago. Please keep Pastor Johnson and his congregation in your prayers as they continue to serve Christ in this area.

We had hoped to replace the flooring in the bathroom of the trailer that we had purchased for a family in Cibecue this summer. We had a team here from Prescott Valley that was skilled and ready to help, but the family had not purchased the supplies. We try and keep the families involved to be responsible as much as possible, so we were not able to complete this project. The team members were disappointed that they were not able to go onto the reservation, but we had plenty to keep them busy here on our campus for the weekend.

We usually drive our blue bus in the Labor Day parade in Whiteriver, but this year we tried something a little different. We parked the bus in front of the local radio station and distributed school supplies, Bibles, snack food and other items to the children and families who were at the parade. We displayed a banner expressing our appreciation to the White Mountain Apache Tribe and to all the parents for allowing us to be a part of their children’s lives. We want the Apache people to know how much we appreciate their willingness to work with us in reaching their children.

We see home situations and environments some of these children come from that are heartbreaking. Some of the children share stories that are very difficult to hear. One little girl recently came to the bus and began to sob as soon as she saw us. She said that her mother had been drinking and had told the little girl that she wanted to stab both her and her brother. Her brother was not at home and just as this was happening, she saw the blue bus and came running to get on. She felt safe there.

The same day, we had 3 other children on the bus, all with black eyes. One gave us a story of running into a sign. Another little girl, whose name is "Giggles", said she did not know how she got the black eye and split lip. If these things continue to happen to this little girl, will her nickname continue with her as well or will her joy be snuffed out? Please pray that God will protect these little ones and that they will find refuge in Him.

Recently a young lady in her 20’s spotted the bus and came to us crying. She had just seen her boyfriend of 6 years with someone else. She needed some support and encouragement as her heart was broken. We shared some scripture with her, gave her a Bible and prayed with her asking God that He would keep her strong. She was ready to turn to alcohol and even spoke of taking her own life, but left feeling that someone does love and care for her and that she could handle this man’s rejection with the help of Jesus.

We do get to enjoy the benefits of "playing" with children, but the ministry God has given us is so much more. It is a ministry that is trying to open the eyes of a nation through the next generation. These children will be leading their people someday. It is our prayer that they will lead them toward God. We pray that hearts will be changed and both children and adults will begin to make better choices in their lives in order to make the reservation a better place to live.

Many children who come to the blue bus on a regular basis also attend our Summer Enrichment programs. In turn, many have become students here at the boarding school. God continues to open the doors on the reservation. Thank you for your prayers and support as He works through us.

Gene and Sherry Brenneman

School started on August 6 with 76 Eagles arriving on campus geared up for new adventures. The new students are adjusting to the structure and routines fairly well. Please keep us all in prayer as we continue this school year.

The elementary students at AICM were blessed with a visit from some of our local firefighters in October. They not only learned about fire prevention and safety, but not to be "afraid" of firemen who come to help if there is an emergency. The mission has a great relationship with our fire department and we continue to partner with them in educating our students.

In keeping with our relationship with Linden Fire Department, our older students challenged the local firemen to a volleyball game. Because of schedules, the firemen actually had to "recruit" from our student body to make up a 6-man team that played against our older girls. We found early on in the game, it was not necessary to keep score as it seemed neither team was interested in following "the rules of the game"; everyone was there to simply have fun!

Residents of the state of Arizona will once again be able to support the American Indian Christian Mission through the state tuition tax credit. This donation can be used as a dollar-for-dollar credit against your state tax liability. It can also be claimed on your federal tax return as a charitable contribution.

You can donate an amount up to the maximum allowable according to your taxpayer status as follows:

 Married filing jointly $1000

 Married filing separately $500 each

 Head of household $500

 Single $500

The Chaparral Mission Scholarship Fund has been established and handles donations for AICM. Checks can be made payable to "Chaparral Mission Scholarship Fund" with "AICM" designated in the memo line. Mail your contributions to:

Chaparral Mission Scholarship Fund

6451 E Shea Blvd

Scottsdale, AZ 85254

Attention: Mary Cartwright

Additional information will be mailed to all our Arizona residents and churches in the near future. If you have any questions, please contact our office at 928-537-5912 or Chaparral Church at 480-991-9878.

We were honored on September 26 to have 2 men as our special guests. Roy Hawthorne and Lemuel Yazzie joined us for the day to speak to our students about their experiences in WWII and what it was like to be a Navajo Code Talker. Between these 2 men, they served in every major Pacific offensive from Guadalcanal to Okinawa. Both ended their service escorting Japanese prisoners from China back to Japan at war’s end.

Mr. Hawthorne and Mr. Yazzie held 3 different open forum-type sessions for our children. They shared how they joined the military, their training and the development of the actual code that was used. They answered questions that the students had prepared in advance. 75 students from a local charter school joined us for one session.

Not only are these men true heroes, but they are strong Christian role models as well. Mr. Yazzie led our younger students in the singing of "Jesus Loves Me" and Mr. Hawthorne shared a message in chapel. Both men are pastors at churches on the reservation and continue their ministries today.

God has blessed us with many new students this year. The parents of these children pay tuition for them, but like many people, they are unable to pay the entire cost of attending school here.

Our child sponsorship program helps to cover some of the expenses of the children’s education. We ask our sponsors to commit to send $30 per month for this program. At this time, we are in need of 70 sponsors to participate in order that all our students will have enough sponsors for this year.

More important than the financial commitment, we ask our sponsors to write notes and letters of encouragement to the students and to pray for them daily. We also ask that you stop by the mission and meet your sponsored child if you are ever in the area.

Please consider sponsoring one of our students this year as an individual, a family or perhaps with your Sunday School class or Bible Study group. Contact Malissa Holloway at 928-537-5912 or malissaholloway@hotmail.com for more information.

AICM continues to participate in the Campbell’s Labels for Education program. We no longer save the front panel of the soup label; all you need to send in now is the UPC code off the can. We currently have 541,149

labels banked toward a new van.

Please continue to send in the General Mills Boxtops for Education. So far in 2007, we have received $2900 from General Mills. At 10 cents, each, this is a LOT of boxtops, but every one counts!

We are also participating in a program that recycles empty ink and toner cartridges. We are just beginning this endeavor and are ready to send in our first shipment.

If you need additional information or have any questions, please contact our office at 928-537-5912 or visit our website at www.aicm.org.

Thank you to all our ministry teams who have come and worked with us this year. Because of your time and effort, we have been able to reach more children for Christ through our Summer Enrichment programs, the bus ministry and helping in the school. Men and women with specific skills have been able to complete a number of work projects here on our campus that would not have been done otherwise.

We encourage individuals, families, youth groups and churches to come and minister with us whenever possible. Everyone can "do" ministry; we have a place for all ages. The most "senior" ministry team member we have had was 97 years young! Many families have come and brought their young children to minister together as well.

Please contact Malissa Holloway at 928-537-5912 or malissaholloway@hotmail.com if you would like to come and partner with us.

If you are in the Show Low area the following dates, please join us for these special programs:

This is a day to celebrate the heritage of our students and their families. Marcus James, a Native pastor, will be our featured speaker. Our students will be giving special presentations of music, dance and reading. Our Native American staff will be giving testimonies and singing praises to God. A traditional Native meal will be served after the program.

This is the LAST day of school before Christmas break! Our student body is already practicing a play about trying to find the true meaning of Christmas. We will also have music led by our Praise Team. Join us for lunch after the program.

This is the day our students receive their gifts from their sponsors and our supporters. Bring your cameras and catch some of the excitement of the day. We will have a pizza dinner for the students after opening their presents.

ALL PROGRAMS ARE HELD IN AICM’S CHAPEL. PLEASE CALL MALISSA HOLLOWAY AT OUR OFFICE AT 928-537-5912 IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US FOR ANY OF THESE PROGRAMS.

Scotch tape refills Chainsaws Knee/elbow pads

Clasp envelopes – all sizes 8-1/2 x 11 copy paper Bicycle helmets

Padded mailers – all sizes 2008 calendars Footballs

CD’s – rewritable Cough drops Basketballs

1x2-5/8 laser labels Tylenol/Ibuprofen Legos

CD/DVD paper sleeves Cough/cold medicine Batteries – all sizes

Dawn dishwashing detergent First aid tape Canned "air" for computers

Aprons Midol Swim suits (summer camps)

Potholders Lysol wipes Mouse pads

Dish Cloths/Dish Towels Coban 8-1/2 x 11 Legal pads

SOS pads Ace Bandages/splints Simple Green

Continued praise for God’s provision over 40 years

Send the right people for our open positions on staff

God’s protection for staff and students over Christmas break

Ministry teams for spring and summer of 2008

More children and their families will be reached through AICM’s programs

AICM is currently seeking people to fill the following positions:

School Principal

School secretary

Dorm parents

Director of Maintenance

We ask that you be a mature Christian and willing to make a minimum 3-year commitment to service here.

Contact Roger Nosker or Malissa Holloway for more information. Visit our website at www.aicm.org for an application.