In Their Own Words: Tim & Kim Wardell
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By Tim & Kim Wardell, Missionaries to Native Americans
Editor’s Note: Tim and Kim Wardell are among the six missionaries featured during Global Strategy’s 2018 impactX2 year-end campaign. Tim and Kim serve as Global Strategy missionaries in Allen, South Dakota, among the Lakota people. They are mentoring the growing congregation of the Pass Creek Church into what it means to be a fully functioning, self-sustaining church with the vision that one day indigenous leadership will be at the helm of this church.
The culture, identity, and spiritual well-being of Native Americans has been compromised over the centuries. This beautiful and creative people, who have historically had a powerful spiritual existence, have lost their way and have formed a very distorted view of God. However, we see the beginnings of a fresh interest in Jesus and an increasing move toward seeking truth as they open their hearts and minds to biblical teaching.
Through a ministry of presence, we live to demonstrate that Jesus is real and that the life changing truths of the gospel have the power to transform our lives. A handful of people have experienced tremendous spiritual growth, which is beginning to spread throughout our village, and we are excited to see what the Lord will do next.
We are combating the effects of the generational abuse that the Native Americans have endured. This abuse has resulted in distorted solutions to the challenges in life, creating many devastating issues—suicide, alcohol and drug abuse, gang violence, child sexual abuse, substandard education system, domestic abuse, economic poverty, and an overwhelming sense of hopelessness.
Bridges of Hope Ministry seeks to specifically and intentionally address each of these issues that plague the reservation and the families we are enabled to serve in the village of Allen. Our desire is to help them break the bondage of dependency and awaken to the dignity of being loved by God. We are not the answer, but God is.
Our need is for churches and individuals to partner with us through financial support, for short-term mission teams to help us disciple the lost, and for additional staff to join us in this amazing opportunity to be Jesus in this place. Will you help us build bridges between a people defined by hopelessness to the God who is the very definition of hope?
To learn more about the Wardells and their ministry or to contribute to their ministry, click here.
To learn more about Global Strategy’s 2018 impactX2 campaign, click here.
