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January 2005 will be a month I will never forget. After
a hard week I was now preparing to leave Gallup New Mexico for
my trip back to Charleston West Virginia. It was then I
was approached to make a visit that would change my life and
ministry forever; the "Christian Mother of the
Navajo Reservation."
When I arrived at the dilapidated house where marry
lived I found this precious saint of God living on less
than the bare necessity to survive.
A little wood to keep warm for a few days, a little
food to eat for a few days. A small makeshift bed, through
our Ministry Partners in Florida we were able to do many
things for her to make her life more comfortable.
During the coming months I was able to build a spiritual bond between
myself
and Mother Moore. Mary truly became a Mother in the Lord to
me, praying for me each visit and always so full of Joy.
Sister Moore's home was in
much needed of repair but she never complained.
Seeing
the needs, I wonder how can we could make her life a little
better. It was obvious this was a mammoth undertaking our
Ministry alone could not complete.
Prior to meeting Sister Mary she had been praying
and asking the
Lord to send someone to clean and repair her
home, God had showed her 7 men that would come to repair her home.
She said me and my men were the ones the Lord had showed her
while praying.
I serve as the District Bishop of the Verdunville, West
Virginia Church of God District which includes Logan, Mingo
and Boone counties. Pastor Stacy Dingess Pastor of the Madison Church of God
and his
Mission team, assisted me with spearheading a massive renovation
of Mary's house in the summer of 2005. The house was
painted, new appliances added, wallpaper, new door's hung,
many improvements were made to this house.
Her house was finished within a week, during that week
Sister Moore ministered to us, at times individually and
other times as a group reading the Bible to us in Navajo as she
knew very little English.
After the completion of her home that week, I was led by
the Holy Spirit along with other Ministry partners to visit
with her, through a lengthy testimony a Navajo Sister
interpreted Sister Moore's words of gratitude, during the
interview she shed tears of Joy, She looked at me and said
the men came and there is one of the seven God showed me was
coming to help me.
Thursday April 6, 2006 after putting on her Indian
Jewelry on and telling her family after walking around the
Church she pastored; "I am preparing for a trip." with no
apparent sickness she was taken to the hospital and on Thursday morning she prayed her
way from this life to the pathway of Heaven gates never to
be cold, hungry or in need of again.
Over 300 attended the service which lasted four hours
which concluded at the cemetery behind her church which
continued for another two hours.
Mary touched our heart's and we will never be the same.
She sang songs to me that will never loose their
tune, I just wished you could have experienced what I did
when she laid her hands on me and asked God to place His
Mantle on me.
Mary has entered her reward, but there many more that are
in need of assistance if you would like to help us and our
Missionaries who now live on the reservation, you can call
505. 870.1039 or email me @ dreamcenters@verizon.net
Michael C. Hartwell, Executive Director
RuralPoverty DreamCenters, Inc.
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