A Glimpse of What Long-Term Partnership Can Become
This past week, I had the opportunity to visit Pine Ridge and spend time at Oyate Hope Academy, one of the locally-led ministries that Eagles’ Wings supports. The visit was a gift.
Wendell, OHA Teachers (Alice, Jen, Mary), and OHA Students at their end of year celebration
I arrived during a week of celebration. Oyate Hope Academy was holding its end-of-year celebration and graduation ceremony, and the room was filled with the kind of joy that is hard to fully capture in words. Students worshiped. Awards were given. Parents smiled proudly. Teachers celebrated the growth they had seen over the course of the year. It was joyful, hopeful, and deeply meaningful.
For Eagles’ Wings, moments like this matter because they remind us what we are really supporting. We are not trying to create one-time experiences or short-term moments; we support faithful ministries that are already investing into students year after year.
During the visit, I also had the chance to see the progress on Oyate Hope Academy’s new school building project. All the framing has been completed, and it was powerful to stand there and see a long-term vision take physical shape. For a ministry like OHA, this project represents space for students to learn, grow, worship, be known, and be loved. It represents a deeper investment in the future of youth and families in Pine Ridge.
The week culminated in a disco celebration night, co-hosted by Eagles’ Wings and OHA teachers. It was simple and joyful: music, laughter, dancing, and students getting to celebrate together. It was the kind of night where partnership felt less like an idea and more like something you could see, hear, and feel.
Coming home, I feel thankful.
Thankful for Oyate Hope Academy.
Thankful for the teachers and leaders who are faithfully investing in students.
Thankful for the students and families I had the chance to meet.
And thankful that Eagles’ Wings has the opportunity to support long-lasting, locally-led youth ministry in Pine Ridge.
This visit gave me a glimpse of what that kind of support can evolve into.
It can become students worshiping with joy at the end of a school year.
It can become proud parents celebrating their children.
It can become a building framed and ready for the next stage of ministry.
It can become a disco night full of laughter and connection.
It can become a partnership that is not centered on us, but on supporting what God is already doing through local leaders.
That is the heart behind Eagles’ Wings. Thank you for praying, giving, encouraging, and believing in this work with us. We are grateful.
This summer, our high school and college student team will return to Pine Ridge to serve alongside local ministries, including ministries like Oyate Hope Academy. Our hope is that our students would not only serve, but also learn: humility, partnership, and what it means to support leaders who are already faithfully present.
That is also why Bike for Hope matters.
Bike for Hope helps support our summer student volunteer trip to Pine Ridge. The funds raised help cover trip costs, transportation, meals, supplies, and other needs that allow our team to show up well. But more than that, Bike for Hope helps make it possible for Eagles’ Wings to continue forming students who understand the value of long-term, locally-led ministry.
Would you consider supporting Bike for Hope?
Your gift helps our team continue showing up as partners — not as the center of the story, but as supporters of something much bigger and longer-lasting than a one-week trip.
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/bike-for-hope-2
