For one year leading to the dedicatory event, David Lorency, International Field Director and his staff at Operation Compassion worked feverishly to put together a celebration of untold proportions. The beneficiaries of this weeklong celebration would be the Indian Nations of the Southwest, in particular, the Navajo Nation. No one knew what the exact outcome would be as everyone began to gather in Gallup, NM on April 30, 2002. However, as the week and the event began to unfold, it became evident right from the start that something special was happening – partnerships!

Never before in the history of Operation Compassion has so many agencies partnered on a single project. With amazement, four food relief agencies and two volunteer based agencies pooled their resources to make an impact on one of the poorest segments of the American population.

Several weeks prior to the event, Operation Compassion began sending semi loads of fifty-pound food boxes, bottled water, clothes, juices, chips, candy and toys to the newly built warehouse to be dedicated as the First American Dream Center. In fact, thirteen semis transferred product from Operation Compassion warehouses in the east to Gallup, NM.

From that beginning, other agencies started joining the effort. Larry Jones, President of Feed the Children sent a semi load of food boxes and bottled water for the dedication event. In fact, one of the semis actually came on Thursday during the week adding excitement and a sense of expectancy. Joann Orff of Feed the Children was instrumental in providing the logistics for the semis.

Dave Phillips, President of Children’s Hunger Fund came on board with much needed products for the dedication. A semi loaded with food boxes was delivered to the Dream Center adding more excitement as the Navajo began to realize for the first time that the Dream Center was not a mere dream or broken promise but a reality from people who care about them and their future.

Then on Friday, a semi pulled into the dream Center dock from Northern Arizona Food Bank. Carey Ketchum, Director had arranged for a semi of bottled water and a variety of food to be delivered. The best of his delivery came at the last minute. As the staff of the Food Bank was loading our truck, they received a small donation of oranges and cherry tomatoes. In the spirit of generosity, they loaded those products into our semi and the Navajo enjoyed fresh produce.

It was simply amazing to watch as the food relief agencies partnered to provide more than 1,200 Navajo families with fifty-pound food boxes, bottled water, juice, chips, snacks, fresh produce, clothes, candy and countless of miscellaneous food items that were included.

However, that is only the beginning of the story. With product coming in from all over the country, how was it going to be handled and distributed without chaos reigning? The answer was simple – volunteers!

Orville Hagan, International Director, Church of God Evangelism and Home Missions, was instrumental in acquiring the land for the First American Dream Center. Also, he opened the door of cooperation between Operation Compassion and Douglas Cline, Director, Southwest Indian Ministries. Doug Cline made his staff and support personnel available to work in every area from the construction of the Dream Center to distribution of the food. He allowed his offices, campground and equipment to be used whenever necessary.

About six months prior to the dedicatory events, Leonard Albert, International Director, Church of God Lay Ministries, had a brainstorm for initiating a new program for volunteers – Life Builders Matthew 25 Men! His idea was so simple it had to work. Bring men together from all walks of life, from around the country and utilize them as a team to go into areas of extreme poverty. These men would fund their trips, work renovating or repairing homes, doing whatever needed to be done to lift these families out of their poverty. The kick off would be the First American Dream Center Dedication!

During the entire week men poured in from all over the country, converging on Gallup, NM and the Dream Center. There were plenty of men and some women that worked all week in preparation for the distribution of food on Saturday.

When Dr. John D. Nichols, President, Operation Compassion and the Board of Directors cast a vision and made financial provision for this ministry, they had no idea of the outcome. More than a year later, it has become evident that their vision was a catalyst for bringing people and agencies together to profoundly affect a forgotten people.

Together we celebrate! Not only for the dedication of Operation Compassion First American Dream Center but for the partnerships that were forged. In one week, for the Navajo Nation, six agencies came together to make a difference.

Tim Burdashaw
Communications Coordinator

Anyone interested in donating finances or products or providing a corporate lead may contact:

Operation Compassion
David Lorency, President
114 Stuart Road, NE
Suite 370
Cleveland, TN 37312
423.728.3932 – Office
423.596.4200 – Fax

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During the week of April 30th through May 4th, 2002, Feed the Children and Operation Compassion partnered to provide food, water, chips, candy and other snack food for a special week entitled Celebration of the Nations. This weeklong event involved seven different, simultaneous activities culminating with the dedication of the First American Dream Center in Gallup, NM.

For several weeks prior to the celebration, Feed the Children sent semis of water, food, chips and other snack items to be given to the children and adults that would participate in the various activities. Those activities included a revival with Reverend Floyd Lawhon, Kid’s Kamp with Jimmy Jones, daily hot meal program, Saturday’s carnival and the dedication.

On Thursday during the week of celebration, a Feed the Children semi unloaded a semi of food boxes to be given away following the dedication to families in need. Over 1,200 families received fifty-pound food boxes to take home.

Out of this partnership came two significant and life changing experiences. One of the families that lived in a remote area of the reservation was completely out of food and money. They had no means of buying and anything and prospect of receiving anything from outside sources. All that was in the house was a little flour. For five days, this family of eight – mother, father and six children ate nothing but gravy! That was all they had to eat – gravy! When a pick up truck delivered their box of food, they were overwhelmed. It was a miracle. The mother said it was enough food to last them a month!

Each night during the Kid’s Kamp, the workers would give each child a bag of toys, snacks and other goodies as well as a bottle of water. One night, a little boy had abandoned his bag of goodies for and arm full of water. When the child was ask to only take one water and take his bag, he replied, “I’d rather have water!” After further inquiry, it was discovered the little boy’s family was without water and he needed to take water back home to his family. The water was more important than the toys and candy. Needless to say, the little boy returned home with a couple of cases of water and his toys and snacks for the whole family.

It is amazing to think about children in the United States having to make a choice between life sustaining water or toys and candy. However, because of this unparalleled partnership many needs within the Navajo Nation will be supplied in the coming years as Operation Compassion operates the First American Dream Center and Feed the Children continues to send semi loads of water, food and other supplies.

Tim Burdashaw
Communications Coordinator

Anyone interested in donating finances or products or providing a corporate lead may contact:

Operation Compassion
David Lorency,President
114 Stuart Road, NE
Suite 370
Cleveland, TN 37312
423.728.3932 – Office
423.596.4200 – Fax

On February 15, 2002, Operation Compassion started food distribution for the first time in the newly built First American Dream Center in Gallup, New Mexico. Several hundred American Indian families participated in this endeavor lead by David Lorency, International Field Director for Operation Compassion and James Rodgers, Coordinator, First American Dream Center and Reverend Jerry Tom, Pastor, Window Rock Church of God.

This distribution was an event that illustrated to the tribal leadership the impact of the future ministries involved in erecting the First American Dream Center. The food, clothing and toys were taken from the Dream Center to the Window Rock Church of God for final distribution to every family in attendance. The tribal leadership was on hand to observe the distribution and the products to be given away. Without a doubt, Operation Compassion made an impact that will lead to the dedication scheduled for May 2002.

The level of commitment Operation Compassion has made to them by building the First American Dream Center impressed the tribal leaders. One leader remarked how good it was to see new products brought to the reservation instead of used, worn out items that are typically brought.

First American Dream Center consists of a 12,000 square foot warehouse, restrooms, a meeting room, all designed to provide lift and redemption and a 1,200 square foot home for the Coordinator. All of this in close proximity to the reservation. The dedication, Celebration of the Nations, for the first American Dream Center is scheduled for May 8-10, 2002 with a series of special events designed to illustrate to the American Indians that Operation Compassion cares about them and wants to help lift their standard of living while redeeming them to God through the Gospel message (Matthew 25).

Celebration of the Nations will begin with a revival thrust by Reverend Floyd Lawhon entitled A Gathering of the American Indians from April 30 – May 8, 2002. At the same time, Jimmy Jones will be conducting a Kid’s Crusade. On Saturday, May 9, 2002, a special street carnival will be sponsored providing plenty of rides, games and other special activities, toys and special give-a-ways for the children. On Saturday afternoon, 1,000 50-pound boxes of food will be given away to the families living on the reservation.

In preparation for this dedicatory event, Operation Compassion will be sending fifteen semi-trucks loaded with food, clothing, toys, drinks and snacks. However, this is only the beginning. The commitment of Operation Compassion is ongoing and semi-trucks will be rolling in and out of First American Dream Center on a regular basis providing for the basic needs of life for families on the reservation including building supplies.

Tim Burdashaw
Communications Coordinator

Anyone interested in donating finances or products or providing a corporate lead may contact:

Operation Compassion
David Lorency, President
114 Stuart Road, NE
Suite 370
Cleveland, TN 37312
423.728.3932 – Office
423.596.4200 – Fax

“Who are you people, Operation Compassion?” was a question asked by a representative of the state of West Virginia during the flood relief of July 2001. The representative who arrived on the scene to coordinate relief efforts for the victims was astounded to see that Operation Compassion and the Appalachia Dream Center staff had already mobilized and organized a massive relief effort.

On July 8, 2001, torrential rains saturated the mountains of West Virginia. As the rains continued throughout the night, creeks and rivers overflowed into the valleys and hollers of the rural countryside. Houses, mobile homes, cars and trucks were tossed like children’s toys. Trees and bushes that covered the hillsides were swept away like kindling, leaving massive destruction in its wake. No one could adequately describe the scope of this disaster. Scores of families had nothing left. No cars, houses or personal belongings. Everything was lost!

By early on July 9th, Pastor Mike Hartwell of the Vunderville Church of God and Coordinator of Appalachia Dream Center for Operation Compassion, began mobilizing efforts to bring relief to the suffering people of West Virginia. Pastor Hartwell partnered with six West Virginia Churches of God – Princeton, Vunderville, Logan, Northfork and MacArthur – and utilized the resources of Operation Compassion. David Lorency, International Director of Operation Compassion and his staff began shipping semi-trucks loaded with cleaning supplies, bottled water, mattresses, clothes, food and blankets.

For the next four weeks, Operation Compassion and the Appalachia Dream Center delivered sixteen semi-trucks, housed numerous teams from Men/Women of Action and over two hundred volunteers. One Men/Women of Action team remodeled one of the damaged fellowship halls and replaced their heating and air conditioning system. Over five thousand families and thirteen Churches of God and parsonages, damaged in the flooding, were supplied emergency relief.

Along with Pastor Hartwell and David Lorency, David M. Griffis, Administrative Bishop for the West Virginia Churches of God was instrumental in the relief process. Before the floodwaters could recede, Bishop Griffis mobilized a committee of ministers to survey the damage and immediately allocated and released emergency funds. Feed the Children also responded to the disaster by providing the cleaning supplies. Donors from all over the country started sending in funds to support the relief effort. However, there was one anonymous donor that provided funds to cover the difference between the insurance coverage and the actual loss so that every Church of God and parsonage was restored to pre-flood condition.

Six months later, some of the worst flooding in the history of West Virginia is mostly a memory. In reflecting upon this disaster, Pastor Hartwell said, “The flooding and subsequent relief effort was a breath-taking and life-changing experience. I’ll never be the same!” David Lorency remarked, “Never, in the history of the Church of God, has the church responded so completely.”

The question posed by the state representative, “Who are you people, Operation Compassion?” was not answered in words but in deeds, the deeds of every man, woman, child, church and pastor that responded to the call for help.

During Thanksgiving and Christmas, Operation Compassion delivered 12 semis to many of the 22 Indian Nations of the Western United States equipping Native American pastors and leaders in providing Thanksgiving and Christmas for tens of thousands of First Americans.

Under the direction of James Rodgers, Coordinator of Native American Benevolence for Operation Compassion, food, clothing and toy drops were made in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona and New Mexico.

Recently a major event occurred at the Church of God Ministry Center to the Navajo Nation, directed by Bishop Douglas Cline. Each December Bishop Cline hosts a Christmas banquet for his pastors and members. This year Operation Compassion delivered several semi loads of food used at the banquet as well as providing family food boxes for the pastors to take home with them.

James Rodgers also oversaw the delivery of 2 semi loads of toys that were distributed both to the children of the Navajo Nation attending the banquet and later to children throughout the Navajo Nation, that extends over 4 states, just days before Christmas.

Tim Burdashaw
Communications Coordinator