Photo by David Singer

“The needs here are staggering,” says John Dillard. This summer John, his wife Tami and their two teenage sons set out for Pueblo Pintado, N.M. — deep in the heart of Navajo country. For the second year in a row, the family was helping run a weeklong daily vacation Bible school for local kids.

With rising unemployment, substance abuse, gambling and isolation, the community faced challenges that could only be met with a message of hope. Last year the Dillards had nothing tangible to leave behind after their Scripture-intensive week ended. Tami, who organized this year’s mission, wanted to change that. She searched the Internet for Bibles and found the American Bible Society (ABS). After speaking with her, ABS offered to donate 200 illustrated children’s Bibles to the students in their ministry.

Word about the daily vacation Bible school spread quickly in the tightly knit Navajo community, and attendance grew daily. By week’s end, it had grown by 50 percent, and the Scripture-centered program attracted 60 children from ages four to 15.