About us - History
In 1985 Jerry and Deanna Wright came to Arizona to serve as dorm parents and teachers at a mission school. Native Adult and Youth Ministries began in 1997, when Jerry saw the need to support Native American students. This was the beginning of Hope House and he facilitated the construction of Navajo Christian Foundation’s youth center and apartment building. Jerry continued as CEO and as a missionary until the Lord took him home in 2019. Deanna continues to serve as a support missionary and works as a full-time teacher at a Phoenix charter school.
In 2004, Reaching Out with Christ’s Kingdom joined with Native Adult and Youth Ministry to form what is now Native American Youth Ministries (NAYM). Since then, NAYM has continued to grow as other like-minded ministries have come alongside us, united in the mission of spreading the Gospel among Indigenous communities.
Each year, work teams from across the United States travel to partner with us—serving through construction projects, outreach programs, Vacation Bible Schools, and more.
We invite you to explore the site and prayerfully consider where God might be calling you to join the work He is doing through NAYM.