I'll admit that, as editor of this paper -- when there's been a looming deadline, and some space to fill -- I've thought, "Hey, I'll just ask Denise (my wife) to write something. That'll solve it."

Usually she was too busy doing something more important. You might have already noticed, though, that the feature article in this issue is written by Denise Hodgman, who is my wife.

I need to tell you that Denise wanted to write this. In fact, I don't think I could have stopped her. Though not mentioned by name, the people she's written about as examples, and the many other Native Christians like them, mean very much to her.

I have been similarly impressed with First Nations believers. I remember attending a conference where a writer for a national Christian paper was asked, "After the hundreds of interviews you've conducted, who impressed you most?"

Without hesitation, she mentioned a Native Christian woman on the west coast. This woman was repeatedly threatened and was being driven from her home and Reserve.

The interviewer was struck by this Native believer's burden to reach her own people for Christ, and her stand against evil, that was keeping her there. That's courage, faith, and strength!