Valentine’s Day—a time when the world celebrates love and connection—became a day of unspeakable grief for the San Carlos Apache community.
Off Highway 60, northeast of Globe, the dismembered body of 14-year-old Emily Pike was discovered.Emily, a Native American girl from the San Carlos Apache Tribe, had been missing from a group home in Mesa since January. Somewhere in that gap of time, she was taken, discarded, and forgotten by the world. But she is not forgotten by God.
Her tragic loss has sent a shockwave of sorrow across Native Lands and beyond. Another daughter stolen. Another life lost too soon. And once again, the same aching questions rise to the surface: Why? Why does this keep happening to Native girls? Why are these tragedies so common?
There may not be easy answers. But we know this: God has positioned us—His Church—right in the heart of this pain, and we cannot look away.
The Power of Proximity
Dream City Church is in San Carlos for a reason. When we planted our San Carlos Apache Campus, we didn’t fully grasp what God was setting us up for. But today, in the midst of heartbreak, we see it clearly. We are here for such a time as this.
Our presence in San Carlos means we don’t just hear about tragedies from afar—we feel them. We mourn with the families. We stand on the very land where generations have suffered. And because we are here, we have the privilege to walk alongside a community that is grieving, broken, and desperate for hope.
This is not about offering empty words of condolence. This is about action.
Being the Hands and Feet of Jesus
This is why Kingdom Builders matters. Through Kingdom Builders, we are not just funding a church building in San Carlos—we are building a beacon of hope, safety, and healing for an entire people group. We are standing on sacred ground, bringing real solutions, real relationships, and the real love of Jesus to a community that desperately needs it. And we need you.
Your generosity allows us to:
- Support and minister to grieving families in the aftermath of tragedy.
- Provide a spiritual home for Native youth who are vulnerable and at risk.
- Bring practical resources to those who feel abandoned and forgotten.
- Stand in the gap for the next Emily, so that her story ends in hope, not heartbreak.
Now Is the Time to Act
Emily Pike’s life mattered. And the next generation of Native youth matters, too. We cannot ignore this crisis. We cannot wait for another headline. God has given us the power of presence, and He is calling us to step in.
Join us in bringing hope, healing, and the love of Jesus to Native Lands.
