ANASAZI Foundation

The Making of an Asking

Posted by Sean Rourke on October 24, 2009 | No Comments

ANASAZI leader Mike Merchant has written an open letter to ANASAZI friends and family asking for help replenishing our annual scholarship fund. The letter also provides an update on ANASAZI’s progress in 2009 and exciting news regarding our 2010 Scholarship Dinner. Check it out here.

Messages from ANASAZI alumni families and friends…

Posted by Sean Rourke on October 22, 2009 | No Comments

All of us at ANASAZI feel blessed by the love and support of our ever-growing ANASAZI family. Below is a sampling of the messages (edited for length) sent recently by alumni families and friends to the Anasazi Tribe and ANASAZI Foundation fan pages on Facebook.

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Thank you Anasazi for bringing my son back to me…

I LOVE the Anasazi program, the spirit and peace it brings to the lives of so many! I would love to share stories and memories; I have so many good ones!

Hello! i finished my Anasazi experience almost exactly a year ago! and i loved every second of it. and i think the whole program is amazing.

I would love to help out in anyway that I can. Anasazi really changed my life. Not only my life but my brothers’. We have all been blessed. Thank you for having such an impact on my life and the life of my family.

Hey! omg i miss u guys. i wanted you to know that i am very thankful for what you all have done and I am doing well.

I am grateful for Ezekiel and the Anasazi Family for saving my son’s life and for all the others whose paths were forever changed for the good. I live with my heart at peace.

Wow-such a time in my life that made me who I am today.

Thanks to the staff for all you did for me. I go through life now, knowing who I am, knowing that I CAN make it through ANYTHING!!!

Anasazi was one of the most wonderful and amazing experiences I have ever been through, I am very grateful for having such an important chapter in my life.

Man….not a day goes by that I dont think about my time here. Lets see…..1998 the summer between my junior and senior year. I have some awesome memories of being there. Wasn’t to happy about being there but SSSOOOOOO glad I did.

Wow…It’s been 4 years and I miss it so much!! I can’t wait to send my kids so that they can learn the self respect and confidence that I took away with me.

It has been almost ten years since I was on the trial. The program changed my life and the stories are still talked about to this day.

Its been 12 years since my time at anasazi and i still remember every moment and am so grateful for my sister-in-law, former trail walker, for telling my parents about it. It forever changed my life.

I miss Anasazi! Wow, learned so much…what a wonderful experience! I wish I was on the trail now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m so excited to see this site!!! My girls will be too… we all have AWESOME experiences from Anasazi and still work at having our hearts at peace every day. LOVE the Arbinger Institute and their books and I pass them along every chance I get!

Nothing makes me happier than to help those that help others. Anasazi does it well.

It makes me get teary to think of all the families Anasazi has brought together– I know it has mine. THANK YOU ANASAZI!

You know what’s completely amazing about these pictures? In each and every single picture, the young walker is covered in dirt, has greasy, oily, matted hair, surrounded by nothing but the wilderness, AND YET has the biggest smile on their faces and a light in their eyes that I’m sure at the beginning of their adventure wasn’t there. Thanks ANASAZI… for putting the light back in our eyes!

I really miss the Anasazi Days!!!! So Peaceful, I need to find myself again! Thanks, Anasazi, for the memories…

Thank You ANASAZI for your commitment and putting a stake in the ground and MAKING A DIFFERENCE in the LIVES of all these people. You are all like a TREE UNMOVEABLE and UNSHAKEABLE. You all have TOUCHED, MOVED and INSPIRED!!!! You all are LOVED!!!

I miss the trail! I miss my Anasazi family…

Some of my best memories! What a treasure to have gone! I didn’t think it at first, but WOW! Who gets the amazing experiences of ANASAZI! xoxo to all of you!

Anasazi, thanks for hanging in there when programs such as yours come under fire. I wish even more people recognized the good things that can be taught by Mother Earth in helping one find a heart at peace.

Thanks Anasazi for teaching lessons I will never forget!!

I remember our daughter making a fire and cooking for us. It was one of the best nights of my life.

You Guys are AMAZING! Keep up the work! It creates a great change!

I never thought I could ever miss lentils and rice so much! ah the hiking, fire circles, just the beauty of being out in nature! I miss it so much I would go back in a second if i could! I have learned so much from my experience at anasazi and i continue to have awakenings yes ive had many since! Not only have i found inner peace and something i love. But I have found myself! Keep walking forward:)

I haven’t been on the trail since like ‘01 but i tell you what i miss it a ton! it was an awesome time in my life surprising enough!

Wow!! i remember anasazi like 9 years ago it was amazing wish i could do it again.

I was ther over 17 yrs ago ( Early 90’s I was 12 then, I am now 31) Gees, but its still good to remember the great times On the Trail……Oh how life was SOOO simple back then, before Marriage, Kids Life!! Wish I could go back!

I have a great love for Ezekiel and for the people who I walked with on the trail. What a wonderful program!

The sites i saw and everything i learned wow i can honestly say it was the best time of my life and a experience i will never forget and i cant wait till i am old enough to come work there and give the same experience i got when i was there. to everyone at Anasazi thank you and love ya.

I needed a good focus. The Anasazi experience is too special for most to understand, and I still think about it!

Wow! It’s been 13 years! Definitely a life-changing experience that I will never forget

I think about Anasazi and how “at ease” life was at that moment in time. Wilderness is so healing. It is nice to be able to get away from it all to think about life. I hope to lead my boys in the same direction that you led me. I always know who I can turn to. Thank you.

I am ANASAZI! I’ll do what I can and make others I know aware!!!!

A way of life, you have given many families new life! Thank You!

Awesome Anasazi, Thank You! May you continue to Bless More Lives!

ANASAZI IS A GIFT OF HOPE- THANK YOU ANASAZI FOR TOUCHING OUR HEARTS AND OUR LIVES!

My son has been doing well since his 11 weeks in the field. As his dad, I am very proud that he is healthy and has been in full time college living with his brothers in Tucson. He is a wonderful young man.

I loved Anasazi! It’s been 14 years almost!!!!! I cannot believe it’s been so long. I still talk about Anasazi…I feel so lucky to have had the experience.

This makes me smile. Still walking softly on the earth! Sending good feelings to all!

It has been 20 years since I was on the trail… But I still remember every bit of it like it was yesterday and I remember all my counselors and Paul Newman My shadow~ Oh the good memories!

I just got off the phone with Ezekiel and have made a contribution and a commitment to help Anasazi. They were there for my family and daughter in our time of great need and I will now be there for them in theirs. I am Wise Flying Eagle and I have spoken, with my mouth, my heart *and* my checkbook. Please do likewise.

You guys are awesome!! you made such a difference in the life of my son. We talk about the trail all of the time. He loved those 6 weeks and what he learned there I will never be able to thank you enough. thanks!!

Really this place made a HUGE difference in my life, thank you guys so very much!! i miss the trail a lot, and the good ol food we all had out there LOL! again thank you so much for everything

I went to Anasazi when I was 17, i am 21 now, I loved every moment I was out there. You guys helped me out so much.

My thanks to all you wonderful, wonderful people. You do the work of angels…I stand up and applaud you all.

The best life saving foundation there is

I agree, everyone should experience Anasazi, it was a life altering experience for our entire family…Thank you!!!

Everyone I’ve met associated with Anasazi has been remarkable. I am so impressed with your mission, your work, your people.

You should be very proud of all the great work you have done for “Kids”. Anasazi is a precious gift.

My husband and I had such a life-changing experience for ourselves, and our daughter…. The walkers out on the trail truly had unconditional love for all of the kids who were participating. The one thing that I personally took for myself in the program was that as a parent, YOU TRULY ARE A MIRROR FOR YOUR CHILD OR TEENAGER….. They reflect off of you, be it either positive or negative…. So So true. It really works….. Just go to the grocery store, and take note of the smiles you get back, if you smile first… Awesome world we live in… Thanks Anasazi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Probably one of the best moments in my life… seeing my mom and dad again after 9 weeks… I love them sooo much!

Anasazi does amazing things for amazing kids! I feel so blessed that my family had the opportunity to learn and grow thru this program! Thanks to all of you who help those of us who need you so much!

Best time of my life, that’s for dang sure.

Thanks for giving me my life back!!!

“Picking” Friends

Posted by Mike Merchant (Willachee) on October 8, 2009 | 2 Comments

Recently, I received a phone call from a mother who was concerned about her son’s choice of friends.  She said she wished he would “pick” better friends.  I have often thought about what it means to pick friends.  In my experience, I am not sure I have ever consciously picked a friend.  It almost feels as if I have ended up with friends–depending upon the story I was telling at the time.  Tell stories of blame and I end up with friends who tell stories of blame.  Tell stories of love and I end up with friends who tell stories of love.

A YoungWalker described to a group of parents in a seminar having the same experience, she looked at her mom and announced, “It all started with the hair!”

Surprised, her mom asked what she meant by that.  Her daughter then explained, “Do you remember when I was about 11 or 12 years old and you and I used to fight about my hair before school each morning?  You wanted me to wear my hair like the little girls, with ribbons and bows.  I wanted to wear my hair like the older girls.  Inevitably, you were bigger than me, so I would end up getting on the bus with ribbons and bows.  By the time I sat down, I would have pulled them all out.  When I arrived at school my friends would ask me what happened to my hair.  And then I would launch into a story of how bad I hated my mom and how controlling she was.”

She then said, “Mom, now that I am 17 years old and I look back, I realize that all my friends are friends who hate their moms…and friends who hate their moms don’t do the kinds of things mothers want them to do.  Do they?”

What kind of story do we give our children to tell about us?  Perhaps our greatest influence as it relates to our children’s friends lies in the answer to this question.

GoodBuffaloEagle’s Plea – Dec. 1998

Posted by GoodBuffaloEagle on October 7, 2009 | No Comments

By GoodBuffaloEagle
Founder, ANASAZI Foundation

Great Creator, the Ancient Father of my fathers, look upon both young and old, stumbling through mists of shadows. Heed their anguished cries; hear their weeping in the darkness of despair. Great are the number of those who stagger in the brilliance of the noonday sun. Touch their eyes that they may see…open their ears that they may hear. Mend their broken hearts with tenderness. Cradle them in thy bosom; wipe their tears and give them hope for a new beginning. Hear my simple cry, Great Creator of all two-legged beings. Instill courage and determination in thy children to face with audacity the storms and winds that blow in the way of the good Path of Life.

ANASAZI Blog Buttons

Posted by Andrew on October 6, 2009 | No Comments

Have a personal, family, or company blog or website? Share the ANASAZI Way with families in need by linking your site to ours.  Feel free to grab one of our blog buttons using the embed codes below.

Embed Code: <a title="Anasazi Wilderness Therapy Blog" href="http://www.anasazi.org/wilderness-therapy-blog/" target="_blank"><img title="Anasazi Wilderness Therapy Blog" src="http://www.anasazi.org/wilderness-therapy-blog/wp-content/uploads/Button-ANASAZI-Blog.png" alt="Primitive Skills" /></a>	Embed Code: <a title="Anasazi Wilderness Therapy Blog" href="http://www.anasazi.org/wilderness-therapy-blog/" target="_blank"><img title="Anasazi Wilderness Therapy Blog" src="http://www.anasazi.org/wilderness-therapy-blog/wp-content/uploads/Button-I-AM-ANASAZI1.png" alt="Anasazi Wilderness Therapy" /></a>
Embed Code: <a title="Anasazi Wilderness Therapy Blog" href="http://www.anasazi.org/wilderness-therapy-blog/" target="_blank"><img title="Anasazi Wilderness Therapy Blog" src="http://www.anasazi.org/wilderness-therapy-blog/wp-content/uploads/Button-Drink-More-Water.png" alt="Primitive Skills" /></a>	Embed Code: <a title="Fill the Cup" href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=760165" target="_blank"><img title="Button Fill the Cup" src="http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/9747/buttonfillthecup.png" alt="Button Fill the Cup" /></a>

ANASAZI Foundation News – October 2009

Posted by Sean Rourke on October 5, 2009 | No Comments

Nominate a Young Leader!   Do you know a former YoungWalker/Sinagua Walker who has accomplished great things since leaving the ANASAZI trail?   Nominate him or her for the 2009 Young Leader award!   Each year, ANASAZI Foundation teams with Forever Young Foundation to recognize five exceptional alumni who exemplify the principles of the ANASAZI Way. For 2009, the five finalists will each receive a scholarship of at least $1000 and be profiled in short video documentaries to be featured on the ANASAZI website. One of the five will be named ANASAZI’s Young Leader for 2009 and receive an award of $2000. All awards will be presented in person by NFL legend and Forever Young founder Steve Young!   The deadline for nominations is Monday, October 19, at 8:00 a.m. MST. To nominate a Young Leader, just complete this form.

Summer of Sinagua   ANASAZI Foundation is recharging its batteries following a busy summer. We were blessed to serve many amazing families over the past few months, including the unprecedented number of young adults enrolled in our Sinagua (age 18 and older) program. Based on the same principles as ANASAZI’s adolescent program, the 42-day Sinagua walking is helpful to those in need of a jump-start for college, service work, or the transition into adulthood. The Sinagua program is also a place of new beginning for those seeking the path away from addiction. For some former YoungWalkers, the Sinagua walking has proven to be a great refresher. This summer, as in past years, we welcomed back several ANASAZI alumni seeking to reconnect with the lessons and feelings discovered when they were in their teens. As we prepare for a busy autumn, please know that ANASAZI stands ready to serve families and young adults in need. As always, scholarships are available for those facing financial hardship.

ANASAZI Loves Wynonna!   Over the years, ANASAZI Foundation has been blessed by the friendship and support of alumni families and respected leaders in a variety of fields. We are particularly grateful to music legend Wynonna Judd, who recently posted the following quote on her website. “ANASAZI has made such a big difference in our family healing process. The people there support our entire family system and have given us all a lot of hope. I would recommend that every single parent and child in America experience the peace that ANASAZI offers. My experience there has changed the way I parent.”

Fulfilling Our Mission – Lowering Prices to Meet Increasing Needs   ANASAZI Foundation is the last remaining nonprofit in its field, and one of the few outdoor behavioral healthcare programs offering scholarships to families in need. As such, ANASAZI is often the only hope for low and middle-income families. We field calls daily from families referred by other programs.   As you know, the ongoing economic downturn has severely impacted both families and small businesses. ANASAZI has closely managed its operating costs during this difficult time and streamlined operations without sacrificing its quality of care.   Because of this cost savings, and in response to the unprecedented need, ANASAZI has reduced its program fees to $395 per day for the adolescent program and $425 per day for our young-adult program. By lowering our prices and continuing to award scholarships, we hope to serve as many families as possible and fulfill our charitable mission–to make our services available for everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. Visit the Fees & Financing page of our website for more information.

Fill the Cup   In these difficult economic times, families are increasingly reliant on ANASAZI Foundation’s scholarship fund for the financial assistance they require to help a struggling son or daughter.   We need your help to replenish this fund for 2010!   If you are in a position to do so, or if you know someone who might be, we ask you to remember the ANASAZI scholarship fund in your monthly or year-end giving. Whether you can donate a small amount each month or sponsor an entire 42-day stay, we would be forever grateful for your assistance. Your help will bless the lives of parents and children next year and for years to come. Donate Online!

Join Us Online

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ANASAZI Foundation maintains profiles on the major social networking websites.
 
For the latest news and photos from the trail, follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/IamANASAZI), Facebook (see ANASAZI Tribe or our ANASAZI Foundation company page), YouTube or MySpace.