Imagine you are a child of any nationality. At age six, you are the youngest of six brothers and sisters. You and your family live in a small home with no running water and no electricity. Therefore, you go to bed when the sun goes down. What else would there be to do? You have to have your homework done before the sun goes down because there is not enough light from the oil lamp to see. You go outside to use the restroom, alone in the dark. No porch light provides light nor do you have toilet to flush. You wake up when the sun does. For breakfast, you eat whatever food can be prepared without using electricity. A breakfast bar or snack cake or fruit. You have to be driven half an hour to catch the school bus. One parent works to support your family and the other is "away." They are both rarely at home with you.
After school, you stay with an "auntie" or "uncle" or "grandparent" that will provide food and shelter for you. You get off the school bus one day at one house, the next day somewhere else. Often times you are dropped off at a different house each day of the week. It is scary to leave school and not be sure where you will end up. No one is home where you were told to go and the doors and windows are locked. Your parent is at work and cannot receive calls there. You are scared-home is far away and even if you were there, no one is home to be with you until well after night fall. You have homework to do and need food and shelter. The bus driver drops you at a friend's house until your parents can pick you up. They weren't expecting you. Will they have enough food for their children and you? You won't return to your own bed until after midnight when your parent can take you there.
How important would it be for you (as this child) to have a safe, constant, caring environment to visit and feel secure? How important would it be for you (at this child) to know that God loves you, that you are important to him and that He has a plan for your life?
That's how important the work at the Red Sands Christian School and church is to all the Navajo children here. And how important this type of work is in all the missions like ours around the world. This story could be common here on the Navajo reservation, in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky or in areas of South America, Africa, and all around the world. Pray for the families and children and workers all around the world. Pray that more children will find their way here and to places like this. And remember how blessed you and your family are daily.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
"I know the plans I have for you..."
Monday, September 22, 2008
We got a new student today! The Mom called here and wanted to know if we offered the eighth grade this year. I confirmed that we do indeed! She came by an hour later and enrolled her child. Jerry had been expecting God to send more students and he received another one today! It is so exciting! This student was just moving back to the area, had attended school at Red Sands previously and God sent her here again! It is so encouraging.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
I heard from Mr. Bill today. He is doing well and thus far all is going well with his trip to the Northwest. He is speaking at various churches. Generally, the churches provide his housing for the evening and he said this arrangement had serves him well. I won't include too much of his information because I am sure he will let everyone know the details.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The students are all so excited! Today, we are hosting "The Lost Dogs", a musical group at the school. The group has been traveling along Route 66, beginning in Chicago, IL and performing concerts. They offered to come here and do a free concert for the children and we agreed! The children really enjoyed the concert. Abby looked like a 1950s surfer queen. She sat with a deadpan serious look on her face and body stock still in her seat, save for her hands. Using both of her hands she was snapping to the beat of the music. It was very amusing. Most of the children were afraid to move and sat very still during the performance. At one point, Jerry walked around and got everyone to stand up and clap. However, as soon as the music stopped, we all sat back down. Afterward, the group gave out pictures and autographs to the kids. "The Lost Dogs" also allowed the children to play the musical instruments with which they had performed. The kids REALLY enjoyed this and had a great time. It was hard to get them to leave to go home on the bus on that day.
Thursday evening we drove into Winslow as a family and had dinner. It was our first family meal eaten out together since we had gotten here. We first went to the public library. Jerry had checked out "Where the Red Fern Grows" to show his class and it had to be returned today. We also returned some books and checked out some more books. There was a group there doing a craft and Abby and Kelcy got to make bead necklaces, too. The people at the library have been very nice. Then went to the restaurant and had some nice Chinese food. The girls loved the egg drop soup (except Jerry and I had to pick out the celery). Abby & Kelcy also got a package at the post office today. Miss Joyce sent the girls some books to read. Thank you Joyce! We got home and promptly read all of the books you sent, plus the ones we borrowed from the library. It was a lovely evening.
This was Jerry's week to monitor the playground after lunch. All week he gets to spend half an hour with the kids. He pushes them on the swings and generally has fun.
While you in London, Kentucky were having the World Famous Chicken Festival, we also had a Festival in Winslow. The "Standing on the Corner" music festival was Friday and Saturday this weekend. We were told there was music and food there but, alas, we did not attend. It was geared toward a more adult audience than our two and four year old.
Saturday Abby got the change out her earrings for the first time. I can't believe it has been six weeks since she had her ears pierced. She had been counting down the weeks and now she exchanged her pink flower earrings for a pair of pink stoned stud earrings that Tammy sent for her, which she calls her diamonds. She was very excited and promptly asked for a jewelry box to contain her "jewels." Kelcy is very interested in Abby's ears and sees that it is a big thing to Abby, but has never even mentioned wanting to have it done herself. I guess that is a product of her witnessing the process when Abby had it done.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Jerry did the usual bus run to Tolani Lake and back, but this time he came with an extra child! And the child was in my Sunday School class! It was so exciting! I am enjoying teaching the class. Jerry taught his Sunday School lesson on "Prepare for Rain". Mr. Roberts continued his sermon series on Super Heroes of the Bible. This one was about Abel and Enoch. I am really enjoying the series. The attendance was twenty-eight people for church here. We again had some new faces in church.
Dilkon Christian Church, where Mr. Bill preaches, has had a fall in attendance since he has been gone. A member of the board of directors of Navajo Trails Mission has been there both Sundays to preach. We hope to be encouraged next week by some new faces there. I am afraid people see that there is no car at Bill's Hooghan and assume that means no church service.
Next week... The school kids meet the dentist and we get a visitor from "home".
We got a new student today! The Mom called here and wanted to know if we offered the eighth grade this year. I confirmed that we do indeed! She came by an hour later and enrolled her child. Jerry had been expecting God to send more students and he received another one today! It is so exciting! This student was just moving back to the area, had attended school at Red Sands previously and God sent her here again! It is so encouraging.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
I heard from Mr. Bill today. He is doing well and thus far all is going well with his trip to the Northwest. He is speaking at various churches. Generally, the churches provide his housing for the evening and he said this arrangement had serves him well. I won't include too much of his information because I am sure he will let everyone know the details.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The students are all so excited! Today, we are hosting "The Lost Dogs", a musical group at the school. The group has been traveling along Route 66, beginning in Chicago, IL and performing concerts. They offered to come here and do a free concert for the children and we agreed! The children really enjoyed the concert. Abby looked like a 1950s surfer queen. She sat with a deadpan serious look on her face and body stock still in her seat, save for her hands. Using both of her hands she was snapping to the beat of the music. It was very amusing. Most of the children were afraid to move and sat very still during the performance. At one point, Jerry walked around and got everyone to stand up and clap. However, as soon as the music stopped, we all sat back down. Afterward, the group gave out pictures and autographs to the kids. "The Lost Dogs" also allowed the children to play the musical instruments with which they had performed. The kids REALLY enjoyed this and had a great time. It was hard to get them to leave to go home on the bus on that day.
Thursday evening we drove into Winslow as a family and had dinner. It was our first family meal eaten out together since we had gotten here. We first went to the public library. Jerry had checked out "Where the Red Fern Grows" to show his class and it had to be returned today. We also returned some books and checked out some more books. There was a group there doing a craft and Abby and Kelcy got to make bead necklaces, too. The people at the library have been very nice. Then went to the restaurant and had some nice Chinese food. The girls loved the egg drop soup (except Jerry and I had to pick out the celery). Abby & Kelcy also got a package at the post office today. Miss Joyce sent the girls some books to read. Thank you Joyce! We got home and promptly read all of the books you sent, plus the ones we borrowed from the library. It was a lovely evening.
This was Jerry's week to monitor the playground after lunch. All week he gets to spend half an hour with the kids. He pushes them on the swings and generally has fun.
While you in London, Kentucky were having the World Famous Chicken Festival, we also had a Festival in Winslow. The "Standing on the Corner" music festival was Friday and Saturday this weekend. We were told there was music and food there but, alas, we did not attend. It was geared toward a more adult audience than our two and four year old.
Saturday Abby got the change out her earrings for the first time. I can't believe it has been six weeks since she had her ears pierced. She had been counting down the weeks and now she exchanged her pink flower earrings for a pair of pink stoned stud earrings that Tammy sent for her, which she calls her diamonds. She was very excited and promptly asked for a jewelry box to contain her "jewels." Kelcy is very interested in Abby's ears and sees that it is a big thing to Abby, but has never even mentioned wanting to have it done herself. I guess that is a product of her witnessing the process when Abby had it done.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Jerry did the usual bus run to Tolani Lake and back, but this time he came with an extra child! And the child was in my Sunday School class! It was so exciting! I am enjoying teaching the class. Jerry taught his Sunday School lesson on "Prepare for Rain". Mr. Roberts continued his sermon series on Super Heroes of the Bible. This one was about Abel and Enoch. I am really enjoying the series. The attendance was twenty-eight people for church here. We again had some new faces in church.
Dilkon Christian Church, where Mr. Bill preaches, has had a fall in attendance since he has been gone. A member of the board of directors of Navajo Trails Mission has been there both Sundays to preach. We hope to be encouraged next week by some new faces there. I am afraid people see that there is no car at Bill's Hooghan and assume that means no church service.
Next week... The school kids meet the dentist and we get a visitor from "home".
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Now, that's something you don't see everyday...
Greetings! We are here in the desert, continuing to work and receive the Lord's love.
Monday, September 15, 1008
We celebrated two birthdays today! Noah turned two and Mr. Roberts turned a number that is monumental, but cannot be mentioned here because of my discretion (30). We laughed, we celebrated, we ate cake. It was very nice. We also got to see the Dallas Cowboys win on Monday night football! Very exciting. How 'bout them Cowboys? But enough of that.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
We had a student withdraw from our school today. It was quite heart-wrenching. It was so sad to see him go. He rode the bus to the reservation and was always well-behaved when I saw him. I just hate that he withdrew to attend a different school, because I know that he is going to miss out on so much! He is going to miss out on the great educational material and the caring of the teachers. I can't imagine his receiving that kind of love at the reservation boarding school. The child has lost a great opportunity by leaving. Mr. Bill and Miss Dawn asked him to think it over and at the end of the day, he still left. We will miss him! It is just very disappointing to lose a student, any student.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Mr. Bill left today for the Northwest to teach about missions and the importance of supporting missions in the world. He also is presenting information about the Navajo Trails Mission, its history and current situation. His leaving has left an empty place here. I began to miss him about an hour after he left. He is such an active part of the School planning and the Mission here that it is strange for him to be away. We are all praying for him. I don't know if he has mentioned this, but Bill also got a new granddaughter last week. Congratulations Mr. Bill! And Roy and Monica, of course!
I did something for the first time today. Well, our whole family did. We went out after it was dark and watched the Moon rise. We went outside about 8:30PM and watched something that we could never see in the Kentucky mountains. We watched the full moon come up over the horizon. We could begin to see the sky lighten right where the moon was going to rise. The stars in that area began to dim. Then a little piece of the moon appeared over the horizon. It continued to rise until it was full and clear. That is certainly something you don't see every day... I asked Jerry if he loved it here and his response was that he is enjoying its beauty. The visibility of the stars is amazing on clear nights. I can literally see thousands of stars. We are going to use Jerry's star chart from his science book to identify some of the constellations. So far, we can only see Ursa Major and Ursa Minor (the Big and Little Dipper). Right now, the star chart in Jerry's science book shows the night sky in the northern hemisphere at 11PM. We haven't been out THAT late yet to watch the stars.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Sunday was a beautiful day! Jerry ran the bus to Tolani Lake. The girls and I rode up to the church in our truck. Jerry taught the Sunday school lesson about being "Wholehearted." Mr. Roberts started a sermon series about "Super Heroes of the Bible". We had an attendance of 23 people at the church service, and we had several out sick with a stomach virus. We had some visitors that I had not met before, which was really nice!
Abby, I might mention, missed the whole event of the moon rising. She is afraid of the snakes in the dark outside and wouldn't come off of the porch. She wouldn't even let me hold her and stand in the yard. I have to admit she gets that fear honestly. I am always warning her to pay attention at dusk and watch out for snakes when we are outside. Abby is doing well in the school. She is learning a lot and behaving well for a Kindergartner. She doesn't eat much of her lunch most days, but I know that they have snacks in the classroom, so I don't worry too much. She is a little upset about being smaller that everyone and younger. She asks when she will begin to lose her baby teeth like her friends. And she asks when we are going back to Kentucky. She still misses Eva and Margo and Ivy and Alex and Jason and all her friends. Just this morning, she told me "The house is different, huh?" I asked her what she meant and she said "It's different from our house in Kentucky." She is also picking up the speech patterns of the Navajo children, such as adding and interrogative "huh?" after every sentence. For instance, Abby will say "I'm coloring with red, huh?" Or "That was fun, huh?" It is very cute. She is excited to visit "home" at Christmas. She wants to spend the night with Eva and visit her Nana.
Kelcy is doing fine. She does not mention home nearly so much as Abby. She just goes along with whatever we are doing. She does seem to be arguing a lot with Noah lately. She wants to be the "mommy" to him and keep him from getting hurt or doing something he shouldn't be (at least, that's the way she sees it). It is very frustrating for Noah to have her taking things away from him that she deems dangerous or, more probably, something she wants for herself. There has been a Navajo lady who came by three days last week to watch Noah and Kelcy. They really like her and were doing very well. It has been a great help to me. It was also very nice to get to know her. I am still learning about the culture and the people of the Navajo Nation. Being able to spend time with the Navajo people really helps me. Also, while I am riding the bus in the afternoons with Jerry, I get to know the kids a little better. I get to hear their conversations and ask them questions. It is nice to get some interaction.
My office is located at the Red Sands Christian Church and the kids classes are down at the Red Sands Christian School building, so I don't get a whole lot of chances to speak to the children. I do get to see them everyday at lunch, as all of the school kids walk up to the Church to eat their lunch. I also get to see them each morning at the opening program and on Tuesday mornings when we have chapel at the Church. I will get several opportunities to teach the Chapel lesson to the children throughout the year. I also get to lead the children in songs every third week during chapel. If anyone has suggestions for some rousing church songs, complete with hand motions, just email me or leave a comment with the suggestions.
A sneak peak for next week, Jerry's class gets another new student and the school is having a concert group perform!
Monday, September 15, 1008
We celebrated two birthdays today! Noah turned two and Mr. Roberts turned a number that is monumental, but cannot be mentioned here because of my discretion (30). We laughed, we celebrated, we ate cake. It was very nice. We also got to see the Dallas Cowboys win on Monday night football! Very exciting. How 'bout them Cowboys? But enough of that.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
We had a student withdraw from our school today. It was quite heart-wrenching. It was so sad to see him go. He rode the bus to the reservation and was always well-behaved when I saw him. I just hate that he withdrew to attend a different school, because I know that he is going to miss out on so much! He is going to miss out on the great educational material and the caring of the teachers. I can't imagine his receiving that kind of love at the reservation boarding school. The child has lost a great opportunity by leaving. Mr. Bill and Miss Dawn asked him to think it over and at the end of the day, he still left. We will miss him! It is just very disappointing to lose a student, any student.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Mr. Bill left today for the Northwest to teach about missions and the importance of supporting missions in the world. He also is presenting information about the Navajo Trails Mission, its history and current situation. His leaving has left an empty place here. I began to miss him about an hour after he left. He is such an active part of the School planning and the Mission here that it is strange for him to be away. We are all praying for him. I don't know if he has mentioned this, but Bill also got a new granddaughter last week. Congratulations Mr. Bill! And Roy and Monica, of course!
I did something for the first time today. Well, our whole family did. We went out after it was dark and watched the Moon rise. We went outside about 8:30PM and watched something that we could never see in the Kentucky mountains. We watched the full moon come up over the horizon. We could begin to see the sky lighten right where the moon was going to rise. The stars in that area began to dim. Then a little piece of the moon appeared over the horizon. It continued to rise until it was full and clear. That is certainly something you don't see every day... I asked Jerry if he loved it here and his response was that he is enjoying its beauty. The visibility of the stars is amazing on clear nights. I can literally see thousands of stars. We are going to use Jerry's star chart from his science book to identify some of the constellations. So far, we can only see Ursa Major and Ursa Minor (the Big and Little Dipper). Right now, the star chart in Jerry's science book shows the night sky in the northern hemisphere at 11PM. We haven't been out THAT late yet to watch the stars.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Sunday was a beautiful day! Jerry ran the bus to Tolani Lake. The girls and I rode up to the church in our truck. Jerry taught the Sunday school lesson about being "Wholehearted." Mr. Roberts started a sermon series about "Super Heroes of the Bible". We had an attendance of 23 people at the church service, and we had several out sick with a stomach virus. We had some visitors that I had not met before, which was really nice!
Abby, I might mention, missed the whole event of the moon rising. She is afraid of the snakes in the dark outside and wouldn't come off of the porch. She wouldn't even let me hold her and stand in the yard. I have to admit she gets that fear honestly. I am always warning her to pay attention at dusk and watch out for snakes when we are outside. Abby is doing well in the school. She is learning a lot and behaving well for a Kindergartner. She doesn't eat much of her lunch most days, but I know that they have snacks in the classroom, so I don't worry too much. She is a little upset about being smaller that everyone and younger. She asks when she will begin to lose her baby teeth like her friends. And she asks when we are going back to Kentucky. She still misses Eva and Margo and Ivy and Alex and Jason and all her friends. Just this morning, she told me "The house is different, huh?" I asked her what she meant and she said "It's different from our house in Kentucky." She is also picking up the speech patterns of the Navajo children, such as adding and interrogative "huh?" after every sentence. For instance, Abby will say "I'm coloring with red, huh?" Or "That was fun, huh?" It is very cute. She is excited to visit "home" at Christmas. She wants to spend the night with Eva and visit her Nana.
Kelcy is doing fine. She does not mention home nearly so much as Abby. She just goes along with whatever we are doing. She does seem to be arguing a lot with Noah lately. She wants to be the "mommy" to him and keep him from getting hurt or doing something he shouldn't be (at least, that's the way she sees it). It is very frustrating for Noah to have her taking things away from him that she deems dangerous or, more probably, something she wants for herself. There has been a Navajo lady who came by three days last week to watch Noah and Kelcy. They really like her and were doing very well. It has been a great help to me. It was also very nice to get to know her. I am still learning about the culture and the people of the Navajo Nation. Being able to spend time with the Navajo people really helps me. Also, while I am riding the bus in the afternoons with Jerry, I get to know the kids a little better. I get to hear their conversations and ask them questions. It is nice to get some interaction.
My office is located at the Red Sands Christian Church and the kids classes are down at the Red Sands Christian School building, so I don't get a whole lot of chances to speak to the children. I do get to see them everyday at lunch, as all of the school kids walk up to the Church to eat their lunch. I also get to see them each morning at the opening program and on Tuesday mornings when we have chapel at the Church. I will get several opportunities to teach the Chapel lesson to the children throughout the year. I also get to lead the children in songs every third week during chapel. If anyone has suggestions for some rousing church songs, complete with hand motions, just email me or leave a comment with the suggestions.
A sneak peak for next week, Jerry's class gets another new student and the school is having a concert group perform!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Witnessing a miracle!
Well, here I am again! I was trying to get this published on Sunday evening, but I am late, but for a good reason. I am so happy to hear that people are monitoring our little blog. I also have a correction to make. It is actually bright outside during the full moon here. I guess I just had not been here long enough to know that yet.
Jerry isn't able to add much to the blog information, so I am going to update you on a few things about him. He told me this past week that he had never had a job that was so rewarding every single day. He said that he enjoyed working at SBS and that it was his most rewarding and enjoyable previous place of employment. However, here at Red Sands Christian School he has a rewarding experience every day. Every day he gets to see his class children learn and put things together AND (because of the Christian curriculum offered here) he gets to teach Science and History and all subjects from a Christian perspective. Even in the English curriculum capitalization and punctuation are taught using scripture. World history teaches about the Egyptians, along with the Hebrews and their history. He gets to see the children learn Bible verses and Bible history. He is also pleasantly surprised by some of their existing knowledge. The first six week grading period is up soon and he is excited to see how their grades will finish out.
This week and last week, Jerry and Daron spent most afternoon/evenings working on the Roberts house. The Mr. & Mrs. Roberts and their three children ages 7, 4 and 1 are still living in one of the Hogans here on the property. While it is comfortable enough to sleep, they have been here over a month and still have to go outside to take a shower at the shower house and to go to the restroom or get a snack. It is also getting cold here at night so we really need to speed up the completion of their home. They have been hanging insulation, dry wall and interior doors. The house has a way to go before it will be completed, so please pray for that! After completion of the Roberts house, the construction will begin on the second staff house, which is slotted for our family.
We also have a new staff member that is preparing to enter the mission field here at Red Sands! Please pray for her and her family as she builds support at her home church and prepares her children for the move. When she gets here, the plan is for her to live in the "Old School" building, which is now the current library. After completion of the second staff house, she would then move into the trailer.
On Thursday, September 11th, we all prayed during opening program for the survivors and the family that lost loved ones in the terrorist attack on 2001.
Friday morning, the school took park in a community activity. The local Indian Health Center sponsored a 4 direction walk for Diabetes. Our whole school participated. We started out headed on Leupp Road North at mile marker 69 and walked into the town of Leupp. Our group was the first group to arrive at the destination point. All walkers received bottled water and a piece of fruit. The walk was to raise community awareness about the prevalence of Diabetes among the Navajo population. I think that this was a great chance for our children to be a part of the community activities and that next year and maybe all of their lives they will be encouraged to join in on activities like this. Also, the community got to see our children walking and representing our school very well. They walked about 2 1/2 miles. The kindergarten class did very well to complete this exercise! We are all very proud, as should the children be and their parents!
On Saturday, the Diehls went to town. That's what we call it here. We all loaded up into the pick-up truck and drove into Winslow to do various tasks. Kelcy got a hair cut (this time from a hair stylist and not from Abby). We went to the Library and checked out some books. We did our weekly grocery shopping and looked at some used furniture stores in Winslow. This day, we also spotted a Navajo Taco stand. We had to whip the vehicle back around and park and get a taco. The Navajo Taco is the traditional fry bread, covered with beans and beef mixture, then lettuce, tomato, onion and cheese. Delicious!
On Sunday at Red Sands Christian Church Jerry started teaching Sunday school. He is teaching the "Facing the Giants" small group Bible study series to the adults here. The total attendance here was 28 on Sunday morning. This Sunday was the monthly pot-luck at Dilkon, so we all loaded up and drove over to Dilkon to enjoy the service and take part in the fellowship meal. The Roberts also went as a family. While we were in the building, it just kept filling up. We ended up with 31 adults and children in attendance at Dilkon church that Sunday evening service. We heard a wonderful lesson from Mr. Bill about serving the Lord in your mission field at home and in places like Red Sands. How we should always be about "The King's business." Excellent!
This is the miracle. I promise you I am not exaggerating, but we fed all 31 people with Mr. Bill's roast, one bowl of salad, one bowl of fry bread and one 9 x 13 cake for dessert. AND I saw at least two plates go home with one of the Navajo ladies. It certainly wasn't five thousand people like in the Bible, but I was still amazed and then there were some leftovers for the people to take home. God is so good!
Jerry isn't able to add much to the blog information, so I am going to update you on a few things about him. He told me this past week that he had never had a job that was so rewarding every single day. He said that he enjoyed working at SBS and that it was his most rewarding and enjoyable previous place of employment. However, here at Red Sands Christian School he has a rewarding experience every day. Every day he gets to see his class children learn and put things together AND (because of the Christian curriculum offered here) he gets to teach Science and History and all subjects from a Christian perspective. Even in the English curriculum capitalization and punctuation are taught using scripture. World history teaches about the Egyptians, along with the Hebrews and their history. He gets to see the children learn Bible verses and Bible history. He is also pleasantly surprised by some of their existing knowledge. The first six week grading period is up soon and he is excited to see how their grades will finish out.
This week and last week, Jerry and Daron spent most afternoon/evenings working on the Roberts house. The Mr. & Mrs. Roberts and their three children ages 7, 4 and 1 are still living in one of the Hogans here on the property. While it is comfortable enough to sleep, they have been here over a month and still have to go outside to take a shower at the shower house and to go to the restroom or get a snack. It is also getting cold here at night so we really need to speed up the completion of their home. They have been hanging insulation, dry wall and interior doors. The house has a way to go before it will be completed, so please pray for that! After completion of the Roberts house, the construction will begin on the second staff house, which is slotted for our family.
We also have a new staff member that is preparing to enter the mission field here at Red Sands! Please pray for her and her family as she builds support at her home church and prepares her children for the move. When she gets here, the plan is for her to live in the "Old School" building, which is now the current library. After completion of the second staff house, she would then move into the trailer.
On Thursday, September 11th, we all prayed during opening program for the survivors and the family that lost loved ones in the terrorist attack on 2001.
Friday morning, the school took park in a community activity. The local Indian Health Center sponsored a 4 direction walk for Diabetes. Our whole school participated. We started out headed on Leupp Road North at mile marker 69 and walked into the town of Leupp. Our group was the first group to arrive at the destination point. All walkers received bottled water and a piece of fruit. The walk was to raise community awareness about the prevalence of Diabetes among the Navajo population. I think that this was a great chance for our children to be a part of the community activities and that next year and maybe all of their lives they will be encouraged to join in on activities like this. Also, the community got to see our children walking and representing our school very well. They walked about 2 1/2 miles. The kindergarten class did very well to complete this exercise! We are all very proud, as should the children be and their parents!
On Saturday, the Diehls went to town. That's what we call it here. We all loaded up into the pick-up truck and drove into Winslow to do various tasks. Kelcy got a hair cut (this time from a hair stylist and not from Abby). We went to the Library and checked out some books. We did our weekly grocery shopping and looked at some used furniture stores in Winslow. This day, we also spotted a Navajo Taco stand. We had to whip the vehicle back around and park and get a taco. The Navajo Taco is the traditional fry bread, covered with beans and beef mixture, then lettuce, tomato, onion and cheese. Delicious!
On Sunday at Red Sands Christian Church Jerry started teaching Sunday school. He is teaching the "Facing the Giants" small group Bible study series to the adults here. The total attendance here was 28 on Sunday morning. This Sunday was the monthly pot-luck at Dilkon, so we all loaded up and drove over to Dilkon to enjoy the service and take part in the fellowship meal. The Roberts also went as a family. While we were in the building, it just kept filling up. We ended up with 31 adults and children in attendance at Dilkon church that Sunday evening service. We heard a wonderful lesson from Mr. Bill about serving the Lord in your mission field at home and in places like Red Sands. How we should always be about "The King's business." Excellent!
This is the miracle. I promise you I am not exaggerating, but we fed all 31 people with Mr. Bill's roast, one bowl of salad, one bowl of fry bread and one 9 x 13 cake for dessert. AND I saw at least two plates go home with one of the Navajo ladies. It certainly wasn't five thousand people like in the Bible, but I was still amazed and then there were some leftovers for the people to take home. God is so good!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Where he leads me, I will follow...
Sunday, August 31st,
Jerry began the bus route that runs out to Tolani Lake. He left our house at 8:15AM and headed out to the furthest stop, where a grandmother and her granddaughter and grandson awaited his arrival. These were the only passengers on the bus today. It was gratifying however, because they have no other way to get to church to worship and God is providing that through Jerry, who is driving, and the supporters of the mission who provided the van and the gas to make it go. While the van ministry seemed disappointing that morning, we had an attendance of 36 people at the Red Sands Christian Church that day. Of course, eleven of the people were the staff and our children. The other 25 people were Navajo adults and children and we were very encouraged to see them here. Jerry returned the passenger on the bus route and got home about 1PM. The rest of Sunday was a simple night. We ate supper here and played with the girls.
Monday, September 1st
Labor Day! We explained that today is a holiday and Abby asked, “Where is the holiday?” Of course, we would have been sharing it with family and friends back in Kentucky. It is truly the first time I have really been “home sick.” I was home sick for our friends and would have liked to have been with them. I called and talked to my cousin Tammy. She said that “everyone” was gathering at one of the church members house for Labor Day. I guess it just hit me that we were missing another gathering and that Abby and Kelcy were missing playing with their friends in Kentucky.
We did end up getting to “celebrate” Labor Day in the traditional way. We were invited up to the church building for a cookout with the Roberts. We drove up there about 5:30 or so. I made macaroni salad and the Roberts made hamburgers and baked beans and corn. The corn was a surprise. Daron had bought the corn on the cob at the flea market on Saturday. When they shucked the corn, it was Indian corn! It cooked fine tasted great. Jerry ate a piece that was dark purple. Abby and Kelcy both enjoyed it as well. After dinner, the kids played on the playground behind the church till it was dark. We all watched another beautiful Arizona sunset and then returned home to rest and prepare for another week. The sunsets here are truly spectacular. Looking directly west from our home, you can see the mountains around Flagstaff, Arizona, roughly 50 miles west of here.
Each night we watch the sun dip below the mountains and flood the sky with beautiful pinks, purples, yellows, blues and oranges. On some evenings, the color arrangement travels the entire 50 miles across the sky from Flagstaff and flows over our heads on to Winslow. The nights here are amazing as well. Without all of the ambient light that is abundant in Kentucky and most places, the stars just pop out. On a cloudless night I can see thousands of stars very clearly just looking up with my eyes. Along with the beautiful sky at sunset, it is dark at night, even on a full moon. I don’t mean a little dark; I mean very inky dark, like not seeing your hand in front of your face, dark. When I am using a flashlight to walk at night, the only area I can see is the area directly in front of the beam of light. It can be very disconcerting to have no peripheral vision when I am frightened of running into a rattlesnake. I frequently think of what it must have been like for the settlers, travelers and cowboys who traveled these areas by wagon and on horseback. I just can not fathom being alone on horseback in this country, with just a fire for company. Nor can I imagine traveling by wagon over the sand dunes, rocks and buttes. How did they survive? I guess the promise of a new life was enough to keep them going. Is it enough for us?
Thursday, September 4th
Today, we had five more kids enroll in school! I am so excited! Jerry has said all along that he knew he would get more kids in his class and today he got one more, an eighth grader. Jerry believes that God will send more children to our school and so do I. The mother of the five children came by to enroll them. She was very nice and very organized. She had all of their records in clear sleeves and folders. I believe the mom looked at me funny because I told her “We’re so excited that your kids are coming to our school!” Perhaps she thought I was a little over zealous. There is God again, working behind the scenes and filling up the space in the school.
One of the school children that enrolled was a fifth grader. However, this child did not know how to multiply numbers. Miss Springer estimates that the reservation schools are at least one year behind “public” or non-reservation school systems in their curriculum. That situation has been my first hint that the work here is important not just to spread the gospel of Christ, but also to teach the basics of education to these children. I just assumed that any school system would be the same in America and that all children, even the Navajo, are given equal access to education and higher learning. This situation reinforces what the creators of this school knew: the Navajo people need this school to teach their children about God and His son AND to provide them with the education that can make them powerful leaders and help them to be the best people in their communities that they can be. Whether that is being a physician or banker or a mother, being the best person they can be and applying Christian principles to their everyday lives. I feel our duty here is not to take the Navajo people off the reservation, but to help them be the best person that they can be, wherever they live. Okay. (Sally is stepping down from her soap box)
Saturday, September 6th
Today we drove into Flagstaff to do some shopping. There is a used furniture store there that I wanted to check out and I wanted to check out the Sam’s warehouse there. The used furniture store was very neat. It had a very eclectic collection of furniture, but nothing that we could buy today. It was neat to be on Route 66. I guess I haven’t mentioned it yet, but most people probably know. Route 66 runs through Winslow, AZ and Flagstaff, AZ. It is funny to see the antiquated neon road signs advertising diners and bowling alleys along Route 66. I imagine it looks somewhat like it did years ago, before Interstate 40 came along and altered the travelers route along Route 66.
At any rate, we discovered Sam’s Club and we were in luck! The store was giving away lots of free food samples. Between the free food booths and the Halloween aisle filled with candy and gory creatures, Abby and Kelcy were very entertained. I purchased lots of juice boxes and snacks to go in lunch boxes, along with stapes that we use a lot like Pancake mix and bottled water. We hurried home to watch the West Virginia football game. I guess “game” might be overstating it. It was not a pretty sight.
Sunday, September 7th
Today the church at Red Sands had its monthly pot luck dinner after the service. We were told to expect lots of attendees, but the numbers of people were down from last week. It was a little disappointing, but we all still ate and had a good time. Mr. Bill made his famous chicken and dumplings. Abby had at least four helpings of them. It was a good day. The whole family took a nap today after the potluck. There was a dust storm while we were napping. It was nice to be inside and safe. Now it is ten o’clock in the evening. I am typing this entry, while Jerry works on his lesson plans for the eighth grade. He is trying to figure out how to catch up the new student with the three weeks worth of material he has already covered. Now Jerry understands a little of Lindsey was talking about when she had to do ALL of those lesson plans during her teacher training. It seems to be a lot of work, but Jerry really seems to enjoy it.
The Lord has done His work and added five new students to our school. Please keep praying that He will continue to add others. We still have some room left!
Jerry began the bus route that runs out to Tolani Lake. He left our house at 8:15AM and headed out to the furthest stop, where a grandmother and her granddaughter and grandson awaited his arrival. These were the only passengers on the bus today. It was gratifying however, because they have no other way to get to church to worship and God is providing that through Jerry, who is driving, and the supporters of the mission who provided the van and the gas to make it go. While the van ministry seemed disappointing that morning, we had an attendance of 36 people at the Red Sands Christian Church that day. Of course, eleven of the people were the staff and our children. The other 25 people were Navajo adults and children and we were very encouraged to see them here. Jerry returned the passenger on the bus route and got home about 1PM. The rest of Sunday was a simple night. We ate supper here and played with the girls.
Monday, September 1st
Labor Day! We explained that today is a holiday and Abby asked, “Where is the holiday?” Of course, we would have been sharing it with family and friends back in Kentucky. It is truly the first time I have really been “home sick.” I was home sick for our friends and would have liked to have been with them. I called and talked to my cousin Tammy. She said that “everyone” was gathering at one of the church members house for Labor Day. I guess it just hit me that we were missing another gathering and that Abby and Kelcy were missing playing with their friends in Kentucky.
We did end up getting to “celebrate” Labor Day in the traditional way. We were invited up to the church building for a cookout with the Roberts. We drove up there about 5:30 or so. I made macaroni salad and the Roberts made hamburgers and baked beans and corn. The corn was a surprise. Daron had bought the corn on the cob at the flea market on Saturday. When they shucked the corn, it was Indian corn! It cooked fine tasted great. Jerry ate a piece that was dark purple. Abby and Kelcy both enjoyed it as well. After dinner, the kids played on the playground behind the church till it was dark. We all watched another beautiful Arizona sunset and then returned home to rest and prepare for another week. The sunsets here are truly spectacular. Looking directly west from our home, you can see the mountains around Flagstaff, Arizona, roughly 50 miles west of here.
Each night we watch the sun dip below the mountains and flood the sky with beautiful pinks, purples, yellows, blues and oranges. On some evenings, the color arrangement travels the entire 50 miles across the sky from Flagstaff and flows over our heads on to Winslow. The nights here are amazing as well. Without all of the ambient light that is abundant in Kentucky and most places, the stars just pop out. On a cloudless night I can see thousands of stars very clearly just looking up with my eyes. Along with the beautiful sky at sunset, it is dark at night, even on a full moon. I don’t mean a little dark; I mean very inky dark, like not seeing your hand in front of your face, dark. When I am using a flashlight to walk at night, the only area I can see is the area directly in front of the beam of light. It can be very disconcerting to have no peripheral vision when I am frightened of running into a rattlesnake. I frequently think of what it must have been like for the settlers, travelers and cowboys who traveled these areas by wagon and on horseback. I just can not fathom being alone on horseback in this country, with just a fire for company. Nor can I imagine traveling by wagon over the sand dunes, rocks and buttes. How did they survive? I guess the promise of a new life was enough to keep them going. Is it enough for us?
Thursday, September 4th
Today, we had five more kids enroll in school! I am so excited! Jerry has said all along that he knew he would get more kids in his class and today he got one more, an eighth grader. Jerry believes that God will send more children to our school and so do I. The mother of the five children came by to enroll them. She was very nice and very organized. She had all of their records in clear sleeves and folders. I believe the mom looked at me funny because I told her “We’re so excited that your kids are coming to our school!” Perhaps she thought I was a little over zealous. There is God again, working behind the scenes and filling up the space in the school.
One of the school children that enrolled was a fifth grader. However, this child did not know how to multiply numbers. Miss Springer estimates that the reservation schools are at least one year behind “public” or non-reservation school systems in their curriculum. That situation has been my first hint that the work here is important not just to spread the gospel of Christ, but also to teach the basics of education to these children. I just assumed that any school system would be the same in America and that all children, even the Navajo, are given equal access to education and higher learning. This situation reinforces what the creators of this school knew: the Navajo people need this school to teach their children about God and His son AND to provide them with the education that can make them powerful leaders and help them to be the best people in their communities that they can be. Whether that is being a physician or banker or a mother, being the best person they can be and applying Christian principles to their everyday lives. I feel our duty here is not to take the Navajo people off the reservation, but to help them be the best person that they can be, wherever they live. Okay. (Sally is stepping down from her soap box)
Saturday, September 6th
Today we drove into Flagstaff to do some shopping. There is a used furniture store there that I wanted to check out and I wanted to check out the Sam’s warehouse there. The used furniture store was very neat. It had a very eclectic collection of furniture, but nothing that we could buy today. It was neat to be on Route 66. I guess I haven’t mentioned it yet, but most people probably know. Route 66 runs through Winslow, AZ and Flagstaff, AZ. It is funny to see the antiquated neon road signs advertising diners and bowling alleys along Route 66. I imagine it looks somewhat like it did years ago, before Interstate 40 came along and altered the travelers route along Route 66.
At any rate, we discovered Sam’s Club and we were in luck! The store was giving away lots of free food samples. Between the free food booths and the Halloween aisle filled with candy and gory creatures, Abby and Kelcy were very entertained. I purchased lots of juice boxes and snacks to go in lunch boxes, along with stapes that we use a lot like Pancake mix and bottled water. We hurried home to watch the West Virginia football game. I guess “game” might be overstating it. It was not a pretty sight.
Sunday, September 7th
Today the church at Red Sands had its monthly pot luck dinner after the service. We were told to expect lots of attendees, but the numbers of people were down from last week. It was a little disappointing, but we all still ate and had a good time. Mr. Bill made his famous chicken and dumplings. Abby had at least four helpings of them. It was a good day. The whole family took a nap today after the potluck. There was a dust storm while we were napping. It was nice to be inside and safe. Now it is ten o’clock in the evening. I am typing this entry, while Jerry works on his lesson plans for the eighth grade. He is trying to figure out how to catch up the new student with the three weeks worth of material he has already covered. Now Jerry understands a little of Lindsey was talking about when she had to do ALL of those lesson plans during her teacher training. It seems to be a lot of work, but Jerry really seems to enjoy it.
The Lord has done His work and added five new students to our school. Please keep praying that He will continue to add others. We still have some room left!
Monday, September 1, 2008
This is the day that the Lord hath made!
What a great day! Today is Saturday, August 30th. The whole family got up this morning and had breakfast. Then we and the Roberts family loaded up into the van and drove down to Leupp to visit the local open air Flea Market. Leupp is the town where most of the school children and most of the church attendees live. Leupp is located about 20 minutes from the mission on the Navajo Reservation. There is an empty spot in the rode as you enter the town of Leupp and people pull up with their vehicles and sell their wares to the public. We all thought it would be a good place to get to know some local people. We piled out of the van and perused the offerings of the day. There was a lady selling family heirloom jewelry, with real turquoise and sterling silver. Another lady was selling beautifully hand made purses, fanny packs and backpacks. We also found clothes and toys, of course. Abby ended up purchasing a baby stroller for $2, replacing the ones we had left in Kentucky. We got to become acquainted with several new Navajo people: the purse maker, the jewelry seller, and a champion bull rider (retired).
The flea market also has its share of food vendors. There was the tamales booth (that was sold out by the time we got there to sample them), the mutton stew and mutton sandwich booth, the ice cold drinks vendor complete with Arizona Tea for sale and the snow cone sales booth. Four of the kids got a snow cone and they all shared with Noah and they all sampled each others flavor. Abby & Ian got orange, Kelcy got bubble gum and Dylan got green (not sure what flavor that one was). We were told there was a trail ride going on, so the attendance at the flea market was low. We plan to make a habit of going out on Saturdays and getting to know the local people more.
We returned to the mission for lunch and a nap, then began our next journey of the day. We left at 2:50PM to head to a town called Dilkon. This is where the other mission church is located. Mr. Bill is the minister at the Christian Church at Dilkon, so we were going to visit Mr. Bill and have a cookout at his Hooghan. Hooghan is the term for a Navajo roundhouse. The roundhouse is a building style that is very common here and it is very wind resistant. It appears as it sounds, a small veritably round house with a center pointed roof. Navajo Trails Missions also maintains a ministry to build houses like these on the reservation for families. It is similar to Habitat for Humanity, as the Navajo people have to apply for the Hooghan and are also asked to help in the building project.
The drive to Dilkon is another surprise. The scenery is constantly changing here in Arizona. We left our area of Winslow and headed down to Leupp again, this time turning right to head toward Dilkon. The mission area here is very hard rock and red sand. As we passed through Bird Springs, the scenery changes to more pure desert. There is less foliage and more white sand. It is almost impossible to see where a road turns off the road until you get right to it because the roads are mostly sand and dirt. We look out the window soon and there are mountains! They appear from nowhere and are just beautiful. Jerry mentioned the word “majestic” and all I could hear and sing was the song “Majesty.” The mountains were truly majestic. And, the closer we got to Dilkon, the higher in elevation we went. So that, by the time we arrived in Dilkon there was grass on the desert ground, with horses and sheep and cattle lounging on the free range that is the reservation. The Dilkon church building was nice and they even had a fellowship hall in back. Mr. Bill’s hooghan was nicely appointed inside with everything he appeared to need. He had made a lovely meal of chicken and steak, potato salad and baked beans and rolls and brownies. It was delicious. Afterward, all the kids played outside and found lots of “treasures” on the ground. Here there were shrubs growing in the ground that had mean briars in them all over the place. This reminded me of my childhood in Eastern Kentucky and visiting my grandmother in Manchester. We would play out in the mountains and woods for hours and find lots of “treasures” there too. When it was getting close to dark, we began the drive back home. It was an even more beautiful return drive through the “Little Painted Desert.” This is a very beautiful spot in the world to see. It seemed to me like New Zealand, like the scenery from the movie “The Man from Snowy River” just beautiful plains surrounded by beautiful mountains and cliffs. I also thought of Cade’s Cove located near Gatlinburg in Tennessee. If you have ever been there, where the settlement has the yellow grasses on flat land, surrounded by the Smoky Mountains, it was a lot like that.
Then we returned home to the mission and Abby and Kelcy had a great time playing pretend. Abby was pushing around her “new” baby stroller with her naked baby in it. Some day, my girls will learn to put clothes on their baby dolls. At one point, Abby was watching Kelcy’s baby while Kelcy was at work. Here came Kelcy, carrying a Bible, a purse with a cat in it (the one Eva got Abby for her first birthday) and a DVD and asked me which way it was to church, because she needed to get to work. As I type, they are settled down and watching the “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” DVD.
Abby still asks about Kentucky and when we get to go back to our home. She misses her family and friends, but she is doing very well otherwise. She is making friends at school and at church. After her second week of school, her handwriting has improved dramatically. Kelcy is getting used to being with me at the office, but she loves going to Sunday school class by herself. She misses her friends too, but she has Noah with her all day, every day to play with and fight with, so she is adjusting too.
I am looking forward to Sunday school class tomorrow. I am teaching 2nd grade through high school and it is great. This will be my second week teaching, but I already get some challenging questions and I am just getting to know my class. I had five students last week. I am anxious to see who shows up this week.
The flea market also has its share of food vendors. There was the tamales booth (that was sold out by the time we got there to sample them), the mutton stew and mutton sandwich booth, the ice cold drinks vendor complete with Arizona Tea for sale and the snow cone sales booth. Four of the kids got a snow cone and they all shared with Noah and they all sampled each others flavor. Abby & Ian got orange, Kelcy got bubble gum and Dylan got green (not sure what flavor that one was). We were told there was a trail ride going on, so the attendance at the flea market was low. We plan to make a habit of going out on Saturdays and getting to know the local people more.
We returned to the mission for lunch and a nap, then began our next journey of the day. We left at 2:50PM to head to a town called Dilkon. This is where the other mission church is located. Mr. Bill is the minister at the Christian Church at Dilkon, so we were going to visit Mr. Bill and have a cookout at his Hooghan. Hooghan is the term for a Navajo roundhouse. The roundhouse is a building style that is very common here and it is very wind resistant. It appears as it sounds, a small veritably round house with a center pointed roof. Navajo Trails Missions also maintains a ministry to build houses like these on the reservation for families. It is similar to Habitat for Humanity, as the Navajo people have to apply for the Hooghan and are also asked to help in the building project.
The drive to Dilkon is another surprise. The scenery is constantly changing here in Arizona. We left our area of Winslow and headed down to Leupp again, this time turning right to head toward Dilkon. The mission area here is very hard rock and red sand. As we passed through Bird Springs, the scenery changes to more pure desert. There is less foliage and more white sand. It is almost impossible to see where a road turns off the road until you get right to it because the roads are mostly sand and dirt. We look out the window soon and there are mountains! They appear from nowhere and are just beautiful. Jerry mentioned the word “majestic” and all I could hear and sing was the song “Majesty.” The mountains were truly majestic. And, the closer we got to Dilkon, the higher in elevation we went. So that, by the time we arrived in Dilkon there was grass on the desert ground, with horses and sheep and cattle lounging on the free range that is the reservation. The Dilkon church building was nice and they even had a fellowship hall in back. Mr. Bill’s hooghan was nicely appointed inside with everything he appeared to need. He had made a lovely meal of chicken and steak, potato salad and baked beans and rolls and brownies. It was delicious. Afterward, all the kids played outside and found lots of “treasures” on the ground. Here there were shrubs growing in the ground that had mean briars in them all over the place. This reminded me of my childhood in Eastern Kentucky and visiting my grandmother in Manchester. We would play out in the mountains and woods for hours and find lots of “treasures” there too. When it was getting close to dark, we began the drive back home. It was an even more beautiful return drive through the “Little Painted Desert.” This is a very beautiful spot in the world to see. It seemed to me like New Zealand, like the scenery from the movie “The Man from Snowy River” just beautiful plains surrounded by beautiful mountains and cliffs. I also thought of Cade’s Cove located near Gatlinburg in Tennessee. If you have ever been there, where the settlement has the yellow grasses on flat land, surrounded by the Smoky Mountains, it was a lot like that.
Then we returned home to the mission and Abby and Kelcy had a great time playing pretend. Abby was pushing around her “new” baby stroller with her naked baby in it. Some day, my girls will learn to put clothes on their baby dolls. At one point, Abby was watching Kelcy’s baby while Kelcy was at work. Here came Kelcy, carrying a Bible, a purse with a cat in it (the one Eva got Abby for her first birthday) and a DVD and asked me which way it was to church, because she needed to get to work. As I type, they are settled down and watching the “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” DVD.
Abby still asks about Kentucky and when we get to go back to our home. She misses her family and friends, but she is doing very well otherwise. She is making friends at school and at church. After her second week of school, her handwriting has improved dramatically. Kelcy is getting used to being with me at the office, but she loves going to Sunday school class by herself. She misses her friends too, but she has Noah with her all day, every day to play with and fight with, so she is adjusting too.
I am looking forward to Sunday school class tomorrow. I am teaching 2nd grade through high school and it is great. This will be my second week teaching, but I already get some challenging questions and I am just getting to know my class. I had five students last week. I am anxious to see who shows up this week.
Blessed be the day!
School Starts!
Monday, August 18th
6AM Abby leaps into our bed and says, “Does school start today?” It does indeed! Jerry jumps up and gets dressed for the 6:45 AM school bus departure. I get up, get breakfast ready. For the first day of school, we have sausage and biscuits for breakfast. Abby loves these. Thank you, Nana, for the canned sausage that makes them so quick and easy to make for breakfast. Kelcy wakes up closer to 7AM. Jerry is already gone, of course. The first day of school Jerry was riding the bus with Mr. Bill and the bus was running down to a community call Bird Spring, along with the stops in Leupp.
I get all three of us girls dressed and fed. Then I pack us all lunch for the day and we walk over to school about 7:45AM. Abby & Kelcy play on the playground until Miss Springer arrives and then they run inside the school building. Bill, Kelcy and I stay there for the opening programs, where we say the pledges to the American flag, Christian flag and the Bible and sing a few songs. The Bill, Kelcy and I leave to go to the mission and Abby and Jerry stay there at the school. The school children walk up to the mission for lunch time around 11:30AM. Abby comes in and give me a hug and then goes to sit with her class. She has a hard time the first day at lunch and wants me or Jerry to sit with her while she eats. After lunch is recess for half an hour and then back to their classes. School gets out at 3PM, Jerry drives up the hill and let me know that Abby is riding with him on the school bus to take the kids home.
This pattern is pretty much how our week days are continuing. Up at 6AM, school by 8AM, I’m at the office by 8:30. Then, at 3PM, Jerry picks up me and Kelcy and we all ride on the bus to take the kids home. I have become the school bus children monitor/rule enforcer.
The school is doing really well. All the kids at the school are very respectful and very nice. Jerry likes teaching, especially science and history. Jerry is teaching sixth and seventh grade, so he has to teach all of the subjects, whereas teachers at this grade level normally teach the same subject to different classes of children all day long. He has had one field trip, walking around the mission property to observe the weathering process. He has an unassigned student, which is our dog Josie. She goes into his classroom some days and hangs out. She always comes up to the mission for lunch, too.
Abby is doing well in school. She is making friends with the Navajo girls in her class. She is learning a lot and comes home with probably 10 papers each day that she has completed, along with art projects and puppets. Abby’s class has two pets that I have seen. One is a hamster; the other is a guinea pig. The kids all love the pets, including Abby. I cannot remember the name of the hamster or guinea pig, but I am sure that Abby knows. She has gotten to hold one of them. Abby did indeed get her ears pierced and she didn’t even cry! She picked out pink flower earrings to wear. She is doing well at taking care of her ears and they have healed very well.
Kelcy is adapting to going to the mission with me. I think she would rather go to school, if the entire truth is told. She loves to go to Abby’s room in the mornings and see the class pets. At this time, the board is interviewing a lady who may begin a preschool program here at the mission! This is very exciting and would be a blessing to all of the Navajo children and to all of the Navajo mothers who work outside the home.
I began my job the same day as classes started. I have gotten a lot of work done and am making some changes. The bookkeeping has been done very meticulously in the past and I am certainly trying to follow that pattern. I am working on an estimated budget for the mission for the coming year. We are now officially hooked up to the internet at the Navajo Trails Mission. Mr. Bill acquired internet service for us and it is working very well.
Thursday August 28th
Jerry was preparing to go on the church bus route so that he could learn where to stop and learn the route. So, God sent him an idea. We all (10 of us) went on the bus routes! We piled into the church van and on Thursday, drove toward Winslow for the church bus route there. We stopped at the individual “stops” and handed out a flyer with the church information on it, a pen from Navajo Trails Mission, a coloring book, crayons, stickers, and candy for any children there. If the stop was at one of the school children’s house, their teacher would get out and go to the door to drop off the packet. Sometimes, we all got out and visited shortly.
Friday night, we drove the second bus route, which went to Tolani Lake on the Navajo Reservation. This route is 70 miles in one direction. At one point, we went down a dirt road for seven miles. It was very dusty and very hot (the van has no air conditioning). We didn’t get too many people to answer the door on this trip, but we left packets where we thought people would find them. We plan to make another visit to Tolani Lake and see if we cannot visit more people there. Tolani Lake is a small group of houses in the middle of the desert. It appears that there used to be a lake there, but now there is just a dry lake bed.
I will end this one for now, but I have another big update soon.
Monday, August 18th
6AM Abby leaps into our bed and says, “Does school start today?” It does indeed! Jerry jumps up and gets dressed for the 6:45 AM school bus departure. I get up, get breakfast ready. For the first day of school, we have sausage and biscuits for breakfast. Abby loves these. Thank you, Nana, for the canned sausage that makes them so quick and easy to make for breakfast. Kelcy wakes up closer to 7AM. Jerry is already gone, of course. The first day of school Jerry was riding the bus with Mr. Bill and the bus was running down to a community call Bird Spring, along with the stops in Leupp.
I get all three of us girls dressed and fed. Then I pack us all lunch for the day and we walk over to school about 7:45AM. Abby & Kelcy play on the playground until Miss Springer arrives and then they run inside the school building. Bill, Kelcy and I stay there for the opening programs, where we say the pledges to the American flag, Christian flag and the Bible and sing a few songs. The Bill, Kelcy and I leave to go to the mission and Abby and Jerry stay there at the school. The school children walk up to the mission for lunch time around 11:30AM. Abby comes in and give me a hug and then goes to sit with her class. She has a hard time the first day at lunch and wants me or Jerry to sit with her while she eats. After lunch is recess for half an hour and then back to their classes. School gets out at 3PM, Jerry drives up the hill and let me know that Abby is riding with him on the school bus to take the kids home.
This pattern is pretty much how our week days are continuing. Up at 6AM, school by 8AM, I’m at the office by 8:30. Then, at 3PM, Jerry picks up me and Kelcy and we all ride on the bus to take the kids home. I have become the school bus children monitor/rule enforcer.
The school is doing really well. All the kids at the school are very respectful and very nice. Jerry likes teaching, especially science and history. Jerry is teaching sixth and seventh grade, so he has to teach all of the subjects, whereas teachers at this grade level normally teach the same subject to different classes of children all day long. He has had one field trip, walking around the mission property to observe the weathering process. He has an unassigned student, which is our dog Josie. She goes into his classroom some days and hangs out. She always comes up to the mission for lunch, too.
Abby is doing well in school. She is making friends with the Navajo girls in her class. She is learning a lot and comes home with probably 10 papers each day that she has completed, along with art projects and puppets. Abby’s class has two pets that I have seen. One is a hamster; the other is a guinea pig. The kids all love the pets, including Abby. I cannot remember the name of the hamster or guinea pig, but I am sure that Abby knows. She has gotten to hold one of them. Abby did indeed get her ears pierced and she didn’t even cry! She picked out pink flower earrings to wear. She is doing well at taking care of her ears and they have healed very well.
Kelcy is adapting to going to the mission with me. I think she would rather go to school, if the entire truth is told. She loves to go to Abby’s room in the mornings and see the class pets. At this time, the board is interviewing a lady who may begin a preschool program here at the mission! This is very exciting and would be a blessing to all of the Navajo children and to all of the Navajo mothers who work outside the home.
I began my job the same day as classes started. I have gotten a lot of work done and am making some changes. The bookkeeping has been done very meticulously in the past and I am certainly trying to follow that pattern. I am working on an estimated budget for the mission for the coming year. We are now officially hooked up to the internet at the Navajo Trails Mission. Mr. Bill acquired internet service for us and it is working very well.
Thursday August 28th
Jerry was preparing to go on the church bus route so that he could learn where to stop and learn the route. So, God sent him an idea. We all (10 of us) went on the bus routes! We piled into the church van and on Thursday, drove toward Winslow for the church bus route there. We stopped at the individual “stops” and handed out a flyer with the church information on it, a pen from Navajo Trails Mission, a coloring book, crayons, stickers, and candy for any children there. If the stop was at one of the school children’s house, their teacher would get out and go to the door to drop off the packet. Sometimes, we all got out and visited shortly.
Friday night, we drove the second bus route, which went to Tolani Lake on the Navajo Reservation. This route is 70 miles in one direction. At one point, we went down a dirt road for seven miles. It was very dusty and very hot (the van has no air conditioning). We didn’t get too many people to answer the door on this trip, but we left packets where we thought people would find them. We plan to make another visit to Tolani Lake and see if we cannot visit more people there. Tolani Lake is a small group of houses in the middle of the desert. It appears that there used to be a lake there, but now there is just a dry lake bed.
I will end this one for now, but I have another big update soon.
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