Monday Morning, March 30th
We load up the car and prepare to head out on another big adventure. We have a cooler full of food, an overnight bag (just in case) and our Indian Country Map (Miss Springer bought for Jerry). We are ready! We left about 8:45 AM. Our route went as follows: we headed into Winslow via Interstate 40, then we turned off onto the road to Dilkon, passed by Dilkon and onto to Indian Wells, Greasewood. We headed up to Ganado and visited the Hubble Trading Post there. Then we headed back north to Chinle, then West to Kayenta and then North to Monument Valley, UT. Wow, Monument Valley was really neat. We drove around the circle to explore the park. It is around 14 miles and a very bumpy dirt road. Once again, Jerry had a TOO much fun driving on these off-road roads. Navajo people still live inside the park. It was beautiful, there was snow on the ground there. We saw rock formations named: El Capitan, the Owl, the Mittens, the Three Sisters, the Elephant, the Chair, and others. It was beautiful. We ended up staying the night at a hotel, as it was past 5PM when we were done viewing the park. The girls swam in the indoor pool. The next day we packed up and headed back a different route. We turned right at Kayenta, and stopped at the Navajo National Monument, which is a Anasazi ruins that has been amazingly preserved. Then we drove on to Tuba City, where we turned left onto the Hopi reservation and went across the first and second Mesas and then back onto the Navajo reservation and drove right by Tolani Lake on our way home. I just have to say to the Hopi Nation: add some more road signs if you want to encourage people to visit your land.
When we returned to our home, Abby had learned something new. She and Kelcy immediately went outside and built a gate out of bricks. Then they were charging admission to get out and in our house! It was too funny!
Wednesday we were at the mission. I went into the office and did some work.
Thursday Morning
We headed out at about 8:45 to Phoenix. We were to pick-up Mr. Bill at the airport on Friday morning. As the drive to Phoenix is 3 1/2 to 4 hours, we thought that we would spend the night there. We went through Winslow down Route 87. We didn't see any Elk, but it is a very beautiful drive. We got to the hotel about 12:30, ate our lunch I had packed and then hit the swimming pool. It was 85 degrees in Phoenix! The girls had a great time in the pool. We just lazed around the relaxed and enjoyed the day by the pool. After dinner that evening, we all layed outside together in a hammock and looked at the stars and talked. When I asked Abby what her favorite things was that day, she didn't say swimming--she said lying in the hammock and talking. It was so sweet! We got up the next morning and let the girls swim before we had to leave for the airport. We picked up Mr. Bill and headed back up route 87 to Winslow. We stopped in Payson and had lunch, then headed on back to the mission. It was a lovely trip and we were very glad to see Mr. Bill was back.
About the weather. I know that I comment on the wind and the weather a lot in this blog. However, I am getting a lot more accustomed to the wind than I used to be. It took realizing a few things: I am not the only one being impacted by the wind today; Jesus WALKED around in the desert and lived in the desert his whole life. I am sure that he had to deal with sand storms; and I thought of our troops in harm's way in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. I know that the troops are impacted by sand storms much longer lasting than the ones we have here. I also realize that a whole lot of people are dealing with problems that are much more serious than a lot of wind and sand. So, when I report the sand storms, I am just astounded by their impact. I know that God is in control, even during the sand storm. And we do have beautiful days now ,too. I am human and I want to report what is fantastic, like a sandstorm, and not just that we had another beautiful day with clear skies and abundant sunshine. This area definitely has the most sunshine of anyplace that I have ever lived. I am also told that the wind this year is very unusual. So, if you are considering coming to work and live here, please don't let my reporting of the weather impact that decision.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
And the Winner of the Spring Art Show 2009 is...
Tuesday through Thursday were good days. Everyone, including the staff, had a little spring fever. We had fun and the kids worked hard.
Thursday, March 26
Today was a very interesting day. It started out fairly normal. The sun was shining and the wind was blowing steadily. The school children all gathered at the church for opening session. Then, each teacher and student departed to the school and their classrooms. Mr. Bill is leaving for Kentucky today. I think it is supposed to be a surprise that he is leaving so early, but he should be there by the time I post this on-line, so I am not spoiling anything, I hope. He left about 10AM. I had a Navajo lady and her husband show up to help clean the church today! It was wonderful to have their help and they do an exceptional job! Just before lunch, the wind started picking up some. The sand was blowing outside my window to the south. A steady stream of sand and top soil from Flagstaff and beyond sailed through the air past Leupp Road and on to parts unknown. Mr. Bill had asked me to go into town and pick up some dry wall, but I have to confess that I did not go. I was afraid it would have gotten blown out of the back of the truck!
I went down to the school about 1:30 PM to help my art students get their final work done before the art show tomorrow morning. This is where it gets interesting. During art class, a massive dust storm hits, this time blowing from the Northeast. We are blanketed with a red layer of sand, so much so that I could not see the trailer from the school. The dust began coming in the doors and windows of the art room, we could see the dust floating in the air inside and smell the smell that I have come to recognize as the dust. Our class moved to another classroom on the other side of the building to escape the dust as much as possible. This dust storm lasts for at least half an hour. Next, I see some raindrops fall. We look out the front of the school during a fairly clear moment and see that the white vans are spattered with a few raindrops and that wherever the rain drops hit, the sand stuck to the side of the vehicle. It is amusing to see. Next, I hear the younger kids in their classrooms exclaiming and we go to look outside again. Now it is snowing, along with the dust. Swirling, blowing snow and is hopefully settling the dust a little.
A parent arrives to pick up their child. She has just come from I-40 and said that there were four accidents on the interstate and that the traffic is very backed up. Miss Springer decides to drive the Ford truck instead of her van because the van is much harder to drive in the wind, which is still blowing quite ferociously. We decide that a trip into town would be a nice distraction, so we grab our library books to return and a snack and head out to town ourselves. As we approach the interstate, we see not four, but six accidents, one of which is a small vehicle that is turned upside down, with parts of the vehicle, including seats, lying in the middle of the interstate. Some of the other accidents involve semi trucks. These are all lined up right next to our exit on I-40. As we get on the interstate, we realize that it is apparently closed. It is eerie, seeing no other traffic for miles on this straight interstate. Jerry is driving slowly and carefully. We arrive into town without incident. We head to the post office and discover that the downtown area, including the post office, has no electricity. Next, we go to the library and spend some time there, reading books, playing with puzzles and picking out books to borrow. After this, we decide to have dinner in town. As we leave the restaurant, we begin to notice that the landscape looks like the version of nuclear winter depicted in that 1980s movie “The Day After”. There is a blanket of fine dust floating in the air. The dust is blocking out the sun. It looks a lot like a documentary we watched on the History Channel about the Dust Bowl years. When we are finished eating, we find that I-40 is still closed. Luckily, we just recently discovered that Route 2, while bumpy, will take us back to near the mission. We head back down the wash board road, joined by several cars on this trip. Jerry has a LITTLE too much fun driving on these off road-roads. We arrive safely back home to discover that the sand has blown inside our bedroom window, onto our bed and Josie’s (our dog) bed. I clean up the floor, change the sheets and prepare for another day, awaiting what this next day brings!
Firday
Friday brought the lovely Art show! All of the school children had entries into the show and Miss Springer had purchased a lovely gift for the Grand Champion, a satchel filled with art supplies! The children each got one vote for the best artist, as did the staff and the parents. There were water color paintings, chalk drawings, colored pencil drawings, crayon drawings, clay figurines, charcoal drawings and butterflies using crepe paper. They were all so lovely that I had a hard time deciding who deserved my vote! However, few people were surprised when Merritza won the Grand Prize! She worked very hard and did a great job!
School got out after lunchtime today for Spring Break!
Saturday
We (the Diehl family)packed a picnic lunch and lots of water and headed to Walnut Canyon, which is about 45 minutes from the mission. We spent the day here hiking down into the canyon and seeing the ruins/remains of the cliff dwellings of the Sinagua people. We had some very nice weather for our trip we took some great pictures and we all had a WONDERFUL time!
Sunday
Jerry preached today at church. He joked that he was taking our home church motto a little too seriously. The motto is “Bring them in, Build them up, Send them out”. Well, he drove the bus to pick up the church people, taught Sunday School, preached the message, and then drove the bus to take the people back home. I missed his sermon, so I can’t comment on it, although I am positive he did a wonderful job. One of the young ladies who rides the church bus was sick and I took her home right after Sunday School was over and I didn’t get back until after the church service was over. Jerry was pretty tired that afternoon. I went to town to get supplies and then later packed our things for our further adventures in the week.
Thursday, March 26
Today was a very interesting day. It started out fairly normal. The sun was shining and the wind was blowing steadily. The school children all gathered at the church for opening session. Then, each teacher and student departed to the school and their classrooms. Mr. Bill is leaving for Kentucky today. I think it is supposed to be a surprise that he is leaving so early, but he should be there by the time I post this on-line, so I am not spoiling anything, I hope. He left about 10AM. I had a Navajo lady and her husband show up to help clean the church today! It was wonderful to have their help and they do an exceptional job! Just before lunch, the wind started picking up some. The sand was blowing outside my window to the south. A steady stream of sand and top soil from Flagstaff and beyond sailed through the air past Leupp Road and on to parts unknown. Mr. Bill had asked me to go into town and pick up some dry wall, but I have to confess that I did not go. I was afraid it would have gotten blown out of the back of the truck!
I went down to the school about 1:30 PM to help my art students get their final work done before the art show tomorrow morning. This is where it gets interesting. During art class, a massive dust storm hits, this time blowing from the Northeast. We are blanketed with a red layer of sand, so much so that I could not see the trailer from the school. The dust began coming in the doors and windows of the art room, we could see the dust floating in the air inside and smell the smell that I have come to recognize as the dust. Our class moved to another classroom on the other side of the building to escape the dust as much as possible. This dust storm lasts for at least half an hour. Next, I see some raindrops fall. We look out the front of the school during a fairly clear moment and see that the white vans are spattered with a few raindrops and that wherever the rain drops hit, the sand stuck to the side of the vehicle. It is amusing to see. Next, I hear the younger kids in their classrooms exclaiming and we go to look outside again. Now it is snowing, along with the dust. Swirling, blowing snow and is hopefully settling the dust a little.
A parent arrives to pick up their child. She has just come from I-40 and said that there were four accidents on the interstate and that the traffic is very backed up. Miss Springer decides to drive the Ford truck instead of her van because the van is much harder to drive in the wind, which is still blowing quite ferociously. We decide that a trip into town would be a nice distraction, so we grab our library books to return and a snack and head out to town ourselves. As we approach the interstate, we see not four, but six accidents, one of which is a small vehicle that is turned upside down, with parts of the vehicle, including seats, lying in the middle of the interstate. Some of the other accidents involve semi trucks. These are all lined up right next to our exit on I-40. As we get on the interstate, we realize that it is apparently closed. It is eerie, seeing no other traffic for miles on this straight interstate. Jerry is driving slowly and carefully. We arrive into town without incident. We head to the post office and discover that the downtown area, including the post office, has no electricity. Next, we go to the library and spend some time there, reading books, playing with puzzles and picking out books to borrow. After this, we decide to have dinner in town. As we leave the restaurant, we begin to notice that the landscape looks like the version of nuclear winter depicted in that 1980s movie “The Day After”. There is a blanket of fine dust floating in the air. The dust is blocking out the sun. It looks a lot like a documentary we watched on the History Channel about the Dust Bowl years. When we are finished eating, we find that I-40 is still closed. Luckily, we just recently discovered that Route 2, while bumpy, will take us back to near the mission. We head back down the wash board road, joined by several cars on this trip. Jerry has a LITTLE too much fun driving on these off road-roads. We arrive safely back home to discover that the sand has blown inside our bedroom window, onto our bed and Josie’s (our dog) bed. I clean up the floor, change the sheets and prepare for another day, awaiting what this next day brings!
Firday
Friday brought the lovely Art show! All of the school children had entries into the show and Miss Springer had purchased a lovely gift for the Grand Champion, a satchel filled with art supplies! The children each got one vote for the best artist, as did the staff and the parents. There were water color paintings, chalk drawings, colored pencil drawings, crayon drawings, clay figurines, charcoal drawings and butterflies using crepe paper. They were all so lovely that I had a hard time deciding who deserved my vote! However, few people were surprised when Merritza won the Grand Prize! She worked very hard and did a great job!
School got out after lunchtime today for Spring Break!
Saturday
We (the Diehl family)packed a picnic lunch and lots of water and headed to Walnut Canyon, which is about 45 minutes from the mission. We spent the day here hiking down into the canyon and seeing the ruins/remains of the cliff dwellings of the Sinagua people. We had some very nice weather for our trip we took some great pictures and we all had a WONDERFUL time!
Sunday
Jerry preached today at church. He joked that he was taking our home church motto a little too seriously. The motto is “Bring them in, Build them up, Send them out”. Well, he drove the bus to pick up the church people, taught Sunday School, preached the message, and then drove the bus to take the people back home. I missed his sermon, so I can’t comment on it, although I am positive he did a wonderful job. One of the young ladies who rides the church bus was sick and I took her home right after Sunday School was over and I didn’t get back until after the church service was over. Jerry was pretty tired that afternoon. I went to town to get supplies and then later packed our things for our further adventures in the week.
The Group from Tomoka Christian Church!
Tuesday Afternoon, March 16th
The work group from Tomoka Christian Church arrived this afternoon. There were so many people in the group that they pulled up in two vehicles. They had left from Orlando that morning and arrived at the mission at around 3:30PM Arizona time. Mr. Bill, Abby, Kelcy and I were there when they arrived, but Jerry & Miss Dawn were running the buses to take the school children home. We were introduced to them all. Abby was cute, she was shaking everyone’s hand and telling them her name. Kelcy was a bit shy and ran away after the meeting the first few people. But this will be a LONG story if I keep to all the detail that I want. I will try to condense it down the best I can.
The group all settled in and then went to get supplies in town for supper. They invited our family to eat with them and we enjoyed the company and the food!
Wednesday
The ladies worked together planning meals and taking care of the shopping for food and supplies for their mission work. In the afternoon, all the school kids gathered in the lunch room area and the ladies led us in making tie-dyed shirts with the children. The process was so much simpler than I had ever imagined it could be! All of the children did a wonderful job on their shirts. We could not admire them fully yet, as they had to dry and set the color.
Thursday
In the afternoon, the ladies from Tomoka set up chairs and did a very biblical thing. They took the ladies of the school children (and included Miss Springer and I) and they washed their feet. The ladies of Tomoka also gave all of us a pedicure and then a manicure. All of us ladies enjoyed this tremendously. Abby, Kelcy and Jessica were all receiving treatment from Ms. Bobbi and they just loved it! Merritza and Shyla thoroughly enjoyed the process as well. Miss Springer and I were also delighted to be included! We got to pick out our nail polish and even some decorations for our nails. The girls sat so still and were just enthralled with they whole process. They loved picking out the colors for their finger nails and toe nails. Abby & Jessica had to match each other, of course! Kelcy did her own thing, as usual. Merritza and Shyla were quieter than the younger girls, but I could tell that they really enjoyed it, by the looks on their faces. The Tomoka ladies even bought flip flops for the girls to wear home, so that they didn’t mess up their toe polish. During the manicure/pedicure process, one of the ladies read the scripture about Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. It was a very powerful lesson to hear, after having seen the ladies humble themselves and wash our feet.
The boys of the school children were given an opportunity to learn about hand tools and carpentry work. They really enjoyed their lessons as well.
Friday
Hope in Transit came this morning to work with the kids in their music classes. Dave & Lisa do such a great job and they kids REALLY enjoy learning to read music and play instruments. Ms. Venetta worked in the library with me today, organizing books and removing clutter. It was nice to get to know her better.
Today was kite day! After lunch the kids (and those of us adults who are still kids) went outside and flew kites! Winslow has generally the perfect weather for kite flying, and this was a beautiful day for it! We all had a wonderful time! Abby, Kelcy & Jessica each had a Barbie kite. Merritza had an Elmo kite. Shyla kept her kite up for the longest time. Abby & Kelcy kept getting their kites tangled up because they wanted to be close to other people and fly their kites at the same time. After kite time, we had popsicles. The children also got to inspect their lovely tie-dyed T-shirt designs. They all did a wonderful job.
This evening, there was a dedication and remembrance ceremony for Deb Pederson. She was a member of the mission group from Tomoka Christian Church that had been here several years. She lost her battle with cancer over the past year. Her husband is from Tomoka Christian Church and he worked most all day digging a hole in the ground so that a tree could be planted in memory of his wife. If you have been here, you realize what effort it must’ve taken for him to dig a hole in this ground large enough to plant a tree! The group had brought pictures of Ms. Deb taken with the children here at Red Sands and also at the Little Painted Desert. I was very honored to be included in the number of people who witnessed the dedication. A large number of the Navajo people gathered for the ceremony. Eva is a Navajo lady who had been asked to play a special at the ceremony on her harmonica. She performed a lovely song. Afterward, Eva decided to rededicate her life to the Lord. She made the confession of faith in front of all present and then we all joined together and prayed for her. Although I had never met Eva, we, as a church, had been praying for Eva because she was recuperating from knee surgery. After the ceremony, a fellowship meal was provided by one of the Navajo families. They grilled steak, made fry bread, and had Marilyn’s broccoli salad and watermelon. This was a wonderful chance to meet and talk with all of the Navajo people there. The ladies from Tomoka were even doing manicures for the Navajo ladies in attendance! It was a great and inspiring time.
Saturday
This morning, the group from Tomoka and Jerry went with Miss Springer to work with her “Least of These” mission. Miss Springer goes each week out into the city of Winslow and brings food, drink, toiletry supplies, socks, blankets and supplies to the homeless people of this area. There were several people with whom the group was able to minister on this day. I am sure that this was an amazing experience, and I apologize that I have no details to share as I was not in attendance. I know that Jerry was able to talk to a man who was just release from prison for about 10-15 minutes while he was with the group.
This evening, we all drove over to the Little Painted Desert to celebrate the life of Deb Pederson, as this was one of her favorite places on Earth. Several of the people, including Jerry and Abby, walked down into the Desert and explored. Kelcy and I stayed up at the top. After a time of remembrance of Ms. Deb, we returned to the church. The Tomoka ladies provided another fellowship meal and afterward, they had a communion service. I was very touched to be included in their group activities.
Abby spent the night with the ladies group from Tomoka in the Hogan. Abby had been invited by Paige, who was a young Navajo lady who was spending the night with the group as well. I was a little nervous about them falling asleep, but the ladies said they did okay.
Sunday
The church attendance was great this morning. I need to check with Mr. Bill to see the exact attendance, but I know it was more than usual. We had one Navajo gentleman there who was a traditionalist who had never been to church before! After church service, we loaded up and headed different directions. One group went to Show Low, AZ to visit at AICM (American Indian Christian Mission) and our group went to the Grand Canyon Park. Miss Springer assured us it would take about an hour, but we took over 2 hours to get there. I guess she either knows a short cut or drives faster! It was a lovely trip. Being in the car with people who had never been here before made me realize just how much I take the view for granted. It is a beautiful drive to Flagstaff, which I enjoyed the first time I went. I guess my enjoyment dimmed somewhat with each visit, as the view became “old hat”. The sense of awe was renewed as I saw the view through the eyes of those people who had never seen it before. They were taking pictures and exclaiming over how beautiful it was and they were right! The trip to the canyon was amazing. We drove to the South rim, come up from the East Side. When we got to the gate of the park, snow flurries started falling. When we got to the first stop, which was the Watchtower, it was all out snowing with big snow flakes. We were able to see the canyon pretty good at this first stop. After this, the snow and accompanying clouds made it all but impossible to see down into the canyon. The snow kept up for most of the time we were in the park. It was a unique sight to see at the Grand Canyon. We left the park and drove down into Flagstaff and had dinner together there, then back to the mission.
Monday morning March 23rd
Monday was a hard day for everyone. The Tomoka group had a chapel service for the school children, where they each shared a little about themselves and it was wonderful. We sand some songs and the ladies gave out prayer baskets to the children, with emblems in each basket reminding them to pray for different things (their country, family), along with a prayer journal, a photo album (that included a picture of Ms. Deb) and a book of Bible promises. This was such a great idea!
The group from Tomoka each made time to speak with me individually at some point during the week. I got to know each of them by their names, which is saying a lot for my memory. They repeatedly asked what they could do to help. They included me and my family in their supper meals. It was a wonderful week of encouragement and love for us, as staff, and all the school children. We all thank you each so much for giving of your time to the Lord and choosing to do that here, at Red Sands! We hope you keep in touch!
March 23rd is our wedding anniversary. Jerry and I were married 7 years ago today! If you have a weak stomach, you can look away. I love him even more today than I did when we were first married! I have enjoyed these seven years, though they were good and bad times in them. I have a wonderful God and a wonderful Christian husband, two wonderful, healthy children, wonderfully supportive friends and family, and I am very thankful!
The work group from Tomoka Christian Church arrived this afternoon. There were so many people in the group that they pulled up in two vehicles. They had left from Orlando that morning and arrived at the mission at around 3:30PM Arizona time. Mr. Bill, Abby, Kelcy and I were there when they arrived, but Jerry & Miss Dawn were running the buses to take the school children home. We were introduced to them all. Abby was cute, she was shaking everyone’s hand and telling them her name. Kelcy was a bit shy and ran away after the meeting the first few people. But this will be a LONG story if I keep to all the detail that I want. I will try to condense it down the best I can.
The group all settled in and then went to get supplies in town for supper. They invited our family to eat with them and we enjoyed the company and the food!
Wednesday
The ladies worked together planning meals and taking care of the shopping for food and supplies for their mission work. In the afternoon, all the school kids gathered in the lunch room area and the ladies led us in making tie-dyed shirts with the children. The process was so much simpler than I had ever imagined it could be! All of the children did a wonderful job on their shirts. We could not admire them fully yet, as they had to dry and set the color.
Thursday
In the afternoon, the ladies from Tomoka set up chairs and did a very biblical thing. They took the ladies of the school children (and included Miss Springer and I) and they washed their feet. The ladies of Tomoka also gave all of us a pedicure and then a manicure. All of us ladies enjoyed this tremendously. Abby, Kelcy and Jessica were all receiving treatment from Ms. Bobbi and they just loved it! Merritza and Shyla thoroughly enjoyed the process as well. Miss Springer and I were also delighted to be included! We got to pick out our nail polish and even some decorations for our nails. The girls sat so still and were just enthralled with they whole process. They loved picking out the colors for their finger nails and toe nails. Abby & Jessica had to match each other, of course! Kelcy did her own thing, as usual. Merritza and Shyla were quieter than the younger girls, but I could tell that they really enjoyed it, by the looks on their faces. The Tomoka ladies even bought flip flops for the girls to wear home, so that they didn’t mess up their toe polish. During the manicure/pedicure process, one of the ladies read the scripture about Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. It was a very powerful lesson to hear, after having seen the ladies humble themselves and wash our feet.
The boys of the school children were given an opportunity to learn about hand tools and carpentry work. They really enjoyed their lessons as well.
Friday
Hope in Transit came this morning to work with the kids in their music classes. Dave & Lisa do such a great job and they kids REALLY enjoy learning to read music and play instruments. Ms. Venetta worked in the library with me today, organizing books and removing clutter. It was nice to get to know her better.
Today was kite day! After lunch the kids (and those of us adults who are still kids) went outside and flew kites! Winslow has generally the perfect weather for kite flying, and this was a beautiful day for it! We all had a wonderful time! Abby, Kelcy & Jessica each had a Barbie kite. Merritza had an Elmo kite. Shyla kept her kite up for the longest time. Abby & Kelcy kept getting their kites tangled up because they wanted to be close to other people and fly their kites at the same time. After kite time, we had popsicles. The children also got to inspect their lovely tie-dyed T-shirt designs. They all did a wonderful job.
This evening, there was a dedication and remembrance ceremony for Deb Pederson. She was a member of the mission group from Tomoka Christian Church that had been here several years. She lost her battle with cancer over the past year. Her husband is from Tomoka Christian Church and he worked most all day digging a hole in the ground so that a tree could be planted in memory of his wife. If you have been here, you realize what effort it must’ve taken for him to dig a hole in this ground large enough to plant a tree! The group had brought pictures of Ms. Deb taken with the children here at Red Sands and also at the Little Painted Desert. I was very honored to be included in the number of people who witnessed the dedication. A large number of the Navajo people gathered for the ceremony. Eva is a Navajo lady who had been asked to play a special at the ceremony on her harmonica. She performed a lovely song. Afterward, Eva decided to rededicate her life to the Lord. She made the confession of faith in front of all present and then we all joined together and prayed for her. Although I had never met Eva, we, as a church, had been praying for Eva because she was recuperating from knee surgery. After the ceremony, a fellowship meal was provided by one of the Navajo families. They grilled steak, made fry bread, and had Marilyn’s broccoli salad and watermelon. This was a wonderful chance to meet and talk with all of the Navajo people there. The ladies from Tomoka were even doing manicures for the Navajo ladies in attendance! It was a great and inspiring time.
Saturday
This morning, the group from Tomoka and Jerry went with Miss Springer to work with her “Least of These” mission. Miss Springer goes each week out into the city of Winslow and brings food, drink, toiletry supplies, socks, blankets and supplies to the homeless people of this area. There were several people with whom the group was able to minister on this day. I am sure that this was an amazing experience, and I apologize that I have no details to share as I was not in attendance. I know that Jerry was able to talk to a man who was just release from prison for about 10-15 minutes while he was with the group.
This evening, we all drove over to the Little Painted Desert to celebrate the life of Deb Pederson, as this was one of her favorite places on Earth. Several of the people, including Jerry and Abby, walked down into the Desert and explored. Kelcy and I stayed up at the top. After a time of remembrance of Ms. Deb, we returned to the church. The Tomoka ladies provided another fellowship meal and afterward, they had a communion service. I was very touched to be included in their group activities.
Abby spent the night with the ladies group from Tomoka in the Hogan. Abby had been invited by Paige, who was a young Navajo lady who was spending the night with the group as well. I was a little nervous about them falling asleep, but the ladies said they did okay.
Sunday
The church attendance was great this morning. I need to check with Mr. Bill to see the exact attendance, but I know it was more than usual. We had one Navajo gentleman there who was a traditionalist who had never been to church before! After church service, we loaded up and headed different directions. One group went to Show Low, AZ to visit at AICM (American Indian Christian Mission) and our group went to the Grand Canyon Park. Miss Springer assured us it would take about an hour, but we took over 2 hours to get there. I guess she either knows a short cut or drives faster! It was a lovely trip. Being in the car with people who had never been here before made me realize just how much I take the view for granted. It is a beautiful drive to Flagstaff, which I enjoyed the first time I went. I guess my enjoyment dimmed somewhat with each visit, as the view became “old hat”. The sense of awe was renewed as I saw the view through the eyes of those people who had never seen it before. They were taking pictures and exclaiming over how beautiful it was and they were right! The trip to the canyon was amazing. We drove to the South rim, come up from the East Side. When we got to the gate of the park, snow flurries started falling. When we got to the first stop, which was the Watchtower, it was all out snowing with big snow flakes. We were able to see the canyon pretty good at this first stop. After this, the snow and accompanying clouds made it all but impossible to see down into the canyon. The snow kept up for most of the time we were in the park. It was a unique sight to see at the Grand Canyon. We left the park and drove down into Flagstaff and had dinner together there, then back to the mission.
Monday morning March 23rd
Monday was a hard day for everyone. The Tomoka group had a chapel service for the school children, where they each shared a little about themselves and it was wonderful. We sand some songs and the ladies gave out prayer baskets to the children, with emblems in each basket reminding them to pray for different things (their country, family), along with a prayer journal, a photo album (that included a picture of Ms. Deb) and a book of Bible promises. This was such a great idea!
The group from Tomoka each made time to speak with me individually at some point during the week. I got to know each of them by their names, which is saying a lot for my memory. They repeatedly asked what they could do to help. They included me and my family in their supper meals. It was a wonderful week of encouragement and love for us, as staff, and all the school children. We all thank you each so much for giving of your time to the Lord and choosing to do that here, at Red Sands! We hope you keep in touch!
March 23rd is our wedding anniversary. Jerry and I were married 7 years ago today! If you have a weak stomach, you can look away. I love him even more today than I did when we were first married! I have enjoyed these seven years, though they were good and bad times in them. I have a wonderful God and a wonderful Christian husband, two wonderful, healthy children, wonderfully supportive friends and family, and I am very thankful!
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