Christmas Program

The jewel fell off the king's crown.

Here are just a few of the photos of the Christmas Program for fun.

Not all the sheep were happy.

King Herod had a hard time acting mean.

Little girls say poems.

The angel speaks to the shepherds.

What was that?

We celebrate at the Staff Party.

Recorders playing Silent Night

Dec. 9, 2013

Dear friends,

I have permission to share this story from the Dorm Mom of the younger girls. I know you will enjoy it.

My girls were given dresses for Christmas by a friend of mine. For some, this is their first dress; for some, this is their first new dress with tags from the store; but for all, these are special dresses. I gave them to the girls last Wednesday after a couple of them had seen one in a box and had told the others what they had seen.

I realized this is the last Sunday they will be here at school before they go home for Christmas break, and, therefore, their last Sunday to all wear their dresses at the same time before Christmas. (The girls have begged to wear them each day, but I've had to tell them to keep them hanging in their closets until Sunday.)

Last Friday we went to the store so they could pick out tights to wear with their new dresses for this Sunday. Finally, last night, Saturday night, I let them try it all on so they know what to wear and how it is supposed to look for Sunday. They asked to sleep in their tights and dresses and were so saddened when I said ‘no’ yet again.

At 2:30 AM I'm awakened by the tears of my youngest. She is crying and yelling to me that she had chicken pox. I get up and turn the light on to find she not only is wearing her dress and tights, but she has her hair done up in pigtails, which she is unable to do on her own. I check for chicken pox and realize she has dry skin. She had scratched her arm.  I tell her it is not chicken pox. Not yet convinced, she lets me put lotion on her arm and the redness goes away. With her still whimpering, I walk her back to bed to find THREE girls with their hair done by one another and fully dressed!

When I remind them they were supposed to wait until morning, they say, "But Miss Alice, we woke up and thought it was morning because we can't sleep!" They were so disappointed when I told them they still have five hours before the real morning, and they needed to go to their own beds.

To say my girls are excited about their new dresses and tights would be an understatement!

They ask why I'm keeping their wrapped presents in my apartment... Ha. It just might be because they wake up in the middle of the night and dress to the nines and then are disappointed to go back to sleep for five hours! I can only imagine if I were to put the presents under the tree!

Another story: Each night after prayers I ask the girls if they want hugs and kisses. Most of the girls will remind me if I forget to ask. Tonight one of my first graders starts giggling after I gave her a hug and kissed her on her forehead. I asked what was so funny and she said, "You kissed a meerkat!"

Horsing around in the dorm.

Really? A meerkat? Who thinks of these things?

Girls night out at DQ.

I would like for you to remember our Dorm Parents in prayer. They are truly wonderful people who love children and have a heart for training them in social graces, family living, and righteousness. Their names are Seth, Daryl, Bryce, Alice, Shellee, and Liz. Also, please pray for the Christmas program that we are doing on Friday. Pray that the parents will hear and respond to the Gospel message.

Merry Christmas,

December 1, 2013

Thanksgiving

We had a delightful Thanksgiving meal together.

Five Fat Turkeys Poem

Dear Friends,

Some of my FB friends posted their Thankfulness each day of November. Gratefulness is a beautiful trait, and it warmed my heart to share in theirs. And now as I try to string together a chain of my own, I see how difficult it is to limit the number of links.

ü  We are thankful for God’s grace in our lives. We don’t deserve anything, but He blessed us with forgiveness and strength to live each day.

The Thanksgiving Story - Readers' Theater

ü  We are thankful for a Christian family. We were so blessed to have a Christian heritage, and our longing is to pass the legacy on to our children (whom we are also thankful for.) We have been fortunate to maintain close contact with our young men, and are watching God work in their lives.

ü  We are thankful for lodging and food, which are provided here. Our apartment is small, but comfortable, and the daily offerings from the cafeteria are prepared under the guidance of a gifted and trained chef.

ü  We are thankful for our classes – my sixth grade and Roger’s third grade -- and to be part of God’s plan for their lives. Yes, the classroom situation is difficult, but we know that the enemy wants to steal these young sheep before they really hear about God’s love and decide to follow Jesus. We just don’t know how long students will attend here, so each hour with them is vital.

ü  We are thankful for our co-laborers who come from all over the country with hearts to serve God and hearts for the Navajo children. Our friends here exude encouragement, enthusiasm, and the joy of the Lord.

ü  We are thankful for the Christmas Season and opportunities to share the Incarnation story with children who truly don’t know what a manger is.

ü  We are grateful for friends and prayer partners and your prayers and gifts. We have always felt buoyed by your prayers and concerns for our little chunk of God’s work here in Navajo County.

What I am Thankful For

ü  And we are grateful for our great God who hears and answers prayers. He is good, and His mercy is everlasting. He never changes and never reproaches when we ask for wisdom in faith.

With gratefulness

November 24

Dear Friends and Family,

This week was astronomy week at Sun Valley. Last fall when we took the children to the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Roger happened to run into a man who is part of a program that sends astronomers to the various school sites and shows them cool stuff on the computers (in a trailer) or teaches them some astronomy basics in the classroom. We have been preparing for their 2-day visit by studying stars in our classrooms and reading related topics with our students. Most of the teachers also showed Louie Giglio’s “How Great is Our God” video. (If you haven’t seen it, just stop right now and watch it: http://vimeo.com/44485151).

As the children watched the computer-generated phases of the moon, we taught them that the moon is a faithful witness (Psalm 89:37). Every 24 hours we see the moon as it orbits, stabilizes and protects the earth. One of our teachers asked her students to write down the name of someone they wanted to be a faithful witness to, and one student reported to her that he had written down the name of another student in the dorm (whom we have been praying for since day one). Revival can start when students care about the spiritual condition of their dorm mates.

The heavens are telling the glory of God (Psalm 19:1)!  We looked at Sirius, Antares, and Betelgeuse and other stars that are trillions of miles away and tried to count them as Abraham did. What an awesome God we worship! But that should not make us feel small; it should make us feel privileged, because we are made in His image, and He cares for us. We appreciate the way you have extended God’s care through your care for us too. Thank you for helpful gifts these past few months. We know that He can hold onto us no matter what happens. My students are troubled by many things, and I had the opportunity to share with them how Jesus can hold onto them even when they are plagued by memories of unspeakable things in their lives. The more we learn, the more our hearts break for these dear creations of God.

Our first Arizona snow! What a surprise!

The children ran Time forward and backward on the computers as they watched sunrises and sunsets over England.  Our sun, close and warm, is really a ball of raging, massive, and ferocious fire.  God laughs at the pride of men and devils that oppose him (Psalm 2:4). Though we feel satan’s attacks daily on the campus through such things as behavior issues, financial need, lifestyle decisions made by parents that affect their children, and false religion, we know He is in control; and we have a close-knit and warm community of believers here to soldier with us.

This week please pray particularly for the financial needs of Sun Valley Indian School, which operates totally on donations. We worship the unrivaled God, who showers us with wisdom, kindness and faithfulness; and we pray that we will serve Him faithfully.

Love,

The Everetts

 

Snow November 24th.

November 17, 2013

November 17, 2013

Dear Friends,

Hey, I might not know the difference between a dodger and a diamondback, but I can recognize a team. Here at Sun Valley www.indianschool.org we are a team of teams. Over all of us is the administrative and office staff. Then we have the school staff, the maintenance staff, the spiritual life team, the dorm parents, the kitchen staff, and the Work and Witness coordinators. 

Today I want to briefly introduce you to the academic team (in their own words)

Kris: (principal) I am from a military family and claim many states as my home. Hobbies include sports activities, chess, and watching my own two children. I am seeking to establish my biblical worldview more and more.

Natalie: (8^th grade) I grew up in rural West Virginia and graduated college in Virginia with degrees in chemistry and education. The Lord sent me to Sun Valley with two days’ notice, and I have been so blessed to grow as a Christian in this amazing, supportive community. Most of my time is spent preparing for my students, whom I adore, but when I am not grading assignments or planning lessons, I like to spend time marveling at nature on walks, where I occasionally seek out native plants to make my favorite drink of herbal tea.

Roger: (3^rd) I have been an elementary principal in Christian schools for the last 30 years. Before that I taught in Kijabe, Kenya, for two years, and the Lord has given me a heart for cross-cultural ministries. On a lighter side, I hope to take in a Los Angeles Dodgers spring training game in Phoenix.

Sara (6^th) I am originally from Joshua Tree, CA, and have live in Iowa and Maryland. I’ve taught in Christian schools most of my adult life.  We have two grown boys, and I like to read and scrapbook when I have time.

Aaron (7^th) I graduated from Northern Arizona University. I was a weatherman in the military. I love snowboarding, tennis, reading, and hot chocolate. I love to show the kids different types of maps.

Caitlyn(1^st-2^nd) I am from New Baltimore, NY. I enjoy running, hiking, music, and camping. I am thankful that the Lord has provided a place where I can love and serve Him as I obey His calling for my life. I am very blessed and happy to call SVIS my home.

Sharon (4^th-5^th)I was born in Ohio. I have lived in IL, MN, CA, CO, SD, and MT. This past summer I helped out at as horse barn. I play guitar, flute, some piano, and clarinet. I like to write stories and poems. I love teaching, especially teaching Bible.

One of my students, who plays JV volleyball sat next to me at a Varsity game. She said, “I get it now. It is not about winning; it’s about teamwork and growing and encouraging each other…”  Wow!

Last Friday, for the first time I had ever seen it, all of my students sat at lunch conversing in a group– not in individual conversations as they usually do. I felt it was a breakthrough moment, and I just sat back praising and watching the process of team building.

And you are our team too. We have prayer warriors in Iowa, Maryland, California, Texas, Washington, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Internationally. Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers.

The Everetts