August 18

Dear Friends and Family,

This is Window Rock.

Wednesday was our first day of school here at Hilltop, and things could not have gone any more smoothly! We now have almost 50 enrolled. Our principal was comparing his ‘first day of school’ stories with his associates back home, and they admitted that he had won for the best story. Right outside our window, we could see a sheep being slaughtered for the Camp Meeting feast on Saturday! Actually, the children did not bother to watch because they’ve all seen this before.

Preschool Playground.

Our classes have been cooperative and fun the first few days. Naturally we know about “honeymoon” periods, but we are encouraged because many of them have been through our preschool and kindergarten program. They know about Jesus. We have been told that the Navajo tend to compartmentalize what they believe, so it is OK for the children to believe in Jesus and go along with the teaching while they are here, but to participate in Navajo ceremonies when at home. In fact, one girl already told me that she would be absent a few days for a ceremony.

We love the Navajo fry bread.

About that sheep, the Navajo pastor told us that they dress it very quickly so the meat stays tender. The innards are used immediately. The women stretch out the small intestine and make sausages. They froze the rest of the meat in large hunks for the mutton stew. The church women made the stew on Saturday. They started by boiling the frozen meat and veggies then added dumplings. R* went over and tasted it. The stew was served with blue corn meal mush, which was procured from the bottom of the canyon, and fry bread.

We attended the first Friday evening camp meeting. They served Navajo burgers (beef) at 5pm, and we finally left at 10 pm, after the sermon but before the altar call. They always joke about the Rez cars being held together with wire and duct tape. The pastor’s two Bibles were so well-used, they were also held together with duct tape. He effortlessly swung back and forth between English and Navajo, getting two laughs for each punch line of his jokes. The sermon was about taking discipleship to the next level. I noticed that the men and women dressed up, most wore turquoise jewelry and some of the women wore traditional footwear.

I was reading yesterday in Proverbs 16.  Verses 1 and 9 talk about how we make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. We are grateful that He has determined that we be here at WIM and at Hilltop Christian School, and we’re excited about the weeks to come. Please pray for our young ones, that they will see Christ in us and want to follow Him exclusively. Also pray for one of my precious students who is recovering from cleft palate surgery.

Love in Christ

Canyon DeChelly: pronounced Canyon De Shay.

Canyon DeChelly. They grow the blue corn at the bottom.