July 27

Navajo Nuggets

Children are not a distraction from more important works. They are the most important work. – C.S. Lewis

Dear Friends,

The Chess Sets find a new home.

It all started in the spring with homeless chess sets. My brother Don, while down-sizing, asked me if we wanted chess sets for Hilltop Christian School. We don’t have an active Chess Club, but I read in the Navajo Times about a school on the Rez that had sent two boys to the state chess competition. So, a couple of clicks later, I was able to e-mail the chess coach, Dave, and offer the chess sets.

His response came quickly and enthusiastically. Yes! As we continued to correspond, we learned that the coach and his wife were born again Christians living in Ohio but working with Navajo children during the school year.

Yesterday, we handed off the sets along with three chess time-clocks. Dave expressed amazement at the quality compared to the cheap plastic sets and tablemats the children were using now. We fellowshipped with them for a long time, comparing our life-journeys and reveling in our Unity of the Spirit. We were so excited to make some “forever friends.”

* And here’s a God sighting… While we were giving Dave and his wife a tour of Hilltop, my brother called, which is a rare occurrence, and Dave was able to thank him personally. They felt an instant connection and plan to keep in contact also.

I was reading in Micah 7:18-19: “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”

When I think of the amazing, inimitable God, I reflect on God’s creation, His control of the oceans, or His power over the storms and earthquakes. But this passage doesn’t go there.  God is wonderful and powerful because He forgives sins and does not stay angry forever. He delights in showing mercy and compassion to His people. That is the Awesome, Amazing thing God does. The Forgiver is Who God is.

Joe from the Radio Ministry talks with the
Navajo Nation President and Vice-Prez.

Tomorrow is a Campus-Wide Day of Prayer and Fasting here at Western Indian Ministries. Thank you for praying along with us for financial and personnel needs. Also, continue to pray that Western Indian Ministries and Hilltop Christian School are effective in bringing Christ to the Navajo People.

Blog: everettnavajo.blogspot.com

Support: Western Indian Ministries: westernindian.org

P.O. Box 9090, Window Rock, AZ 86515

Linda's heirloom Navajo blanket.

A student and dad pose by a hogan near Canyon De Chelly.

July 20

Blue Corn

 Some Navajos grow blue corn along with the sweet corn in their gardens. In order to preserve the abundance of the harvest, blue corn is dried. Later it is ground into flour for flatbread.

We purchased a quart-sized baggie of blue corn at the flea market to show our friends in Iowa and California this interesting species.

Last week, I decided to cook beef stew and toss some of the dried blue corn in it. Though the stew slow-cooked five hours, and the corn simmered the same amount of time on the stovetop, the corn remained the texture (and flavor of) rubbery rocks.

Kindergarten Graduation

Being a modern woman, I went straight to the source of truth, the Internet. As we all know, one can find the answer to anything on the Internet. Among the tidbits of advice were soak the kernels in lime water (not fruit but the mineral lime that comes from burning cedar logs to ash then running water through the ash filter); use baking soda; or soak them all night in plain water at room temperature.

I soaked those stubborn seeds in baking soda all night. In the morning, the seed coats starting to flake off. They reminded me of the exoskeleton of shrimp – clear and crackly. Then I painstakingly peeled those seeds one by one.

The cup of blue corn was now in two piles: kernels and chitin.  Persisting in the quest, I boiled the kernels for another hour, letting them plump up to the size and shape of hominy – pesole – and added it to the stew leftovers. And it was very good.

Good outcomes take guidance, time, and diligence.

Field Day

Pray for good outcomes this year. The latest news is that our principal has decided to help at Hilltop on a part-time basis, instead of leaving completely. This will give us credibility and stability that is needed in the community. Also, things have changed, and the school is seeking someone to teach 5^th and 6^th grade until December.

Love you all.

July 7

Grand Canyon - a must visit

We recently returned from a California trip. How delightful it was to see many of you again as well as visiting the beach and the desert!  

We were thrilled to talk to our old and new friends about our ministry here in the Navajo Nation. So many of you encouraged us as we prepare for this coming school year. We were given books and little toys for the school children. We also brought back chess sets to donate to a Rez school that has a chess team. 

Tower at Grand Canyon

One of our friends commented that it seems like a hopeless situation for our Native friends; but where there is darkness, the light makes even more of an impact. We’re looking forward to sharing those stories of light with 

you too.

We got to visit the beach.

Lambs

Work teams come here from all over the United

 States throughout the summer. Some bolster the building projects and others work with the children in our “summer school” or community. A group from Teen Challenge received permission to visit the jail. We heard that it is unusual for them to minister to mixed groups, and there were an unusual amount of detainees there that day. Praise the Lord, it was reported that five women prayed to receive Jesus as their Savior. Pray for these women that they will be mentored and that the seeds will grow with life-changing results.

We are on the verge of a new school year, and Mr. Tiger, whose administration we valued last year, will be taking a less hands-on role this year. The Hilltop staff is almost all here, and we’re standing on our tip-toes to see what the Lord is going to do. So, pray for WIM (Western Indian Ministries’) leadership and school board as they make important decisions.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

See our garden grow

If you don’t have a prayer card and want one, drop me an e-mail.

Blog: everettnavajo.blogspot.com

Support: Western Indian Ministries: westernindian.org