August 28

Last spring our church suffered major water damage. The insurance company finally gave the go-ahead to clean and repair what we could; and on church workday, it became our job to find a home for a cart of volleyballs. As we discussed where to stash them, a retired Navajo man asked for two volleyballs. Why? He uses them when herding his sheep. If the sheep strays off, he’ll lob the ball in that direction to turn the skittish creature.

Shepherding has been an integral part of Navajo culture since the Spanish introduced sheep around 1600.  Before that, Navajos were farmers and hunter/gatherers. By the 1800s, shepherding had assumed parity with farming in Navajo lives. Two appalling times in their history the sheep population was severely diminished: first in 1863 when Kit Carson was given the order to subjugate the Indians by any means and secondly in the 1930s when the Indian Bureau and the Soil Conservation Bureau exterminated sheep because of  “overgrazing.” (The owners were not compensated, and wool was left on the slaughtered sheep.)

Sheep are the most important livestock because they supply wool for rug weaving and meat for food. But it is becoming increasingly difficult to find Navajo-grown mutton. These days, though most Navajos own a few sheep, there are relatively few shepherds on the Reservation. The entire sheep population is estimated to be around 6000. The shepherds’ children and grandchildren will be seeking employment involving a computer.

We stopped our car to chat with the shepherds.

The herds must be moved continually to keep them from overgrazing the land. The grazing land on the Rez abuts the road. We frequently see cows and horses nibbling at the roadside. Usually someone accompanies them on foot, horseback, or a four-wheeler. Dogs trot alongside, some more useful than others. If sheep stray, the guardian tosses a stick in front of them and shouts to turn them away from danger.

The children at Hilltop understand Biblical references to sheep and shepherds because it is imbedded in their culture. They think it’s great that Jesus ate mutton. They can understand the comparison of a good shepherd and a mediocre one. They’ve heard about the helplessness of the sheep and the love of the shepherd, thereby making this a valuable bridge in teaching about Jesus.

The pastors here on the Rez are also seeking wisdom in feeding their flocks and winning others to the Lord. I know many are interested in some results from the Pastors’ Summit last weekend. Our director, Chuck Harper, posted a letter on the Internet that summarizes the event. Here is the link for the Newsletter:

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Western-Indian-Ministries-Update.html?soid=1101080614619&aid=yczy4tGhAaQ

We love our "sheep" at HCS too!

Prayer Requests for the week:

·      Please remember Mr. Naas who has just recently come aboard as part of the Hilltop Christian School Administrative team – that he would get up-to-speed quickly.

·      Pray for the entire Naas family to adjust to living here in Arizona.

·      Pray for Mrs. H.  She has a challenging group, and this is her first year as a classroom teacher.

Roger and Sara

Blog: https://everettnavajo.blogspot.com

Support: Western Indian Ministries: http://www.westernindian.org/donate2/

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