November

Dear Friends,

There is an undercurrent of change in the Christian church here in the Navajo Nation. On Sunday we heard the report from the first Navajo Nation Christian Response Team, and it encouraged us greatly.

Right after the hurricane hit Houston, Navajo Nation President, Russell Begaye, and the Vice President, Jonathan Nez, visited there to see what could be done. They reported that at least eight Navajo families had been affected and were in dire need of help to clear debris and clean up mold. The President brought his challenge back to the Christian churches on the Reservation saying, “It’s time for the church to be the Church.”

Port Arthur

Christian Church leaders met, and a Christian Response team formed. The first one (Team Bluebird) returned a week ago, and Team Two is out now. Team Three deploys in December. The Bluebirds worked on many homes in Port Arthur cleaning up and bringing supplies to this devastated area. Team-member Cindy Harper posted on FaceBook: Port Arthur was flooded during the storms in southeast Texas. It's been hard to hear the stories of 10 year-old Orlando who had to walk through the water with his two sisters and mother, or of Buddy who carried his invalid wife on his back through the water, or about Doralena whose toddler has asthma, and whose house is probably going to be condemned. Everyone here has been traumatized. We can smell mold from anywhere in Port Arthur, especially with the breeze, which normally would be very welcome. Please continue to pray for the victims of the storms.

One Port Arthur woman said that the people who are coming to help are Christians, not the government agencies.  She is a Traditional Navajo, but she became interested in what they saying. The team expressed, “This is Jesus loving you and serving you and carrying out your debris.”

So far 16 Navajo people have been sent out. Chuck Harper, Team member and Western Indian Ministries director, said, “It is important that the Navajo Nation be about sending missionaries. It represents a major shift for them.”

This big step of discipleship helps Navajo believers encounter the heart of God, which is all about going out and bringing people to Himself. Going out expands the perspective. Several young Navajos were anxious about leaving the Reservation. It was a 17-hour drive, and the work promised to be challenging. One young man declared that he had anxiety and panic attacks, which God helped him overcome. The Natives learned that they are not the only ones living in some kind of ‘condition.’

They also discovered community, not just with the folks they ministered to, but also with each other. Serving together builds community. They became more thankful for the things they have and for how God provided what they needed for the trip.

The young men discovered a new purpose or motivation for their lives. One said, “I realized there was baggage in my life that is keeping me from doing what I am supposed to be doing.” Another one said he is motivated to get more education so he can be better equipped to bring people to Christ.

3rd grade made a bean bag carnival for 1st grade.

They began to realize how large the Great commission is. God wishes us to go out because the world is full of wandering people, like sheep without a shepherd. Vice President Nez, who is on Team Two, challenged the Navajo Nation to serve one another. He said, “I challenge you to help each other out. I want to say ‘thank you for shining that light,’ and now it is shining back to the Navajo Nation as well. True self- sufficiency and self-reliance are shown when we help others.”

We are thankful God has called us to be here for such a time as this. And we are thankful for you who support us with your prayers and gifts.

Roger and Sara 

Clip of Navajo Nation Response Team Bluebird

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K74-Q6uIK94&feature=share

Library visit

Our playground

Support: http://www.westernindian.org/aboutus/staff/

Go through the staff portal first, then click on donate. https://secure.usaepay.com/interface/epayform/3PpY6Y9r74I1EE0KY70ZBfRHW5b73Rhh/

October

Dear Friends,

One of the joys 😉  of living in a rural area is having a close relationship with Amazon. I can order anything from soup to nuts on Amazon and have it delivered in a matter of days. I recently purchased some new shoes – Skechers—that promised to feel like pillows on my feet.

Upon receiving the box, I was so excited that I pulled them out and tried them on in class. But, some nasty creases on the inside hampered my comfort.

Roger came in and I showed him the shoes, but said I was reluctant to keep them because they weren’t comfortable. I showed him the creases.

He burst into laughter and asked if I intended to wear them with the cardboard in them.

Sometimes you have to look deeper…

Teachers and cowboys

I have a boy in my class who had a tough year in kindergarten and began the year struggling to learn some of the basics such as letter names and vowel sounds. He couldn’t name numbers above 20 and failed every oral Bible and History test I gave.

With a lot of help from his parents, he is learning to sound out words and is showing great improvement in math and spelling. But he continues to fail every Bible quiz.

I advised his mom to read to him from a Children’s Bible and to show him little video clips of the Bible stories in Genesis that he is hearing in class. But things are not improving.

In conferencing with his mom, I learned that “He just isn’t interested in the Bible.” I sensed immediately that there is a battle for this child’s very soul. His Mom says she’s a Christian, but told me the father clings to the Navajo traditional beliefs.  Please pray for this little one to understand the love of the One True God.

The first quarter ends next week, so we will be averaging grades and conferencing with parents.  This is the first time these children have received letter grades. My husband has a small class, but the needs there are great also

The trailer next to ours is being remodeled. Please pray that the finances and manpower will be available to complete it, hopefully before winter sets in.

Thank you for praying for us and for your gifts to us. You are a blessing.

A volunteer from PA joins the girls for Reading Buddy Time.

Look at the size of the zucchini we grew!

Looking beautiful for picture day

August 21

First graders are amazed to see the "banana" sun.

Students use special solar glasses.

 Most Americans were caught up in the buzz about the solar eclipse which occurred today, as it was visible in totality throughout a section of the United States and nowhere else, but it was not so with the Navajo Nation.

The Navajos were very aware of complying with their Diné traditions. In Window Rock, the moon obscured nearly 74% of the sun. During the time of the eclipse, traditional Navajos who wanted to comply with the ancient taboos sat inside their homes with the curtains drawn. They remained silent, but respectfully awake and sitting up. They were not permitted to eat or drink. The children were forbidden to whine and complain.

The traditional medicine man doesn’t casually divulge the spiritual ramifications of the eclipse, but he said that the event signals a time of renewal and rejuvenation. It is a sacred time. Some say that the Sun and the Moon are exchanging information. He further told the Navajo Times that those who are outside during the event risk blindness and digestive problems. Pregnant women and fetuses are most vulnerable. A baby born during the eclipse might suffer lifelong stomach or bowel problems unless the parents have a ceremony done for him.

There is a sand painting a medicine man can do immediately after the eclipse to heal any bad effects if you find you can’t get indoors by the time the eclipse has started. A Blessing Way Ceremony would be in order the following day.

Two weeks ago, the Medicine man was surprised that the Navajo Nation government would have business as usual. He thought the President and other leaders were not considering the health and well-being of the Navajo people. On August 16^th, the President reversed his opinion and sent out a memorandum giving government workers administrative leave today.

As far as the children in our school, we were careful to send home permission slips. Some opted to participate in all class activities including viewing the eclipse with special glasses, art projects, and seeing totality on television. Fewer than 50% of our students attended school today, and a handful were required to stay inside.  For the ones who came, it was a very special day emphasizing the glory of God.

Here is an interesting article from the Denver Post if you click on the link.

http://www.denverpost.com/2017/08/19/tribes-hope-renewal-solar-eclipse/

We appreciate your prayers!

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

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

August 12, 2017

On Back to School Night, the teachers introduce themselves by telling where we are from and how we became Christians. Then we launch into class procedures, schedules, and homework expectations. On Tuesday evening, there were only two families in my room, so I welcomed the opportunity to learn where they were raised and what church they attended. One mom declared she went to the Native American Church. A typical response by Anglos is: “I never knew there was such a thing.”

The Native American Church is a religion that combines Christianity and Native Traditions. It includes the sacramental use of peyote, a hallucinogenic “medicine” originating from Mexico.

They believe in the Great Spirit and traditional spirits who carry prayers up to God.  In some tribes, Jesus is regarded as an Indian-culture hero returned, as an intercessor with God, or as a guardian who has turned to the Indians after being killed by the whites.

Ceremonies commonly last all night, beginning on Saturday evening and ending early Sunday morning. These ceremonies will include singing, dancing, drumming, and peyote consumption. Peyote, eaten in the ritual context, enables the individual to ‘commune’ with God and the spirits (including those of the departed) in contemplation and vision and so to receive from them spiritual power, guidance, reproof, and healing. Because peyote is a powerful stimulant, the participating members are wide-awake, so feasting is included.

The rite characteristically, but not always, takes place in a tepee around a crescent-shaped, earthen altar mound and a sacred fire. The all-night ceremony usually commences about 8 pm Saturday and is led by a peyote “chief”; it concludes with a communion breakfast on Sunday morning. The way of life is called the Peyote Road and enjoins brotherly love, family care, self-support through steady work, and avoidance of alcohol.

The services are not held regularly every Sunday. Common reasons for holding a service include the desire to cure illness, birthday celebrations, Christian holidays, school graduations, and other significant life events.

The NAC reflects a Navajo tendency towards syncretism. Traditional beliefs are so ingrained that even professing Christians often possess unorthodox doctrines.

Prayer and Praise:

School started on Wednesday, and though the first week was short, it seemed jam-packed. It was difficult for me to adjust to getting up early and being “on” all day long. This weekend was very welcomed.

I have eight students in first grade, and he

has four in his third grade. We both ask for prayers for wisdom and patience as each one of these children have “issues” and a variety of needs.