It's pretty amazing that we left NM to visit friends on March 6, and we returned a week later to a whole new world. The Navajo Nation has been hard-hit by the virus. Part of this might be due to the fact that Navajos are communal and live in large, close-knit family groups. They also have not stopped gathering together even though President Nez has mandated "hibernate” in place to stay safe. Many believe they will stay safe by boiling sage and juniper to drink as a tea to combat respiratory ailments. As everywhere, the elderlies are dying, along with alcoholics and diabetics. Those are two other severe health issues on the Rez, which create pre-existing conditions
We have had nightly curfews for ten weeks and weekend (57 hour) curfews for about seven weeks. The Navajo Nation government will be closed until mid-June. A large part of the nation still lacks running water, and they wash hands in a common bowl. The unemployment rate has shot up to around 50%, which has made it very difficult financially for some of our school families.
President Jonathan Nez and VP Myron Lizer are outspoken Christians. We pray that they have wisdom and good counsel and remain bold for the God of the Bible. The darkness of the Native Religion comes against them. People are fearful and blaming others. Christians get heavy blame because one of the first major outbreaks came out of a Nazarene Regional meeting. The Nazarene church has lost many pastors and pastor’s wives. White people get blamed too. Perhaps this is because they previously introduced diseases and inflicted privations on the indigenous communities. Blame also goes out to the Navajo people for falling away from their traditional religious practices and not taking care of mother earth.
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We have remained at home and are not sick. No one on our staff is sick, though some have extended family that have gotten ill or have passed away from the virus. The Navajo Nation Christian Response Team (NNCRT) delivered several hundred boxes of food and supplies right away. Now the Federal dollars have arrived, and the Navajo Nation is doing the job of taking care of its own.
We didn't have school in the building for the last quarter, but we worked really hard at getting on-line right away. Roger and I had a lot to learn! The situation is less than ideal because the Internet services are definitely substandard. One of my families had to drop out completely because they live on a remote ranch with no connectivity.
Now that the year is over, we are cleaning up, organizing, and preparing for next year, even though we have no idea how that will look or what restrictions will be placed on all of us. We plan to start in August, but can't imagine teaching a class where we have to stay six feet apart all day long and wear masks.
As for this summer, we won't make any plans to travel in June.
We are praying for those who have become infected and the grieving friends and families who have lost loved ones. We are praying that we Christians will pay more attention to God and live humbly before Him, knowing that He is providing for us and has everything under control. The Lord is teaching us to use our gifts in different and creative ways.
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| Staff Meetings on Zoom |
