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.

July 10

Dear Friends,

While traveling, we listened to First Men about the moon landing in 1969.  Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are best remembered for landing the Eagle at the newly-named Tranquility Base and stepping on the surface of the moon, but they would not have returned home safely without the faithfulness of Mike Collins who maintained the Columbia in a stable orbit until time for the docking procedure and return flight.

The Dodgers have only lost 4 games, and he was at one of them.

Collins, no doubt, longed to experience walking on moon rock, but he knew the value of being a team. Armstrong said, “As command module pilot, he (Collins) deserves just as much recognition for a successful landing as Buzz and I do. Indeed, it was the whole NASA team that succeeded here.”

This summer we’ve had the extraordinary pleasure of visiting many on our team. In June we made a California loop and a Colorado loop.  Now we eagerly await liftoff for the Iowa visit. You are our Collinses and Aldrins. It reminds me Paul’s extensive list in Romans 16.  These names might not mean much to most of us, but they are Paul’s dependable partners in ministry, as you are ours, so I am writing a Romans 16 chapter as a commendation to you. (Bible names have been retained.)

Waiting for the Amtrak to San Diego

I commend to you, our prayer supporters, Phoebe and other brothers and sisters who are helpers to many, not only in their ministries at their own local churches, but are partners to missionaries as well. They are friends in the truest sense of the word.

We greet Prisca and Aquila, our fellow workers in Christ, who would risk their necks for believers. They are examples and heroes to others, faithfully seeking to win souls.

Our

Greet the members of our supporting churches. We are so excited about the good things that are happening in your churches as the Good News of our Savior goes out from those places. We hope to visit you all very soon.

Say hello to Epenetus, who is eager to follow God. His love overflows to us and to others. His/her obedience is known to all.

Greet Marah and friends, who makes things for the Navajo children and who work hard for us in many ways. Many gifts have come to Hilltop for the teachers and children.  They will never know what a big difference those seemingly little contributions make.

Greet Andronicus and Junia, family who also love the Lord. They are fellow sufferers and laborers for the gospel. Their hearts long to be involved in the work of the Lord in this dark place.

Reaching the Summit

Wildlife in Rocky Mountain National Park

Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. He/she is a person of high character, integrity and sincerity, and we count it a privilege to partner with him/her in the Lord’s work here on the Reservation.

We greet our beloved friends, those who are chosen of the Lord and those who embrace and take in the servants of God.  We love you and are exceedingly grateful for you. God is weaving us together to create a strong net to capture the souls of the Navajo children for Jesus.

·      

The Lord has been faithful in answering our prayers for a 4^th grade teacher. We are so excited to welcome him in August.

·      We have had many hard-working teams here at WIM this summer. Some further goals around the campus, and others tackle projects on the REZ.

·      Praise God that the school year ended well, and pray for increased enrollment.

May 21

Western Indian Ministries has many facets. Besides the teaching ministry at Hilltop Christian School, we have Christian radio stations that reaches across the Reservation, Youth worker and church helps, and a jail ministry.

Two of our missionaries here work particularly with churches, and I pass on this note from them:

We need you to stand with us against the evil one today and in the months to come. Last week a group of Navajo pastors from all across the Reservation gathered in Dilcon, AZ, to discuss a Church Site Lease that was developed around 1951, (possibly as early as 1922. We are unclear on the date of the original law.) 

A revised draft of this document had been crafted and was called the “Religious Activity Limited-Use Permit.” It was originally written in a historical context when most evangelical churches were started by white missionaries who were trying to move onto the Reservation and start a church to reach Diné (The People) with the Gospel.

Things have changed. Today there are over 100 Navajo-led evangelical churches. The gospel has gone forth and many Navajos have given their lives to Christ. All glory to God!

Navajo Christian Churches in precarious position

The current Navajo President and Vice President are both believers in Jesus, but the person given the task of crafting this revised church policy and many of the councilmen who need to vote to enact it into law are not.

 It has come to our attention that if a church does not meet the Nation's regulations, the Navajo government would have the power to shut them down. There are many problems with this situation -- the primary one being that the drafted permit is still using concepts from back in the 50s, when most Evangelical ministries were led by white missionaries. This is no longer the case. We are seeing bi-vocational Navajo pastors, denominations with Navajo eldership, ministries being started and established by the Native people.

The biggest problem in this draft of the regulations is how frequently ministries will have to reapply. As it stands now, Christian ministries would only have a 5-year permit on the land they use, when other organizations are given a 75-year lease on the land they occupy before they must reapply. Try to imagine your church having to obtain a new lease every five years to use the land for their building and activities.

As for things at Hilltop, we’re winding down this week. Enrollment for next year is coming along slowly, so we continue to pray for the children and families that the Lord will bring to us.

Many of the missionaries will be traveling this summer, so we pray for safety, refreshing, encouragement, and support-raising for them as they go.

Classes

 School trail hike

Many of the boys play baseball.

The opposite of "learn"

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

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