August10

Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

I Thessalonians 5: 11

Dear Friends,

This portion of the group worked on a building project.

A group providing wonderful encouragement for us here at Hilltop just returned to Pennsylvania. A week ago weeds had overtaken the playgrounds. Roofs had leaks. Ramps were warped and stairs lacked handrails. We looked around the school and sighed, “School starts in ten days, and this is impossible.”

The Nehemiah Project: building a dorm for work teams and retreats.

 

Here it is a week later. Weeds are hacked down, roofs repaired and leaks stopped. The classrooms are decorated, clean, and orderly. Ramps are restored. Books are organized and extra texts are stowed. The crew worked cheerfully and incredibly hard. Teachers can now sit behind their desks and start composing schedules and lesson plans for Wednesday.

This progress was encouraging beyond words to us as a staff. And we are incredibly grateful.

The classroom is almost ready to go!

As we sent them off, we encouraged them to pray for us here at Hilltop and WIM, to read the blog, and to think about coming back. WIM has opportunities for work groups to stay for a week, individuals could work as summer interns, or young teachers might even apply to do student teaching here.

We were also encouraged by a group representing five churches in the Dallas area who hauled a couple of tons of clothing and food to give away to needy families here on the Rez through the church and radio station. We had great joy taking them on a tour of the school and telling them stories about God’s work in various Navajo families.

Churches from Texas brought clothing and food.

We are also encouraged by answered prayer. Our Hilltop staff is ready to go for the first semester. Though we don’t have full time administration, we do have people to help and give advice. Mr. Tiger will continue as a consultant while he works to raise his support so he can be involved in WIM full-time again. Pastor Eugene (Bucks County, PA) is encouraging his people to pray faithfully for our ministries. Yes, finances are a part of it, but the main and more powerful resource is prayer to the Almighty God.

Join me in savoring these words written by a member of the group on a card of encouragement:

Welcome to Hilltop! We pray that God will give you the grace each day that will enable you to serve and teach and love well. Blessings to you as you serve.
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me,

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

 

Support: Western Indian Ministries, PO Box 9090, Window Rock, AZ 86515

Aug. 4

August 4

Dear Friends,

Ready or not, here they come.  Hilltop Christian School starts on August 12. We have almost got the teachers in place: a couple of veteran teachers came out of retirement to team-teach the 5^th-6^th until Christmas. So that is a praise for answered prayer!

Rainclouds over the school garden

Where do they come from? At least two families drive over an hour to school and three others drive a half hour. Most come from nearby communities.  Because the rural address system is not completely in place on the Rez, many families don’t have street addresses. They give directions by landmarks.

Here are some of the “physical addresses” written on the student applications. (Some parents drew maps that were detailed and beautifully illustrated.)

Follow the winding road past the police department, past the education building, and it is near the school.

1 ½ mile north of Springs Chapter House. Take the road between mile markers 84 and 85. It’s the beige trailer in front of the two houses with brown roofs and the hogan.

Playtime at Summer Care

Go southwest from the Chapter House. When the road turns west, there is still a mile to go to our trailer.

Across from the Conoco station, turn south and follow the road three blocks. Then turn east for one block. Then continue south for one block.

Go 5 miles north of the town. Turn left and follow the road around. Brown trailer.

Who is coming? So far we have 62 students enrolled a week before school starts, which is the highest number for many years.  44% have two married parents, 33% live with a single mom or day, and 23% live with unmarried couples or grandparents.

What type of religious backgrounds are represented?

65% claim a church (15% of the 65% are Catholic.) 30% claim no church, and 5% state that they follow the Navajo Traditional Religion.  Several noted two religious preferences such as Catholic/Traditional or Christian/Traditional.

Double rainbow over WIM

* Percentages are approximate.

We are so excited because almost all of our students from last year are returning, and they’ve recruited cousins to join in. Pray that Hilltop continues to be a Lighthouse for Jesus in the Community and the Navajo Nation.

Blog: everettnavajo.blogspot.com

Support: Western Indian Ministries: westernindian.org

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

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.