February 15

Dear Friends,

Sometimes I take those weird little quizzes on FaceBook, such as “What should your name really be?” (Victoria) or “Can we guess your occupation?” (doctor). Yesterday I took one on obscure measuring words. I got 2/10 and that was in the top 8%!

In honor of Presidents Day, here is a short quiz about the Navajo Nation Presidents (chairmen and presidents who have led the Navajo Nation.)

Four Questions to Test your Presidential trivia knowledge:

1. There have been two Bushes who have served as the U.S. Presidents. To distinguish them apart, George H.W. Bush is referred to as “41” while his son, George W. Bush, is referred to as 43 (indicating he was the 43^rd President.) If we did that with Russell Begaye (the current president), what number would we call him?

1. Answer: Russell Begaye would be “17” because he is the 17^th person to serve as a tribal president or chairman.

Kelsey Begaye

2. Which tribal leader spent part of his early adult life living on the streets of Los Angeles before deciding to turn his life around and enter tribal politics?

2. Answer: That would be Kelsey Begaye, whose early life would make him the least likely person ever to be elected to the top position in tribal government. After he left the U.S. Army in 1971, he was a 24 year-old man without a purpose. He later talked about those “wasted years” when he was homeless and spent all of his waking hours drinking and partying until one day in 1976 when he wandered into a revival meeting, found God and his life was turned around. Today, after serving as Speaker of the Navajo Nation Council and as Navajo Nation President, he still spends a lot of his time counseling others and singing in a gospel band.

3. It is well known that Peter MacDonald has served the longest of any tribal president or chairman (more than 14 years), but who served the shortest?

3. Answer. Thomas Atcitty served only four months as the tribal president. As Albert Hale’s vice-president, he took over when Hale stepped down to avoid prosecution by the tribal government. But Atcitty would also face charges that he took improper gifts, and he was removed, replaced by Milton Bluehouse.

4. Almost every tribal leader has been mentioned in one or more tribal Supreme Court cases, but only one has been honored to have his umbilical cord mentioned. Who was that?

4. Answer: After he lost the 1982 election to Peterson Zah, Peter MacDonald moved his family to Flagstaff where he was living four years later when he decided to run for office again. He came under fire because of a tribal code requirement that persons running for tribal chairman had to reside on the Navajo Reservation for three years. He fought back saying that his umbilical cord* was buried in Teec Nos Pos, and that apparently helped convince the Navajo Supreme Court to rule he could run in the tribal election.

To read the rest of the quiz see navajotimes.com (Tribal Leaders: How Much do You Know?)

The office of the President of the Navajo Nation was created in 1991 following restructuring of the national government into the three-branch system that exists today. Before that, the office was called Tribal Chairman, and Chee Dodge was the first Tribal Chairman, elected in 1923.  The Tribal government was originally established 1923 to help meet the increasing desires of American oil companies to lease Navajo land for exploration.

 The President is elected every four years and can only serve two terms of office.

President Begaye with VP Nez and Chuck Harper, director of
Western Indian Ministries.

On May 12, 2015 Russell Begaye (former NN council member and businessman) won the leadership after a contentious race that was dominated by a controversy over a rule that presidential candidates be fluent in Navajo.

The Navajo Nation is blessed to have Christians in both the President and Vice-President’s seats. We are praying for wisdom and strength for them. They ran on the platforms of encouraging economic development, wooing manufacturing plants, which would, in turn, entice other businesses, asserting control of mineral and water rights and ability to prosecute non-Indians for all crimes on the reservation. They also spread hope by encouraging programs to slay the ‘monsters’ of depression, suicide, obesity, poverty, greed, and apathy.

Thank you for your prayers and gifts that further our work with the Navajo children at Hilltop Christian School.

*After the child is born, the umbilical cord and afterbirth are returned to the earth in a special place around the home site to ensure that the child will nurtured by their spiritual mother for the rest of his or her life. That spot will always be sacred to that child – the place where the child will be psychologically oriented.

3rd through 5th Basketball Team

Coach Leon encourages the team.

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

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

January 31

Snow Day!!

The flakes stopped swirling, giving way to crisp air and bright sun. Every teacher joins us in rejoicing!

Dear Friends,

We had a tremendous time at the SRS (Support Raising Solutions) Seminar on Thursday and Friday. We met dozens of missionaries involved in many ministries-- both stateside and foreign-- who are seeing God’s hand moving powerfully in individuals, families, and cultures. We came home blessed and encouraged. Thank you for your prayers that this would be a good conference for us.

This is the third Sunday that our church, Community Bible Church in Tse Bonito, has worshipped in Hilltop’s cafeteria rather than in its own building.

In mid-January, water began seeping from one of the upstairs pipes. It eventually burst and flowed through the entire south side of the building, dampening walls and ceilings and inundating the carpet in the sanctuary. The stench warned of potential mold.

The church has been inspected for structural and mold problems, but the results are not in. In fact, the initial set of mold tests was “lost,” and has to be repeated. The Insurance company will not make any steps towards settling, thus hanging up progress towards replacements and repairs. Some problems remain invisible. Meanwhile, volunteers and professionals are cleaning out and dehumidifying the building.

The situation is sad, distressing, and overwhelming. We are praying that God continues to work all things together for the good of His people.

Our church situation is an indication of the Spiritual Warfare that assails God’s work on the Rez. In addition, Western Indian Ministries is lending its Lucero building to another area church that was ruined by arson a few months ago. Navajo Bible Church will have to totally rebuild.

The Lucero Building, where they worship now, normally provides the housing for the work teams that come to WIM in the spring and summer. Plan A was to have Navajo Bible meet at Community Bible Church for an afternoon service in the spring, but without a plan B, Navajo Bible could become a “homeless” church starting mid-March. Only our Father can see the answer to that situation right now.

Churches across the Reservations are plagued by physical problems. But even more troubling are some of the other concerns:

Pastors are discouraged because there are few workers.

People hear the Bible messages, but continue to do their own thing (such as participate in traditional ceremonies, use peyote, and disregard Jesus’s teachings.)

People see the church as a social occasion, enjoying the food and fellowship, but maintaining a shallow relationship with the Lord Jesus.

The children love the little wooden cars sent from a group in CA.

Churches are regularly vandalized.

We appreciate you and your prayers. We are strengthened to know that the impossible is possible with God (Luke 18:27).

More Snow

Love,

Roger and Sara

A Church on the Rez

January 2016

Dear Friends,

Learning about electricity

We were happy to spend part of our Christmas vacation with family in warm Austin, Texas.  Upon reaching the east side of Albuquerque (about three hours into the trip), we realized that the only maps we had in the car were California maps from our trip last June. We’re fairly old-school, but we tried to make-do with our nine-year old Garmin. (That means no current maps.) We managed to cut through Texas and arrive in Austin after two days on the road.  Fortunately, our son bought us a new Garmin as a Christmas gift, so we felt more secure driving back to Tse Bonito.

Preschool Christmas Program

We did have a nice Christmas with our family, but we learned it’s stressful to leave home without a map. How does the New Year look to you? Do you have a map? It is important for us to have a mission and goals on this life-trip.

Our mission continues to be teaching Navajo Children and making a difference in their lives by giving them hope in Christ. Our map is marked along the way, and we ask for your prayers as we teach the children and endeavor to reach their families for Christ.

This month, we will attend a Support Raising Solutions Workshop. Our goal is to raise enough support so that Hilltop Christian School does not have to pay us a salary, and it can use its funds for additional staff and basic necessities.  If you would like to contribute to the cost of the Support Raising Seminar, that would be very helpful. Just send it to WIM, noted for the Support Raising Seminar for us.

Family together at Christmas

We are excited and ready for the second semester. Our 5^th-6^th grade teacher, Mr. Mapes, has finally arrived. His spot was being held down by two lovely retired teachers who volunteered to teach until he was able to get here. Pray for him to get adjusted quickly.

Two students did not return after the holiday, and so I have only nine. When I had three absent last week, it made for a very intimate class. They are coming along; all but two are reading fluently. One of my chuckles this week was the answer I got on a safety test. The question was: What do you do if a strange dog is on the playground? The answer was: “Dobodret.” That’s correct! (Don’t bother it.)

Roger continues the challenge with his 3^rd-4^th graders. In contrast to my class, which is basically at the same level, his students range from bright to unmotivated; from compliant to very immature. His chuckle of the week was when the children arrived at 10:00 for a late start and their first question was, “When is morning recess?”  (Not.)

We are so blessed and encouraged by our supporters and hope to mark our map for California and Maryland and Iowa this summer.

 

Window Rock

Blog: everettnavajo.blogspot.com

Support: Western Indian Ministries

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

http://www.westernindian.org/donate2/

November 16

All through the night, all through the night,

The Savior has been watching over me.

He saves me so sweetly, so neatly and completely

And washes in His all-atoning blood.

My sins are forgiven, I’m on my way to Heaven,

Walking in the smile of God.

This week as we sang this song in Bible Class, I shared this story from the Navajo Times.

Dateline: Window Rock, October 29, 2015

Navajo Nation police reported finding two boys, ages three and four, who had been lost in the woods overnight.

Aza and Tony had been hauling wood and picking piñons with their grandparents and aunt and had wandered off at about 2 PM. Family members had hunted hours for them in the area before reporting them missing. Police began search operations around 7PM and continued throughout the night as the temperatures plunged to the low 40s. The boys were found by their aunt at 7 AM just about a mile from where they had been last seen. They were dehydrated and hungry, but otherwise in good shape.

And now – the rest of the story:

Aza and Tony, looking for something more interesting to do, wandered away from their grandparents and got lost in the woods.

The police came out in full force with expert trackers, vehicles, medical units, and a helicopter – searching through the night. They found some footprints and coyote prints, which caused much concern.

The children were frightened. They fought off “zombies” (coyotes) and hid from the aliens (helicopter) and the scary men with guns. They clung to each other for warmth and eventually fell asleep under a tree.

After the sun had risen, the family resumed their search. Auntie repeatedly yelled their names, and Aza and Tony crept out of the woods, crying. “We got scared so we hid under a tree,” they tell their auntie.

While getting checked for injuries Aza (4) looks up at one of the officers and asks her, “Do you know who Jesus is?”

Pointing towards the sky, he continues, “Jesus was here. He watched over us.”

Jesus loves the little children.  All the children of the world.

Thank you for joining in our mission to love the children to Jesus.

Blessings

 

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

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