June 9, 2018

Students receive awards at the end of the year in scholarship
 and character.

One thing we like to do at the end of each school year is to have a Blessing Ceremony at which we bless and pray for each one of our students. We would like to share a couple of the individual blessings with you:

Pauly, God has given you much. You have family, friends, and most importantly a relationship with God.

May you be like Abraham, who trusted God. His faith wavered at times, but he did put his faith into action by embarking on a journey into the unknown. God was always with Abraham and God will always be with you in your life journey. Follow and trust Him.

I pray you will trust God fully with every aspect of your life. Follow God. He is able and He will do it.

May God enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Roy, your life has been filled with disappointments, struggles, and losses. Do not ever forget God has chosen you, and God has chosen these trials in your life to mold you into the man of God He wants you to be. This process, at times, will be painful and difficult. Remember God is with you every step of the way.

May you be like Jacobwho wrestled with God and left with a new name, a new destiny, and a great promise. May you see God work in your life and richly bless you with His presence.

I pray that as you wrestle with the details of your life, you will cling to God your Father, trust Him, and let Him refine your character. May you forever be completely secure in His love, compassion and mercy for you. May you see the world as God sees it and respond as God responds.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers… I always pray with joy… being confident of this: that He who began a good work in you, Elijah, will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Arlyssa, I see in you a great friendliness and a lot of energy. I think in the future you will have many friends and probably be fixing their hair for the prom.

May you be willing to be giving and loving and enable others to fulfill their own potential. --1 Timothy 6:18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

It has been great having you, LoRenzo, in class this year. You are the best participator. You tried to participate even when you weren’t feeling well. You are a quick learner and have a special aptitude in math. I think you will do well in school and have many friends.

God has endowed you with special talents. May you be surrounded with many opportunities to use those talents for good works.

Eph. 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

They're ready for second grade.


We’ve finally wrapped up this school year at Hilltop Christian. The school building will be full of teens from Youth Works this summer. They stay at Hilltop by night and work on various projects around the Navajo Nation during the day. https://youthworks.com/trips/navajo-nation/

As we travel this summer, we appreciate prayers for our meetings with churches and individuals and for safety.
We thank God for all of you,

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Students had fun skypeing with students in CA.

May 28

Treaty of 1868 - 150th Anniversary

Runners are greeted by supporters with snacks and water.

The Lord has filled up the month of May with opportunities to interact with Diné history. June 1, 2018, marks the 150th year since the signing of the Treaty of 1868,and many events have been organized in the days leading up to it to celebrate and commemorate the event.

The Navajo Nation President and Vice President have requested that the original treaty document be taken out of storage at the Smithsonian and brought back to Window Rock for the commemoration ceremonies. The document hasn’t been back this way since the year it was signed. It will be on display at the Navajo Nation Museum.

Runners can enjoy the NM scenery.

They have also asked church leaders to get their churches involved in praying for forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing. Many of the leaders they have called on to help are the same ones that have been networking at the Christian Summit meetings these last two years. 

One of the most monumental events is a RUN from Fort Sumner (also called Bosque Redondo --where thousands of Navajos were encamped/exiled for four years) to Window Rock — a run that is equivalent to more than three 100-mile Ultra-marathons (Google Maps suggests that this trip, just shy of 350 miles, would take 115 hours of walking!)

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Christian leaders from all over the Navajo Nation gathered to pray on May 13th, the night before the runners departed, and will meet again on May 31st, the day before they arrive back in Window Rock. 

Western Indian Ministries is hosting an all-day prayer service for the Navajo Nation on Thursday. This is sure to arouse some opposition from our enemy who prefers to keep nations and individuals in the grip of bitterness rather than promoting humility and confession and seeking forgiveness and peace.

Please ask the Lord to work powerfully at these events — both the prayer meeting coming up and the other events planned surrounding the return and display of the Treaty that gave the Navajos back their homeland. 

Photo by I.Torez taken at Monument Valley.

April 2018

Let me tell you about Nasmith. For the first quarter, he seemed immature and academically unready for his grade. He shouted out constantly and broke out loudly into video game songs randomly throughout the day. Though he passed most of the subjects, he was failing Bible because he had no background and because, according to his mom, he had no interest in learning about the Bible.  

The next few months, the parents made a real effort to help Nasmith with his math and reading, and those hours have paid off with higher grades. But most heart warming is the change in the music that flies out of his mouth. These days, it’s mostly songs from music class or Bible class that burst out. One of his favorites is “Hallelujah to the Lamb.” 

The parents, one “Christian” and one Traditional believer thought his Bible grade was worth working on too, so they asked for the list of Bible stories for each week and a children’s Bible. It’s been so encouraging to see his grades rising and his parents learning the Bible stories along with him.

The children asked for seconds on the smoothies served
by the Tiger Tots Program workers.

As kids do, sometimes they get the words of the Bible verses mixed up. When Nasmith was reciting John 3:16, he said, “For God so loved the world he gave his only forgotten Son…” We’re excited to see that although little Nasmith doesn’t have the words right, he and his family have softened to God’s Word and God’s love. Nasmith processes information by talking and asking questions, so these days he bursts out with a concoction of golden facts that he is trying to internalize such as: “Jesus loved us so much that he died on the cross for us” Or “They put Him in the grave, but he didn’t stay there.” God’s Son has not forgotten Nasmith and his family. 

We’ve only a few weeks left of the school year, and the busyness never ceases. 

Reuniting with friends from a previous school.

Spirit Week: each class made pompoms, hats, pennants,
and a cheer. 

and I had a wonderful time at the “Breathe” Retreat. It was designed for Native youth workers, and Ron Hutchcraft taught the main sessions. Actually Roger and I went along to help with the cooking, but since the kitchen is situated in the back of the meeting room, we listened in on the sessions and joined in the worship. Ron Hutchcraft has been in Native youth ministry for many years with the Warrior Leadership Summit and with the On Eagles’ Wings ministries. https://oneagleswings.com/wls

Thank you for your prayers and gifts. We ask for you to pray that we remain strong and energetic until the end of this school year.  We are also working on summer plans, but more about that later.

This is what I look like.

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January 28

We didn’t expect to be attending another funeral so soon, but last weekend we joined 200 others in bidding farewell to the father of one of our third graders.

RS was only 36 when he passed away from cancer. He graduated from 8^th grade from Hilltop Christian School, and his son attends here. Hilltop made a difference in RS's life, so much so that he insisted that his son attend here despite a 30 minute commute.  About a month ago as he was getting weaker, he asked John, the former principal of HCS and a friend, to do the eulogy. John shared stories with friends and family honoring the character and faith of RS as a young man.

RS was struggling with the disease two years ago when I had his son in first grade. He was taking treatments then and was doing his best to bless his son by participating in his activities such as coaching his little league team and holding his family together with his gentle leadership.

The family is a mixture of Christians and traditional Navajo. RS trusted only Jesus even though friends and family members insisted that he call in the Medicine Man. 

RS wanted John to give the Eulogy because he knew that John would present the gospel of Jesus clearly, which he did. The pastor also extended an invitation for people to receive Jesus, and eleven people raised their hands. We could hear their murmuring as they repeated the words of the pastor’s prayer leading them to confession of sin and acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Savior.

One of the songs Roland chose was 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman

Playing a walk-about (drum)

Bless the Lord oh my soul
Oh my soul, Worship His Holy name
Sing like never before, Oh my soul
I'll worship Your Holy name

Verse 3) And on that day When my strength is failing
The end draws near, And my time has come
Still my soul will Sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years And then forevermore

I can visualize RS there with Jesus singing like never before and worshipping God.

The service lasted two hours, followed by the viewing, the procession to the graveside and the graveside service. In typical Navajo fashion, speeches were extended and emotions were not hidden.

The children in the class wept together because of their friend’s loss and sadness.  They encouraged him that he would see his dad again. Pray especially for wisdom for the teacher as he works with this young man. We realize that each day we have with these children is a gift. We pray that we will make each day count for the Lord, drawing these children (and families) to a faith in Christ like RS displayed to his family and coworkers.

Please also pray for Western Indian Ministries. We’ve had a major plumbing issue in the main offices, and the leaders ask for wisdom and resources on how to proceed.

Snow on the Window Rock

January 2018

It seems that Dickens was right: the best of times can also be the worst of times.

Last week we were privileged to attend a sadly-joyful event: the memorial service of a precious saint. Larry Harper, father of Western Indian Ministries’ current director Chuck, passed away in December after six decades of service in and around the Navajo Nation.

We knew Larry as a gentle, hospitable person. Others told of his involvement in numerous capacities at WIM including Bible School teacher, pastor, mission director, and radio manager. It was under his direction that the mission established three Christian Radio stations.

Navajo Nation Vice President Jonathan Nez reminded us that because of Mr. Harper, we have Navajo pastors on the Rez shepherding the flock. Larry exuded hope, which encouraged his family, the community, and the Nation. Nez said the Navajo and the Hopi Nations are grateful for what Larry has done for the people.

Chuck Harper inserted a brief note that he’s heard Larry pray for the Navajo Nation leadership for 50 years, and V.P. Nez is an answer to that prayer.

The many testimonies of Larry’s integrity, ingenuity, thrift, gratitude, and hospitality touched our hearts, but I was most impressed by the choir composed of fifty+ Navajos who were blessed and changed by Larry’s fervor to talk about Jesus with everyone he met. They sang “No Dark Valley” and “Satisfied” in Navajo.

Hallelujah! I have found Him—Whom my soul so long has craved!

Jesus satisfies my longings; Thro’ His blood I now am saved. (chorus of Satisfied)

We want to honor Larry by faithfully continuing the service he began here and by exhibiting the character qualities he lived.  Larry’s last words were, “Thank you; you’re doing a good job.” And he has been greeted by Jesus with the same words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

On Friday tragedy struck a family from our church. Their house burnt to the ground. Thank the Lord they all escaped safely, but they have lost everything. Right now they are crammed into their mother’s home, but you can imagine their feelings of devastation and loss. In times like these, the Lord brings out the unity and love of the body of Christ. The church is helping as they are able. One of the missionaries here, Emily, has set up a “Go Fund Me” page:  https://www.gofundme.com/6g2t4-house-fire-relief where you can see the photos of the damage. Pray for the Christensen family: Mark, Antoinette, and their six children.

We pray you have a blessed New Year.

Photos:

*We had a great time at the Grand Canyon.

*Standing at the Code Talker’s Memorial by the Window Rock.

*We are blessed to have known Larry Harper, pioneer missionary on the Navajo Nation.

*The second grade loves the new curtains in their classroom.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 9090, Window Rock, AZ 86515

Donating:

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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/

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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