The warm high desert sun refreshed us on Mission Navajo today. We (Rod and I) got up with Steve and Colette Wall, and drove north from Ft. Defiance at sunrise, leaving the church where we are staying at 6:15 a.m. Yep, kinda crazy. But the dramatic, high red cliffs backed up against the rising sun made me remember Who led us here, and made me wonder if I'll ever grasp how huge my God is. As a side note, we did have to watch for cars to make sure Steve and Rod would not get hit whenever they got out to take pictures. Fear not, all is well.
After a passionate group prayer, the whole team gathered at Window Rock for a group picture taken by Pastor Will of the CRC church. Try getting about 30 people to look at the camera and smile at the same time. But he got a good one!
The team broke up into three teams, and one worked at a church several miles away, on land next to that of Janelle's family. They painted a picket fence, and worked on their computer.
A second team was right on Janelle's family's land, blessing her uncle by cleaning an area around an old church there. Janelle and her family hope to restore this old, white stucco church building - and I for one am curious and hopeful to watch this project over time. (it's pretty safe to say we are all curious.) The restoration is a great idea, and great stewardship to bring this intriguing, cute building back into use.
A third team went to St. Michael's Special Education Association - really a school campus for special education kids on the reservation. It includes several group homes, which happen to be traditional hogans, classrooms, social, nursing and physical therapy services, and a bunch of great people.
The school lost a longtime student right before we came here, and his funeral service was today. Hearing a staff person there talk of this child moved us to tears, even though we had not met him. She spoke of how he would touch his hands to his lips and make kissing sounds. Sherilyn Rittgers and I were not the only ones to cry. We helped the staff clean up after the service, handed out Global Cafe coffee with introduction labels for the nearby CRC church, and shared hugs with some sweet students there.
The youth and children on the trip have worked so hard, bonded with each other and touched lives around them. We are all proud of them. A trip to McDonald's tonight for ice cream was a nice break! After that, we got to hear tonight from a friend of Janelle's, Ramon, who travels around the reservation, attending powwows, and speaking of Jesus Christ as the Greatest Warrior. So true, and perfect way to say it to his Dine` brothers and sisters, isn't it?
I am praising God for this opportunity to serve Him, see people and help them in any way. Thankfully, I will not be leaving the Navajo Reservation exactly the same way I came. Blessings in Christ and love to all of you. - Helene Bergren
Quick hello from Janelle Allen, Mission Navajo Team Leader - Today, I looked at sunburned faces, hard workers, and light givers. It's been a blessing.
No comments:
Post a Comment