Best of the Rez Week 5

Best of the Rez Week 5

As I write the wind and the rain are beating at our little trailer house walls and it feels so wonderful to be warm and dry.  I will never complain about Rexburg wind again.  When this dirt and sand blow at 20 to 30 miles an hour, it is more than frightening and one soon understands why there is so much dust inside and out. 
I wish I had a statement that could describe this week—but words can do it no justice.  We have had our wonderful highs as we watched a mission miracle occur, but at the same time we are certainly confused, unsettled and overwhelmed with the tasks that lay ahead.

1) Mission Miracle: Jimmie Tsosie and Rita Price were married at 10:30ish on Saturday, February 19^th.  The wedding was actually at 10 and the groom was standing there about to pass out from nerves, but no bride was in sight.  She showed up a bit late because they had baked the cake that morning and it wasn’t done.  Then we lost the Bishop.  He also had a case of nerves and needed a moment to pull himself together.  Finally, it happened and it was a joy. 
Okay, now for the miracle.  Friday, Elder Parkinson and the young elders went over to get the baptismal font ready.  NIGHTMARE!!! They put some water in to clean it out a bit and then pulled the drain and -- well do I need to explain?  Yep the sewer came up the baptismal drain.  They tried everything and called for help.  The help came but couldn’t get a thing to work.  We called to see if there was a chance of moving the baptism to Chinle (15 miles away).  They would have some big rearranging, but they thought it could work.  Let them know by 9 AM the next day.  Then we were told another plumber was coming at 7 AM and would have ours working by 9 AM.  The plumber showed up at 7 and he and Elder Parkinson worked themselves silly but it was not going to happen.  We called Chinle and you wouldn’t believe it but their entire water main had busted and they had water running everywhere in the parking lot but not a drop inside the church.  Then our plumber figured out what was wrong and started to fix the problem.  He got ours done!!! It takes 3 hours to fill the font and we only had about 2 but fill we did.  Then we walked back into see how it was coming.  The water was absolutely brown.  We checked it and it smelled fine and was basically fresh water but was coming out of the pipe brown.  Oh well, it would look the same in the river.  So while we think it was a miracle that the baptismal font was fixed, we were sad that it looked so disgusting to all the family and friends that we were hoping to impress.  When Jimmie saw it, he jumped back to but Elder Parkinson went in first and explained that when we used a lot of water –the water would turn brown, but that it was okay.  Second part of miracle, he followed Elder Parkinson and in about 2/3^rd of the water needed was able to be baptized.
Third part of the miracle—the big dinner afterwards.  This little lady nearly died when I was told I was on my own for baptisms with all the food and set-up, but several wards members helped out and the family brought tons of food, so all was well.  So in the end it was a huge day with tons of emotions on all ranges of the spectrum, and more work than I could have ever imagined, but it was a huge success.

2) A Senior Couple Package!  So far we have had two packages.  Ty and Gus sent us a picture along with the pictures of when we were set apart.  They are posted on our fridge.  This week we got a Valentine package from an angel in Rexburg that sent us over20 piano books and FLORENCE’s CHOCOLATES.  We were absolutely in heaven. 

3) How close are we to Winslow, AZ?  We got a call Friday morning asking how close we were to Winslow.  Bishop and Doris Erickson were in Winslow (with his brother and wife) on their way over to see us.  What a joy.  Doris was rather ill on Friday, but they stayed in Chinle, and by Saturday she was better.  It was so fun to have seen them.  They didn’t stay but a minute but it was a great joy to be with friends.  Oh, this is cute.  After our hello’s, he said that after I had baked all those pies for an apostle, you would think I would get sent to a prettier place than this.  The poor rez--it is beautiful if you just look out and about but not down.  Or just look at the people –they are wonderful. 

4) Elder Parkinson also spoke at his first Navajo funeral.  It was really sad because Sister Benally had told us a lady was expecting us to come.  When we asked for directions they gave them to us over 10 miles off.  Well, we found the lady almost 2 weeks later and the day after her uncle had died.  If we could have made it in the beginning we would have probably heard that her parents and uncle were members and could have met them.  However the funeral went well --after starting 55 minutes late.  Don’t say Navajo time, I had one in my family that started just as late.

5) Modified Responsibilities:  The other day I actually got out our call and looked at it again.  It said that our responsibilities would be modified as needed.  We are getting an understanding of what that means and are working hard to get a handle on how to organize our lives to accomplish even a part of our duties.  Our number one duty is to refind, reteach and retrain.  We are missing about 350 people and are working very hard to make contact with them.  Some are very happy to see us, but the 2 main reasons for not attending church are no transportation and too busy.  As we search we also find investigators and when it seems better for a senior couple to teach we teach the discussions (right now we are teaching 3 young girls in one family, a young boy in another family, a wife in a part member family, and another wife in another part member family, and 2 other non-member families.)  We also fill in church assignments as needed.  Right now we are the Youth Sunday School class teachers and I do the singing in Primary (1 hour straight).  We are also the home teachers/visiting teachers for the ward, along with a few other are trying to help us out there.  There is also a keyboard program where we are to teach piano lessons and help prepare them in that way for church service.  I now have 14 piano students.  The Zone Leader is calling for “activities,” and we are playing basketball on Saturday and sometimes on Wednesday evenings.  We also show a movie once a month for FHE.  In the warmer weather we will be doing a softball team.  They have also asked us to GPS every member, active or less active.  We spend a lot of time driving around trying to find people and then mark the spot with GPS.  So, in case we had a second to ourselves, they have now asked us to be the early morning seminary teachers for this ward.   I am going on faith on this one, that the Lord will help us accomplish all that we can and maintain our health.  It is wonderful that senior couples can take naps.

6) For a side light bit of news, I must explain our egg.  When I was moving in I found this crazy looking egg.  I read the directions and it said that it was a microwave egg cooker.  You can put up to 4 eggs in a time and a little water in the bottom, and TA-DA – medium boiled eggs.   We love it.

7) Okay, I have been too serious today, so I must tell a funny story.   There is a dear little lady in another area that was getting too crippled to make it to her out house.  So the Navajo Nation said they would build her a bathroom.  They came and laid down a cement pad, put a toilet, bathtub and sink on it, built the 4 walls around it and left.  They never put in a septic tank or even cut a hole in the cement under the toilet.  She uses it for a storage room. 

8) Finding Joy in the Work.  After the marriage, baptism and dinner yesterday with all the ups and downs that went with it, I was almost exhausted as I walked back home.  Elder Parkinson asked if I had seen who had been talking with him.  I had not.  It was the bride’s son, who had called Elder Parkinson over twice to tell him that they wanted the lessons for his wife so she could get baptized also.  I had no idea that words could bring such joy.  I still collapsed, but the dreams were sweeter than you could ever imagine.

The Church is True,

                Eat well, Exercise, and Serve Valiantly,

                                With much love,

                                                Elder/Sister Parkinson

The happy couple serving the wedding cake!

Jimmie Tsosie and his baptism picture.

Egg Cooker with lid on.

Egg Cooker showing the eggs inside.  And yummy cookies at the side.

A windy day at Canyon De Chilly.  Valentines Day!

Elder Parkinson at my pagent arena.

A bigger view of the arena.  It is truly amazing.

Just another AMAZING rock formation.  We are surrounded!

This on has an opening.  We didn't have time to hike up there

but that will happen before we return.

Elder Parkinson, Bishop Erickson and his brother, Kay from Star Valley, WY.

A Valentine Box (from and angel). 

You may notice most of the chocolate is gone.

Elder Parkinson gave in and paid $5 for this bread. 

We tried to serve it to a friend and they said

it was too expensive for their taste.

Our dear Sister Tsosie (not related to the groom).

This little darling walked infront of the bride throwing out rose petals.