Parkinson's at Navajo Nation: Best of the Rez Week 35

Best of the Rez Week 35 Sept 5^th to Sept 11

Oh my, I am late this week and will probably have forgotten all the good stuff. It was a pretty fun week but things have surely slowed down with school. The week started off really fun with family and ended on a wonderful high. We took our first family through the temple for their endowments and to be sealed. It was absolutely wonderful!!! I hope you all get a chance to look at the blog to see the darling pictures.

1) We wanted to take our family around to see the sights of the Rez. They came for breakfast where we almost had fried potato fights. We fixed a few garden fried potatoes for breakfast and they were such a hit we had to ration them out.
Then we went around the area to see the sights. We ended up at Rough Rock Trading Post where they little lady that works they even came out to take our picture. After that they all headed home. Oh the quiet! I do not enjoy it! They promised to return.

2) Tuesday was back to Seminary and then we went for a walk. We went out with the Elders to find people and see where everyone lived. We read a chapter with Brother Mitchell and talked with some of his family. We found one interested in ARP. We also met a really fun man—Billy Begay that was so fun to talk with.
Then we got stood up, taught piano and then had 2 young ladies show up for ARP. That was very interesting and rather sad. How does alcohol and drugs get them trapped so young? They can see the harm it does, but they still make the choice.

3) Seminary is always great and a bright spot of our day. Then we taught Wheeler’s their last lesson before going to the temple. We got all the plans set—now cross your fingers for everything to work right.
We had a no show for about the 10^th time and then my piano didn’t show for the first time since we started. I was sad but Selena always comes through. During Selena’s lesson Elder Parkinson walked in and said he had sinned. He pulled out his brand new Horner Harmonica. I guess it was a bit pricy. He plays the harmonica at least 3o minutes every night in bed. This new one should be fun.
Next was YM-YW but the bishop and his family (the YW president) didn’t show. We went in and read the board on what was planned and it said ‘Plan of Salvation.’ We got the side walk chalk and we made the hugest ‘Plan of Salvation’ you have ever seen. It was great!!!!
The Elders had some youth come for basketball and Elder Parkinson played with them for a while. He didn’t seem to enjoy it. That answer why soon came. He woke up in the night with a kidney stone in great pain. We had the Elders come over and administer to him and he did get some sleep. I thought I would be driving us to Farmington as they will not treat Beleganna’s (white’s) on the Rez. He made it through the night.

4) Thursday was Seminary and then Elder Parkinson went right back to bed. For a minute he said I would teach seminary alone, but then he realized I couldn’t handle that so he taught the Seminary lesson. There was no point in going back to bed – the Elder’s came to see how he was doing and then Sister Davis came. The phone was ringing and there was no time for rest. He got up and we headed to Chinle to teach Margaret. She was not feeling well, so I hope so got something out of it. We went out to eat with the Roberts at Garcia’s – so good.
We got stood up again – same family. Things were just feeling yucky (problems in the ward) and then we got a call from Sister Wheeler that she couldn’t make it to buy her temple clothes and could I drive her. We had district meeting so I really couldn’t. I was so upset. We found the Beehive Clothing number and called them and they said they would open early on Saturday so she could just buy them before the temple. WHAT A BLESSING! This just may work.
And of course, you are not going to stop him, so Elder Parkinson went to softball practice. It was fun.

5) We woke up to a raging monsoon with lightning and thunder and pouring rain. Our Plan of Salvation didn’t make it. Friday was French Toast for Seminary. Then we worked really hard getting ready for our Senior District meeting that was being held at Many Farms. Elder Parkinson did the church while I cooked. I made sweet and sour chicken and the others brought all the other dishes.
The dinner went really well with lots of good food. Then we had a meeting with Elder Richins. At 2:30 the Curley’s came and Kayla and Kelsey played the piano for them and talked about learning and playing for the ward. It was rather touching. Elder McNeill, our new zone leader, also spoke and was wonderful.
After that we cleaned up and then piano lessons. We had planned on going to the football game to watch Tyler Benally, but he hurt his hand and wasn’t playing. We delivered RS handouts about their work meeting (or whatever you call it).

As we kneeled down to say our prayers, I remembered we didn’t get The Wheeler’s family group sheet from the ward. The Bishop hadn’t shown up Wednesday and then we forgot. We jumped up and got dressed and went to work. We had to call the Bishop twice but we finally got what the ward had. Our early bed for early rise—did not happen.

6) We got up at 5 AM (actually I had been up all night with a headache) and were on our way before 6 AM. We took the wrong road once, but got turned around fairly quickly. We made it to the clothing store and they were all so excited. We were a little late but we made it to the temple and they just treated them so wonderfully. The little girls went with the sitters (and we were really praying for Zoe to behave). Sister Wheeler’s mother didn’t come but her father did. The session was very nice. The sealing was wonderful but when those two little girls came in the hearts just melted. Zoe had been an angel. The whole experience was one of the greatest days of my life.
Afterwards we went out on the grounds and took pictures with them all in their whites. Then we took them out for Mexican food. Again I wish you could see the pictures as Zoe lay on the table to eat. So cute.
Then home through a real hail and rain storm. We had planned to go to the Navajo Nation fair, but the Curley’s told us we would never make it anywhere and there were thousands of people there. So we just came home and enjoyed the memories.

7) Now Sunday’s are the hard days. Selena played all 4 songs and did quite well. Our attendance was still way low. Bishop Yellowhair and his wife spoke and were wonderful. Primary was fun.
We had an appointment after church with one of our investigators that was planning on getting married and baptized. Well, that didn’t quite happen as they got in a fight and we couldn’t find her. We set them up with a counseling appointment.
We headed out with our RS flyers and delivered 15 and had good chats along the way. We decided to try a new family that we had tried a couple of times before. Oh, what a wonderful visit. We really had a great time there. He is a less active member and his wife and 2 granddaughters (their parents were killed by a drunk driver) are not members. It was such a good visit. I really hope they will come to piano or softball or something.

And week 35 is over. It definitely had its high points – temple high -- and there were some problems as well. We are determined the problems won’t get the best of us, but overcoming is not always easy. Someone told us we would be in a struggling little ward somewhere in the boonies. So true – so true. I wish some people were not always right!

The Church is True,

Love and attend that temple so close by,

Our love and prayers,

Elder and Sister Parkinson