Parkinson's at Navajo Nation: March 2012

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Best of the Rez Week 63

Best of the Rez Week 63 March 19^th to March 25^th

So how is everyone enjoying spring? We started the week at 18 degrees (8AM) when we took the girls home from Seminary Monday morning and had an actual blizzard part of Sunday and Monday. By the end of the week we had hit 86 degrees. To liven it up a little we also through in a lot of wind. The trees along the girl’s road also blossomed into green this week. They look up at this big old gangly tree and say, “So Pretty.” If they could only see Rexburg.

1) Monday was a bit calm. We have the elders in the morning and tried to get some exercise and housework finished. Then we headed to Rock Point to teach piano. That was pretty fun. Sister Davis invited us to stay for dinner. It was so nice. Then we headed home and taught 2 ladies a lesson on temple prep. I think it went very well. Then we got ready for seminary and headed to bed.

2) Tuesday seminary with Isaiah. We miss the stories and are struggling with all the metaphors. The RS birthday party is this week and we are hoping to us it as a rebounding opportunity to get people out again. We headed out and distributed 21 flyers to ward members. It was not such a wonderful day as many wouldn’t open the door to us and others said they were not interested in our church any more.
Then piano-WOW! Everyone came and didn’t want to leave. ARP was a no show and we just came home.

3) Seminary and flyers (we delivered 17). We came home to catch a quick nap before piano and the phone rang asking us to pick up Roxanna and Nizhoni for piano and literacy. EP looked at Roxanna’s book and just yelled out. I went running to see that she is on page 55. She wants a skill so bad and she has just worked so hard. When her mother got there we were telling her and she had no idea. She said she goes to her room and shuts the door. Well, she has been working on literacy. At home there would be a place for her, but the Rez has nothing—so she just sits home. Anyway, they had a great lesson and she wouldn’t even quit for piano.
Then the Mitchell’s came for piano and follow-up missionary lessons. Next came the Ahasteen’s and no one followed them. The YW had gone to Chinle to do genealogy and the YM didn’t show so there we were with 2. I taught them piano while EP talked to the mom. So many sad stories. All the sudden the Thomas’ s from last night showed up again because I had taught him to pedal and the keyboards do not have a pedal so he came back to practice again. They are so cute! It was almost 9 when we finished and I had not had supper. Talk about hungry.

4) Thursday is our day to go visiting teaching. Sister Tsosie and I headed out but all we found was one at home. Actually one is weird. We have gone to 3 homes and every one of them points to the other home and says she is staying there. We rushed home from that to make up an ARP lesson.
I got a call that some Friday people wanted to come today which is great for me. A family of 4 came and that was fun. Next was Sister Yoe—EP taught her temple prep while I taught Selena piano. Both went great.
Sister Yoe’s sister used to be active also and the missionaries have contacted that family. They wanted us all to go for a temple lesson and a blessing. Sister Samuel had 3 of her 4 daughters there with some of their children. Then Grandpa Yoe came—he used to be the branch president here at Many Farms. EP, the elders, and Grandpa Yoe stood in for the blessing. It was really amazing. (I was asked to give the opening prayer and my nose started to bleed right in the prayer and that was messy.)

5) Waffles and strawberry syrup! We tried to finish more of the drawing but we didn’t get far. The RS party is tonight and we have had some little furry visitors in the kitchen so I spent the entire day cleaning and washing all the dishes in the cupboards. Not so much fun. Piano started at 3 with Kelsey. The Begaye’s showed up rather late but I was so happy to see them I did not care. EP was helping to bake the rolls while I ran between 3 piano’s. We took them home and then back for the dinner. Wahoo! We had 15 show up. Oh my! So much for taking out over 60 flyers. We had invited (almost insisted) that Robert’s come over and they did show up. After the dinner they came over and we finished ‘Matilda’ and just had great fun together. They left and I took the longest bath of my mission.

6) Saturday was a garden meeting over in Chinle. We headed out early and I taught 4 piano lessons over there while EP attended the meeting. Then we bought a few groceries and headed home. No one showed up for piano over here till 4 when I taught a really fun lesson to Buzz.
Then we rushed back to Chinle, ate at Garcia’s and headed to the Young Women’s broadcast. Wonderful!!!!

7) Sunday- I had told a lady I would make her peach cobbler for her birthday and we would have it right after church. She has told us each time we go that she wants to come to church so her husband agreed. I fixed a big pot of chili and peach cobbler. At 9 AM there was no one at church. We waited about 10 minutes and we had enough to start. The congregation grew to 51 by the end. Primary had 4 and bless my heart, I was the only one there. One had excused herself, but the others were a mystery and I was not a happy camper. I was beat by the time I finished. The peach cobbler couple did not show so we came home and had a rest.
That afternoon we went out and made some appointments and tried some people but most were not around. We tried to show Dale Mitchell ‘The Testament’ but his brother was entertaining a girl …. so we decided against that. When we got home the elder’s wanted us to come to one of their lessons but it was a no show so we all just sat and talked. It was a better Sunday but not so much.
Oh – Darren Woody played ‘There is a Green Hill Far Away’ both hands. I am so impressed with him. When he started I knew there was no hope, but he has tried so hard. He is #3 with hymns learned and is working his heart out. I love him!

And one more week goes in the record books – except no great record was set. We endured another week on the Rez and had very few upsets, so all is well. We taught 5 seminary, 8 missionary/temple prep/ARP lessons, 30 piano lessons, distributed RS flyers, helped big-time with a ward RS dinner and attended a garden meeting and the YW broadcast. Can’t complain too much ;).

The Church is True,

May your winds blow the dust another way,

Always,

Elder and Sister Parkinson

A very proud Roxanna Tsosie on page 55.

Roxanna and her also very proud teacher, EP.

They were working on the word - fear - so

EP drew a fearsome bear on the board.

Roxanna thought it was hysterical.

Can you see it?

I was feeling bad I did not have many pix for this week--

then I got one in the email today which

reminded me I never posted this one from the MTC.

Elder Kaleb Nygaard (Texas), EP, SP,

and Elder Shane Peterson (Japan).
They both played tennis for us!

The Rexburg Rez Missionaries!

Elder Lott (formerly of 15th Ward,

SP, EP, Elder Orme, and Elder Munns.

The Rez will never be the same!

Picture taken during Christmas Zone Conference.

A pix with only Elder Brandon Orme.

I told Elder Munns he was my favorite because he

sent the picture so Elder Orme hurriedly sent his

picture also.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Best of the Rez Week 62

Best of the Rez Week 62 March 12^th to March 18^th

How about an early start to the blog this week? I am sitting in our warm little trailer watching the snow storm outside. I just finished cutting Elder Giles and EP’s hair; the elders are finished with the internet and on their way to a zone conference so I have a few minutes before Rock Point piano.

We will call this week a Ferris wheel ride. (I happen to know all the facts about the Ferris wheel being built for the 1892 World’s Fair in Chicago-but I doubt you want to know about that.) Anyway, last Sunday was about as low as you could go. The attendance plummeted and we couldn’t get in a home. This week was not so productive but we had a wonderful high just to come right back down.

1) Monday the kids were still here so we had a ball with them. Grandpa’s pancakes are always the winner and then we headed out to hike Canyon DeChelly. Everyone remembered their shoes and water and we all did just great. That afternoon everyone got cleaned up and played and we all headed to the church around 5:30. I kept trying to get someone to get EP over there and finally Kaiya walked in and said, “Grandpa—you are supposed to be to your birthday party at the church.” That finally worked. He walked in to the Curley family’s Navajo Taco delight. They had also baked him a huge cake. We all ate way too much and had lots of fun playing in the gym.

2) I probably should have mentioned it is spring break, so there is no seminary this week. We are sleeping in a bit but with a house full of darling little girls, that doesn’t work perfectly. Anyhow, we got up and had breakfast and then the Robert’s picked us up to go to Tuba City for a seminary meeting. They had told us not to go, but EP wouldn’t hear of it. The trip over was nice, the meeting was good, and then it seemed like forever home. One piano lesson showed up and stayed here for almost 2 hours. Brandii is a new student and she was just eating it up. I gave her almost a month’s lesson in one shot. Her word was that she was just mesmerized with the piano. ARP didn’t show so we went home to our lonely little house.

3) Finally, a sleep in day. We got up and went over to the church to exercise. EP takes his BB so I took my tennis racket and a ball and hit off the wall. I wondered if I was in heaven. I doubt I have any game left, but it felt good to try. Then we headed to Chinle to go through Margaret’s temple letter with her. She had made her dress and it was too big. She really laughed about that. We went out to eat at the Junction and someone there bought our dinner. A ward member was there and the man she was with was also a member from a different ward and he must have bought our dinner.
Isn’t our day going great? -- Elder Eging was having a birthday party and EP was to cook the steaks. I made a dump cake but I just barely made finished – all the sudden the ceiling started to spin and I went down. I spent about 2 hours with my face in the toilet—oh was I sick. I have no other memory of the night. I think that day would have to have been a Ferris wheel ride.
EP gave the cake to the elders and told them to eat what they wanted. Those 4 ate the whole thing in one sitting. I cannot believe it. I really chastised them for not saving EP even one serving. They just giggled.
EP also taught YM-YW about saving money for college and missions.

4) Thursday was a recovery day. I was so weak that I just snuggled on the couch with a blanket. By the evening I taught 3 piano lessons, EP did a temple prep lesson for Sister Yoe and we set a date with her. We love Sister Yoe! We also did one missionary discussion for our 2 little Nez children. That was completely exhausting and I came home to collapse.

5) Okay, the rest of the story. My sister reads my posts so perhaps I sugar coat them a bit. I think I do better with my headaches than normal, but I certainly have them. And for about 2 months I have been having nose bleeds about 4 times a day. They are getting more and more annoying and they are also starting to inhibit what I need to do. I wondered if they were causing me to get sick so we made an appointment in Farmington. (We cannot get any medical treatment here on the Rez) We headed out early and found the office. I had a horrid headache and he was more concerned over the headache than the nosebleeds and merely said that the nose was fine. We drove home and when I walked in the house, the nose started to bleed. JOY!
I had 3 piano lessons and then it was home to get ready for tomorrow.

6) At 6: 40 AM we pulled in to Gene’s driveway. They were ready to go. We headed to Chinle and picked up Margaret [Tsosie] and she was more than ready to go. We were on our way to Snowflake. We made it there early and bought all the clothing we needed. Then to the temple. It was very nice but her hearing aid didn’t work so I got her earphones and put them on English instead of Navajo. She didn’t mind but she had wanted to go to a Navajo session so I felt bad. Afterwards, she was calling her daughter in Virginia and all excited. She was very happy. We then went to eat at the Mexican restaurant and headed home. Very long trip home and boy, did we hit a sand storm around Chinle.
We got ready for Sunday and headed to bed.

7) Down comes the Ferris wheel. I woke up several times during the night with a nose bleed but when I sat up from bed it just poured. It took me an hour to get it stopped so I couldn’t really get ready for church.
At 9 AM there were about 5 of us but the congregation grew to about 35 by the end of meeting. It was a nice meeting with the family history missionaries from Chinle speaking so it was sad so few were there. My music did – okay – and the speakers really were impressed with them. We did not have 1 child for primary. So sad. I think it is the first time I have ever gone to the adult gospel doctrine class. Then RS was good and home.
Happy Birthday Gusser! We had a fun skype with him opening his present.
We did some planning but I really wasn’t up to going out. The speakers had talked about ‘17 Miracles’ and since it is our family also, we started to watch it. A lady from the ward that started piano and then quit brought her piano back. She sat down and we talked forever. We watched a temple video with her and she really enjoyed that.

And week 62 goes into the history book as well. It felt like one of the flattest weeks yet, with no seminary, only two lessons, hardly any piano with everyone on spring break and me being sick. But going to the temple with Sister Tsosie was a great joy in our life. She was happy there. She wants to go back. She wants to be there with her three daughters. The other local daughter has signed up for temple prep and I think Lisa in Virginia is on line also. Life is good.

The Church is True,

Lead, don’t follow,

We love you,

Elder and Sister Parkinson

Brooklyn and Torgie head to the Canyon.
(Braids by Gma)

Brooklyn, Gma, Sarah and Kaiya -

with Angella and Eric in the back.

An interesting tree in the Canyon.

Kaiya and Eric on the path.

What is Torgie doing?

We reached the bottom.

Buying jewelry at the bottom.

The happy group poses at the bottom near White House.

Gpa made it too.

Kaiya, Sarah and Torgie decide to join us.

The little cave is a must for a family picture.

Elder Parkinson with his birthday cake.

Kayla and Kelsey made it just for him!

The wind blown temple group.

Edward Gene, Darlene Gene, Sister Margaret Tsosie,

and the very happy missionary couple.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Best of the Rez Week 61

Best of the Rez Week 61 March 4^th to March 11^th

My life is in a bit of a Rez whirlwind right now, so I am really having trouble getting my blog updates finished. Sorry! But believe me, I am the one suffering. I think I am in the mood to catch anything in the air. More on that next week.

This week was a bit flat so get ready for cruise control. The most exciting thing was that EP was able to make it to another birthday.

1) Monday after Seminary Elder Shreeve left. That left the 3 musketeers on their own. After the internet, they decided to take an old car hood and head for the Many Farms window rock sand hill. It took us a while to find it with them, but we finally did. We didn’t get any pictures and we were in a hurry so we couldn’t play, but my goodness did they have fun. It was a wonderful warm day and they took full advantage.
Next up was Rock Point and piano. Then we stopped at Yazzie’s and Begay’s for a quick visit and then rushed home for a no show.

2) Can anyone say wind? Seminary was great and then we just watched the wind blow. Our trailer literally shook. The elders came over and their collars were literally lined with brown dirt. UGLY! Only one piano lesson showed up and I didn’t blame them. Then ARP came and that was the sum total of our day.

3) Seminary, some exercise, and piano – 3 out of 7 showed up. Tried a family again and failed again. I taught YW about time management in running a home and how to iron. We only had 3 there but since there were no YM we were the winners.

4) After seminary we went to Chinle to teach Margaret Tsosie. Her temple date is coming up so we called and made all the arrangements. Then we went out to eat just cuz. Our first piano/temple prep didn’t show but 4 of Friday’s came early and then our last 2 investigator’s came for their piano/missionary lesson. That was nice. We had to postpone their baptism date again—but I think it is going to happen.
We came over to the trailer and sat down to relax. Someone knocked and it was a man from Lukachukai that said he brought our book since we missed the meeting. EP told him the meeting was tomorrow. No—they changed it today because I couldn’t go tomorrow. EP was so mad! They changed the meeting during the day and sent out a new email—we didn’t check our email again. Oh well!

5) Friday was fun. We are drawing again in seminary and we started with our pancakes. All too soon we were driving them to school. After exercising we cleaned up and headed to Chinle – The Jensen’s from Indian Wells wanted to see other people and so they came and we went to dinner with them and Roberts. That was really fun. Home for piano with the Curley’s but Tivona didn’t show. We called and her brother and sister came and played ball with EP and did piano. EP was a bit tired and sore after 2 workouts.

6) HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ELDER PARKINSON! All four of the elders showed up ready for BB and when EP walked in they all sang to him—so low and so slow. Funny!
Saturday was slow as well. Only one piano lesson showed up—a new student that sat at the piano for 2 straight hours. He was loving it so it was fun.
I cleaned our full-of-sand trailer. Oh, the dirt just stinks. Eric and Angella were going to come for the birthday but Angella didn’t feel well so that is on hold. The Robert’s came over for a birthday dinner. That was nice. Then we watched some of ‘Matilda’ since he was a elementary principal and EP was a car salesman. After that the elder’s came for peach cobbler to celebrate the birthday boy. All the kids called but Katie waited till we were sound asleep. She was on her way home from Disneyland.
I had tried to buy him a Route 66 t-shirt but they only had them in small. I will find one in Gallup to celebrate his 66^th year.

7) Sunday -- day-light savings time begins along with spring break. Sacrament meeting started at about 4 minutes after 9 with the bishop, the HC speaker, 1 member and 6 missionaries. The bishop welcomed us and we all broke out laughing. By the end we were up to 30. By the end of the day we had gained 6 and lost 4. No RS leaders showed so I had the women come into primary and stretched out sharing time and forget singing time. How many times have we said how fragile this ward is? I hope this is not an omen of things to come.
That afternoon we drove around trying to help people get signed up for the gardens. No one would let us in. It was a MOST discouraging experience. EP asked if he needed a breath mint.
Finally some good news. Eric and Angella and the girls showed up. We had dinner and then just watched those girls play. So Cute! It was really fun to be with them.

And there you have the sum total of week 61. Other than our fun birthday I would have to say it was really flat but I fear even more for next week with spring break. Having Eric come really helped pick up our spirits. The elders are so fun and hard working as well so they helped us out a bunch also.

The Church is True,

Get Your Kicks on Route 66,

All our love,

Elder and Sister Parkinson

The actual suit in the fire picture.

Elder Giles gets ahold of our camera.
Elder Bankhead looks on.

Elder Shreeve's last goodbye.

We are headed to the gym by the way.

A rodeo ground in Rock Point that EP loves.

We drove out to the canyon on Thursday and EP

got this shot of a canyon tree.

Not such a good tree but a great shot.

The four elders sing 'Happy Birthday.'

Elder Eging needs the words; Elder Bankhead forgot

them too so he just smiled along.

And notice, Sister Openshaw, only one is barefoot,

but all 4 are dresssed alike.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Best of the Rez Week 60

Best of the Rez Week 60 February 27^th to March 4^th

It has already been mentioned that I have been completely under the weather this week: physically, mentally and especially emotionally. Oh the joys of getting old and wearing out - I guess.

1) Happy Birthday Luke. We cancelled seminary today and slept. The young elders came over for 3 hours to work on the computer and EP entertained them with stories while the other one would use the internet.
We went up to Rock Point and taught piano. We went Home Teaching to the Simpson’s and they were surely excited to have us there. Then we went to find a family and after a bit of a search we found them but no one was home.
We came back to Many Farms and I went right back to bed.

2) EP taught seminary while I watched. We are in Psalms now. Then a big morning nap. We taught Dale Mitchell literacy and then piano lessons were a bit crazy with everyone coming at the same time. EP played BB with some and then I had to teach piano while EP taught ARP. I had 3 new students today.

3) Seminary, and nap for me while EP goes to the church to walk and shot BB. I still did not feel well at all but EP wanted to go try some people. We got the mail and I got a box. EP had to open it right away hoping it would help cheer me up. IT DID! My darling Susan, a student from 1990-91, had decorated sugar cookies into thank-you’s that are so cute. What a talent she has but even more important was her timing. We then tried 7 families but no one was home.
Piano had everyone show up at the same time again including the young elders with interviews so the church was crazy for a few minutes. YM got a new president and he showed up for a minute with Bro. Logan so that was great. (The other counselor works about 2 hours away and stays there during the week.) YW did camp and had a full house.

4) Pay-day! Seminary and then listen to the wind blow. Oh my goodness do we get wind. Our microwave has a vent that rattles till I want to scream. I finally had the energy and time to blog this morning.
I had one piano at 4 that was really late and then her mother came for a temple prep. Then we had a baptism for 2 Francis’ boys. We tried them over a year ago and got hung up on after our first visit. Now they are all happy to be a part of the ward. Elder Openshaw did the baptizing this time. As always, he was right on. Afterward we rushed over to Begaye’s but they were not home so back to the church a minute and then home.

5) Yea – German pancakes with strawberry syrup. Then a bit of a slow day. We went and bought groceries before piano starts at 3. We also got the Wheeler’s back for piano and missionary lesson. Their date for baptism is the 17^th. Cute kids! Then Tivona showed up and as always was so very cute.
Today I also got another little pick me up in my rather ill week. One of the young elder’s mothers sent me a thank you note for my blog. (It is rather interesting how many people are reading the blog that I do not even know.) Young elders are probably the same all over the world and probably do not fill in a lot of details about their mission. It is fun that their families can look at the blog and get a little more flavor of what their son’s are going through on the Rez.
The minute the last piano ended we headed to Chinle to eat with the Roberts before the stake youth dance. The YM Stake President had asked me to do an hour workshop on dancing to start off the evening. I had so much fun at the last one that I was really excited. Well, he got released and the new guy knew nothing. The YW president wasn’t going to have a thing to do with me. The kids tried to get her to do some of my stuff and we finally got to do one number. It really wasn’t the best one to start with and didn’t go very well. After that we left very disappointed. I guess it is more fun for them to play horrid music so loud you get sick and watch the dance floor COMPLETELY empty for 2 hours.

6) Today was busy in a very good way. The young elders had a baptism at 8:00 AM and another at 10:00 AM. Deidrae Deswood was baptized first and then our little Begay brothers were next. We found the Begay’s during the Christmas holidays and taught them one lesson. They missed the next lesson and then I recognized the mother at church the next Sunday. We turned them over to the new set of young elders but since they were closer to people the other elders were teaching they took them. Both EP and I talked at their baptism. Afterwards the one had to have a piano lesson. Boy, did he ever catch on quickly.
Then Buzz Logan came for a piano lesson. Oh my, is she cute. She said she is going to play Sunday and I am praying for that one.
EP got the idea to do a big dinner for our new ward mission leader and the elders to get things going. Chubby (Bro. Gene), loves to cook ribs so we bought a couple of racks and did some chicken too. We cooked most of the afternoon and had quite a fun little party. His wife didn’t show which blew us away but then realized that she was with her mother buying the material to make her mother’s temple dress. I guess that is a good excuse.
After cleaning up we came home to watch Madison play BB – not so good and then listened to the first half of BYU. We were smart enough to turn that off and go to bed.
OH! We had another mission ceremony on the Rez. Elder Shreeve is leaving Monday so we had his suit burning Saturday night. We all got bundled up and headed out. We had a great time burning the suit, the stuffed dog and jumping over the fire. Crazy missionaries!

7) Sunday comes next. I was doing a new baptism board since we had 7 new people to add so I rushed over to get everything done only to realize I hadn’t printed off the pictures. Our attendance was down to about 66 but it was a really nice meeting. We had 5 people confirmed and a baby blessing. Then lots of testimonies—many thanking Elder Shreeve as he leaves his mission tomorrow. And Buzz played the closing song just almost perfect. She was so cute and so very proud of herself. I never thought it would happen. She is only 8 years old and was baptized in December.
Primary was slick with both teachers’ on task. We had fun in sharing time and music time and played a prophet memory game.
Home to left over’s which were just great. I tried a nap but the RS president called the minute I fell asleep and I woke up with a nose bleed. We got her taken care of, finished the missionary baptism board and went for visits. We found a few children at home but the adults must be off spending the pay-day money. We did get a good visit with the Teller’s. I wish we could get them out to church. Her oldest son is an alcoholic and she doesn’t dare leave her home for fear what he will steal from her. So sad.
Then we went over to a 2 year old birthday party. They do such huge things—and the saddest part is they really can’t afford them. Oh well, everyone was having a good time. Then home to collapse and try to get ready for another week of seminary and mission life in general. Hopefully, I will feel a bit better and have some energy again. Then again, naps are wonderful.

And there you have another week on the Rez. The news came in and we are keeping the 4 young elders for 6 more weeks. Elder Shreeve goes home and a new one comes in on Tuesday. I wonder what it would be like for senior couples to transfer.
I do hope all is well for all of you. Rexburg finally got some snow—we did too. March winds are coming for all of us, so hang on to your hats and get ready for March Madness.

The Church is True,

Sugar Cookies make life Sweeter!

Our love,

Elder and Sister Parkinson