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.