Best of the Rez 66 ** 66 ** 66

Best of the Rez     66 ** 66 ** 66     April 9^th to April 15^th

66 ** 66 ** 66    What a week!  EP is now 66 years old and it was our 66^th week in the mission field.  To celebrate we went to Gallup, NM, and drove down Route 66.  We even stopped and bought a Route 66 T-shirt to mark the time in history.   Can’t beat that can you?

And true confessions.  I am somewhere between extreme joy and blushing embarrassment.  For the faithful followers, you know that I have been having a bit of health problems plus feeling a little frustrated over hitting a wall in our missionary work.  Paula Criman, the lady across the hall from me at BYU-Idaho, wrote and asked about my health and mood.  I kind-of unloaded on her, telling her about how frustrated I was.  Low and behold, here comes a wonderful care package.  She had others in the department write me ‘cheer-up’ letters, sent us tons of goodies, the book If Life Were Easy, It Wouldn’t Be Hard, and the cutest plaque in the whole world.  It says, “Courage isn’t always a lion’s roar.  It’s sometimes the heart at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’”  I absolutely love it and look at it every night before I go to bed.  Yes, I was embarrassed that I acted like a baby but I was so thrilled that people would care.  I am only going to say one thing in our defense.  A normal missionary comes in and works real hard, and may or may not get success.  Then they are transferred away to a new branch/ward and new people.  Their commitment to the area is only temporary.  As a senior couple we are stationed in one area for all 18 months; so we are stuck with things we cannot change, and are around long enough to watch things/people unravel where we had so much hope.  When you love them, it hurts.  President Jones told me if I loved them like the Savior loved them, then it wouldn’t hurt.  I am so sorry to say that I do not know how.
Also, this week I received some essential oils for my headache’s from Elder Openshaw’s mother.  Isn’t that the sweetest thing?  They must also fend off headaches because I haven’t had a headache in 6 days. 

1)      Monday was normal.  The missionaries came over after seminary and they didn’t finish till after12:30.  Then we got ourselves ready and headed to Rock Point to teach piano.  It was a fun lesson today as I finally think they are catching on.  They all told me Washane would be a problem so just let him do the best he could.  He was my top student today and boy, did he enjoy the fuss I made over him.  (I didn’t have any teachers today because they were all in the library making signs to protest the fact that Concordia Charter School system is pulling out because they cannot get along with the Lutheran minister that is at the school.  It is rather fun to watch the locals stand up for their beliefs.)
We headed straight back for our temple prep class and that went great.  They asked so many questions and seem very excited.
Then we went over to Wheeler’s and read The Book of Mormon with them.  That was also very good.  I hope it helps their little family.  We also had a good chat with Logan’s so we were happy with our day.

2)      Seminary, breakfast, out for a walk, and back again.  It was a beautiful day.  The main day was rather calm so we just stayed around here and prepared for seminary and all that.  Piano started at 4 and 3 of the 6 showed up.  One called later to tell me she was sick and could she come tomorrow.  The other 2 have me worried.  We have been calling and trying to find them but no luck.  ARP came and we had a good lesson there.  Then we went to teach our lesson.  Okay, now this is what I am talking about.  I am not going to list details, but there was an adult family fight that ended up with a 7 month along pregnant girl in the hospital.  Joy! 

3)      Seminary, breakfast and a walk up the Mesa.  We found a new trail that went straight up and boy did it ever.  Wonderful walk.  We took some nice pictures if you blog.  As we drove back in the yard the wind started to blow.  WOW did it ever blow.  It blew the eves right off the church.    It was too windy to do anything so we stayed in our comfy little trailer.  Today is the day I got my ‘care package.’  So sweet!  Brandii and Tessa came for lessons but the other 4 were no shows.  Our lesson for tonight was affiliated with the same family as the night before and the mother was now in the hospital so that did not pan out either.  We stayed and helped YW-YM where they played games and had pop-corn with white chocolate. 

4)      Seminary was a special treat today as EP got his birthday present – President Packer’s bird book.  It has an amazing DVD in it and we showed it for today’s lesson.  Then we were scheduled to go to Chinle for Margaret and fix lunch for the Tsosie’s.  Well, Margaret called and had a change in plan as she needed stuff hauled away from her Many Farms house.  EP got the young elders and headed over and did that.  Then Tsosie’s said they thought they were doing something with her sister so that was another no show.  (We cannot even get them to come for food.)  We went over and bought some groceries and headed home.  EP went to Round Rock with the young elders to give a blessing.  The Wheeler’s came for piano and missionary which was great fun.  Then we taught Selena and Sister Yoe which is always good for our hearts.  Next we went to Logan’s and gave them a Home Teaching lesson.  It was great and their family is really coming along.

5)      Friday we had waffles at seminary and sang ‘The Books of the Old Testament.’  EP played the piano and the girls were thrilled.  Then we jumped straight in the car and headed to Gallup for our ‘last’ seminary meeting.  For the spiritual thought we all did my Isaiah reading.  That was fun.  Brother Watts is also leaving so we gave him a card and a Christmas ornament Neil Ahasteen painted just for him.  It was great.  Then all of us went to Sizzler to eat.  That was really fun too.
Afterwards, we went shopping and found a ‘Nativity’ scene and EP’s T-shirt.  We looked around other stores as well and had a fun time.  Then we headed home.  We didn’t get in till about 8:30, unloaded our groceries and purchases and collapsed.

6)      Saturday—can anyone say COLD.  It was snowing and blowing something awful.  We had a garden meeting over at Chinle so I taught piano while EP was gardening.  This one went a little better.  They explained the irrigation system and handed out the seed.  Everything was indoors as the snow was just a blowing outside.  After the meeting we helped clean up a bit and then went to Vogel’s for lunch.  Now I am totally serious here.  This is the all time funniest woman I have ever met.  They come from Michigan where for a while they were in our Katie’s ward.  Anyway, we had a wonderful lunch and then the two of us had a party while the men went over and did some genealogy. 
When we got home we went to the church and hid candy (belated Easter Egg hunt) and set up a movie.  Tivona came for piano and the party.  We only had 5 families with 6 children show up.  Sad but we had fun.  We popped pop corn and showed the movie ‘Up’.  Then one more clean up and home to fix supper.  We were beat.

7)      Sunday started early.  Selena is playing all 4 songs today and I told her I would make her Chow Mein and peach cobbler.  I was up and chopping veggies and EP was doing the program and all that.  We had 61 at church so that was a little better.  The bishop was there with one child.  His family hasn’t been around much lately.  The minute Sacrament meeting was over you should have seen the exodus.  We did have 5 for primary so that was a little more fun—other than one counselor and the secretary didn’t stay and the president walked in and sat down and looked at me.  We actually did okay, but I was tired to start with so I was not at my best.  And the room was SO hot.  It just makes me sick.  Anyhow, we did pretty well and then I showed them a video about Christ and ran home to finish the rest of the meal since Sister Yoe was getting her stake president temple recommend interview at 1 in Chinle. 
Here is the good part—Selena, the one this dinner is all about, said she was tired so she went home with her ‘daddy’ after sacrament meeting and did not stay for the dinner.  I was told that if you would feed them they would come—not so with us.  Maybe our reputation for cooking preceded us.  We did feed the young elders as it is Elder Giles last day in the mission field.  He heads out tomorrow morning for his home at Tremonton, Utah. 

EP was really nervous about the interviews so he wanted to head to Chinle as well.  It was a very good thing as the Melchizedek Priesthood interviews did not have their paper work.  We had to go back to the bishop’s house to get them signed and head back to Chinle.  What a day!  Anyway, finally it was accomplished and we headed home.  I got a small nap and then we went out to make some visits.  We found one family home and had a nice chat.  Another family had the children home but the mother was out gambling.  We did find the Tsosie girls and mother home and had a great lesson with them. 
We came home and did our seminary lesson.  Then the elders came over for their final visits.  We had some laughs and pictures and our 10^th elder departs.  This is our second to die here (they leave the mission field) but he didn’t burn his suit. 

And there you have our extra-ordinary week 66 ** 66 ** 66.  We made it.  “Courage isn’t always a lion’s roar.  It’s sometimes the heart at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’”  I just hope I can sleep restfully until tomorrow comes.

The Church is True,

            It is the boring things that end up being the most fun.

                        Our love,

                                    Elder and Sister Parkinson

The view from the top of the Mesa looking east.

We are actually looking at the church and our trailer.

The view looking southeast.

The view looking southwest - towards Black Mountain.

The view looking mostly north.

We met a little friend on the trail that was enjoying

the sun too much to move aside for us.  He was

all to happy to pose as long as we didn't block his view.

A view of the windstorm.

This picture is pulling out of NHA Housing.

Our little seminary group. Clockwise from Brother Watts,

the Roberts, the McNeill's, Sister Larry,

EP, the Droddy's and the new supervisor, Brother Miller.

Brother Watts reading his good-bye card.

Brother Watts holding the Christmas ornament

we all had Brother Ahasteen make for him.

66 year old EP, in his Route 66 T-shirt,

with his Route 66 sign he bought on Route 66

during his 66th week of his mission.