Our First Lessons on the Rez

January 30, 2011
Ya-et aa,

Greeting from the new missionaries at the Many Farms Church Parking Lot. 

So  here are the first lessons we have learned on the rez.

1)      Don’t believe anything anyone tells you before you get to the rez.  The culture shock is going to be enough without building up false hopes and false fears.  The rez is the rez and there is probably not another thing that you can say to describe it.  Just commit to why you are there and go in with your heart open and your eyes shut.

2)      Never expect only one family to be living in a Hogan.  Elder Parkinson is in continual trauma trying to remember who is who and how they are connected to live there.

3)      Marriage is seldom practiced.  There are many common law marriages and that does not qualify one for baptism.  Oh the sadness.

4)      Contrary to what we were told, there are grocery stores on the rez.  15 miles from us is a town (Chinle) with a nice grocery store (bit pricey) and a Burger King, Pizza Hut, A & W and a Subway.  The Holiday Inn has a really good restaurant too so we are in terrific shape.   It is all by a wonderful tourist site, Canyon De Chilly, so why don’t you all come see it and visit usJ.

5)      Do not disturb Mother Earth.  Mother Earth is one of the four Gifts from the Holy One and you should treasure Mother Earth.  Therefore, if particles of Mother Earth land in your home on your furniture leave her be—do not dust.  To make matters worse, it is a red dirt dust that sticks.  At first I tried to figure out how to sit, but now I just hold my breath and plop anywhere. 

6)      Address system—there are no addresses on the rez.  The post office does not deliver mail.  How about these:

5.5 mi E on Navajo Rt  12 fm RR store Trn Rt past windmill, Mobile home on Rt       or

N pst NHA, R at cattleguard, l. at fork, .25 M. LGT GRN HSE, GRN RF.  2 trees in front.

                Sister ********  speaks only Navajo and has dementia issue.

7)      Leadership.  Our poor dear Many Farms wards is basically being held by a very few dedicated souls.  There is a Bishop without counselors, RS President without counselors or teachers, Primary President and one counselor with no teachers or music and YW President with no help and no Young Men or Elders Quorum.  I pray they will have the energy to keep it up.  They work so hard.  I went to YM-YW the other night and the Bishop’s family and the Curley’s were there cleaning the church.  That was the activity for the week.

8)      Questions to start the day:

a.       How did you sleep (Mission bed not so goodL)?

b.      How is the weather?

c.       What color is the water today?

Our water color changes almost daily—needless to say we do not drink the water.

9)      The color of dirt.  When you look out, it is just beautiful.  The rock formations are amazing.  But if you look down, it is 100% red-brown dirt.  Grass and plants are hard to keep alive, so they have gone to good old dirt.  I wonder what Sister Goodliff would do down here?

10) The Lord does love me--we have a bathtub :>).

11)   We have posted a blog with some pix so if you are interested in checking in we are at :

http://parkinsonsatnavajonation.blogspot.com/

I am just learning how to do it, but I will try to post the updates and the pictures.  We sure would love to stay connected.  IF you are not into blogs, then here is our address and phone:

Elder/Sister Parkinson

P O Box 695

Many Farms, AZ 86538

928-781-6790

Oh, and one more thing—

12)   Gloria Andrus is amazing.  Thank you, a million thank you’s.  We so enjoy hearing from you!

The Church is true,

                                Stay Healthy,

                                                Love you all,

                                                                Elder and Sister Parkinson

The first pix is of our Youth Sunday School Class.  Second some of the darling children in Primary.  The third the most amazing ward mission leader on earth--Brother Draper.  The fourth is our District Leaders and the fifth our first District Conference.