Best if the Rez Week 6

Best of the Rez Week 6

Okay, last week someone accused me of getting longer in my epistles.  It was a big week, so I probably did get a little too involved.  However—anytime that you have a big week the next week is usually going to fall flat, so I assume this will shorten a little.  At any rate, I love staying in contact and love hearing notes back.  Thanks for your encouragement, and hopefully your prayers.  We need both!

1)      1^st baby and cradle board.  One of the recent converts (and that is a story I would love to tell) had a baby last Sunday.  We visit both she and her mother-in-law (who is mostly deaf) every Wednesday at 1 and take them to the church where we can teach them using the mike.  We knew she had the baby and so when we got there we asked if it was okay to see the baby.  Sure she said and invited us in.  Indian cants are going on in the background.  We see the baby which you are going to agree is really cute all strapped into what they call a cradle board.  They will continue to sleep in the cradle board until around 18 months.  Maybe that is why once they can move around, they hate to sit still. 

2)      1^st Ceremony:  As we were walking out we notice—humm—how do I saw this as a missionary? We see a woman sitting in her upper underwear only and the husband of the house is chanting.  Once outside, we asked what was happening and the lady said, “A ceremony.”  She then explained that her husband is a medicine man.  Oh My!

3)      Our seminary student was ill so we are waiting a week to start that—but we went over to Chinle with the Rogers (wonderful couple) and participated in a Doctrine and Covenants Marathon.  They had divided the D & C into 99 parts of about 3 pages each.  We each would draw one, read the pages, mark it off and start again.  There were about nine boys and the two couples and we finished in about 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Then we made pizzas.  It was great fun.

4)      First Real Hogan:  On the way back from Chinle, we stopped to find a recent convert that has stopped coming.  We passed the wife and she told us to go on in and see her husband.  When we got there the husband wasn’t there (at least we were told) but his brother was and wanted us to come visit them.  We drove him back to his Hogan.  This is an original Hogan with no electricity or running water.  His parents don’t speak a word of English but was she ever happy to have us there.  She was baking a cake to put into a wood burning stove.  I asked (though the son) how she knew if the fire was hot enough or too hot.  She said that you look at the temperature gauge.  DAAAA  She also had a large plastic bowl with the wash in soaking in hot sudsy water.  She was a very pretty woman—all dolled up and the sweetest smile.  She showed me every picture of Christ that she had in her home.  She asked us to prayer for them.  We did.  They wanted us back on Thursday night.  We went but no one let us in and we could not hear any noise.  Oh well.  And no pictures.  I will try to go back some afternoon.

5)      Two more of my students played in Sacrament meeting.  The counselor conducting really made a fuss over them.  That was especially sweet since his wife had told me the piano lessons were a waste of time because I couldn’t produce any musicians in 18 months and she would much rather me do a ward choir.  She definitely hasn’t heard me sing.

6)      Speaking of music, another angel sent me piano books.  And she sent the exact book my one student has been begging for—Fur Elise.  He is so happy.  The others in the book are great as well.  And I needed the other books to give family members a variety in what they are learning when one is so far ahead of the other.  Thanks so much.  Love you and your note.

7)      If you are not aware, the Navajo Nation does not allow alcohol to be sold on the Rez.  That helps the alcohol problem I am sure, but it is so sad that people still find a way.  Bootleggers will sneak it in and charge 3 times the amount.  But they have also developed a new system—ocean boys.  Ocean boys are those that take a can of hair spray and spray it into a bottle of water and drink it to get their high.  They say it makes everything all wavy and they must walk off balance to get that name.   I haven’t seen many around here but they sure talk about them a lot.

8)      First Steamed Corn Stew:  One of our members is trying to earn extra money to go to their son’s high school graduation.  Why does he need money?—because his son is going to school in New Hampshire.  Anyway, they made a little cook shack and are selling food every weekend.  We stopped for a Navajo Taco but got steamed corn stew and a Navajo burger.  They were almost out of steamed corn stew but gave us a little.  You take Indian corn still in the husk and put it on hot coals.  Then you build a brick wall around it and a mud topper.  When it is almost enclosed, you pour in a bucket of water, seal up the opening and leave it for a day.  Then you husk it, cut if off the cob and cook it up with some chopped mutton.  They gave us some without salt—yuck—but with a little salt, I could take it.  The Navajo Burger is a hamburger in fry bread instead of a bun.  It was very good.  No pictures this week but will have some for you next week.

9)      Elder Parkinson completed the Wii advanced bird eye course.  The other night I heard the craziest sound ever and ran to see what was happening.  Elder Parkinson was on the Wii fit board flying like a bird.  It was hysterical.  You fly from dock to dock.  Well, he got really good at it and unlocked the advance course.  We got stood up the other night and he came home in a bad mood and decided to try to do the advanced course.  He was out here flapping and groaning and sweating up a storm.  He never did make it that night and the next day could hardly get his shirt on, his arms hurt so badly.  That day (with an audience) he made it on the blimp and won.  He is so proud of his flying skills.

The Church is True,

                Eat 5 a day the color way and try flying for the upper body,

                                Love you all (and miss you too),

                                                Elder and Sister Parkinson

Samantha Blake and her baby boy

Big picture of the cradle board and new baby

Kaylana Brown and her cousin at Auntie's wedding

I forgot this picture last time.

This is the dust storm that I was experiencing the day of the wedding and baptism.
I borrowed the picture from the Elders.