Parkinson's at Navajo Nation: Best of the Rez Week 8

Best of the Rez Week 8

Going on a mission is just like anything else—you do it because it is the right thing to do. And if you are thinking that because you are doing something good—everything is going to come up roses and all your troubles are over—your mission may be a very hard learning experience. I told the Bishop I was going because I needed some better fire insurance—I needed good things in my life. I wonder if this first 2 months as been a lesson for me. Oh sure, wonderful things are happening and I think all of my family and friends are blessed, but that doesn’t mean life hasn’t had some VERY hard things to handle and I am so far away to be there for so many. I just want you all to know that we pray for you daily in good and in bad times.

1) I am sure we are settling a little, but life does seem to be going into a doable routine. We get up and teach Seminary at 7 AM and then study and prepare. Then we meet with the Elders and plan the day. Next we exercise and get cleaned up. Lunch and either a nap or piano lessons and then we are on our way. This week we drove south and west and up. It was pretty. At our first stop no one was home but a rooster took off after Elder Parkinson. When he turned on it—it just started pecking and acting like he wasn’t even there. It was so funny. I wish the picture could show how long those spurs were on its legs.

2) Piano lessons are from 4 to 6 Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. Wednesday I teach in the morning and then from 4 to 9ish. Saturday I teach from 10 to 1. Most are doing amazingly well.

3) We teach every night and many afternoons as well. We found about 5 new families this week. It is getting almost impossible to fit everyone in. We gave some to the Elders, but they can’t seem to connect with them so I think we will take them back.

4) One thing we should start is to do a percentage on how many appointments are kept and how many times we get stood up. We are not even going to try on the first week of the month again when they get paid. No one is home that week.

5) The big event of this week was Elder Parkinson’s birthday. We tried to have a party with the Chinle Senior Missionaries but 2 out of 3 were busy. Oh well, we went out to eat with Elder/Sister Rogers. We went to Garcia’s and loved it. I told the waitress it was Elder’s birthday and she asked for his name. She brought him out a big piece of cake and asked if I wanted him sung to. “Of course,” I say. I thought she meant the waitresses but the entire restaurant was asked to sing to Brad on his birthday. He is still so happy to have me around. Good cake though.

6) After we had dinner we rushed home to a teaching appointment. It was a second lesson for the three Tsosie girls. When we got there they were still eating so we waited a few minutes and turned down Schwan Pizza about 20 times. (We were full.) Soon they were ready and their older brother was there also. Elder Parkinson had me start the lesson with “I am a Child of God.” I signed it as I said the words. Later in the lesson the son was talking about music and I mentioned that Elder Parkinson is a better singer and he could have sung “I am a Child of God” where I could only sign it. The son then asked Brad to sing it. I will never in my life get over the fact that Elder Parkinson without another prompting just started singing and sang the whole song. They were all impressed (especially me). They all 4 said they wanted to be baptized. Then one of the girls was asked to pray and the son said he wanted to pray. In the prayer is asked for Mr. Per-kan-sin to have a ‘happy birthday.’ What a sweet experience!

7) There are a lot of things the Rez does without so I was totally amazed the other day when Elder Parkinson yelled that he had found our first rest stop. I sat up to see a toilet sitting on the side of the road. What a great picture.

8) We took Sister Tsosie to lunch and then went over to try genealogy. What a fun day. The waiter that gave us water was from our ward but hasn’t been there since we came. He said he would come Sunday—he didn’t. Our main waitress had worked for Sister Tsosie in BIA. Then a nicely dressed man came and asked where we were serving. He is from a branch down by Window Rock. We had a fun chat. When we introduced him to Sister Tsosie she started speaking Navajo and we soon learned that this man had gone to the school where Sister Tsosie used to work. The man had run for Navajo Nation Vice President. We had a fun chat. As we were leaving I mentioned to the woman next to us with a large pistol on her belt that we sure felt safe with her there. She laughed and said my black badge was all the help I needed. She was a member from Mexican Hat and was on her way to see Officer Curley from our ward. What a fun lunch.

9) Saturday was another AMAZING day. We went to Chinle for the first garden meeting. They have called another 6 senior couples to be garden missionaries. Then, whoever signs up, comes to these meetings. NOW GET THIS -- Every ward is given a trailer and a roto-tiller. Every family gets 120 feet of fencing with the post and brackets, 6 bags of sawdust, and 2 bags of fertilizer. Then they teach you how to till and get it ready. Next meeting we learn and get more. These missionaries are running around the parking lot carrying fencing and bags like teenagers. I asked the one lady how it was going and she said, “When I go to bed at night, I am tired and that is how it is supposed to be. My husband has only been a member 10 years, but he has figured out that if we serve for 8 months and go home and come back for the next three years—we can serve a 2 year mission in three years.” They were just as happy as they could be. Oh do I pray for a success with this program. I do realize it is winter, but it would be so wonderful to see anything grow in what use to be ‘Many Farms.’

10) Elder Parkinson’s birthday was fun—but we were invited to Cyan Zoe Wheeler’s first birthday party. OH MY GOODNESS! What an event. We thought we were going for cake and ice cream but NO WAY. They had hot dogs, hamburgers, BBQ chicken, BBQ ribs and various steaks. There must have been 20 huge salads with all the extra’s, including lots of peppers. And then Navajo tortillas. They are huge and actually fry bread that is just cooked without the grease—really good if you add salt. There were so many people there and when Sister Tsosie’s sisters heard that I wanted to herd sheep the talk was on. I am not sure who is going to get the last laugh at of all this.

And that about does it—another week comes to an end. We are still very unsettled as Elder Parkinson met with the Stake President this morning and they are trying to decide what to do with us. I am sure we will know soon and hope that from here on we will be a little more settled and productive. We actually got a nice compliment from Brother Curley (the old Bishop) the other day. He said it was obvious that we loved the people of Lehi and that we had hit the ground running. That sounded nice.

The Church is True,

Commitment is essential,

Love and Pray for you always,

Elder/Sister Parkinson