Parkinson's at Navajo Nation: Best of the Rez Week 19

Best of the Rez Week 19 May 22^nd –May 29^th

Oh my – has this been an eventful week. I can’t even wait. Today, Sunday the 29^th, our church got canceled. I wouldn’t even believe Elder Parkinson when he said it, but on the second trip in the house, he grabbed the phone and started calling people. What would cause such an action – our steeple blew off. The winds did reach around 60 mph, but this even shocked the locals. People would drive by and watch it bobbing and hurry in to tell us like we had not noticed. We had noticed and one call to FM and they canceled church for us. It didn’t fall until about 2PM and then it just leaned over and lay down on the arch of the roof, like a long Snoopy dog. At first we were worried that it would fall through the roof, or blow into the road, but it dropped rather safely. Sister Curley got nervous and had us go move the piano. She suggested the organ also, but it was rather heavy.
Now that the event is over, here goes the mundane of the Rez:

1) Sunday night one visit fell through and the other was a temple prep lesson with the Wheeler’s. Well, it was almost a temple prep lesson. They were so excited; it was just a million questions and answers.

2) Monday – okay what do you say about Monday? Our cabin sold in Star Valley so we had to go to Gallup to notarize all the papers and get them sent off. It was rather an emotional day in a strange place.

3) Tuesday we had a mission tour meeting with Elder C. Scott Grow. That was very nice and helpful as well. Sister Grow is from Missoula, Montana so we had a great time talking of the old days. After the meeting we bought some groceries and headed home.

4) Wednesday started early with a blessing for one of our investigator’s daughter who was about to get her iron tested. The morning was mostly piano/garden. I teach the Curley children piano and Sister Curley cleans the church. That afternoon we taught the flora/fauna of AZ to our Tsosie girls for girl’s camp. That night we made Dutch Oven Cobbler for the Young Women and did they love that. Elder Parkinson also let them shoot his Air Rifle at a target and they loved that almost as much as the cobbler. You could call us magicians the way we made that cobbler disappear. Our lesson fell through but we showed them how to race walk instead. Oh and we had a wonderful call – our investigator called to tell us her daughter’s iron was perfect. The hospital asked which Medicine Man they went to and she told them the LDS Elders blessed her.

5) Thursday we picked up Sister Tsosie and headed out visiting. It was not as great a day, but we found a member that is getting harassed from his family for trying to be a church member (really a fence sitter). It was a really sad conversation. Our other people were not there so we fixed lunch and headed to district meeting where Elder Parkinson spoke about the Holy Ghost. Then we rushed home and had a wonderful lesson with our investigator that has accepted marriage and baptism. Our next lesson fell through and our last lesson was wonderful. We taught the entire Thomas family on the temple prep on moral cleanliness and paying tithing.

6) Friday was a yard/garden day. We planted some flowers around our house that probably all got killed with the wind and our horrible soil. Oh well, I can dream of having a pretty yard. Since we have limited water, I am saving all the dish water and bath water for the plants. Oh, do I feel like the pioneer.
We had the Elders over for dinner and that was so good. We made Dutch Oven potatoes and they disappeared as well. And Sister Mears, your son is a delight. He has wonderful manners and is so helpful. We get a kick out of him and his cowboy boots.
That night we had a good lesson with the Wheelers. Actually it was one of the choice experiences of our mission. They asked their cousin over and she sat and listened. Afterwards, Elder Parkinson asked her if she would be interested in hearing the discussions. She said that her boyfriend was a Mormon and that they were having trouble because they had lost a young son this last year. Elder Parkinson then read her Moroni 8 and bore testimony to where he was. She was just sobbing as well as Sister Wheeler. It was a very special experience.

7) Saturday was piano and wind. We didn’t have a visit scheduled so we took off looking for people again. It didn’t go as well in finding but we had a nice drive. That night we spent the whole time getting ready for church. A bit of a restful day just sitting in our little trailer listening to the wind.

8) And Sunday you basically heard. We tried to call all the people but phones on the Rez are not friendly. At the end of the month most people are out of minutes. If we did get through, they would say—oh, I am all ready. Sister Davis and her mother drove down from Rock Point, so we had a little sacrament here in the trailer. For those of you who cannot do the blog and see the pictures, I will never be able to explain. I am staring at a Q-tip that is completely reddish-brown after one try in Brad’s ears. The wind is something I could have never imagined and that is saying a lot coming from Rexburg.

At any rate, we made it through another week. Our dream would be to have this place established to the point that missionaries were no longer needed. I am not sure that day is coming soon, so hopefully some of you out there will join us soon and we can have even more fun serving on the Rez.

The Church is True,

The cabin is gone but we now have a hummingbird here,

Keep the Commandments,

Elder and Sister Parkinson