Parkinson's at Navajo Nation: Best of the Rez Week 21

Best of the Rez Week 21 June 5^th to June 12^th

It seems to me that we have really slowed down and yet we seem as tired as ever. There are those days that you just cannot get control of and then those days that seem to drag on from one disappointment to the next. So here goes another attempt at having you enjoy the ride for Navajo Nation.

1) Sunday night we did a lot of running around trying to find people that were supposed to be at church but hadn’t shown. We then met a new family that had two boys that want to be baptized. It was a good visit but the mother’s brothers are into alcohol and hairspray and she certainly had some sad stories.

2) Monday was a complete washout. We worked in the house, yard and in the gardens. We drove over to Chinle to see some more sites. The Canyon DeChilly is really rather amazing. Then we headed home for a no show. One of the ward members that we have been trying to get back to church stopped. Her daughter is in the military in Georgia. She had been bitten by a spider and her leg was killing her so she called her mother to have the Medicine Woman (Hand Shaker) do a ceremony for her. I will come close to learning anything about all these traditions and stipulations on traditions but a Medicine Man cannot do a ceremony if someone in their family has died. They had someone who had died so the mother told her daughter they couldn’t do a ceremony for her. The daughter got angry and yelled at the mom. She came to us. It took us over an hour but we finally found the wards in Fort Gordon and a mission miracle ‘we actually called her Bishop on the second try.’ Her mother was so happy and just cried and cried. Only—she still didn’t come to church and we have no idea how the daughter accepted the Bishop.

3) Tuesday started with piano and then no shows for piano as well. Then a family called and asked us to come help them. They daughter had just been strangled by her husband but she got away and they moved her up to Salt Lake. They needed to know how to help her. We have a couple serving here that just finished an SLC inner city mission so we called them. They got us the number and we got that family help as well. If there are those of you out there that are not impressed with the Church, you better have a better look. This is one amazing organization. We were actually ended up late to a piano lesson and she had come and gone, so we went to find her. After her lesson we headed to a family we have been trying since we arrived. They were all home and the lesson went great. They said the father and one son wanted to be baptized. (There youngest son fell asleep and snored during the lesson—so cute.) That felt great. Then we rushed to the other new family to teach the first lesson. It was an AMAZING lesson. There were the two boys that wanted baptism and then one of the mother’s brother and his wife came as well. It was a great experience and we walked out of there on top of the world. I think I better ground myself, because that high usually means a fall. We had been on such a rush we didn’t even have time to eat so we were eating old French fries from the day before that we forgot about. Our next two lessons fell through, so we got grounded a little but it was still a pretty great day.

4) Wednesday we went visiting with Sister Tsosie and had such a fun day. We stopped at another little Navajo lady, Ardella Mitchell who is 84 years old. Those two chatted and really had a great visit. Margaret told her to come back to church and she just looked over to us and told us to buy a van and pick her up. They use to do that and they want the old way back again. While those two were chatting, we were having the best visit with her daughter, Judy, from Washington D.C. She worked for the BIA back there.

She is a return missionary from Japan so we called Katie and they talked about where they served together. Great fun. That night the piano lessons and temple prep both fell through but I wrote a skit for the YW camp and we practiced it. So Fun.

5) We taught the Wheeler’s a temple prep lesson. His father was there and he just cried during our video. They are very excited. That afternoon we headed back to teach lesson #2 to our father and son and they were nowhere to be found. L We had all our stuff for aerobics and the garden project so we just went on to Chinle. I had worked for a week getting my aerobic routine ready and then the garden project lasted through aerobics so I didn’t get to do it. Next month. After that we rushed home for a temple prep but—another ceremony. His father is having a squaw dance. This is really interesting. The father is close to 90 and losing about everything. He wanders off and they have to go find him and he isn’t healthy. So the families all chip in 1,000’s of dollars and have a 4 day 24 hours a squaw dance. There are lots of people there and they eat and dance for 4 days straight. On one of the days they have a big horse ride and the person the dance is for is supposed to be in head. “What?” Well, that tradition has been changed to the point that he gets on his horse and rides away from his house and then gets off and rides in a truck till they get there and then gets back on the horse. They were telling us there would ride 40 miles in an hour. Elder Parkinson did not believe that. At any rate, the husband was over saying hello to family and then rode back for the lesson but more family showed up so we just left. Fun to hear about though. By the way—these two claim they do not believe or practice this stuff.

6) Friday started with piano lessons. Just as we sat down for lunch Sister Gene came and we planned opening exercises for the month. She brought her less active son and he and Brad shot the air rifle. Then we went and found Danelle, the girl that had lost her son. We read them Moroni 8 again and they both wanted the lessons. YES! Then we came home and Elder Parkinson set up for movie night and guess who came visiting – our Primary President that had been gone for 17 weeks. We had quite the visit. It started on other things, but it ended up on Primary. I made a couple of points and I assume I was rather harsh on some (I told her I was going to be) and how those were the cutest, best children in the world and they deserved a good Primary. It must have had a great impact, because she didn’t show up for the 18^th week on Sunday. Then we had movie night, which was a great movie but a flop as far as a turn out. The 10 of us enjoyed it.

7) Saturday we started with a planning meeting with the Elders. We are trying to find every member listed on the ward roll. We made it through 2 pages of 14. Then piano and BB but no one showed so I taught the Elders. (Elder Parkinson was at a meeting in Chinle.) Then they left so I cleaned the church. You would never believe the literal piles of sand in the window sills. Finally Brad made it home so I could quit. That afternoon we tried to catch Caitlyn Town up for her baptism interview. She is an amazing little girl. Then we got stood up by a family that is having their son’s big reception so that was okay. Home –almost. We went up to see the birds at the lake but that water so is muddy that a bird would choke. Then home are preparing for Sunday.

8) Sunday was a pretty good day. The High Councilmen in this stake are great. After church we had two appointments but one fell through and one was good. After that a new convert came over for advice. WOW, the tangled mess’s people get themselves into here.

And so ends week 21 on the Rez. We finished 5 months this week as well. There actually was a moment I didn’t know if I was awake or asleep and dreaming. I am having trouble remembering the old life. Something about beautiful yards and a church full of members all doing their jobs.

The Church is True,

     Make your yards beautiful,

          Our prayers are with you,

               Elder / Sister Parkinson