Best of the Rez Week 33

Best of the Rez     Week 33     August 22^nd to August 28^th

I need to go to another amusement park and check the new rides.  This week has been a little of everything and all I know is by the end of the week I am dizzy.  There have been the high’s but the low’s were also strong.  It is probably a good idea to keep a hold of something until I can get my balance.

Also, I have been getting my blog done, but I did not send out the emails.  Some days I may be a little low, some days a little busy and some days a little embarrassed that I am pushing my way into your internet space.  I got a really sweet email from my step-sister asking where I was, so I think I best keep it up and if you don’t want to read, just hit the delete button.

1)      Monday, of course, starts with seminary.  We are having a ball.  But how fair is this?  All good Mormons and missionaries read the Book of Mormon.  The Sunday School lessons are on the New Testament.  Last year we taught the Doctrine and Covenants in Seminary and this year we are teaching Old Testament.  I think my brain is on overload.
After doing all the garden and household items, we headed to our favorite – Buffalo Pass for a hike.  It was such a pretty day.  Well, hikers will tell you the mountains are not always the same weather as the lowlands.  We were having a great little walk when it started to rain.  Then we started to hear the thunder.  Then we started to see the lightning.  It all seemed to be getting closer and closer.  All of the sudden – CABOOM!!

The lightning struck about 25-30 feet on my side to the left of me.  After hitting it jumped about another 20 feet straight down the mountain.  WOW!  Everyone has said, did you go check where it hit and we said, “No, we were getting out of there fast!”  We hustled down the mountain while lightning was dancing around us, but never that close again.  We were drenched, but it took days for our nerves to settle down.
Once home and dry, we baked some cookies and waited for our Tsosie girls to come.  They didn’t so we fixed some supper.  Then they came so we shared a squash and then we had a lesson and played Wii.  They really seemed to have a good time.  They had all come to church the day before but had come at the old 10 AM time.  I felt bad but at least 8/10 of our baptisms tried for church.

2)      Tuesday was really a slow day.  Seminary was great.  Then we tried to make calls and appointments but nothing was clicking.  Finally piano lessons started and everyone showed up which is a very busy day.  Then ARP.  One man called and said it was time to go to the Bishop.  We were THRILLED!  Then the other man showed up as well, and said he is ready to progress.  WAHOO!!!!!  What a great feeling.  We got excited about giving them garden food and nearly missed our 8 PM.  We made it there late and finally had to call it quits as their daughter was just miserable.  Slow start but very busy end!

3)      Seminary is just always great.  These two girls are the all time best!  At 9 AM I cut the Elder’s and Brad’s hair.  Then Cyrus started piano lessons and I am afraid I taught him too much for a first lesson.  The afternoon was slow and the piano was sporadic.  I have got to change a couple and get a better commitment from some.  I rescheduled to do Selena at her house.  Then we drove to Chinle where I taught the YW about health and fitness and did fitness and race walking with them.  It was really fun and we enjoyed being with the Roberts as well.  Fun night.  We got home to find out that our YM-YW didn’t show at all.  We had thought they were going to clean the church and yard.  NO!! Oh, I guess the missionaries will do itL.
The Elders were calling the minute our ride hit the cattle guard.  They had a surprise for us --Elder Searle had caught a great big toad.  We brought it in the house and tried to get a picture of it.  The picture would not show through the tupperware so we took it off.  That toad took a flying leap for Elder Evans, and he screamed and pulled his legs up on the couch.  We laughed so hard--the big, tough rancher is not a friend of toads.
'I thought it looked like Pete.'

4)      Thursday was another great day for seminary.  Sister Davis stopped to see us and our district leader called.  All that brought about a rather interesting conversation between the two of us and a more determined effort to make this happen in a positive manner.   We keep trying to connect with people but something is weird this week.  It is not payday but everyone is gone.  That afternoon we drove over to Round Rock and handed out flyers about Elder Callister there.  Then we rushed home for a 5:30 that was a no show.  Then our 7 PM was a no show as well, and we maybe went to bed a little low. 

5)      Friday was different.  Seminary was great as always; but we had waffles instead of pancakes.  Then we headed to Chinle and picked up Sister Margaret Tsosie and headed to Window Rock.  She wanted to show up a jewelry salesman.  We found them and Elder Parkinson finally has a bolo tie.  Oh, is he ever pleased.  Of course, if Brad got something, he had to buy me something as well.  I have a very pretty new necklace and earrings.  Then we ate at Denney’s (our stake president’s) and headed home.  Fun morning.  And not a second was wasted – we taught the temple every minute we could.
One of the musts of everyday is to check the mail.  Mind you, we only get mail M-F on the Rez, no Saturday mail.  What a pleasant surprise.  We got a box, and we did not know the address at all.  I opened right in the parking lot and it was sugar cookies decorated like missionary tags and CTR cookies.  A student, Susan Webb Hansen,  (that just moved) that I taught in 1991 remembered me and sent me decorated cookies.  I wish you could all check the blog as only pictures could show how wonderfully decorated those cookies are.  Susan is a master of masters with her decorating ability.  I will forever cherish every letter and Christmas card she has ever sent.  What a wonderful surprise.
When we got here, we started making out rounds with the flyers and I got hit with a cold and went down in seconds.  I was so sick.  I just lay all night and didn’t even mind our appointments falling through.  Brad went out and painted our porch and started the Elder’s for them.  They came home and helped.  They seemed to have a good time.  Not so much for me.

6)      Saturday I still felt terrible.  I rested all day.   The piano didn’t show and I didn’t care.  But I felt so bad that I had missed the football game the night before and this morning was the Chinle parade and fair.  Still I lay. 
The fireside with Elder Callister was at 6:30 and we were there.  I had my Vicks, tissues, and water bottle and forgot my scriptures.  He did a great job.  The first talks were nice and then Elder Callister had all the youth come up front and did the Plan of Happiness with them.  It was really nice and our ward did the best!
Then there was supposed to be a panel discussion with 4 couples with the visiting team.  Right off the bat, it didn’t go as planned.  Instead of 4 couples, it was all but 2 which could be considered a slap in the face for them.  Then the meeting started off with the big Ganado is the best and if you could only all be ‘Payne’s.’  It did not set with Elder Parkinson and he tried to make his points in a positive way, but his voice was just about to explode and everyone knew it.  His big point was how can we teach people that do not believe in Jesus Christ – should we be learning from how it has been done in the Orient.  Still, it was more than obvious we are really tired of being compared to Ganado and acting like everyone should be matching Ganado when we do not have the same people and leadership base.  After that, they completely ignored us.  After the meeting, we talked and we able to express a couple of concerns and get a little feedback.  My favorite was when they told us to never get discouraged.  I so agree—now how do you do it.  Your Primary President doesn’t come for 20 straight weeks, you have no manuals, and make sure you don’t get discouraged.  Anyhow, it was a long drive home, and a very long night.  I was so sick and could not breathe to sleep.  Brad was upset. 

       The next day started early as Brad would go do something and come back and leave and come back.  We did the best we could at getting the church ready—with no help.  We wondered whether to set up more chairs, but decided we would wait. 
As soon as the youth started in, I lined them up on the bench and brought them up one at a time to play prelude.  I heard Elder Callister talking with people in the congregation.  He sat and watched one youth and then left to go to Bishop’s meeting.  Then it was time to start.  One girl came running up and said I forgot how to play this.  I was such a wreck and so sick, I couldn’t even figure out what she was talking about.
Meeting started and all was well.  YES!  All 30 of us were just great.  After all the invitations and flyers and telling people how big this was – no one came.  Our hearts just sank!  The opening hymn was Kelsey -- great.  The sacrament hymn was Selena and she was precious.  I go up and sit on the bench and touch each note as she plays it.  We knew we were being watched.  I was shaking so bad I am not sure how she knew which note to play.  Then Elder Webb spoke and did great!  Next was President Jones, our mission president.  Kayla jumped up to play the rest hymn and it was funny as they were deciding who should go first.  President Jones won!  His talk was the greatest Rez talk ever given!  It was just what we wanted!  WOW!  Then Kayla played and the part she said she couldn’t remember, she goofed with but she got better every verse.  Then Elder Callister—and he was perfect.  He found out each person that had played and thanked them by name.  Then his talk was wonderful, so kind and so encouraging.  Attitude!  Great meeting.  The closing song was Tyler and he didn’t come forever and finally I got on the bench with him and he just dropped his head in his hands and said, “I haven’t practiced all week.  I’ve been so busy.”  “Can’t you just do one finger,” I say.  “I can do this part both hands.”  “Then do it, and when you get to the end, hit the chord.  But start here and do a prelude.”  He starts and amazingly, does just wonderful.

Really the meeting was just wonderful.  The Sacrament was prepared and passed by ward members –Hurray!  The music was great.  Hurray!  But after we had worked for 2 weeks of inviting people to attend we were just sick that no one cared.  We actually ended up with 41 and 44 with the 3 visitors.  Two members of the Seventy coming to our little ward and no one cared.  The other day as I was praying, I really felt like our biggest problem was that no one had any respect for Jesus Christ or accepted that serving in the church was serving Jesus Christ.  It was very evident Sunday when no one even cared that we had all these General Authorities coming to meeting and they were BUZY!
After the meeting, Elder Callister was all excited about getting pictures of those kids playing with me touching the music.  Then they left and I sat down in Sunday School and then they called me into a meeting with Elder Callister, Elder Webb and President Jones and the Bishopric.  Elder Callister was really positive and talked about all the good things he liked about our ward.  He was really tickled about the youth playing the music.  Then he said he liked being here so much, he is going to come back next year – a year from today and he wanted the ward doubled and we weren’t serving Navajo Tacos to get them there—it would be our ward average.  I mentioned to Elder Webb that we would be gone, so he said we may need to amend this action as the Parkinson’s would be gone by then.  Elder Callister, without a second delay, just said, “No, you can extend.”  Elder Parkinson and I looked at each other and we both had really weird expressions.  Then Elder Parkinson pointed out that President Jones was leaving July 1^st so Elder Callister changed the day to the last week in June.  “That gives you 10 months, now can you do it?”  The Bishop shook his head softly.  “And the missionaries are here to help, but the work has to be done on the ward level.  You must be calling people, and visiting, giving people jobs in the church.  You should make a call a week from now until when we come back.  Involve people and let this missionary couple teach them what to do.”  After the meeting the Bishop bore his testimony and it was so sweet.  Then we rushed out to see the gardens and quick good-byes and they were off for Poc Nos Tec. 

Another FIRST!  We had the first ward council meeting in almost 10 years.  Elder Parkinson said it went quit well, but someone was there that really shouldn’t have been but they will fix that.  The Elder’s Quorum President didn’t stay but he came to church.  Elder Parkinson was very pleased about how the meeting went, so progress is being made.

We finished church and came home to almost die.  I over did and was just exhausted.  I am still in Primary and my singing with a cold was not so good.  Still had so much fun.  We rested and then our 3 PM called to tell us they were sick but our 4 was great. 
Kelsey came over to interview us and that was fun and then is was soak with the Vick’s and try to rest.  Wrong—lay down and cough. 

What a week.  Up and down and down and up.  We are really cutting down our teaching load and trying to get all the teaching to the young Elder’s and having us focus on our seminary, ARP, Literacy classes and temple prep class and of course the garden and piano lessons.  I hope I get over this cold, so I will have the energy to care about anything. 
Meantime, understand that the Savior is the head of our church and that all we do for the church is a reflection of the love and respect we have for Him and His teachings in our behalf.  We are so lucky to have this understanding.  We are so lucky to have been raised and taught in the gospel.  What a blessing.  What a blessing!

The Church is True,

      Love all at the US Open and in your life as well,

                  Our prayers are with you all,

                              Elder and Sister Parkinson

Just a view of the forest we were in on Buffalo Pass.

It is so pretty, but when the lightning struck --

we were for getting out of there.

The Elders learn a new skill.

Don't look family--it may be Christmas!

We told the Elders that if they stood still long enough,

a hummingbird would land on their fingers.

They were standing there, and I said,

"Get the camera so we can take a picture of these two idiots."

I think Elder Evans was almost insulted--but we all laughed.

The 'Tony' Tsosie's -- Roberta (mom),

 Nizhoni, Roxanna & Shania.

'We thought you was a toad.'

The toad under tupperware.

Elder Parkinson holding 'Pete' in front of Elder Searle.

"Of course it's Pete.  Just look at him!"

Elder Parkinson and his garden watermelon (sugar daddy)

with Elder Evans and Elder Searle.  And Elder Parkinson

is also sporting his new bolo tie.

Susan's Cookies!

Susan is the greatest ever!

Her talent is amazing!

This is still in the bag, because I was too sick to touch it.

We have looked & looked at it next to our tag.

It is the best ever!

Elder Callister is in stride, the me, the President Jones and

Bishop Benally looking at Elder Parkinson's garden.

Elder Callister and Elder Webb are amazed with

Elder Parkinson's farming talents.

The is President Jones, our mission president,

in front of our squash.