Parkinson's at Navajo Nation: Best of the Rez Week 55

Best of the Rez Week 55 January 23^rd to January 29^th

WOWOWOWZEEEEEE!!!!!
Okay, this was a week! I mean this was one amazing week! Not that we didn’t have lots of things fall through, but we ended it on one huge high. It was maybe like bungee jumping only we just went up and didn’t come down. Amazing thing is that we were just the on-lookers—it didn’t even happen to us.

1) Monday was Kayla’s birthday so at seminary we told them they got to go on a field trip that weekend. We would take them to the temple and then on to other great events. They were pretty excited. The rest of the day was in cleaning the church. I am really trying to get a grip on the library. The elders now need to use our house for Monday emails and it takes a couple of hours.
I taught at Rock Point and that went pretty well. Then we got stood up for our first appointment in Round Rock but had another unscheduled one come through. It snowed all the way home and our last appointment is in about 3 miles on dirt roads. We made it but the mother wasn’t home yet and we were too frightened to wait.

2) Seminary, literacy, piano, new gospel literacy, ARP and a fall through. Today we also got 2 new elders. Our house was crazy for a minute with visitors, piano students, Elder Orme from Pinon and then our own old elders and our new elders. Too confusing for me.
Our 2 new elders are Elder Giles from Tremonton, Utah and Elder Bankhead (greenie) from Malta, Idaho. They look great and ready to go to work. This should be interesting.

3) We made several visits and had a no show. Elder Parkinson got his new hat band. Does he ever look handsome now.
I had all 3 Logan girls for piano and that was really fun. Then I worked in the library while EP did the executive secretary thing. Very busy day.

4) Sister Tsosie and I tried again but we only found one person home. We went out to eat at Thunderbird.
Humm—this maybe was the bungee jump. Only it was more of an explosion than a coming down. I think there are a few parties that need a little more communication.
I went out to teach Selena and EP took the new elders around. Then we headed to Round Rock we had one no show and one good lesson with piano afterwards. We have a baptism date for the 24^th. Home late and very hungry.

5) Friday was really fun at seminary. Then we taught literacy and did our Saturday cleaning since we would be gone. Piano was rather intense but less than normal. The minute it was over we headed to Round Rock and taught Johanna Yazzie. It went quite well. Their son asked if Jesus really could do miracles. We got home and picked up Pres. Curley and they gave Evelyn a blessing. Home and make/bake a pie. Bed much later than I wanted.

6) And here we go!!! We picked the Curley’s up at 5 to 7. They slept most of the way to Snowflake and I read our new book from Paula Crimon. THANKS! They had plenty of help for the baptisms so we did a temple session. (We were supposed to have a couple sealed to their daughter—but that didn’t happen.) After a quick bite at McDonald’s we headed to St. Johns. We found the church but it appeared empty. We went over to Elder Shreeve’s grandparents and met them. Then we went through their one store. I wanted to go back to the church to go to the restroom. I was waiting their and heard someone yell my name. I walked all over looking for Brad (since I thought he had called my name). I peered into a door window just as Elder Bednar took a bite of food. By the time we got the pie Elder Bednar with Elder Pickard and President Broadbank had left the room and were walking down the hall. I called out and said I had a pie for dessert. They all came back and we had a fun little chat. The girls finally walked around the corner and got to meet Elder Bednar and the others. They got their picture taken with him and then he gave them some very good counsel and promises. It was wonderful. They were sky high. We had been told there wasn’t any time for even a 5 minute visit but somehow it did work. All we expected was to sit in the evening conference session and get a wave. We couldn’t believe our good fortune.
We went back to Shreeve’s and played Farkal with them. So fun—EP won. Then we went out to eat and made it to conference very early. We were seated on the front row. Every single talk was wonderful. Elder Bednar spoke for an hour. The conference was just perfect. At 9 it ended and we were the first people out and then the 2 & ½ hour trip home. The girls watched a movie while EP and I looked for horses and cows on the road. NONE! Finally home—so tired—so happy—so amazed—so well fed.

7) Sunday was a Sunday. One girl wouldn’t play her songs. We had 79 in attendance –yeah! One primary teacher didn’t show so I had to do that. We had a visiting/home teaching conference and that went really well. The bishopric meeting didn’t go that great as one counselor was not in such a good mood but the meetings went pretty well. Aaron Logan was sustained and had his first day in YM. He was so happy and afterwards bore his testimony to EP about how happy is now. Great to see so many—sad that we missed so many. If we could just get everyone to come at the same time and then have a bit of consistency.
We came home to a bowl of soup and tried for a nap. We drove the Ahasteen’s to the Stake Youth Conference which was a great meeting. Fun night. Then home. The elders all came for a visit and numbers and we finally got a bite to eat a bit after 9. Mission life!

Week 55 is now history and believe me—it was history. The girls are so excited. We are so excited. Pray tell, what may the next week bring.

The Church is True,

     Miracles do happen (and we are praying for another one bigtime),

          All our love,

               Elder and Sister Parkinson