Best of the Rez Week 70

Best of the Rez     Week 70     May 7^th to May 13^th  

I think we will call this week the Loop the Loop Ride week.  Most of the time we have not known whether we were right side up or upside down.  I think I am still a bit dizzy.

#8 – I just cannot wait to see mail.  I hope to get some cookies baked just to give the mailman.  Oh what comforts, to have mail delivered to your home!  Street names with addresses on the homes.  WOW – is that like the coolest thing ever? 

#7 -  I just scheduled my haircut.  I cannot wait to see Tammy and get a haircut I trust.  Not to mention the opportunity to catch up on all her stories.

#6 – I want to drive up and down the streets of Rexburg and see all the stores providing for the community.  The Rez believes that if you stay within the 4 sacred mountains, they will provide for you.  All I see provided is expensive groceries, high gas, Laundromats and cell phones.  Anything else you have to drive miles for. 
And I cannot wait to see a DR office within blocks that will care for us.

And now for the week: (?’s)

1)       Monday was an AMAZING and UPSETTING day.  In fact you can call Monday the longest 20 days ever fit inside 24 hours.  We canceled seminary and loaded up the elders at 7:00 AM and headed to Snowflake Temple for a special missionary temple session.  Travel went well and we did not hit a cow or horse.
The session was wonderful and what an experience to be with so many missionaries in such a special place.
The Snowflake stake prepared a wonderful dinner afterwards.  We were sitting with our Senior Zone Leader.  During the conversation he asked if President Jones had called us yet.  NO.  “Oh, well we were wondering if we could get you to leave a few weeks early to help us shuffle the senior couples around as the new couples come in.”  “WHAT?”  The new CES couple is coming into Chinle so we need to move Roberts out and we thought that it would be slick to move them over to Many Farms for them to finish the last 6 months of their mission.  That way they can teach your seminary and you can show them around and introduce them to all your people.”  “Well, if that is what the Lord would like us to do, I think we could make that sacrifice.”  Still it is funny what emotions are starting to swell.
So, then we come home.  We played Farkel all the way home with the elders.  Crazy games and so much fun.  Once home we taught our temple prep but the young elders were at our reading home so we just came home. 
Saturday we have a Waptism (that is where the couple gets married just before the baptism).  The man is from Sanders which is in our mission but not our area.  The woman is from Many Farms and has been waiting for 18 years for this to happen.  EP called the Sanders elders to make sure they would have him interviewed by Friday.  They announced that he was not ready and they would be no baptism.   “WHAT?”  It was a very long call.  One of the main problems is that the couple asked the previous senior couple from Montana to come back and baptize him.  Why hadn’t we been told?  We asked the woman every Sunday at church and she assured us all was well.  Anyhow, it ended up into several more calls until about 11:30 PM.

2)      Seminary was great and then back to the phone.  We called the mission president to see what we should do.  We said we had to know so we could get a hold of Bartmess’s.  “Too late – they are here.”  We were just sick.  Then within an hour, the woman called and said the baptism was off but the wedding was on and since she had waited 18 years for the marriage, she could wait a bit longer for the baptism. 
Brother and Sister Watts from the seminary came and we had a fun chat with them before heading to Round Rock for temple prep.  Next to Rock Point for piano and then a rush home to more piano.  We had 4 out of 6 show.
EP taught ARP while I met with the stake clerk and the ward clerk.  He just about died when he saw all the work we have compiled for our ward.  However, he did say that it would take months upon months to enter into the system.  The ward clerk was just shaking his head no—but I have faith the next missionaries will handle it.

3)      Seminary and then we were going out GPSing but our guides fell through on us again.  EP worked in the garden while I did house stuff.  The Bartmess’s showed up around 4 and we visited with them for an hour.  My piano was way late but I managed about a 10 minute lesson with each of them.  The speaker did not show for YM-YW so we filled in there.  We talked about budgeting and saving money.  Love that topic but it is unheard of on the Rez.

4)      We drew for seminary and had so much fun.  Then we headed to Chinle to pick up Margaret Tsosie.  EP broke tradition and picked up a pair of hitch-hikers.  It was John and Opal Chee – they are about 80, don’t speak a word of English and were walking to Chinle.  They pointed to Bashes, but we drove them straight to Margaret’s so she could talk to them.  Margaret was quite the little missionary.  We drove back to Many Farms where EP stayed to work on the garden while we went out for visits.  We didn’t find anyone home but while we were eating Sister Sam called so we went back to her after lunch.  We stopped at a house where one of our ladies had stayed and she was gone but we invited the girl.  She said she would come.  We didn’t get 100% but we had a good time.  Then back to Chinle and home for the no show piano lessons.  The first lesson came at 7:00.  Oh, and our little kids didn’t show for their baptism/piano lessons.  I am started to fear for that baptism.  We worked in the garden most of the night and had a pretty good time.

5)      Seminary had fun drawing again.  We had another visit from the Rez seminary leaders but this time Brother Miller came along.  He will be taking over for Brother Watts.  We talked and talked with them and had to show off all their work.  He took lots of pictures and even videoed the scripture squeeze we did.  That put us behind and we really rushed to Round Rock for temple prep.  We had a bit of time so we went out finding.  The Trading Post postman helped us with a few names and we found a lost ward member home.  It was great.  She is a weaver and of course wanted me to buy a rug – only $250 for about a 2 & ½’ by 3 & ½’.  Anyone interested?  The wedding was setting up at 2:00 so we hurried back for that to have them show up about 7:00.  I taught Tivona but Kelsey was sick.  After we finished with all the wedding set up and rehearsal we went to Chinle and got saw dust for Sister Yoe’s garden and took that to her.  The wind blew so hard that we were covered in saw dust.  Then home and to get ready for the big day tomorrow.

6)      I called and demanded that my 6 piano lessons come early.  I had the wedding cakes to do and get ready myself and I wanted time to get it all done without stress.  Then never called and they never came so I just took my time.  OPPS.  They showed up about 11:20.  People were already coming for the wedding but I heard and helped just a bit.  Then I started to play prelude.  It was quite a while before they all showed up but it was so fun.  They had a little flower girl and she would pick up one little petal and place it down and then walk a few feet and do it again.  Meantime her little brother would hurry and pick them up and put them back.  Finally the people behind her started grabbing and throwing petals.  The wedding went supper and was really nice. 
They were having a big gathering out at her place so everyone left and we cleaned up all the tables and chairs and vacuumed.  We walked in the house to get ready to go out to the gathering when the phone rang and they had wind so everyone was coming back.  SO-we set up all the tables and chairs again.  We actually had it easy.  Her caterer had called at 4AM and backed out-so they had gone out and killed and butchered a couple of sheep and roasted them along with making mutton stew before the 12:00 wedding.  I cannot believe how calm Annabel was through all the trials!  Anyhow, everyone came back and we had a wonderful party.  The Bartmess’s seemed more than pleased to be there for ONLY the wedding so all ended well.  And one side note—EP and I ate our first mutton – tough as nails but tasted great.  It seemed like forever until we got all the tables and chairs put up for the second time and vacuumed and cleaned the church.  We were exhausted.
So, we changed clothes and headed out to Sister Yoe’s to show her how to set up her drip irrigation system.  When we stopped at our stop sign here at Many Farms, a rather large man was pushing a walker while carrying a folding chair and a coat.  He would push about 6 inches and take a step.  EP asked him where he was going and he said Chinle – 15 miles down the road.  We told him to get in and we could drive him half way.  After we got going, EP said we would drive him all the way in, get a burger and do Sister Yoe on the way home.  Love that guy (EP that is)!  Anyway we got to Sister Yoe’s and set up her garden and came home and completely collapsed.

7)      Sunday already—yes-sir-ree and not only is it Mother’s Day but we are having our seminary graduation as well.  We got everything ready and the people started to come – hurray – 87 of them.  The meeting went just great except the bishop’s son that was to speak and sing didn’t show up (but the older son did come and sang a perfect solo)  along with his wife and 5 of their children.  Oh well, the rest went great.  We had a lot of investigators to church.  Primary had 11 children, 9 first time investigators.  Since they had never been to primary before it was a bit wild.  The 1^st counselor had a family emergency and the secretary didn’t show so there were only 2 of us to handle it but we survived. 
Afterwards we fixed a sandwich and lay down but the phone rang steady until 5 PM.  We went and visited a new ward member who moved in to teach art in the junior high.  We tried our new members at Rough Rock but they still aren’t here.  Then home to a few more phone calls trying to get the dinner together that I am in charge of next week.  Our last call was around 10:30 and I was so tired I could have --- who knows.
I crawled into bed and remembered that as Sister Yoe left, she went through her bag and handed me a little package and said it was for my Mother's Day.  I got up and went out to my jacket pocket and took it out.  It was a darling sterling bracelet that I absolutely love but I am sure she does not have the money to give it to me.  Some gifts are so wonderful and yet they hurt your heart.

And so week 70 turns into the longest week of our mission.  Instead of 8 weeks to go, we are down to 5 weeks.  That is not very long and we still have some things to accomplish.  I have piano recitals May 21^st and June 9^th.  EP had the garden’s looking great and most of the ward members have theirs done as well.  Our latest GPS count was 151 found and 38 to go.  We still need to get the numbers on some but ward members know them and will take us to show where they live when they are not buzy.  So, that sums up 27 days into one very long week.

The Church is True,

            Happy Mother’s Day,

                        God’s Speed,

                                    Elder and Sister Parkinson

PS Kacee--email me!

Carolyn, Emery, AJ and the new little Ethan Yazzie.

Kaden Mitchell, the flower girl.

Cooper Scott, the ring bearer.

Calli Tucker Scott and Thelma Scott.

The beaming bride - Annabel Mitchell -

soon to be Annabel Scott.

Her uncle is escorting her.

The wedding!

This is my Navajo Auntie, Ardella Mitchell

Sister Tsosie and I have been her visiting teachers.

I wonder if that didn't help all this along.

The complete family - legally married.

Ervin & Annabel Scott, Elliot Mitchell (nephew), Calli,

Cooper, Cameron, Thelma and Grady Scott,

with Kaden Mitchell in front.

The wedding cakes and the marriage license.

EP had to go change from his suit top to his matching

jacket with the groom.

By the way--isn't it amazing I had lavender

frosting to decorate the cakes?  Thanks Paula!

EP tries his first roast mutton.  Bishop is yelling picture

and is taking the capturing the historic event.

I guess I am brave too.  Pretty good but rather tough.