Rancho Sierra Vista

Today was busy from the get go. We got up early, put on walking clothes and took off on our two mile walk to the post office. No mail. Wanted to stop at Bashsa’s for a donut or something, but told dad only once a week. Actually I would stop everyday if I had dad’s metabolism, but since I don’t and since Sister Klepacz turned me on to them they are pretty hard to resist. The smell early in the morning is a killer. They make them fresh every day and they are gooooood.

Back to life. We showered and got on missionary clothes and took off for Rough Rock. We wanted to find out when they wanted us to come help out and we agreed on Wednesday each week. We encouraged the members that work at the center to come to the church for the dinner tonight and we left.

We got home in time to finish washingup the turkey and getting him ready for the oven. I was trying to remember how to do whatever needed to be done. I knew I had the directions I had written while watching Grandmother Hattaway fix her turkey. She would not give out recipes so if you wanted one you just sat and watched and took notes. Anyway I didn’t have that note. And I haven’t cook turkey dinner since we left Texas. I got the buzzard into the oven and had the stock pot going with the neck and onion and celery junk. I cut and cooked the gizzards, heart, and liver and did the other things necessary to fix dad dressing like his mother use to make. It is a long process. We went to the store for sage and ended up buying root beer, shoe polish and mayo. Got home and was messaging Reb and she said “oh by the way there are some recipes I didn’t give back and I asked is the dressing was one of them. I hadn’t called her because she would never take the time and effort to cut up and cook all the little goodies that Grandmother use to do. Just thinking about her doing it is impossible. Now to be fair when we went to her house for Thanksgiving dinner she did make the dressing just the way Grandmother use to because she loves her dad and knew it would make him happy. She had it, surprise! I had her email it to me and realized we were lacking another spice. So I asked dad if he wanted to go to the store again and he was happy to go. This time coming out of the store, with poultry seasoning and more rootbeer, we met up with a member of the Many Farms ward. She asked us if we were serving there and we got her address and an invite to come see her. We asked her to come to dinner to night at the church, but she said she had other plans. This tells us the bush telagraph is working.

We got to the car and there was an old old navajo grandmother with papoose back boards. I checked them out and checked out the baby strapped in one. I told them I was sold on what I saw and asked how much. I told dad we needed this as I have always wanted a board.

Now for the question of the day, who would like to be the first to lend a grandchild to be the first to try out the papoose board. Don’t all yell at once for this opportunity of a lifetime. It’s pretty neat don’t you think.

Going to the store a zillion times netted us with a contact and me a papoose back board, what more could you ask for?

By the way, tons of good food, plenty of people, and all in all a good time. We picked up Brother Mitchell, a disabled navajo, and enjoyed his company to and from and helped him get enought food inside of him to feed a small army.

Another good day on the rez.

Time on the rez is either fast or slow. We either get lots done or sometimes we seem to get nothing worthwhile done. Driving to Farmington to pick up an order at the bishop’s storehouse was a full day and we enjoyed all aspects of it. We tried a navajo road out that cut off a lot of stop and go driving and we got to help pull and pack the food for seven families that Bishop Deswood needed to help with.

We delivered job opportunities to seven chapter houses talked with people and found out we can help out in one of the senior centers out in Rough Rock. We just need to get our food handlers cards. Has to be navajo nation taught. We signed up for that and will take it the first week in December out past Ganado. In the meantime we will help with the meals on wheels and clean up, or whatever else they need. We have decided to do it once a week.

We drove an old gentleman (Navajo) to Rough Rock and bought gas for a young mother (Navajo) in Rock Point. We checked our mail in Chinle and bought dinner for a man (Navajo) before returning home.

Because we needed to check out where the class is to be held we drove towards Gallup and found where we needed to go and ended up in Gallup. Dad took back car parts he had purchased for the mexican nationalists that they ended up not needing. We picked up a few items and headed back to Chinle.

Being senior missionaries is not all teaching we have found out.

Tuesday we traveled to Lukachukia to deliver job opportunities to the chapter house. Then we traveled up over Buffalo Pass, which was one of the tightest switch backs that I have ever been on up over the mountains. It was a beautiful drive, we loved every minute of it. Anyone with a weak stomach would not make it over this pass without tossing their cookies.

We were on our way to Farmington to do our shopping that we had missed doing on Monday due to helping the mexican boys. We drove over a part of the desert we had not gone over before and saw “shiprock” from a totally new point of view. It was breathtaking beautiful. What we haven’t seen in the forty years of going through the four corners is the rock edge from the shiprock through the desert. It kinda reminded me of a dinosaurs back, it was wonderful.

Wednesday began normal, but went down hill fast. On our walk to the post office I fell flat on my face without using my hands to help break the fall. I had been given the cell phone to talk to James and I had Charlee’s lease in the other hand. The sidewalks on the rez is questionable at best anyway I tripped and fell flat. I could see it happening in slow motion and could do nothing to change fate. I landed on my nose and I thought I had broken it. The pain was terrible. I ruined my glasses and I was covered in blood. I was a bit dizzy when dad helped me up and several natives stopped to render help. We walked slowly home and I carefully washed off the blood from around my eyes and off my nose and face. I spent several hours in bed trying to get my head straight. The pain is dull in a way but also feels like a bee stinging me. Go figure.

Today though I look really bad and I’m waiting for my eyes to go black and blue, my head is a little better and Sister Kelpetz told me to take it a bit easy today. So dad delivered the job listings to six of our chapter houses and met with the Elders in Many Farms for a bit. Charlee and I went along only we stayed in the car. No foot races for me today. I will have to get new glasses, and my nose is to sore to even wear them except for a few minutes to see something. Dad says it will take a few days. My right hand has a huge chunk of skin ripped off the small finger that dad cut the rest of the way off and it is sore. There must be a lesson here somewhere. I’ll let you know when I decide what it is. Maybe its the fact that with both knees skinned up I won’t have to wear panty hose for a few days, Erin can identify with that.

Sunday began with the Elders from Many Farms coming over to go to church with us in Lukachukia.  We had a pleasant day and came back here for dinner.  We were creative as none of us had thought about the eating part of the day.  Food was not scarce it was the choices of what to fix in a hurry, as we  didn’t make it to the store last week on our p-day.

After eating, dad got involved with a car load of mexicans that had broken down in Many Farms.  The Rasmussens from Thatcher were on their way home from Monticello, Utah and spotted these men in trouble.  They were coming from Idaho and heading south to Mexico, none of them spoke english.  Brother Rasmussen called several of the bishops in the area looking for help for these men and none would give it.  Enter dad.

We drove out to Many Farms and dad looked at the mini van.  Brother Rasmussen called his son in Denver and the son interpreted for us.  The water  pump was history.  Dad and Brother Rasmussen tried to get them to go to a motel in Chinle, but they would not leave the car or their things as they thought they would loose them.

The Rasmussens headed towards their home and we came home to go to bed.  Dad got up this morning and went to the only auto repair shop in the whole area.  They could not get to the van before Wednesday and they had no parts.  Dad rented a u-haul car carrier and went and picked up the men and brought them to Chinle to our place. 

I called around Gallup (two hours one way) to find a water pump.  Dad took one of the men and headed for Gallup.  We are now waiting for them to come back. 

I took out lunch to the three men who are waiting here for them, dad and the fourth man, to get back.  I hadn’t gotten back into the house before a tall good looking Indian came to the door looking for lunch, no ride, just lunch.  When I got that part straight I told him to go sit in the shade, as its hot out today, and Iwould be happy to make lunch, that I could do.  So I made him lunch he said thanks and took off walking for Pinon.

Got up did the wash and other stuff hoping to have a day of shopping and fun.  I guess I just got the fun.  There is always munyana. 

Today we began with cereal and two mile walk to the post office and our study time.  I cut Charlee’s hair, it looks interesting, but he is shedding and his type of dog doesn’t shed.  Go figure. 

We had a baptism here across the parking lot.  The Chinle Elders have been working with a sister and today she was baptized.  We went for moral support.  Dad had to pick the Elders trailer lock as they had locked themselves out and no one had a spare key and they needed towels for the event.  I guess dads former occupation paid off today.

Dad worked most of the day on the rooster for the Many Farms ward, trying to put people in catagories so we can find them.  We plan to map out the ward and locate everyone so whoever comes behind us will know where to look.  No one has a real address so we have to find them and put in a narrative on how to find them.  Many Farms takes in Rough Rock and Round Rock as well as Many Farms, little communities in and of themselves.  ie go to the first blue rock past the water tank turn left and it is about  1 1/2 miles third house on the left! 

We have Elders assigned to the Many Farms ward and we will give them a copy of the breakup of the ward and between the two teams we may be able to work more effectively.

Life proves to be fun.

Today we studied and walked two miles, to the post office, to see if our key worked yet and it doesn’t.  We came home cleaned up and I put together  funeral potatoes for the senior activity we were to attend  in Ganado this evening. 

Jack read from a text book furnished to  us by one of the school teachers that had taught Navajo history.  He is finding it very interesting.  The Navajos have been sold a bill of goods for a very long time. 

The senior sister missionaries, nurses, wanted to leave really early and so we got to Ganado hours before we needed to be there.  Dad set up the tables and helped sister Harris decorate.  I wandered around listening to everybody tales of wo. 

Ganado is where the historical Hubble trading post is located.  We had Indians hocking their goods for the first hour.  They had a captive audience.  I bought a beaded necklace that probably cost to much, but I don’t dicker.  We had a nice pot luck dinner and everyone was asked to write an  unknown something about themselves that they wouldn’t be to embarrassed to admit too.   These little events in each of our lives were then passed out and we each read what was on the paper and then tried to guess who it belonged to.  I don’t think we have ever laughed so hard about anything in my life.  We enjoyed the association with the other senior missionaries and the time spent getting to know each other better  was great.

The Eagans put a gift bag in our car filled with neat little things, to say thank you for dad working on their car.  What a surprise, we certainly didn’t expect.   We didn’t find out who had done it til we got home and read their card.

Today we delivered job opportunities to the chapter houses in Chinle, Many Farms, Lukachukia and found two of the people the bishop in the Many Farms ward would like us to visit.  We will probably deliver to Round Rock and Ruff Rock next week.  We found the bishops place in Lukachukia and visited with his wife. 

The post office still can’t make the key work for our P O Box which I predict will take at least six months.  Dad loves it as he gets to go ask for our mail, which they have a huge sign saying do not ask for your mail!

We walked out to the rim of Antalope trail which overlooks the Canyon De Chille said da shay, and looked down into the valley it was like looking into another world.  There are farms and all kinds of things growing, trees, crops, just beautiful.  The lookouts are on our way to and from Lukachukia.  Up on top is total desert, to include the volcanic rock we had in Cameron.

The weather has been very warm since we got here and so the trees around our trailer have to be watered.   Some day some missionaries are going to have an oasis to enjoy.  The one draw back here is that the electricity goes out quit often and the water gets turned off two or three times a week, then we have to let it run everywhere to get rid of the brown water, to include the tub and washer, lots of fun.

The “ranch” was established in September 2000.  It is a beautiful 80+ acres of hay and trees.  About forty acres are in hay/grass with side rolls to water it.  The other half of the land is treed and takes in a canyon with water running year round.  From the area the house will be built if we live long enough you can see mountain ranges in all four states making up the four corners region.

In the beginning dad and Justin spent a week putting in a road to where we have the barn/house built.  Since that first attempt to inhabit the land we have truly lived in a third world country.  No water, power, telephone.  After seven years and much work we have power, water, irrigation water under pressure, and a telephone line (s).  The barn is mostly done except for the upstairs where we will live, some day. 

This summer we harvested about 2,000 bales of hay and sold most of it to our friends on the reservation. 

The pond was dug out and filled, but not soon enough for the mother duck (wild) to come again and have her babies like she did last summer.

Now that the summer is over we are leaving home and heading back to the Navajo Nation.  We served last year, October to April in Cameron and the Grand Canyon.  It was a wonderful time and we made some really neat friends, and got to hike the beautifl painted desert as well as the whole of the top of the Grand Canyon.  We were the only belagonas so everyone knew where we were even if we didn’t.  We got found when we were sure where we were.

This winter we will be in Chinle, serving in Many Farms and Lukachukia.  Lots of belagonas here so we don’t stand out like we did last year.  We are looking forward to working with the people here.

Last night we were in Provo for the wedding reception of one of our nephews, one of my younger sisters sons. This is always a fun event since we get to see all of the relatives, cousins, nephews and nieces - which is always a treat. We used to drive to Utah for our vacations so my children would have the chance to get to know their cousins and this is an extension of that - though, it is kind of sad to see that my children don’t always know their cousins.

Being at the reception last night helped solidify that son John will be getting married very soon. He and his fiance Erin are getting married in Manti, UT at the temple down there. The day will be filled with the temple sealing and a luncheon and, that evening, a reception at the Springville Museum of Art in Springville, UT. This is exciting and a little terrifying, all at the same. When you think about it, cousins getting married, and the way receptions and events come together, it is strange to think that a lot of small, individual, events have to merge at the right time for everything to be just right.

The reception, last night, was very nice. Seeing my brothers and sisters and their children, and having my own children with me, was fun. Having a son getting married means I get to see these people again.

This is where John and Erin will be married on August 3, 2007.