Week Ending July 6, 2013

Sunday we were both very tired. We got to church in time to copy the announcements. At the start of the meeting the branch president had the youth share their testimonies and some thoughts about youth conference. It was very touching. It would be wonderful if we could capture the moment and help them continue from there instead of letting them go back to the people they were before. Following the youth I spoke. I think it went well. I said a few things that weren’t prepared, but mostly I read my talk. I left Ted about 5 minutes for his talk. He took 10 so I guess it wasn’t too bad.

In the last hour the branch president discussed with us a conference talk on doing things the Lord’s Way. At one point he asked us if it had been hard to come on a mission. He was talking about things not always being easy. I told him it hadn’t really been difficult to come, but there had been times when it had been difficult not to be with our family and grandchildren. I’m not sure that was what he expected, but we have looked forward to serving a mission for several years. Not everything went according to plan, but I don’t think it was hard.

At home we had a quick meal and Ted took a short nap. We were both so tired. We got everything loaded in the car and picked up two sisters to drive to Farmington for a fireside with Elder Larry Echo Hawk. We had a good visit, asking them questions about their culture and traditions. I’m sure the Lord blessed us to have that good experience to soften my heart.

The fireside was very good. Sister Echo Hawk spoke for about 2 minutes, sharing her testimony. She was a convert to the church, introduced to the gospel at that chapel in Farmington when she was 10 years old. It was a very touching “reunion” for her. Elder Echo Hawk had also been converted in Farmington when he was a teenager. He shared the story of his baptism and struggle before he became really converted. He’d had a youth leader that helped him figure out how to achieve his goals and that had led to helping him gain a testimony. He played football for BYU and that had allowed him to get an education. He shared portions of the talk he gave in conference in October 2012. For some reason when he read the parts in the fireside it was much more powerful to me. The promises and challenges to the Native American people are amazing, but it is up to them to achieve them. We had a good drive back. Ted was very tired and I was afraid he would fall asleep at times. I was really grateful to finally get home.

Monday Ted was up early (after a very short night) to take the car into Gallup for an oil change. I stayed home and worked on a few projects while he was gone. Sister Strumm from the mission office asked for our help at the zone conference for the young missionaries Tuesday. She and her husband are in charge of the vehicles and they need help with the quarterly vehicle inspections. It should be interesting.

In the evening we went to home evening. After a brief thought, we played Spoons. It was fun. Just before we left, Sister Mortenson told us she thought we were really cute and she hoped she’d be as cute when she got old. I, of course, did the mock “offended” pose. I told her we are not “old”. It was cute.

Tuesday early we were at the Stake Center early for the vehicle inspection. There were four couples there to help. I was paired with another sister and we were way too slow. The elders checking fluids passed us up quickly. It was fun and we saw the best and worst of the cars and trucks. Apparently, there is an elder that always wins the clean truck award. He said it isn’t hard when you clean it up every week. It didn’t hurt that he used to work in a car dealership. After we finished the four couples went to Sizzler for lunch. One of our institute students was our waitress and did a good job. I often feel we are so isolated and so far removed from others so it was good to visit and feel connected.

In the evening we met the bishop from a Gallup ward for visiting and institute inviting. We had visited all of the obvious kids, the participating ones, so we tried a couple who haven’t been coming regularly. We then tried some we knew nothing about. At the last home, we met a young man and told him about institute. His dad told us his wife had died three years previous and he would appreciate our prayers. Ted suggested that he visit with the missionaries and the man agreed. We again told the son how much we would like him to come and left. As we walked away, the bishop heard him say to his dad, “They wanted me to come!” I guess it was the first time someone had really invited him to join them. I hope he comes.

Wednesday we had a call telling us a sister was in the hospital dying from kidney and liver failure. We drove to the hospital with another couple and were able to visit briefly with the mom. The lady couldn’t speak clearly, but she was glad to see us. Her mom, who is not a member, told us she would like a blessing. Ted and the other man gave her a blessing and she seemed much more at peace. We stayed a minute longer then left.

I studied a bit in the afternoon, putting together my seminary lesson for Tohlakai for tonight. It has been two weeks since I taught and three weeks since we’ve been to Tohlakai so it was difficult to get into the lesson. My notes didn’t make a lot of sense at first, so I really needed to start over. I got the lesson together and we left for Tohlakai. Only one family showed up. I diverted quite a bit from the lesson to emphasize some really basic things for the girls that came but I felt like that was the right thing for them.

After seminary we rushed to the church for Branch Council, arriving 10 minutes late. The branch president wasn’t there yet so we shouldn’t have worried. The meeting went fairly well. We actually talked about people and their needs and what we could do to strengthen our branch. We set some goals for the rest of the year. There’s not a game plan to reach the goals yet, but we are meeting again next week to plan the “how”.

Chaco Canyon Entrance Sign

Thursday we were picked up by Elder and Sister Steele for a trip to Chaco Canyon. Another couple also went. The bishop had told us on Tuesday that he didn’t think we could make it to a house in our car but he was sure we could get to Chaco Canyon just fine. I was dumbfounded. The road was not too bad in the nice big truck we were in, but it was really hairy in a couple of places even in the truck. On the way back Elder Steele had to put it into 4-wheel drive to get through a patch of sand and was challenged even then. We enjoyed the ruins. We saw some I hadn’t seen the first time we were there. We really enjoyed the visiting and getting to know the other missionaries. It was really hot, but wer were glad to have gone and to have shared the day with others.

Steeles, Elder Roeth, Ashcrofts

In the evening we went to Gallup to the Sports Center for the celebrations there. I was a bit disappointed in what was actually going on. Inside a fenced area a band was playing and a few people dancing. There were about 10-15 vendors selling food or drinks or toys. Some were sold out of items and all charged different prices, so we had to shop around for what we wanted. We ordered two Navajo burgers. It turned out they had only one left, so they cut it in half. It was a hamburger on fry bread with two patties so when they cut it in half we each had a full burger. It was really good—too bad we didn’t get there earlier. Baskin Robbins had a wagon so we each got a scoop of ice cream.

4th of July--Note traditionall hair piece on young girl

We headed to the ball field to sit on the artificial turf during fireworks. We were seated next to an older couple (older than us) and visited a bit with them. He was dressed just like I picture someone from the Old West—jeans, faded blue button shirt with long sleeves, boots, and a hat. His hat was Indian style, with large medallions around for a hat band and beads stitched or pinned on around.

The fireworks were fairly typical. After about 10 minutes they stopped so we left. On the way to the car we noticed a fire on the hill where they had been doing the fireworks. We soon heard sirens. Our car was parked on the street heading into all the traffic. It took a while to get on the street, but Ted made a U-turn to head away from the traffic. As we headed up the hill, the fireworks started again. Ted quickly pulled the car off the road to the shoulder and we watched the remainder of the show. It only lasted about 5 more minutes. We never found out what had happened, but it made for an interesting evening.

Friday afternoon the elders asked us to go with them to visit a family that is being baptized next week, a mother and two boys. The grandmother also came for the lesson. She works Sunday so she can’t come to church but wants to be baptized when she can get her work schedule changed. She has a really sweet spirit.

Saturday at seminary just before the kids arrived I was wandering the hall and noticed a plastic cup in the kitchen that had been there for a few weeks. I decided to throw it away. When I picked it up I found there was a dead mouse in the bottom, obviously content at passing, with remnants of some soda or punch around it, now gone. It really shook me up.

After seminary Ted went with the missionaries to visit someone, so I was home until time for the dinner at noon. I had put the food in the crock pot in the morning before seminary. My dish had chicken in it that needed to be shredded. The dish was so full when I started that the lid wouldn’t close so I put it on high then turned it down before we left home. When we got home I was able to put the last piece of chicken in so I turned it to high again so it would cook in time.

About 11 I opened the crock pot to shred the chicken and found it was still raw. I then discovered that when I thought I had turned it to high, I had actually put in on “Warm”. I panicked. There were only a couple of us bringing main dishes. I quickly turned it to high and hoped. After a few minutes, during which time I was able to think more clearly, I decided I needed to cook the chicken on the stove—fast! I put some water in a large pan and heated it while I dug the chicken pieces out of the sauce. I let them boil and steam in the water until they were cooked then shredded them and put them back in the sauce. The sauce, meanwhile, was getting quite hot so it all worked out in the end.

It was tricky getting out of our parking area onto the road because there is a fairly steep edge on the road and the crock pot was REALLY full. I had one hand on the wheel and one holding the crock pot in a semi-level position while I drove. I had to watch the liquids and the road at the same time. Yikes!

We were praying hard that there would be a good turnout so this could become the routine. We had about 30 in attendance when I counted which I thought was good. We had several who had said they would be there and weren’t, so there is still some hope.

After some study and more seminary stuff in the afternoon, we went to the church for a missionary fireside in the evening. Another family and the two of us were all that came, so we held it in the foyer where it was cool. The elders said they were going to keep it short since everyone was so tired, but it was two hours, just like last week. It was good, but it was long. I went right to bed when we got home.