Tzipporah Dempsey Brokop

Born 4:07 am 12/19/08 I got to wittness her arrival! 6 lbs 10 oz. Glory!

10 Days 'til Christmas

Have I Mentioned that I love Christmas. I always have. From the lights to the silly, romantic, predictable Christmas movies. I love Christmas trees, Christmas villages, and especially Nativity Scenes (I have about 50). This is my third Christmas here on the Mission. The first was 10 years ago. I remember carolling on the Rez, and handing out treat bags - an orange, some nuts and some candy. Keshmish Hozoh! This is our second Christmas since the LORD called us back to ministry here. There are treat bags under the Christmas Tree in the fellowship hall. We decorated the tree in Children's Church last week, with a lesson on the Truth each ornament symbolizes. 20 of my 50 Nativities are hanging on that lovely tree - and a candy cane and crocheted cross for every member of our little congregation. The fellowship hall looks so beautiful. The hard work done by the team from Michigan makes such a difference. It's still a little chilly, but not fridgid or damp like last year. I have part of my Christmas village set up in there. And I have the rest of it set up in the restroom. We have lights up in the courtyard and so far, no one has bothered the large plastic nativity scene in the front.
So far this Christmas season 10 of us were in the Farmington Christmas Parade, handing out 1000 candy treats attatched to invitations to our Christmas Vacation Bible School, we've delivered two Christmas boxes to families on the Rez. through Angel Tree Ministries (and have 4 more ready to go next week). We sponsered a Christmas Luncheon for people with whom we partner with in Ministry - 7 plus the "family" were there. 16 voices singing "Joy to the World" in English and Navajo.
Yep, I love Christmas. But there is a saddness that seems to accompany this joyous season. In all this beauty and majesty, a heaviness. Did Mary know? Even though the LIGHT is shining in the darkness, and the PEACE that passes all understanding is in fact ours when we accept it, storms rage all around us. Christmas stories don't always have sappy sweet endings. I have a new grand-daughter that is due to arrive anyday now. But the daughter-in-law of one of our women just miscarried. One of the missionionaries our conference supports died in a car wreck in Africa, leaving behind a wife and three young daughters. There was an accident in Shiprock last week that left one of the students in my school critically injured and fatherless. How sad Christmas will be for them. Wars and rumors of war. Does anyone remember Simon and Garfunkle's version of Silent Night and the 7 o'clock news? Yes, Jesus came - silently and humbly to the world He created, to and for the people He loves. Yes, He is here, in our midst, where two or more gather together, with a promise to never leave or forsake us. And Yes, He is coming again in glory. Yes, I love Christmas - with the colored lights that remind me that God keeps His promises. With the smiles of wonder on the faces of the little ones who haven't figured out yet that this is a dark and depraved world. And how I pray for the little ones who have to face tragidy this year instead of joy. Lord have mercy. And Lord, help me to share Your Light and your Truth with the people who pass by, with the people I touch throughout the day, with the people you send our way. That there is Joy and everlasting love, Peace in every storm, there is God - Father,Son,Holy Spirit - And God is Good!

Thanks for Giving School Dance

TseBit'Ai Middle School - Shiprock New Mexico

Happy Thanksgiving

Thursday morning - freezing rain falling from the not so often grey New Mexican sky.
It's Thanksgiving, and I have so much to be thankful for. We've been here, at the "Mission" for 16 months and still I am amazed that the LORD has given us this place and this opportunity to serve Him. And then there is my job. It is such a blessing to have a job you love. It's not an easy job. Middle school students are challenges where ever they live. As they grow up, as they live through this crisis or that, as they fall in and out of love, learning about adjectives and adverbs is not a top priority. We just finished our unit on poetry though,and when free to express their ideas without having to worry about sentence structure or punctuation, what they come up with is incredible. My school is 97% Native American, 90% Navajo - but I think in many aspects they are just regular teenagers. At least it seemed that way at the Thanksgiving dance I chaperoned last week. It was called the "Thanks for Giving Dance" because it was tied in with a canned food drive. My "homeroom" won the pizza party for bringing in 157 food items that would be donated to the Shiprock home for battered women and other needy families on the Navajo Rez. And, as much as I love my job - I am thankful that we get a five day break for Thanksgiving. Today is a day to lay back. We had our feast on Wednesday - 52 people, mostly Indians - in our beautiful cozy fellowship hall. I always wanted a big family. Tomorrow I'll take down the autumn decorations and put up Christmas. This is my favorite time of year. And it is all to honor the King of Kings! Let's not forget that. He is the Source, the Reason, the Author of our lives. Those simple steps of obedience lead us through dark times and hard times, through frustrating times and exhausting times and always there is the Peace that Passes understanding and the Joy that carries through times when it is hard to be happy...Joy and Peace - what I am most thankful for and what I pray for those who I know and love and miss and care about. Not a happy thanksgiving - but a Joyful one.

God Bless Them All!

Matthew, Malachi, and Merilu
I have a lot of time to pray as I drive to and from work every morning. It’s a 30 mile commute across some awesome, if somewhat barren land. The rising sun behind me casts beautiful shadows on the rocks, mesas and distant mountains. I pray mostly for my students, past and present. And this week the LORD has brought to mind 3 particular individuals whose stories I love to tell.
Matthew – one of my first Navajo students, nearly 10 years ago. A beautiful child with a long, thick braid down his back. Not very many boys still wear their hair long. It’s usually a sign of just how traditional his family is, and Matthew was the eldest son of a very traditional family. One day Matthew came up to me and complained that his ear was hurting. I sent him to the nurse, who suspected an ear infection and told him to tell his mom to take him to the doctor. The next day, a Friday as I recall, he was back in school but I could tell the pain was much worse. I called him to my desk and asked if he had told his mom what the nurse had said. “Oh, yes Mrs. Brokop, but don’t worry, tomorrow she is taking me to a medicine man.” When I first told that story to some of my friends back east they asked if he didn’t have enough money for a “real” doctor. Actually – through the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) all registered Native Americans get free medical. And there is a very good hospital in Shiprock. Medicine men cost quite a bit. But to some – many, that is the first and preferred form of healing. Just over a year ago I saw Matthew again. He was working in a local restaurant , having just graduated from High School. He still had that lovely long hair, and enthusiastic smile. What a wonderful blessing when he told me that he was saving up money so he could go to Bible College and learn to teach his people about Jesus.
Malachi – from one of the many children’s ministries I’ve been involved in over the past several years. This is actually his mother’s story but I think it says a lot about the identity crisis that so many Native Americans have. It is one of the reasons our ministry strives to encourage individuals to find their identity in Christ without losing their self-worth as Navajo – Dine’. When Malachi was barely 4 his family lived in Albuquerque. He was attending a rather multi-cultural Head Start program. One evening he was watching an old-time western with his parents and commented that he wished he were an Indian. That statement took his parents – both full blooded Navajo – by surprise. And they proceeded to explain to their little son that he was in fact an Indian. A revelation that seemed to thrill him. The next day he ran excitedly up to his mother after a morning at Head Start, declaring that he had just found out that his best friend Billy was white. Wasn’t that amazing???? It is a good thing, that left on their own, without the influence of adult prejudice, most children are color blind. And Malachi’s realization did not affect the fact that Billy was his friend. His parents have since moved back to the Reservation, partially so that Malachi, and his little siblings will have a better chance of realizing the proud heritage from which they come.
Merilu – a very typical, somewhat melodramatic middle school student. A beautiful young woman, who runs into the rising sun each morning with her brother, uses corn pollen to bless her day, and listens to tunes on her iPod. A simple interaction with Merilu reminded me, yet again, what an unusual situation in which I find myself. Truly unique. One day she came to school extremely depressed and distracted. I asked what was wrong – and with tears in her eyes she told me that Grandma was going to butcher her sheep. Now, Merilu knew full well that that was the ultimate destiny of all the sheep in grandma’s flock. They would provide wool for rugs and blankets, and eventually end up roasted or stewed. But this was Merilu’s own favorite sheep. Sooooo Sad! The next day, in skips Merilu, all smiles and giggles, with her cell phone in hand. We don’t allow cell phones in class, and Merilu knew it. But she just had to show me the pictures of Grandma butchering the sheep. I bet not many other middle school teachers in the USA have had that particular experience.

On Top of the World

It was a beautiful day and a trecherous road up the mesa known as "Turning Rock". The absolute center of Dine'Tah, the high place where traditional Navajos believe first man and first woman emerged after a great flood. We were a mixed bunch of worshipers, the youngest being 6 months old, the elder over 60. Men and women, Navajo and Biliganna, hot coffee and the sound of drums. Pearlene read from Isaiah 51 "Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, who seek the LORD, Look to the Rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug..."
This was not "our" event and we were honored to be included. The sky was an incredible blue...Isaiah 51:6a "Lift up your eyes to the sky, then look to the Earth below." The view was incredible. Awesome. I wonder how many people, who have not been blessed to experience such a view, can actually comprehend the meaning of the word "Awesome". The Lord has put such a burden in our hearts for this land and its people, such a love in our hearts for our Navajo brothers and sisters. It was a beautiful day, a day of prayer and a day of blessings...Glory to God!
and so...I continue to ask for your prayers...check out the Mission Site and Pastor Art's current site, which you can link on from this site. Have a blessed week - pray protection and peace especially on Friday - Halloween - posted by Maryellen

TGIF

Yep, thank God it's Friday!
I've been experimenting - setting up two new blogs on this account. One focusing on the Ministry, one focusing on Pastor Art, some of his lyrics and sermon notes and articles. And this one. This pink page of mine started out years ago, as a sort of journal, a Bible study, responses to other blogs, other "theologies" - some personal ragings at a time when I was struggling with faith and truth and life in general.
The poem I just posted I wrote quite a while ago. At a time when I wasn't sure we'd have a chance to minister again. Last Saturday we had our first coffee house and besides the 15 regular church attenders and their guests, two of those "invisible" people stopped by and one of our regular wanderer's - Michael. We feed him and pray for him a few times a month. LORD, give us wisdom in ministry - protect those who are lost in the dark, be their Light and Hope and Salvation.

For Michael

I see you
You are not invisible to me.
I see you all
Walking with your head down,
Dragging you feet, wearing out your souls.
I see you
Vacant men walking past Vacant houses
Men of the Land, who don’t seem to care anymore
about the Land around them
Dry, like the Land you are born to
I see you
Making your way into town
For a drink, for a job, for a change
And making your way home again
To the old mother who still cares
To the old grandmother who still prays for you
To be greeted by a long sad sigh and an open door
I want to say, “hold your head up high”
I want to say, “be the brave you were born to be”
I want to say, “I am sorry.”
I want to cook for you, and sing you songs, and tell you stories
Great Stories, Living Stories
I want to give you a hot cup of coffee on a cold night,
With lots of sugar and a dash of hope.
I want to drive you home
To the son that needs you
To the woman that loves you
And I want to say…
Look past the stars, Look past the moon
Look past the tent meetings and revivals
Seek God!
He is there waiting
He sees you.
Learn to sing His songs
He is calling you.
Believe His stories
He has a plan for you!
All of you. Each of You.
Walking this Land for a Divine purpose.
He is not the White Man’s God
He is every man’s God
He is not the missionary’s God
He is the People’s God
He formed you, He knows you, He sees you.
You are not invisible to Him.

One little, Two Little, Three Little...

Three of our Children's Church Children...

Worship in Santa Fe

Pastor Art was part of a drum circle at a interdenominational, multi-cultural prayer and praise service in the Square in Sante Fe.

Raining a Rainbow

The color splotch in the sky over this home in Shiprock, was formed as early morning rain fell in the mountians to the north.

Home on the Rez

Some of my eighth graders live in homes that do not have electricity or indoor plumbing.

September 21

The seasons are changing in the New Mexican high desert. Along the Bisti Highway and up and down the roads of Shiprock. There are signs of a good harvest... It's "kneel down bread" time and things are gearing up for Shiprock Fair. Ministry continues at the Farmington Free Methodist Mission at a pace too slow for me. I keep revisiting Psalm 37...wait and trust! It was a good summer! We traveled cross country in June to share the vision and the song of the land. We visited several church groups and made contacts with some other Native American Ministries as well as some very dear friends. In July, a very hard working team from Jackson Free Methodist Church in Michigan came out to work on the buildings, the grounds, and to lead a vacation Bible School outreach. The little church was filled with joyful praise and many seeds were planted. In this season of harvest, we look forward to seeing the fruit of their labor grow. A series of tent meetings encouraged worship of the Creator with the songs and rhythms that the Living and True God has placed in the hearts of the people. Pastor Casey Church of the Potawannamee People used his regalia to teach about the full armor of God and blessed the land with a traditional dance offered to Yahweh - Father Son and Holy Spirit. By the way Mike, thanks for donating the tent to the mission. We will make good use of it in coming years! In fact we used it for our Back to School event. Instead of just lining the kids up and handing out bags of supplies, we set up games under the "big top" where they could earn tickets to be traded in for the supplies they needed. While the kids were playing games like "Sight Word Bingo" and "Spelling Bee" the parents were able to take advantage of our clothes ministry. Special thanks go to our sister churches in the Arizona conference for their donations of clothes and school supplies. So what is in store for the mission in the months to come? There is still some work needed to be done in the buildings and around the grounds. We are hoping to buy a couple of pallet stoves. The winters here can get pretty chilly. Pallets stoves are efficient and more affordable than central heating. Once the windows are finished and the cook stove installed, our fellowship hall will be ready for our community Thanksgiving Feast and the Christmas party we are hoping to have for some of the Reservation pastors and their wives - A way to cement relationships and create partnerships. We're also planning on having a Christmas Vacation Bible School, Dec. 22, 23, 24. Meanwhile we continue to have our Tuesday afternoon food pantry and clothes distribution, Worship services Sunday - 10:30am and 6:45pm with nutritious refreshments served after each service. I'm not sure how involved we'll be in the Shiprock Fair. We're hoping to at least put together some treat bags - last year we handed out 900 as part of our float in the parade, and we'd like to do some sort of out reach, Lord willing. But we haven't been able to get the stuff we need to make that happen, and time's running out. We continue to covet you prayers... Prayers for wisdom, provision, and shalom...prayers that God will bring us People to rise up as leaders in ministry. We can always use Donations of clothes, especially hats, gloves, mittens and new socks- we also need children's books, small prize type toys for our many games of Bible Bingo, toiletries (travel size), blankets and quilts (the traditional Christmas gift for the elderlies), and financial gifts (tax deductible of course). Packages can be sent to 1275 Bisti Highway, Farmington NM 87401. Cash donations and inquiries should be sent to Farmington Free Methodist Mission PO Box 6132, Farmington, NM 87499. At the Arizona Conference Family Camp someone asked about the AIBM. Please note the AIBM is no longer affiliated with the Free Methodist Denomination and cash donations made to that ministry do not come to us. For more information about our ministry, contact Pastor Art at (505)325-4496 or email us at artandme@juno.com.

That last bit is straight from the News Letter I am getting ready to send out.

It's Sunday afternoon and I just got up from a nap. We have about an hour before the evening service starts. Just a few more comments before I close this and add some pictures. I am having a great time at work. It's such a blessing to have a job you truly love! 95+ great junior high students. The drive into school is beautiful - although gas prices are hurting, just a little. I've been on morning duty this week. I get to greet most of the students as they walk by, and I really enjoy the crisp autumn mornings... Praying and Praising the LORD. Art has begun Drug and Alcohol counseling on the Rez, in partnership with the Brethren in Christ mission. That is going pretty well. He gets to worship with the "guys" with drum songs, which he really enjoys. God is good, He keeps His promises, and we continue to trust, and take those simple steps of obedience.

God Bless You All!

August 2, 2008

Summer does not want to admit it's nearly over. It was in the hundreds yesterday, and today promises to be a scorcher as well. Thank God, that among many other things, the team from Michigan was able to fix the swamp coolers in the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall. But Summer vacation at least, is nearly over...school starts in just a couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to the "new year". It has been, as I predicted, a very quick, busy summer. I could use the break - getting back to the "old routine."
I've posted some pictures of the "Big Event" the week of July 20. I'd like to say that it was very well attended and we picked up several new families as a result. But in all honesty I can't. It was, however, a Big Success! July 20 was Pastor Art's birthday and the first day that the team from Michigan was with us. We shared a feast, and birthday cake after Sunday Morning worship and then drove out to the place on the Rez where VBS was supposed to be held. But due to some family related circumstances, that site fell through, and it was decided at the last minute that VBS would be held on our grounds. Mind you, there was no time to advertise. So I guess having an average attendance of 16 - with a total of 20 registered wasn't bad. On Monday work began, and boy did those folk work hard! They fixed a roof, and two swamp coolers, and did some great landscaping. They put up a tent, hauled rocks, handed out fliers, and put up insulation, drywall, and remodeled the kitchen in the fellowship hall and sorted out a ton of donated clothes. 5 days of heavy and joyful labor in the New Mexican heat! All to the glory of God. And in the evenings the God of Glory thundered. Under the purple tent - which by the way has now been donated to our ministry to keep - our Church family, the team from Michigan, and a handful of other guests were blessed by worship and teachings on worship. May God richly bless Nason, Casey, Duane, the drum team, Kenneth, Andrew, Julia, Michelle and the girls - who took the time to participate in our tent meetings - again, all to the glory of God.
So this week, Art painted the fellowship hall and I continued to pull weeds and water the plants the team planted. We're getting ready for our back to school event on August 9. The race continues, one simple step of obedience at a time. There is more to tell, but for now I will just let you enjoy some of the pictures. I would ask a favor of you though. You can leave a message after each post without having a blogger account. It's pretty easy. It would bless me if I know who was reading this thing. And if you scroll down, to the report on our cross country trip or even further, I'd like to know these types of reports aren't a waste of time. Just leave a short response. Also, continue please, to pray for our ministry and if you feel led, contribute to our work here. We'll send you a CD if you do...and if you want to receive our monthly newsletter, email us with your snail mail address. artandme@juno.com - The Farmington Free Methodist Mission - PO Box 6132 Farmington, NM 87499 - blessings and prayers - Maryellen

Evening Tent Meetings - Week of July 20

Vacation Bible School

The Team From Michigan

What an incredible blessing...

True Fasting

Or why we need housing units…
One of Pastor Art’s favorite sections of scripture to teach from is Isaiah 58 - the question of “true fasting” - the type of fast that YHWH finds acceptable (Isaiah 58:6-7), which parallels nicely Matthew 25: 35-36. We’ve been working on feeding the hungry, with our food pantry and nutritious refreshments after each service. And clothing the naked is taken care of with the abundance of donated clothes we have been receiving. So what about shelter for the homeless?
We need housing units.
We recently had a very nice visit from some folks from Phoenix who are the overseers of this ministry for the conference. By the end of this month we will have a newly remodeled fellowship hall, thanks to them and a team from Jackson Michigan that is coming down next week. And we’re getting new heating units for the Sanctuary building. Soon we will be able to convert the main building back into classrooms and offices. Praise the LORD! But the two existing housing units in the back, which are unusable at this time, are destined for the bull dozer. And they need to be replaced.
It was suggested that we ask for donations so that we can get some nice double-wides. But, I have never felt comfortable with asking for money. I kind of feel that that is the LORD’s business. Someone once coined the “cute” saying “The LORD’s will, the LORD’s bill”. I guess I think that if someone is supposed to give to our ministry, the Spirit will move them to do so, without my urging.
And we are trying to lease out some of our extra land, so that there is more money coming in. One of the problems with preaching good news to the poor - Isaiah 61:1 - is that there isn’t that much money in the offering basket.
I’ve been sending out monthly news letters (if you want to receive one, email me your snail mail address - artandme@juno.com) but I try not to exaggerate what we are doing, or specifically ask for funds. We invested in an online travel business, planning on using the commission we received to help support our ministry - but it turned out to be sort of a pyramid thing, probably not the wisest move - fortunately we invested in our name with our money, not the churches. If you want to check it out - http://www.ytbtravel.com/psalm1810 We also produced some C Ds. Which we though we might be able to offer for donations. But to be honest, they donations are not pouring in.
The real reason I am writing this post this morning is to express in words, for myself as well as for anyone who cares to read it, just why we need housing units. Is buying a few housing units really a wise use of the LORD’s resources?
Over the past year there have been at least three specific cases of us having to turn away people in need of temporary shelter. One was a woman whose son had been trying to find a job and housing in Phoenix. He was in the process of getting together enough to bring her there, but she had been evicted and was living in her car while she waited for him to send the funds. Another was a young man - an aids victim - who had a bus ticket to Albuquerque for treatment in a hospital there, but had no place to spend the night before the bus left. Praise God we had enough funds at that time to put him up in a small motel for the night. Most recently was a young man named Michael. When dealing with people in crisis, one needs to count on discernment. Pastor Art is pretty good at that, especially with his years of experience working at a homeless shelter in New York. It nice to be able to offer a safe and comfortable bed to those in need - after all, Hebrews 13:2 says not to neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.
But there are other reasons we need housing units. In the past, housing was available for the pastor, the caretakers, visiting speakers, and visiting mission teams. When the team comes from Michigan next week, they will be staying in dorms at the United Methodist run Navajo Prep School, since we have no place to put up 30 guests. It would be great to have a Men’s and Women’s unit - two three bedroom double wides.
And one of our plans is to sponsor teaching seminars and retreats for the pastors and ministry teams of some of the small churches on the Rez. With the nice “new” fellowship hall, and the main building set up as classrooms again, all we would need is a place to house them.
And it would have saved our recent guests from Arizona, two groups who brought donations of clothes, toys, and school supplies, some money if we had a place for them to stay.
2Kings 4:8-11 and Matt 10:11-13 are the verses I found this morning about providing shelter for prophets and apostles. I always look for scriptures to support something that I think “would be nice.”
We are striving to be more than a church. This ministry was set up 56 years ago to be a mission to the Navajo - the Dine‘ . It may not be a mission in the traditional sense of the word, but we will be more than a place that 20 people come to worship and fellowship. We already are more. We will share what we have. We will grow up disciples. This place will be restored (Isaiah 61:4) all to the glory of God, and for His purpose!
If you do feel led, you can sent donations to The Free Methodist Church at Farmington, PO Box 6132, Farmington, NM 87499. We’ll send you one of our CD’s if you ask.
Well, I’ve got work to do, errands to run, prayers to pray. Thanks for taking the time to read these posts. May God bless You! May God bless us everyone!

Road Trip Summer 2008 - To God Be The Glory!

Five Thousand Miles
For you will go out with joy and be led forth with peace, The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you…Isaiah 55:12
Yet, isn’t it annoying how the enemy can make us doubt, second guess, and fret even when we fully believe it’s a God thing. This journey was a God thing from start to finish. We were doing Kingdom business. And even now, when I am tempted to think “was it worth it?” He reminds me of Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart”
that’s from what I call the “Fret Not” psalm.
And then of course there is Proverbs 3 :5-6, the gist of it being - Trust, do not lean on your own understanding, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
All this to say, this was a delightful trip. The mountains and hills, rivers and trees, declared His glory! And we were blessed with many joyful encounters and peace filled moments.
It was not exactly what we had planned. When we found out that Julia wouldn’t be able to go with us, we decided to use the money we had budgeted for her part of the trip to produce a CD of “our” music. We felt it was important to take a sample of the sound of the land, this land, Dine’Tah, - ToTah. To bring a blessing with us to the Native American Prayer Gathering in Lancaster, NY. I used the first two songs on the CD to go with a power point slide show of images of the people and places that mean so much to our Ministry.
We thought maybe we could sell a few to help finance our work, but that was not the main reason for investing in it. This music, these new songs and dances, with native flutes and drums, sung in the Spirit and Tongue of the land, are an important part of the vision and promise of our Church. Liberty and a garland of joy and praise to a people who were denied the right to worship the Creator with the songs He put into their hearts. (we do have CD's for sale - $12 donation - make checks out to Farmington Free Methodist Church)
We were happy to share those songs and that vision with the team in Michigan who will be here this month to help remodel the fellowship hall and do some other work in the area. They are a wonderful, enthusiastic group and we are trusting the LORD for big things to happen when they are here. I wish we had a place to house them on the property and we are very grateful to the United Methodist ministry here that is going to put them up. From Michigan we headed for Lancaster and the Prayer gathering.
The event took place at the Tree of Life church, a beautiful church with some awesome art and a heart for Native style worship, all to the glory of God, Yahweh and His Son, Jesus Christ. God bless our new friend and brother, Carmen, who had the heart to call this gathering, the first of what will surely become a regular event. It began at Midnight, Friday June 20. For several hours, our slide show was running while a series of Native Worship CDs played. Our CD was one of them, and they were happy when we gave it to them. Not only did we get a chance to pray , but we also got to learn a lot about the uniqueness of the Seneca, Mohawk and the Iroquois Confederation, their stories, their culture, and the lives they live. There were not a whole lot of people in attendance, but they very pleased that we made an effort to be there.
We were hoping that we would have a chance to speak at several churches on the trip. Sort of like doing deposition - like real missionaries. But this trip wasn’t about collecting money or earning support. We did speak at Aldersgate, United Methodist Church - again sharing the pictures and sounds of the land. We had numerous chances to visit with small groups and old friends, proclaiming what God was doing here on the Bisti. We were planning to leave on June 25, after a few quick visits with my family and some very dear friends. But then the vehicle began to clunk and whine, and our stay was extended. Dealing with a small car dealership in New Mexico and a repair shop in New York was a very frustrating challenge. Waiting for the part, running out of money, missing another Sunday at our little church - fretting seemed unavoidable. But Carol and Chris opened their home to us and we had more precious time to share with them and their family. I had time to find out that my great aunt, who I hadn’t seen in over 20 years was alive and well at the Sister’s of Saint Joseph Mother House - at the wonderful age of 101 - she’ll be 102 in October, and we had a nice visit. We worshiped with friends at Bethel Full Gospel Church, walked on the beach of the great lake Ontario, and cooked marshmallows around a back yard campfire. I got to spend some more time with my mother. When the vehicle was finally fixed it was hard to say good by. But we were very glad to be on the road again, heading south west, with the LORD leading the way. The long, peaceful drive gave us time to reflect and pray. Here are some random things that we realized on our trip:
Three year olds are very interesting people. We met quite a few along the way…from almost three to not quite four (6 in all) and they were delightful.
Even when you are 102 years old and a bit forgetful, you can still pray fervently.
There is an incredible amount of beautiful things in this country of ours. Many of the cities we drove through seemed old and tired but between the cities there are miles and miles of mountains and hills, fields and valleys, and a lot of cows to remind us that our Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills.
Life on a Reservation back east is a lot different than live on the Navajo Nation. And the non-natives don’t know much about it. They don’t see many “Indians” and don’t often recognize them when they do see them. It’s all about cheap cigarettes and casinos. But as he is here in Dinetah - the Holy Spirit is moving and people of all tribes, tongues, and nations - even the “white” people, are beginning to realize at long last, that Jesus is not the WhiteMan’s God.
On Sunday, June 29 - the pastor of Bethel Church, a large and Spirit filled church, talked about walking the path and running the race. This sounded familiar as I wrote notes down in my prayer journal. As we talked about it on the way home, I remembered that our Bishop, Matt Thomas spoke on a similar theme at annual conference. I flipped back pages in my journal and found the notes I had taken during that talk. At the top of the page I had written the words “Remember Bethel” I don‘t even remember why, but it proves to me that God knows where we are, and where we will be when we trust in Him and don’t lean on our own understanding.
I am looking forward to worshiping in our little Church tomorrow. It too is a Spirit filled church. I am remembering what the Pastor in Rochester New York said about being church by living together. I am remembering what Bishop Thomas said, like running a marathon - growing a small church isn’t hard, its just painful, as you strain to put one foot in front of another.
And we are committed to continue the good race, one simple step of obedience after another. Thank you all for your prayers.

Blessings along the way...