Life on the "Rez"

This is really what the Reservation is called here.................so we are enjoying "The Rez"........and becoming quite adapted to the Native American life style........... "Ya-ta-eh".............

This has been a busy week. We are still trying to get managing this office under our belt. We had a busy and fun week. Our ward mission leader Brother Tully (Tooley) has challenged us to learn a few Navajo words and to use them when we are out with people..........It was the morning after that challenge in our Wednesday night meeting......Elder Hafen and I greeted two people coming into the office "Ya ta eh".............and it was just amazing to us to see their countenance change and warm to us.............then they proceeded to tell us another word or two. They were probably in their 40's and neither had ever used a computer............so we looked for jobs in our books and then I went online and filled out 2 applications for each of them.............we visited quite a bit while we were doing all of this and by the time they left - we felt close to them.........His name was Tery Manyfarms and her last name was Bia........anyway, when she went up the steps, she turned around and came back and gave me a hug - thanking me many times for the help we had given them!!! This is rewarding work...........

Had a young man come in who had gone to Arizona State last year - he was a member of our church and had served a mission in Peru, so he speaks Spanish, English and Navajo........he is just home for summer. He is majoring in acting.....has made some films for the Sundance film festival
and also acted for some. He wanted to do any kind of work for summer............But it was just so interesting that right after he was in the Branch President of the Crystal Branch called. President Luis and he is making a film and needed some men for xtras and also some other crew members and was excited to talk to the young man when I mentioned him............I called the young man..............Stanley Silentwalker and he was so excited. Will find out this week if they connected and he got a job........