First Mesa - Hopi Reservation 08-28-2009

First Mesa is more primitive looking - the people were less friendly and they have things to sell from the front of almost every home. The roadway is narrow driving through and we didn't stop......the children were by the first house and he had a "kool-aid thumb"............they were darling.........one man stepped out and told us it was $20 per picture if we wanted to take pictures.............Their outhouses hang over the edge of the plateau and look pretty scary! We didn't stay long here........we had been here with Elder & Sister Park when we first came on our mission.

Family home as we left Second Mesa...........The children go to school from here to a school near by, the children often go off to college they told us...........

Cemetary - Second Mesa

The cemetary was down off the Mesa on the hill and was fenced off with no entry signs......we just drove by and didn't stop, but took a few shots as we drove down the hill. The rock piles were by each grave.............

Second Mesa - Hopi Reservation

There are three Mesa's on which people live which are on the Hopi Reservation. On the ride home from Zone Conference, we took the two young Elders that were riding with us and drove up on two......First we went to Second Mesa.........we weren't sure if they would let white people (Biligana) up there, but we stopped and brave Elder Hafen (who talks to EVERYONE) went up to a home and asked about it and they told us sure we could go...........they said that on Second Mesa it is just one family and that the families living there had been living there for at least 1,000 years..............Fascinating...............

Zone Conference.....................

Elder Hafen and the Elders unpacking the car at conference.................two pictures of the Tuba City church - it was very pretty and we were reminded of our churches at home........... The ward there cooked the lunch for us - it was very nice............

Zone Conference 08-28-2009

Zone Conference in Tuba City........................Tuba City is smack dab in the middle of the Navajo Reservation, where the little block of land of the Hopi Reservation sits................It was about a 2 1/2 hour drive there.................The land was different than our Reservation - whiter soil and rocks and then all of a sudden there was Tuba City out in the middle of that with Red Soil. Tuba City had many brand new businesses. I asked about that and they said than until very recently the Hopi had made it almost impossible to get land............and now they have released it and there were many NEW businesses there. Fast foods, motels, etc..............

Life is GOOD.......

As you can see - the Navajo people are beautiful................they love us and we love them and it just doesn't get any better than that............ We are enjoying cooler temperatures this summer than they have experienced for the past few summers............we don't get higher than upper 80's and very cool evenings.........we are definitely in the mountains here! We have been very blessed. The office has had more placements this month than they have had for a long time!!! The Addiction Recovery is great............'

We send our love and best wishes to everyone back home...............

Dinner & Lesson on the Temple with Kaaloe's.....

Were invited to haved Navajo Tacos with the Kaaloe Family in Fort Defiance........This is the couple with the baby who had the cleft palate surgery...........you can see how good he looks! What a neat family. The father is Hawaiin and the Mother is Navajo...........they have the three boys - great boys. The middle boy wanted Elder Hafen to show him how to tie a tie - so they had a lesson on that while we were there.................then he wanted us to see him in his new football outfit - he had started practice last week.............had a great evening............

The Elders were there for dinner and then left - they had some grilled green chilis............and the Elders both took one. They were sitting across the table from us and all of a sudden I could see them both sweating.............and Elder Pearce asked if he could have another bottle of water........but they never said a word to the Kaaloe's.................afterwards when we were talking about it we thought we'd die laughing...................I'll bet they never eat pepper's again!!!!!!!!!!!

Drive to Sheep Springs...............

We just wanted to drive to get away for a little bit - so we took a drive up past Crystal and over the mountain to Sheep Springs.................The mountain was so beautiful - even saw some aspen trees (which reminded us of Utah)..........and then we dropped into "utter desolation" which is called "Sheep Springs".....................talked to a little missionary couple there. As we left we just felt again SO blessed to be serving our mission in Window Rock - it is like paradise compared to Sheep Springs.............Nice day and nice get away!

Baptism of Juliette Etsitty 08-22-2009

This was a great day as the 15 year-old daughter of Victor & Roberta Etsitty............it was a nice day with a wonderful program. Elder Hafen conducted the meeting and the ward supported it really well...........Sister Chun is the Young Women president (of the young women organization) and she gave one talk, her husband another. And then the girls Juliette's age came and welcomed her into the church and told her how they loved the church and the Young Women's Program.............fun lunch after - had a 5' sub from Subway - and I was reqested to make the care! Juliette is a sweet girl.............

August Career Workshop

Our workshop in August was great! We had 12 candidates there and it was just so fun to watch them get stronger and more confident as the workshop progressed. We did some mock interviews again - people love that. Everyone told us that the workshop needed to be longer, so next month we will do from 9-3 and see how that goes..........This is rewarding work. We have had several people come after they have been on job interviews or landed a job that tell us how much the workshop helped in preparing them for what they needed...........HOORAY!