2008 Chinle Mission Trip Report

July 18-26, 2008

The majority of the Chinle mission team of 36 people left Glendora on Friday, July 18, 2008. Since the trip takes approximately 12 hours to drive most of the team left the day before and drove half way. Every car was loaded down with food for the team, supplies for VBS for the children, the women’s Bible study materials, tools needed for repairs at the church, new school supplies for the Navajo children, rebuilt computers, and eight new bicycles. Since there are no facilities in Chinle to make many of the purchases needed we had to do most of the preparing beforehand so that we could bring what was needed with us. We are able to purchase perishables and some grocery items at Bashes’.

We had car trouble and had to leave our vehicle in Lake Havasu. There were no cars to rent as all four of the rental dealers had nothing available, so we were stranded. Fortunately Mike and Kim Muras drove late Friday night and brought Mike’s commercial pick-up to us. We were then able to get all of the supplies out of our vehicle and continue our trip to Chinle.

When we arrived at Trinity, several of the team had already checked into the Best Western, and we began setting up our trailer at the church. The parking lot there was piled with a lot of fire debris and all the used clothing that came out of the thrift store. Several of the congregation had begun working together to make the thrift store their Sunday school room. By the next morning they had moved all of the debris and given away all the used clothes, and continued working around the church all week to clean up the weeds and miscellaneous debris that had been collecting for years. They also did some outside repair jobs and painting. They have united together and were taking pride in their facilities.

The most heartbreaking experience, which none of us were prepared for, was seeing the total devastation to the six rooms and the sanctuary that was caused by the fire that vandals had set when they broke in a few weeks prior. The insurance investigators are considering everything a total loss. Their church service has been moved to Fellowship Hall, and now they can have Sunday school in the thrift store building.

On Sunday we all attended the 10:00 a.m. service at Trinity. There was a visiting pastor who did the sermon. They introduced the Glenkirk team and announced the plans for the week, which most of them were aware of since we had sent flyers several weeks prior. After the service we spent some time visiting with the Navajo people. Everyone took time to go to lunch and we met back at 2:00 p.m. to prepare for the week.

We then spent the rest of the day unpacking the vehicles, setting up the kitchen supplies, decorating fellowship hall, and setting up the areas for each team. The cooking assistance team went to Bashas’ for the perishable items, and the men’s team drove 90 miles to Gallup to get the needed materials for the repair jobs they were planning. A team also set up six of the rebuilt computers, so that there can be basic lessons given to those who were going to take them home. Once we had the facility ready we met together to go over the plans for Monday, our first day. The cooking team started preparing for our dinner. Prior to dinner we played a “Get Acquainted” game and Caitlyn Brennan did the devotion about unity and teamwork. She had us hang bags with our names on them and during the week we were to write little notes to individuals when we saw something they did that was special or beneficial to our goals.

On Monday morning the team met at 8:00 a.m. for a team picture and then Jim Brennan took the church bus to pick up the Navajo kids while the rest of us prepared for the day. When the kids would arrive they checked in at the registration table and were assigned a group according to their age. At 9:00 a.m. we started the day with Caitlyn leading the praise and worship that went along with the Power Lab program, “Discovering God’s Miraculous Power.” We did the same program that Glenkirk had done the previous week. Randy Keeth gave basic instructions to the kids regarding their behavior, and if they have perfect attendance and know the bible verse each day they will be given tickets for the raffle of the bikes on Friday. He explained the Bible point for the day which was, God gives us the power to be thankful. Caitlyn and Sierra Lingan performed a skit each day that related to the bible point which the kids really enjoyed. The kids were dismissed by groups where they went over the bible story for the day and got acquainted. At the rotation times they either went to snack, craft or games. At 11:30 we called them back into Fellowship Hall where we reviewed the day, did worship and prayer, then dismissed the children. Jim would then drive the children back to their drop off site. We had 100 kids the first day.

During this time Susan and Joann met in the Sunday school room with the Navajo women and did a Bible study, and served coffee and special snacks. There were at least 29 different women that attended during the week.

Once we cleaned up the area we met for lunch and reviewed the day and where we needed to make changes. We all had a few hours of free time, to rest, visit the overlooks, or meet with some of the Navajo women. The cooking assistance team went to the grocery store for basics needed for dinner and lunch the next day. We then met back at 6:00 where we again had a get acquainted game and devotion before dinner. Many of the Navajo joined us. We had a clean-up team assigned each day so the cooks didn’t have to worry about it.

Each day basically followed the same procedure but with different bible story. The team leaders were extremely prepared each day with the lesson, games and experiments that pertained to each day. The project team did many small repairs in the manse and fellowship hall. They have a new pastor coming soon, and they have been working to prepare the manse for her. They put up drywall and plastered, fixed a vent on the roof of the manse, helped the Navajo with the clean-up, and put in a water purifier and filter in the manse kitchen. They helped set up, teach and deliver computers to the Navajo people, and cleaned up and repaired some of the electronic equipment that was smoke damaged from the fire. They also installed a wireless router the enables more computers to be hooked up to the existing DSL line for training purposes of the Navajo. The team was able to complete all the projects they decided to do.

On Tuesday afternoon several of the team went horseback riding into Canyon de Chelley and learned a lot about the history there. Before dinner Marilyn Tso spent time sharing with us about their Navajo culture. Her granddaughters Jacy and Cierra were dressed in the traditional Navajo costumes and they sang a song in Navajo for us.     

On Wednesday we had 134 students for VBS, the most we have ever had in one day. The amazing thing also is that there were at least 25 in both the junior high and high school each day. The kids were learning the sign language and the songs. That evening many Navajo joined us for dinner and we ate earlier so we could walk down the “White House” trail. It is the only area where you can enter the canyon without a Navajo guide. As soon as dinner was over there were even more kids that wanted to join us on the walk. Several of the team who had done it in previous years, sat up at the top and cheered the rest on. There had been so much rain this year everything was very green, and there was a lot of water in the canyon along with mosquitoes. In the last thirteen years we had never seen even one mosquito, but this year they were everywhere.

On Thursday after VBS we had lunch and all prepared the school supplies that we brought for the kids. Those with perfect attendance were getting theirs in backpacks. The team leaders collected everything for their team to be distributed on Friday during their team time. After dinner we all stayed in Fellowship Hall and prayed for the congregation, for their rebuilding, strength and unity, and for the perpetrators, for the new pastor, and for the health of several Navajo who were going through challenges.

Friday we finished up the week after their group time with lots of songs that they came to love, and the raffle of the bikes. Those who won were very excited and their families picked them up so they could take the bikes home. We said our goodbyes to the kids, and told them we would be returning in December and again next year, then proceeded to clean everything up and pack the vehicles. We gave Jasper Tso the caretaker of Trinity, and an elder $400.00 to cover the utility expenses we used.

This was a very special week, especially since we had more Navajo kids than ever. They all look forward to when Glenkirk comes. The weather was wonderful, not as hot as usual, and the mosquitoes were the only issue. The team was incredible with everyone doing their part and more. We all worked together very well. Many of the team are amazed at the poverty level here in the United States. We will be learning more from the team at out debriefing meeting in September. We are very blessed that “God gives us the power to be thankful,” and that He sent us to Chinle and has given us the privilege to serve Him there.

Jim and Lee Anne Brennan

Team Leaders

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