Chinle Mission Trip Reflections

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August 26, 2009

By Judy Washburn

 

I make my living teaching school. Over the years, I've been challenged by the message to "use your gifts." The Chinle mission project - teaching Bible School on the Navajo Indian Reservation - appeared "tailor made" for me. I'm afraid I reacted to this "call to missions" like many people. I ignored it for years. I made up many excuses about how I couldn't go.  For example, I work summer quarter, I take family vacations during that time, I won't know anyone else on the team, etc.

 

Two years ago, the "excuses" dried up. My friend, another teacher, and I talked it over and decided to go. We picked a challenging year. That spring the Chinle church had been burned. We didn't have the use of Sunday school rooms or the sanctuary. I was impressed how the team members kept a positive attitude throughout the trying time. We adjusted, shared limited space, and came home exhausted.

 

This was my second year on the Chinle team. This year I felt more prepared with lesson plans and supplies. We had so many supplies this year that we had to add a roof carrier to the Chevy Tahoe.  My daughter and one of her friends volunteered to go along and help teach. We made plans to see the "sights" during our time in northern Arizona. I thought I was really prepared.

 

I wasn't. When I met the children this year, I remembered many of them from last summer.  Some had really changed. It was heart breaking to see the loss of hope in their eyes.

 

Some of the children come to Bible School just because there is literally nothing else to do in town. The poverty is overwhelming. As I talked to the children, I learned better what it's like to accept being poor. One boy told me that his Little League team had won all its games and was invited to go to Phoenix for the playoffs. The team wasn't going because they couldn't raise the money for the trip. He just accepted this; it's just the way it is. A more disturbing experience for me was to see the change in the dress and behavior of two of the girls. Last year they appeared filled with openness and hope; this year they dressed in oversized men's clothes, cut their hair, and withdrew. One of the team members noticed that several of the high school boys were "cutters." Even I know that that is often a symptom of depression.

 

I came home pretty upset. As I "debriefed" by talking endlessly to my husband and son, I began to realize that part of the problem is me. I want to be in control I want to fix all the problems there and I can't. I'm not in control, God is.

 

However, I can go back and love those kids. I can offer them Jesus. I better understand Jesus' story about the farmer who sowed the seeds on rocky as well as fertile ground. We sowed some seeds. That's all I can do. I pray that some of them take root and grow.

 

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