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2009 Chinle Mission Trip Report
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August 26, 2009
July 18-25, 2009
The Navajo mission team arrived safely in Chinle on July 18, 2009. Rev. Constance McIntosh (Pastor Khan) the new pastor there had cleaned and prepared the rooms we were going to need, and was excitedly waiting for our arrival. Three families on the team spent the afternoon setting up their RV's and hooking up to the electricity. The other team members checked into the hotels and we all met for dinner together at the Thunderbird Lodge. We invited the pastor to join us, which she was thrilled to do.
On Sunday at 10:00 a.m. we went to their church which was now held in the Fellowship Hall due to the fire destruction last year. Pastor Khan has been working since the first part of November moving in, getting to know the people and their culture, and arranging for estimates on the rebuilding, as well as doing all her pastoral duties. She finally has a construction team that can work with Trinity's needs and are hoping to start in August. They will be living at the church during the week, and going home to Flagstaff on the week-end. This is an answer to prayer for all of our Navajo friends and to us also.
After lunch on Sunday, the team all worked together unloading the vehicles, preparing the kitchen for our meals, setting up for VBS and decorating the rooms. We were very concerned about how we could work with so many children and the limited facilities. We set up three elementary groups outside, with tarps for shade, assigned the high school to their sanctuary, and the junior high the Sunday school room. So actually everything worked out very well. After preparing all the facilities, many team leaders worked together preparing for the first day, and we all had our first dinner together at Trinity.
Due to the limited area, Danny Hallwood at Del Muerto Presbyterian Church, allowed the women's group to meet in his fellowship hall. It worked out wonderfully, except for the fact that the team was separated throughout the week.
We had a couple of men who did projects around the church during the week. The pastor wanted us to make the playground safe and fun for children, so they fixed and hung swings, put a safety rail around the high fort, moved some of the equipment to a better location, and did some plastering and dry wall around a new double door into their sanctuary. These men really put in many hours of hard labor. The only project we were unable to complete is to hang a basketball backboard and hoop. When the project team went to Gallup, a 90 minute drive, to purchase supplies they were unable to find any of these items. So we are planning to purchase it here and take it in December when we take the Christmas gifts. Basketball is the favorite sport for all the Navajo, and Pastor Khan wants the children to come to the playground, as she has a passion for reaching kids.
Gilbert Brown a Navajo adult who had been coming to VBS many years before when he was young stayed each day and helped the project team and many others with anything that needed to be done. One interesting request was to dig up the ashes of Grandma Gray who had been buried there when her husband Joseph Gray was the pastor for over 25 years. He has since passed away at the age of 102 and is buried here in Rose Hills. The family and the Navajo people felt she should be buried with her husband. So Jim Brennan, Jasper Tso and Gilbert Brown dug up her head stone, and the box with her ashes and put it in the Brennan's vehicle to transport her home.
We took a team picture early Monday morning, and Jim Brennan then took the school bus that a few years ago we gave as a gift to Trinity to go to the pick up sites to get the kids. Khan and Jasper had spent a great deal of time, before we arrived getting the bus in excellent working order. They bought new batteries, new cables and a new starter. They knew the importance of the bus, as without us being able to pick up the kids there wouldn't be many children able to attend VBS due to no transportation. This was an incredible blessing.
We had almost 100 kids participating each day in VBS. The music and songs, the lessons, snacks, and time with them was awesome. Many of the team got to know the kids much better. We did have to do some program changing due to Wednesday being a rainy day, but it worked very well. The exciting thing for us was at the beginning of the week, only the elementary kids would do the songs and hand motions, but by Wednesday everyone, including the high school were standing up and singing and doing the hand motions. They sang so loud that the building vibrated with the songs. It was awesome. They all enjoyed it too, as every time we were finished they wanted to sing it again.
During the week we got pictures and bio information on most of the children, so they could participate in a sponsorship program that will be starting for them at Glenkirk in November. We actually got several of them sponsored for $25 each for next year's VBS, which is a pirate theme. Pastor Khan is excited and planning on working at her end to get several of the older kids to help with each of our teams. She also plans on being there every day and was thrilled to see so many children participating in our VBS.
The Women's Retreat held at Del Muerto Church was extremely successful. They had at least 20 regular attendee's and did a study on the book of Esther. They learned that God is asking them to step out of the boat and not stay in their own safe place. They discussed prayer, salvation, family, community, and church needs, sharing their faith with non-believers, and the importance of praying, reading the Bible, and going to church. They shared in small groups their discoveries about themselves, their prayer requests, and asked some to share their testimonies. They were served coffee and desserts, and did some crafts with flowerpots, and painted shirts that they were able to stencil on the words "Women of Faith. They were left with the idea of what action could they take now and in the future. Something they would commit to doing this year and they were to choose one friend that would hold them accountable.
After each day of VBS the team would meet together for lunch and make any changes that we found were necessary to improve each day. Then the team had a bit of down time. The assistant cooking team would go to Basha's Market for the needed supplies, and the cooking team would start around 4:00 preparing dinner. We would have a devotion prior to dinner, and invited the Navajo to join us. The clean-up team would them do the dishes and clean the kitchen.
On Monday evening after dinner Marilyn Tso, and Rena Begay gave us some history of the Navajo culture and we were able to ask several questions. On Wednesday many of the team went down the White House Walk along with many Navajo kids. It provided lots of fun and laughter for all of us. On Thursday evening we shared experiences and blessings that we had witnessed and circled up for prayer. One Navajo family we know needed prayer in the death of their daughter Lianne who had just died in child birth, and the decisions regarding the placement of her baby girl Alice.
On Friday we had a drawing for six bicycles that were donated by Wal Mart and had been repaired. Those children that had perfect attendance received one ticket, as well as those who knew the bible verse each day. This brought a lot of excitement to all of them. This is only the second year that we had a drawing for bicycles. Many shared hugs with the team before they had to leave for home.
There was one challenging experience when two high school girls started fighting. Pastor Khan spent time talking with them in hopes of them reconciling. However, at the end of the day one of them attacked the other again, and several of us had to pull them apart.
We left Pastor Khan with $550 to cover the use of the electricity and utilities while we were there.
After returning home and seeing many of the team members we all felt this was an incredible week in Chinle. We are planning a debriefing meeting for September 20 to go over details with everyone.
We want to lift up Pastor Constance McIntosh in prayer due to all her pastoral responsibilities, with the rebuilding, having her own church, settling in her new home, and getting to know all the Navajo people and their culture, as well as dealing with their many challenges. She is overburdened, yet God has definitely called her to Trinity. Also we pray for the congregation to adjust to her ways and to feel loved and protected.
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