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December 22nd, 2009 From: Becky Knopf - 5th & 6th Grade Teacher 
Dear friends of Immanuel Mission,
We are so appreciative of the work you put into gathering and sending the Box Tops out here. Thank you, everyone. The school receives checks twice a year, thanks to the Box Tops for Education program. Box Tops are worthless if they are torn, so I am asking that you keep mailing them out here, but please do not put any tape on them at all.
=> We are stopping the Campbell’s UPC program; they are so time-consuming to process and they are just not worth the effort. We thank you for years of saving/sending them to us, in the past.
=> We do not use Betty Crocker coupons either; in fact Betty has shut that program down herself. 
December 18th, 2009 From: Willard Shannon - Maintenance Man 
Our God is an Awesome God! It has been really neat to see how God works everything out. Last year I went back to WV to visit an aunt. I had hopes of making it back to visit her again within the next two years. A little over a month ago I had been thinking about my aunt and didn’t see any way that it would work out to visit any time soon. I was talking to God about a few things and told Him about my hopes of visiting her but didn’t see how it would work out in the time frame. About a week went by and John asked if I would be willing to fly to GA to pick up a van that was donated and drive it back. I said yes almost immediately seeing it as a good opportunity to see more of our country. John found me a flight that was to leave in about two weeks. A week later I was Google mapping my route back when I got to wondering how far it was from where I was picking up the van to where my aunt lives. I did a few calculations and figured it would be about a 5th the cost of any other way. So I asked John if it would be all right to take an extra week and he said that would be fine. While at my aunt’s, I was able to fix a few things for her. My aunt also took me to the Creation Museum, a place I have wanted to visit ever since they opened. The whole trip was just a real blessing. It’s been neat to see God working out all the little details. Our God is truly Awesome.
“Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.”
(Psalms 84:9-12)
December 16th, 2009 From: Becky Knopf - 5th & 6th Grade Teacher TODAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID THERE HAS BEEN BORN FOR YOU A SAVIOR, WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD. LUKE 2:11
[2010, Can you believe it?! Anyone noticed where 2009 went? It was here a moment ago]
Dear friends,
Out here at Immanuel Mission, the daily temperatures are freezing (!) and we have entered into the ‘brouhaha’ (make that brou-ho-ho-ho) that is the end of the year.
Community CHRISTmas will be celebrated Saturday, the 12th, Lord-willing. Mr. John encourages each Elementary class to do something for the celebration. My class is attempting to do a stable scene ‘tableau,’ with passages from Matthew and Luke being read. Miss Denny has the chapel body practicing a couple of Christmas songs in Navajo. Mrs. Ruth has been setting aside little crafts [involving gluing, cutting, twisting, coloring, stringing, etc.] for small children to work on during the event, as it involves sitting for 3-4 hours, basically, for everyone else. She sets tables up in the hallway just outside the gym and I usually help HER out there.
Children’s CHRISTMAS, the last day of school, is on Dec. 17. Ruth and I are working on the bags of gifts for the students. It is a thrill to see God provide the exact number of a kind of gift needed for that class. We love seeing His provision daily.
A month ago, Anne and I went to a small rodeo for ‘local’ Jr. High/High School students. One of our students was in the bull-riding event (!) I had a great time watching those fearless young people. ”Woolly-riders” were new to me, but what a HOOT they are! Their cowboy outfits were complete and made of (get this) ,satin!
Be freshly amazed with me at Jesus Christ’s birth. Take in the words of the carols written so long ago, and so familiar to us. Fairly recently Chris Rice (I think) wrote a song called “Welcome to Our World” My favorite verse says,
Fragile finger sent to heal us, tender brow prepared for thorn,
tiny heart whose blood will save us, unto us is born, unto us is born.
What a miracle His love is . . .
P.S. Thank you for your checks, notes of encouragement, prayers, and Box Tops.
December 15th, 2009 From: Solomon Sun - 4th Grade Teacher This is my family’s third year at Immanuel Mission. So far, this year has brought challenges to our lives that we have not experienced previously. I must admit that true friendships are among the many things that are hard to come by out here. Some of the many struggles for us have really hit home in this third year. It is difficult to avoid feelings of frustration, anger, and discouragement as you work so closely with the community and fellow staff. It is a battle of will’s; God’s, Satan’s, and our own. So at times, when we are struggling with the school and our students, Satan is throwing a lot at us. But what we must not forget is that God is good… always.
God uses the many supporters of Immanuel Mission to keep the Mission operating and to be an encouragement. All of those who give help to “keep our heads up” and remind us that this ministry of teaching and showing the Navajo of Sweetwater community the love of Christ is what God wants. It is His will; and our lives should revolve around God’s will, not our own. Seeing donations come in from all parts of the country make living on the reservation so much easier to cope with. We must all know and remember that the Mission, school, and people are what God has brought us here for. Immanuel Mission is able to provide for the financially hurting a Christian education, a breakfast and lunch program, and healthy activities that promote family unity and togetherness. Also, it allows the teachers, God-fearing and well-trained, to really put into practice their love for Christ as it relates to their teaching, themselves, and our community. Sweetwater families, plus the staff who rely on your support, thank you greatly.
Immanuel Mission is doing well and making a difference, because of its great support system. The main prayer requests that we all have, would be God continuing the support that He does provide, the safety of the community, and for God to persuade more hearts to come to Him for guidance and love. Thank you all for praying for Immanuel Mission as it continues to serve the Navajo Nation.
December 12th, 2009 From: Hannah Barr - 2nd Grade Teacher God’s timing is amazing. I know this, yet every time something falls perfectly into place I am always so amazed and surprised. I laugh at myself because no matter how many times it happens, I am always so awe struck at God’s perfect plan. As silly as it is, I am glad I haven’t lost that awe and appreciation for God’s incredible timing. In particular, I am thinking of how grateful I am to have one year of teaching under my belt. I now know that last year was training for this year. This year brings many challenges in my classroom that might have had me saying, “I quit” last year. God knew that, so He made sure I had some training and preparation before this year. I am so grateful to Him for that and even though I often leave school thinking, “what am I doing?” I know that I am doing my best and trusting my abilities.
I am so happy to be back at Immanuel Mission for my second year. I have mentioned this before in some of my previous newsletters, but I wake up every single morning excited to face each day. I can’t remember another time in my life where I loved getting out of bed every morning. That tells me I am exactly where God wants me. It is so much fun moving beyond the introductions with the community and on to the getting-to-know-you stage. I am slowly getting to know more of the students better and even some of the parents. Building relationships is so important to spreading God’s Word and I think I am slowly building relationships.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to be here in Sweetwater, building relationships and teaching the Word of God. I am thankful and excited for God’s plan in my life and for His plan in the Sweetwater community.
December 9th, 2009 From: John Bloom - School Principal 
Recently our assembly held its fall camp meeting. This is like a gospel outreach and conference all in one. One of our Jr. High girls, Shantelle, responded to the gospel and accepted Christ as Savior. She is the granddaughter of one of our Navajo elders. It is fun to see the change in her countenance. Immediately she wanted to get her cousins and siblings together on Sunday morning for Sunday school which she taught. Also, we heard that recently an older grandfather, Dean Paul, has trusted the Lord. His wife has been a believer for many years but he has always seemed hard to the gospel. His two grand-daughters are in our school. We are rejoicing that God’s word is bearing fruit in our community. Another lady, Lucy, approached me at fellowship lunch about taking communion. She had trusted the Lord years ago but had strayed away. Recently she has come back to the Lord, been attending regularly on Sunday, but was not sure about taking communion. It was neat to see her excitement in taking part for the first time in many years last Sunday. Please pray for these new believers.
December 6th, 2009 From: Becky Knopf - 5th & 6th Grade Teacher If you knew my students, you would delight in them as much as I do.
One of my 6th graders has discovered that when he pays close attention during class, he hardly has to study for tests to get A’s! C-O-O-O-O-L!
My students are discovering that it pays to try giving an answer, whether they are correct or not because trying and participating in class are important behaviors to Miss Becky.
They have learned that a large picture scores a higher grade than a teeny-weenie offering in the center of a piece of paper in ART class.
Sitting up in class is meritorious!
Helping others, picking up trash, flushing un-flushed toilets [Ewww; I know, but let's get real here!] and volunteering for chores are behaviors that please their teacher because she thinks those are the sort of things that Jesus would do if He were in our class. And they are right!!
Some of them come over to greet me every morning when the bus drops them off (I just love that) while others choose to hug me daily–who can’t benefit from one of those regularly and voluntarily given?
They don’t all know my Lord and Savior yet — but hope springs eternal. Romans 10:13
Thank you for praying with me for Angel, Hernalia, Amanda, DeBryanna, Justin, Cleandro, Laqueta, Crystal, Tomika, Juanita, Darren, Shania, and Aaliyah.
Oh, and pray for their teacher, Miss Becky.
December 3rd, 2009 From: Esther Yazzie - 3rd Grade Teacher 
One time we were missing some important keys. We didn’t know how we lost the keys or who used them last. We had looked everywhere in the house, outside, and in every jacket pocket. Still no keys. Two weeks went by and I started praying for the keys to be found. On Monday when I came home from work I felt hungry for homemade bread. This had never happened to me before. I don’t like to make bread because it is too messy and too much work. I went into the kitchen and put all the ingredients on the table. Then I thought about my favorite apron. It was the apron my husband had made for me. I took it out and put it on and I heard the keys in the pocket. I thanked God. He made me hungry for bread and reminded me to wear my favorite apron. That’s how the keys were found.
November 30th, 2009 From: John Bloom - School Principal 
Recently the mission has been given some great gifts of personal property which are known as “Gifts-in-kind.” We have been given two vans, four cases of copy paper, three furnaces and two acres of land. These gifts are tax deductible and you will get a gift-in-kind receipt if desired. Of course we continue to need good new and used clothes, household items, and school supplies, but it has been great to see God supply even bigger items for our use.
November 27th, 2009 From: Kathy Staley - School Counselor Dear Friends and Relatives,
The trip to Israel has come and gone but the memories and photos will continue to be mine. This truly was a trip of a lifetime with many deeply moving sites and experiences. I will try to highlight just a few of those.
Early on in the tour we went to where it is believed that Moses led the Israelites across the Red Sea. Divers have actually found coral-encrusted chariot wheels buried deep under the water there in the Gulf of Aqaba.
My favorite places were the places Jesus walked. In Nazareth there is a village depicting what His life would have been like, a wonderful recreation with costumed guides. It was especially moving to go into the synagogue and to be reminded of Jesus entering. Picking up the scrolls He read from Isa. 61, “the Spirit of the Lord is on me; he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.” We saw a typical wine press and olive press as well as a home and carpenter shop and the tools that would have been handled by Jesus Himself.
I loved sitting in the Garden of Gethsemane among the 2000-year-old olive trees and wondering if Jesus sat under this very tree? Then remembering the crucial decision Jesus made there—”Not My will, but Thine be done”, and feeling ashamed at how I struggle over not getting my way in simple things. And then Golgotha and the Empty Tomb. This is me at the Tomb.
Another favorite spot was Ein Gedi where David hid in caves from King Saul. In the middle of the most barren wilderness is this gorgeous oasis with a waterfall and lush vegetation. Many ibex, small deer, roam the hills nearby and I thought of David’s psalm, “As the deer panteth for the water, so my soul longeth after Thee Oh God.” It was well worth the seemingly hundreds of stone steps up to the waterfall and imagining David encouraging himself in the Lord at this place.
And lastly in the way of highlights for me was the Sea of Galilee where we had a boat ride to Tiberias. The guide read passages from the Gospels that pertained to Jesus and the Sea and we sang praise songs. It was a wonderful worship service to the One Who continues to calm our storms.
This only touches on a few things but I hope you get the idea of what a tremendous blessing it was for me to be able to go. Many of you were eager for me to have this privilege, and I am deeply grateful. Others care for us month by month, year by year, and for that I hope you know we are thankful.
Our love,
Greg and Kathy
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