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April 30th, 2009

News in April

From: Becky Knopf - 5th & 6th Grade Teacher

Hey all,

When last heard from, my students and I were planning the annual restaurant and my prayer was that God would bless it and do whatever He wanted to in it. God said OK and did. All of our ‘needs’ were provided and the restaurant brought in more money than ever before. We praised God for His answer to those prayers. It was an incredible evening, because of God’s blessing and the HELP from my family out here.

Less than a week later, we headed out on our class trip to Albuquerque, and my prayers were the same. God graciously granted us a wonderful trip. We were accompanied by Miss Denny, our bus driver and my ‘voice of reason’, Mrs. Kathy, who exhibits enthusiasm enough for a whole busload, and Willard, who supplied my ‘close eye on the boys when I can’t be with them’ need. My girls fulfilled their traditional role – putting the boys’ hair into tiny pigtails while the boys followed tradition and put up with it. All of them smiled and waved at pedestrians as we drove through ALBQ. We rode escalators and elevators at the mall, toured the Aquarium and Zoo, swam for 2 hours, finally played Laser Tag (!!!!), rode bumper boats, bumper cars, played mini golf on a flooded course, and did more at a ‘Family Fun’ place.

I am recovering from a fall. I was carrying supper to Hannah’s house, and tripped at the cement, landing on my face, and tossing nacho cheese, shredded cheese, and sour cream as I fell. The chili, Praise the Lord, had already been delivered on the previous “trip”. [I fall in slow-motion, and am wondering, Do you?] I began right away to thank my Lord Jesus for His timing, and to laugh with Hannah, who saw the whole thing and was concerned for my injuries. We couldn’t help but laugh – nacho cheese was EVERYWHERE, although the lid of the small pan landed right back on top of the pan (!) and somehow, an enormous blob of sour cream was on my nose! It still cracks me up! I don’t know how God arranged that, but it was a scream. [I'm so glad you didn't see it, but I wish I could've] Nothing was broken, my bruises are fading, but my shin will remember this for a while yet.

The weather is still snowing once or twice a week, between days that get up to 70. The WINDS have arrived, of course, and we regularly retrieve bits of our belongings from each others’ yards. The upstairs apartment of the new building is coming along. It now has a beautiful deck on it, from which one can almost see Texas, or so it seems.

The Academic Meet is Thurs/Fri in Window Rock. Join me in praying for Anne to enjoy God’s peace – as she is again in charge of the entire event.

Hebrews 4: 14 – 16 has been especially delicious to me lately, as I fail so often, yet look to Christ.

I’ll be in Michigan this summer.

Looking to Jesus, and enjoying Him greatly, Becky

Becky has been on staff since 1989. She teaches 5th and 6th grade. She operates the candy store and handles the BoxTops for Education, which both directly benefit the school.

April 18th, 2009

Newsletter--of sorts :-)

From: Kelli Wilson - Junior High Teacher
I haven’t written in over a month, so I can’t possibly remember all there is to tell. But I have a few memories from this last week–ways in which that I saw the Lord obviously working in my life. Last weekend I was cleaning out my office and noticed a few books on my bookshelf that I eventually in life wanted to read. One was a book that I picked up somewhere and just stuck it on my shelf. It was titled “Key Words of the Christian Life” by Warren Weirsby (sp?). I glanced through it to see what words it called “key words”. In it were chapters based on words such as justification, sanctification, redemption, reconciliation, etc. In my 7th/8th grade Bible class, we have been defining words such as those in relation to our study of the book of Romans, so I glanced through one of the chapters to see what it had to say. I was very wrapped up in whichever chapter I read–it was well written, clear, easy to understand, and I agreed with all that I read. So I went back to cleaning, and set the book aside to pick up later and read. Anyway, the next night I was working in my classroom struggling with having to teach about election because it came up in Romans 9. I was really struggling with the whole topic and almost afraid to teach it. I was afraid that it would go over my kids’ heads. That I would explain something so much that I wound wind up confusing them more, or worst, leading them astray. I wrestled with it that whole night and into the next day. The next night I came home from playing soccer and wanted to take a bath. So I picked up that book that I had found the previous weekend and was planning to read a chapter while I soaked in the tub. I started to read a chapter on justification, when I recalled the topic of election that I had to teach on in the morning and decided to see if Mr. Wiersby as something else to say about it (I read his commentary on the book of Romans chapter 9 for the basis of my lecture for the next day.) While he didn’t have a chapter on election, he did have one on the related topic of predestination. So I decided to read that chapter. It was another great chapter! It was so great in fact that the Lord decided to inform me that that was what I was going to be lecturing on the next morning. So after I finished my shower, I booted up my computer and typed out notes for the following day. It was so clear to me that God was directing me as their Bible teacher as to exactly what He wanted me to teach on and in what order. Thank you Jesus, Thank you Lord! Often I feel so inadequate to be teaching Jr. High Bible. I barely understand it myself, how can I possibly know the best way in which to teach it to them?! Yet the Lord saw fit to remind me that I am just a vessel for Him to teach my kids what He has for them to learn. I have never been more thankful to just be a tool rather that the craftsman. I don’t know how much my kids have learned, and I probably never will see the fruit of His word, (at least not in this life), but I have seen how much more ready I am to give a defense of His word by having to teach it in a clear way.”
Yours In Christ,
Kelli Wilson
Kelli has been on staff since August 2007. She taught 1st Grade during her first year and now teaches Junior High.

April 5th, 2009

STALEY TIMES

From: Kathy Staley - School Counselor
Dear Relatives and Family,
Meet our friend Tom. His growing up years were painful and without much love. His parents told him he was ugly and would never amount to anything. Early in life he felt Satan claiming him as his own. In his late teens God began working in Tom and we would see him often. Sometimes he’d show up at our door in the middle of the night asking for prayer because he was bothered by demons. Greg would pray for him. Over the years we have spent numerous hours listening to Tom and praying for his salvation Sometime in there he did respond to God’s call on his life but as we have all experienced, this was the beginning of more intense battles with the Evil One. For years now, we have watched Tom struggle, fall, and then get up again.
Tom’s in his forties now and came to see us the other day. There was such amazingly strong evidence of the victory in Jesus that is ours. He, over a span of three or four hours, talked about his hard life interspersed with Scripture after Scripture tht he has claimed for himself. When he was ready to leae he said, “Can we pray together?” Normally, Greg would suggest praying for Tom and Greg and I would do that, but this time Tom taking the initiative and then himself praying, was very significant. We couldn’t help crying as Tom prayed. He, himself, wept as he thanked Jjesus for saving him from himself and loving him. He thanked the Lord for Greg, saying it was receiving love from Greg that demonstrated to him in an understandable way God’s love for him.
It is times like these that we also overflow with praise for the love of God for us. He lets us be here and gives us people to love and sometimes, like the other day when Tom came, He encourages us to keep on. He is working in lives whether we see evidence of it or not. The devil has a firm hold here on the Reservation but like Elisha said to his servant, “Look and see. There are more with us than with them.” Our God is King and Victor.
These few weeks before school winds down for another year are packed, as usual. If the Jrs and Srs get enough funds they will be going to Orlando, Florida April 25 and Greg and I are to help as chaperones. I, Kathy, am also chaperoning a 5-6 grade trip to Albuquerque next week.
An unforeseen development happened last Monday when Greg had our vehicle fall, hitting his knee. Apparently there are no broken bones but his knee is still swollen and very sore and he isn’t walking much. Please pray for wisdom to know if he needs further attention, for healing, and for how this might change plans for the Florida trip.
Thanks again for enabling us to be here. We are all in this together. We love you,
Greg and Kathy
Kathy has been on staff with her husband Greg since 1972 when they came to Immanuel Mission, Greg returning to his childhood home and Kathy joining him. They have done various jobs over the years–dorm parents, bookkeeper, school cook, Bible teaching, maintenance. Fourteen years ago, they moved off the Mission compound and out to a Navajo home. Their current ministries are co-pastoring the local fellowship and serving the community, which includes home-building, auto repairs, home repairs of every variety (that would be Greg). Kathy spends her time with School Counseling, one-on-one Bible Studies, and ministering to an elderly neighbor.