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July 1st, 2009 From: Kelli Wilson - Junior High Teacher Living on a reservation means not much is close by. For us, ‘close by’ means less than two hours away. Consequently, many of our away basketball games are really away. John has been fortunate enough to schedule two or more of our away games on the same weekend and find places to stay overnight. I have had the fortunate opportunity to chaperone many of those basketball trips. I love traveling with the team, seeing the games, and having the opportunity to see our students “in action” away from home. Many times I have been amazed at the maturity our students can exhibit when they are representing Immanuel Mission and the Lord. I have been so proud of them that I want to bust. This year we have had a great group of kids and it has been so fun for me to see them and get to know them out of school.
May 22nd, 2008 From: Becky Knopf - 5th & 6th Grade Teacher Hey family and friends,
My Dad had a stroke on April 23 and by the 30th, he was in glory. In the 11 days that I was in Detroit, my students went on their field trip, and went to the Academic Meet. I was back in time for our school Field Day [lovely & fun], for the last week of school [ZOOM!], and for the two graduations [very nice, both].
I plan to be in Westland with my mom all summer, Lord-willing. It still hasn’t ‘sunk in’ about Dad being with Christ Jesus, and not being at home with Mom. I have felt Christ’s presence so real and close-up lately, that it is hard to pray. It helps me when people say, “I know what you are feeling; I lost my dad –- years ago.” I am trusting in the Lord with all my heart. (Prov. 3:5) I am casting all my cares on Him, and He is taking good care of me. (I Peter 5:7)
The Valdois are loading up a trailer with the help of some friends from back home even as I type. They fed all of us who are left here a great Curry meal for lunch. MEgan and her mom will be packing up Megan’s home, too. We will miss these 3 workers and are still waiting on God’s provision of replacement teachers and bus drivers. We praise the Lord for Hannah Barr, who plans to come teach 2nd grade, Lord-willing.
The weather has remained unseasonably cool for May and I’m loving it!
I received many precious cards and gifts for my birthday but one was most special to me. Kathy Staley made a scrapbook for me of the class field trip – and stuck a picture of me on each page. She even made notes of funny things that happened. It almost feels now that I got to go on the trip, too. All the women here are such dear sisters to me.
I do thank you for the sympathy cards and the birthday cards, for the financial support, for the BoxTops4education, and most of all, for your prayers. I have needed extra prayer these last few weeks. God is good. HE is faithful. HE is right. I am His and HE is mine!!! How blessed are we to belong to each other, because we belong to God?
Thanking God for you, Becky
April 17th, 2008 From: - Management [From: Sarah Sun]
Dear Friends of the Mission,
Hello, my name is Sarah Sun. Ruth Bloom has recently asked me if I would start taking on the position of going through boxes and distributing the items in which they contain. This is a new responsibility and I am excited to be part of it. It has been so worthwhile seeing how much people care. It is also very nice to be doing this as something I can do at the same time as I watch my three year old daughter. While Solomon teaches fourth grade, I stay at home with our daughter, Eden and since it is our first year at Immanuel Mission we have plenty of extra time on our hands during the day. It has been a blessing to be able to help Ruth this way. I truly never realized how many boxes Ruth went through each week until I started helping her. It is so encouraging to see how so many people across the country think about and support the Mission. We see God working in many lives and we thank you for your contributions this past year. May God bless you and your families.
With thanks and love,
Sarah Sun
April 16th, 2008 From: - Management [From: Megan Thurston]
Hello, everyone!
My math students are working, so I have a few minutes to write a little note.
It has been a typical spring, although it started late! A typical spring is warm and windy, windy, windy! I come home from school or driving the bus or walking the dogs and I have dirt in my ears, nose and eyes, not to mention pink dandruff! The dogs could be out in the backyard for an hour and they too get quite dusty. They're not dusty from just rolling in the dirt but from the dirt blowing all over them. Certain times of the day are worse than others, and sometimes the wind just blows all day long!
So, this is hard to write because of my reputation; however, oh, well! I have applied to St. Martin's University to get my teaching certificate. I applied for Fall 2008. I haven't heard if I've been accepted or not. That is irrelevant becaue I plan on leaving here May 20. I haven't applied to any other colleges. When I was younger, I only applied to the colleges I wanted to attend and was always accepted. Now that I'm a little older I think that was crazy! Please pray that I'll be accepted. For the time being, I'll be living with my mom; please pray that will go well too!
This means we need a junir high teacher for next year. Darrel and Barbara Valdois are leaving too. He is our 7-12 science teacher and she taught high school English and an art elective. Our leaving is causing a big hole in the upper grades. Please pray or CONSIDER coming here to teach next year! I have been here eleven years and loved almost every minute of it. It'll be hard to leave, but it might finally be time.
Well, it's been thirty minutes since I wrote this stuff and nothing has changed except that the bell has rung. Need to teach Bible!
Be praying for us all. love, megan
April 14th, 2008 From: Becky Knopf - 5th & 6th Grade Teacher [From: Becky Knopf]
Hey all!
Here I am on the ‘past tense’ side of our class restaurant, praising God for how it turned out. I always fight worrying about it, and at the last moment, I fling myself on God and let Him do it His own way. [Wisdom in action, huh?]
This year, we tried something that worked well: People paid for what they wanted when they first came in and were given tokens. The tokens were then redeemed at various places around the edge of the gym. We had tablecloths and flowers (and salt) on all the tables, which were in the central area of the gym, so it still had the feel of a restaurant, but the kitchen itself was not a ZOO!
The sweetly superb Sarah Sun sang ‘saintly’ songs, serenading ‘supping’ spectators throughout the evening. Anne Denny was our cashier, Miss Kelly was at the dessert table, Mr. V was at the Mutton Stew & Frybread table, Melissa baked Pizza, Mrs V. grilled burgers, Miss MEgan started the Navajo Tacos/Burgers on their way, Kathy served 120 drinks, the staff baked cherry pies, helped with set-up and tear-down, and Flash made a short DVD of it all. Everyone here helped. God brought in $700! You can look at a video about it on the Mission website: www.immanuelmission.org
None of it was ready to go at 6 P.M. when we opened our doors [!!!!!], but one great thing about Navajos is that the same character trait in them that brings frozen hamburger patties and frybread dough into the kitchen at 5:50 P.M. [!!!!!] is also willing to patiently wait around for the food to be cooked – with out so much as a single complaint. When will I ever remember that?
At 7 o’clock, the frybread crew in the kitchen, having served their time, merrily waved good-bye. At first, I panicked. Then I began scrambling through the busy restaurant, approaching every Navajo woman I knew, begging her to come to the kitchen and pat out frybread. Three of them gazed up at me, mouths full, and nodded “OK”, and the restaurant continued. Thank you for your support in prayer!
We have 1 month left of school. It amazes me how God brings us through year after year. It’s a delight to Him, but it ‘floors’ me. The Valdois' and MEgan are leaving I.M., that’s 3/5 of the Jr. High/High school faculty AND 2/4 of the bus drivers! Help! Come! Drive! Teach! Pray on, if nothing else! [I'm talking to you]
THANK YOU for being a part of the work out here where “God is with us”
Because HE is, Miss Becky
April 10th, 2008 From: - Management [From: Kelli Wilson]
Hello Friends and Family,
With the approach of spring, students and teachers alike are getting spring fever. I know this is definitely true in my classroom. Last week in an effort to combat the spring fever, I rearranged my classroom. I am hoping that this will give us a fresh look and will renew our vigor until the end of the year.
The first week of March, a group of Emmaus Bible College students came down. They were a great group to have. They did various things around the mission. Two students helped out in the school and one, Alyssa, was in my classroom. I remember being in college and rearing to start teaching, so the week Alyssa was here, I let her teach and do all my work!!! It was great! It actually turned out to be a blessing because I had to leave Wednesday afternoon to go as a chaperone on the state basketball trip. Alyssa was able to take over my classroom as the sub while I was gone. It is so neat to see the Lord supply a solution even before the problem arises.
By the way, our basketball teams did great. The girls got 5th place and the boys got 4th. There were a couple of really, really close games that were heart-wrenching. But overall it was a great trip.
On Saint Patrick's day, Ruth Bloom, our bookkeeper and close friend was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. They thought it was appendicitis, but when they went in they found something totally different. Even though I've had it explained to me, I don't think I can tell you exactly what they found, but they patched her up. Later that night around 3am, they had to go back in for another emergency surgery. There was internal bleeding and they took out a quart and a half of blood from her abdomen. Praise the Lord that she is back home and doing wonderfully. She is still mending and getting her strength back. Ruth is such a testament to the Lord's power.
Over spring break, I accompanied Megan Thurston and her four dogs to their home in Ocean Shores, Washington. It was my first time to see the Pacific Ocean (although I didn't really see it until Thursday because of the clouds and rain.) It was a great trip, even though it was wet, and cold, and rainy the entire time (expect an hour or two!)
A major prayer request: We are losing three teachers and two bus drivers this year. We need a Jr. High teacher, and two high school teachers. It will be neat to see how the Lord provides for this need. Please partner with us in prayer as we ask that he will send the right people at just the right time. Let us know if you are interested of filling some need out here or know of anybody who would be interested. Thanks again for your prayers.
In first grade we have been learning about Jesus. He came to earth as a baby, grew up to be a man, died on the cross. But he isn't still dead: he arose and now is in heaven. Today we learned about how one day Jesus will be coming back to take all of his friends and followers back to heaven with him. Lord—how I am looking forward to that day! But I am also reminded to pray that my students and their families will understand their need for a savior before He returns. Till his return,
Kelli Wilson
April 4th, 2008 From: - Management [From: John & Ruth Bloom]
Dear praying friends,
I trust you are more faithful in praying than I am in writing. I think this is the longest time in 35 years of ministry that I have gone without communicating with our friends. Please forgive me. I could use busy as an excuse but really it was just procrastination. There is lots to update you on so here goes.
Of course the BIG news is that on Mar 23 on our way back from San Francisco Ruth began having severe pain in the abdomen. We arrived home at 2AM and at noon on Monday the pain was worse so we went to Farmington to the emergency room. They took a CT scan and thought it was appendicitis so scheduled surgery for 8PM Mon night. During the surgery they found a healthy appendix but also found some twisted tissue around the colon that had cut off the blood supply and was causing the pain. It is called a torsion of the omentum and is fairly rare but can be serious. The operation seemed successful and we were sent to a regular room in the hospital. At 3AM on Tuesday the nurse noticed that Ruth’s blood pressure had dropped to 45/35 which is very serious. The room was immediately full of doctors, nurses and who knows who else. They rushed her into surgery again to stop internal bleeding. This time there were no problems and we came home Thurs. She has been steadily improving each day but it will take about 6 weeks before she is back to normal. Thanks to all who are praying for us and forgive us if you are just now hearing of this. God is so good and we are thankful that God is healing her. Through it we strongly felt God’s protection and care.
We are already planning and looking toward next years staff. Megan has decided to go back to school so we will need a 7/8 grade teacher. We have a young lady, Hannah Barr from Colorado, interested in teaching 2nd grade. We still need a maintenance man. Two families are praying about that position but still no firm leading of the Lord for them to come. Dave and Margie Meinzinger have been here for a month helping out with maintenance and a host of other things.
Several other needs to be aware of. One of our Christian young ladies is planning to go to college in Kansas and needs a small car. If you have one you could donate or sell cheap let me know. We also need mechanics tools for the new shop program or funds to purchase them I try to buy many things at auctions to stretch the dollars. We are hoping to begin operation in fall of 2008.
Please remember to pray for and support our Navajo workers. There are eight on staff now which really eases our burden.
The most exciting news is that a young high school student, Uriah Haskie, professed salvation a month ago. Pray he will want to grow and continue in the faith. He is not from a Christian home and has a lot of issues to deal with. It is very rare for a high school student to come to Christ.
Thanks again for your love and friendship. We are rejoicing in God’s goodness and care.
John & Ruth Bloom
March 18th, 2008 From: - Management [From: Megan Thruston]
Hey, everyone!
Well, it has been an exciting week so far and it is only Tuesday! The past weekend John and Ruth Bloom went to California to promote the mission at a church that has supported us by sending a huge youth group every summer for years, maybe 10 or 11 years now. Anyway, they had a busy yet good time visiting friends. On the way home from the airport, Ruth became very sick. Yesterday around 11.30 am, John had to take her to the hospital. They thought it was appendicitis; however, some tissue had wrapped around the end of her colon. The surgery fixed it and she should be home today! What a relief. Please pray for a quick recovery for her.
When someone is seriously sick here, it changes everything. When something like this happens, the rest of us need to pitch in and help pick up the slack. Ruth is our bookkeeper, so this means she'll have to play catch-up with her work. She also goes through boxes that are sent to the mission and writes thank yous to the senders; she invites singles over for meals…half of us on Monday nights, the other half on Tuesday nights. Ruth is married and takes care of her husband, their cat and dog, and herself. She has children and grandchildren. She prays with other missionaries in the morning. Ruth does a lot for all of us. Please remember, she is out here serving the LORD, not a contract. I'm not in any way trying to put down people who are not in "full time ministry". Christians serve the LORD wherever they are and with whatever they are doing; on the other hand, it is different out here. We are an isolated community, living and working together. We are about two hours from the nearest town and hospital. Being sick or hurt, affects all of us.
Enough sermonizing! This week is short because our Spring Break starts Thursday afternoon. Enough teachers had plans that included leaving on Friday, so John decided not to have school on Friday. My friend, Kelli Wilson, and I will leave here Friday morning with my dogs and be at my mom's house Saturday night, God willing! That means I'll be in my home church for Easter Sunday. I am looking forward very much to being in the northwest and at the beach.
A couple weeks ago, a young man accepted Jesus as his Savior! Uryah is in tenth grade. He talked to Kathy, our school counselor, and said he was ready right then to become a Christian! It's so exciting. Uryah hasn't had an easy life, and he has made some bad decisions. He's gone from a depressed young man to someone that looks happy. He and Kathy are doing a Bible study once a week. Please keep him in your prayers! Also last week, an old man, Ray accepted the Lord. This was three days before he died. His son, Roger, had been praying for him for years. Ray had been a crystal gazer and refused to learn about that "white man's god". Traditional ways were good enough for him. After his salvation, he urged Roger and his family to share the gospel with and pray for Ray's wife and unsaved children. Because of this, I don't think it was some fake conversion born out of fear, but a genuine acceptance of God as his creator and savior! Please pray for this family as it is hard to lose a loved one.
Well, it is time for me to go. I hope to see most of you next week.
love, megan
March 17th, 2008 From: - Management
[From: Greg & Kathy Staley]
Eight or ten of us stand in front of our chapel singing "Victory in Jesus" followed by "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus". In front of us is a casket, covered with a bright Pendleton blanket and a spray of followers. We look beyond that to a very full room of friends and family come to pay their respects to a local neighbor and Medicine Man. Crystal-gazing was Ray's specialty and people would come to him with their problems and, for a fee, discover where their cows had wandered to, who was trying to harm them, or what was causing their physical ailments. Satan made sure he was accurate enough times to keep the people coming back for his services. But one day Ray experienced problems he had no answers for. He himself was sick and the doctors held out no hope for him. His lungs were damaged from working in the uranium mines years ago, his one remaining kidney failing, and an infection spreading through his body.
As he lay in Intensive Care his son Roger pleaded with him, as he had many times in the past. "Dad, there is no hope in your medicine-man ways. Your only hope is to surrender your life to the Lord who loves you and died for you." This 87 year old man, who all his life had rejected Jesus, asked his son to show him how to receive the Lord as his Saviour. Ray was clearly a changed man, asking Roger to pray for him in the days ahead and encouraging his wife to also give herself to the Lord. A couple of days later Jesus took this man to Paradise where perhaps he met the other one who Jesus received at the moment of death, the thief on the Cross. What a God we have who does not give up, but keeps pursuing mankind. "Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the last."
(John 13:1) Ray Hosteen died in Christ with hope and courage.
It never ceases to amaze me that all the alternatives to Christ that seem to satisfy folks when life is going along alright, fail to meet the needs when death disrupts life. They have nothing to stand on. And so they up at our door asking to use the church building, for our believers to sing, and for one of the elders to preach the service and pray at the graveside. Many don't seem to get it.
Back to the funeral…….
We leave the front of the church and a granddaughter who doesn't know the Lord gives a eulogy about all the good things Chei (grandpa)Ray did in his life and the things he taught them. She told how the love of his life was his sheep and his home way up the Canyon where there was no running water or electricity.
Then Greg, the one asked to officiate, gives it to them straight, telling how nothing in the Navajo religion offers hope, and the need for Christ's sacrifice for man. All through the service many sit stony-faced and hard. They just can't see the Truth.
The family, largely unbelievers, don't want Roger to talk at the service, but Greg calls on him to tell what happened to the family's husband, dad and grandpa. He gave a powerful message about the change God brought about in his dad. Some of us, standing in the back because every chair was taken, cheer him on and pray for the Spirit to open blind eyes.
After expressing comfort and love to the grieving family the casket is carried out to a waiting vehicle and the procession begins the slow trip up the Canyon where Ray is to be buried. Forty minutes later, (remember we travel bumpy dirt roads?) we get out of our cars. The grave is not right, according to the morticians, so while some are digging and straightening the rectangular hole we have lots of time to look around. This truly is a gorgeous place that Ray once called home. The red mesas, the white-domed rocks set against a clear blue sky are spectacular and one could almost forget that we are here to leave a much-loved man in the ground to rot.
When the hole is perfect we sing again our songs of hope, Greg prays, and the casket is carefully lowered into the ground. The family throws in garbage bags filled with the clothes Ray won't be needing anymore. The Mortician scoops up dirt with a shovel and invites anyone who wants to throw a handful of dirt on top of the casket. When they are done the hole is filled in and rounded on the top to allow for settling. Then loved ones decorate the mound with flowers and we are ready to make the forty minute trip back to the mission church to eat. We will have spent seven hours in all laying Ray's body to rest.
Because of God's mercy, for those of us who know Him, the day was a wonderful celebration of Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life. He is our Hope for this life and the next. Praise Him.
Our love and thanks to each of you,
Greg and Kathy
P.S. Last week was our 37th wedding anniversary. Greg's comment? "I couldn't have done it without you."
March 4th, 2008 From: - Management [From: Kelli Wilson]
February started off with a running start. We've had three birthdays in my class this month, not to mention a Valentine's party. The first weekend of the month we had a carnival here at the school as one of the big fund raisers for the junior/senior trip. They won't take one this year but are saving up for one next year. It was a huge success. I think one of the biggest attractions was The Jail. For one ticket you could put anyone you wanted to in jail. In order to get out they had to say a memory verse. I was put in jail twice! Good thing that I have had many people over the years encourage me to memorize verses! We had several home basketball games this month, despite the fact that one or two were canceled. Both teams did really well this season. The boys had a 7 and 6 season; the girls were 8 and 5. This weekend is the State Tournament.
For February 10th-12th I went to Emmaus Bible College in Iowa as a representative of Immanuel Mission. Every year the college has a Christian Ministry Seminar. In it several ministries send representatives to tell the students about the opportunities to serve the Lord at their particular camp or mission. I went to represent Immanuel Mission. Last year when I was still just looking at coming down here, I was able to talk to John and Ruth Bloom at CMS. It was great to go this year and talk to other people about the mission. Many of those I talked to this year were still just freshmen or weren't interested in coming to work here, but still interested in the work that goes on here. We are still looking for several people to fill in gaps in our staff. I also got to participate in a Women's Ministry panel. There were about 10-11 women on the panel. That was a new experience for me, but I enjoyed it. It was neat to be back in the halls of my old college, but not have the pressure of homework and papers and all that college stuff. I was surprised at how many people I still knew. I was able to have some great conversations with some great people. I stayed the week with my old roommate and her husband. A couple of friends even made the trip to Dubuque to see me. It was great to catch up and hang out with good friends. The travel to and from Iowa was less than ideal, but the time I had there made it more than worth it!
The last weekend this month, several of the women from the mission went on a retreat to Durango. There is a retreat center there that is just for people involved in full-time ministry—and it is free to stay there! It was a wonderful facility. There were 5-6 bedrooms and almost everyone had their own personal bathroom and shower. We had a great time that included shopping (of course!), games, sharing times, prayer, worship, and fellowship. It was a great weekend. I was challenged and encouraged in ways that only the Lord can do. I also enjoyed getting to know the ladies on a more personal level. All in all it was a huge success!
Please continue to pray for me:
Pray for my new student Kenneth as he learns how to listen and obey.
Pray for continual spiritual growth.
Pray for the business of life to not derail me from the more important things.
Pray for my students (and all ages) to be saved and to come closer to the Lord
Much Love,
Kelli
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