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February 8th, 2008 From: - Management [From: Kelli Wilson]
Hello friends and family. I have a small piece of news—I have a new student! He arrived on the 100th day of school. It was quite a surprise. We are still adjusting to having another student and he is still adjusting to a new school. I can definitely use your prayers in this area as he is still learning how to listen and obey. His addition brings my class to four girls and three boys. It is nice to have another boy to even out the numbers a little bit.
A couple weekends ago I went with the basketball teams on an overnight trip to Albuquerque as a chaperone. It was both a fun and slightly boring trip—which I expected. I am now a teacher and it is not cool for teens to hang out with teachers! But I felt that it was a good trip. I got to see the games and the kids at least know my name by now—an improvement. Around here it takes a while for people to warm up to you—so I was excited to go on this trip. We left school on Friday at 11:00 and then we drove to Albuquerque to play a Christian School down there. John Bloom has gotten to know their coach over the years and they wanted us to play basketball, but also to hang out with them over pizza after the game and let the players from each team get to know one another. They have a great group of Christian kids and it was a neat opportunity to get to know them. We then spent the night in their school, got up real early and left for Taos where our guys played another team. On the trip back home, we had to take a huge detour because of blowing snow on the road. Every time the kids asked how much longer the answer was "Oh about 2 ½ more hours". I thought there was going to be a mutiny! But we got to Farmington and ate dinner at the mall and had a few minutes to shop too. That tended to take the edge off the kids' attitude a bit! All in all it was a great trip.
January was a great transition month. Not to busy, but busy enough. Just looking ahead at the next month lets me know that I'll have a lot more to report then. I covet your prayers this month especially with my new student.
In Christ,
Kelli
January 8th, 2008 From: - Management [from: Kelli Wilson]
Hello!
I pray that you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. Mine was so refreshing. I got to see my dad, my dog, and my family. It was so much fun and a very busy time. Usually there is a day or two to downshift and do nothing, but not so this holiday—but that is OK too. In fact it is perfect, because that is just what the Lord planned for me. I love it when His plans turn out to be so much better that what I had anticipated.
Looking back, December was an EVENTful month. I'm not entirely sure I can remember everything that took place. I know that we have a wonderful turn-out at the Community Christmas. That is where our church and several other churches in the area put together a play and music program and then we serve lunch here at the school to the community. We also had Christmas at our Chapel—we all exchanged names for gifts and once again had a big meal. My favorite Christmas though was School Christmas. All year people send new toys, games, hats, scarves, toothbrush, tooth paste, stuffed animals, etc here to the mission. Then a few weeks before Christmas, two faithful ladies (Becky Knopf and Ruth Bloom) work hard to divide all the gifts up into a bag for each student. The last day before Christmas break, we have a chapel message with John Bloom and then we go back to our class where each person was handed a huge back full of gifts. It was so much fun for me to watch my students open their bags. You could hear their shouts of joy all through the halls. One of my students said that he was going to put all the gifts back in his bag and then open it again at home on Christmas (in front of his younger brothers and sisters!).
All the week of before Christmas we had been memorizing Rom 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." We just began to memorize it, and we are continuing it even now. Please pray for us as we try to memorize this verse but also try to grasp what it means. It seamed that many of my students either don't realize that they sin or don't want to label it as SIN. They did seem to begin to see the connection between baby Jesus and the gift of God—but I want to really study this verse more in the coming weeks. Pray that I will explain it clearly. I don't want to simplify it so much that they miss the message, but neither do I want to add conditions to the gospel that God never intended. Pray also for soft hearts to hear the message. Pray for everyday situations that I can use to point out the wages of sin and the gift of God. Pray for Star, Bill, Joy, Tia, Shantel, and Shane to open their hearts and accept the gift of salvation.
Thank you all so much for your support and prayers. It was very nice to see friends and family over the break and have you ask about my class and my life down here. Even the ones I didn't get to see send emails and letters of encouragement. I love to see the body of Christ work in such an obvious way in my own life.
In Christ,
Kelli
P.S. I never expected to see so much snow in Arizona. It snowed twice before Christmas—and then today we got at least 4-6 inches!
January 2nd, 2008 From: - Management
[from: Greg & Kathy Staley]
"Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable Gift"
Hello All,
So, what did you get for Christmas? How many of those things will you be re-gifting? You know, wrong color, wrong size, wrong style, just plain WRONG? For all of us who know a little about God's supreme gift Jesus, it isn't trite or extra pious to say that He truly is the best gift of all. We experience this amazing gift everyday of our lives. He is perfect. We do want to re-gift, but not because we are dissatisfied and want something different. He's just such a wonderful gift that we are eager for others to also enjoy what we enjoy in Him. Recalling the past year, I thrill over the impact Jesus had in our days, both major events and minor. (I can't actually remember any really major events for last year, truth be told). There were:
Opportunities for times of refreshment and pleasure. Greg and our son Matt ran the Grand Canyon. (Yes, they did consider this a pleasure!!!!!) I, Kathy, got to spend two weeks with Jonathan and Robyn and our three grandkids. The Lord also provided for me to go to a ladies conference in the Bay Area, where I was loved and renewed.
People to serve. 1) God gave Greg the desire, and Jesus' heart of mercy to go with it, to build a house for a young widow and her four children. The house is coming along and so far, there has been money for materials and occasional help with the work. It is going to be beautiful. 2). Greg led a group of people interested in archaeology for a week into our back country, sharing his expertise on the Anasazi Indians who lived a thousand years ago in our area. He loves doing this kind of thing but it is also a tool to share the Gospel with unbelievers. These people are amazed that Greg who gave up the prestige and salary he could have had as an archaeologist, is willing to live out here serving God without any monetary incentive. One man wrote a letter after leaving here telling Greg how refreshing it was to see someone not taken up with "acquiring possessions and advancing in position." What a gift from God to be able to display things that can only be explained supernaturally. 3). Kathy had a great chance to teach a junior high girls camp in Kansas. It was a real personal growing experience as well as the daily sharing of God's Word to girls.
Answers to prayer. There are too many to recount them all but here are a few things we praise God for. 1). Keeping our brother and sister Lula and Ranson strong in the faith when Satan was determined to destroy them. Last year Ranson's sister in law was killed, leaving three young children. Then Lula's brother died suddenly. Three weeks later another brother was bludgeoned and left for dead. The latest report is that he will probably live but sustained a lot of bodily damage. Ranson has chronic back pain, their son had to have emergency surgery, they were in a car accident. It seemed too much for a couple to stand up under. So we watched and agonized over our friends, and God answered. He truly is bringing them forth as gold. 2) Our brother in law in California was very ill for months. During all this their house flooded and sustained enormous damage. Because asbestos had to be removed, my sister and Jim had to live in a motel for over a month. The Lord heard our prayers during that time too and the last I heard Jim was doing well physically and the house has been totally refurbished. 3). All of our needs were met this year, as well as many bonuses along the way.
Blessings in our home, in our children's lives, in Navajo believers. We have just returned from Phoenix where we celebrated Christmas with our sons Matthew and Jeremy. Jeremy and his wife are eagerly awaiting the birth of their little son. Denise said she can sure sympathize with Mary and would NOT appreciate having to ride a donkey 90 miles in her present condition. This little Staley person is making his presence known, stretching and kicking and rolling from side to side. There is already pain and discomfort to his mom as he grows and is equipped to survive outside the safe place he now knows. With the end in sight, we can't help but focus on this big event that will both change and enrich all of our lives. I love Galatians 4:19. "My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ be formed in you." This is what life is all about. Yes, because Jesus came, we do enjoy refreshment and pleasures, the chance to serve God through serving people, amazing answers to prayer, God's abundant provision day by day. But the greatest thing has to be the awesome truth of Jesus, this unspeakable Gift, come to reside in us. Jesus, taking control of every part of our being until it is His form, His likeness, that God sees. The beauty and joy in welcoming a new little baby is something tangible that we can understand. Surely the spiritual reality is indescribable. Galatians 6:15 "The only thing that counts is a new creation."
Now that is some GIFT!!!!
Our heartfelt thanks to you for giving gifts to us all year, those of love, prayer, finances. THANK YOU.
Greg and Kathy
January 1st, 2008 From: - Management [from: Megan Thurston]
Hello!
Happy New Year to you all! I hope that God makes Himself known to you and encourages you in the coming year.
We at Immanuel Mission have had a good year and a growing year. At the beginning of 2007, we didn't have enough teachers, my back hurt so much that I couldn't drive the bus at all (which meant that John Bloom and Anne Denny drove twice a day…after teaching all day), we didn't have a maintenance man, and our bus mechanic's back also hurt all the time…he continued (and continues) to work in the bus barn. At the beginning of this year, we had enough teachers (provided none of us drop dead or get seriously hurt) and enough bus drivers (although we are all teachers, as well) to be comfortable in our main jobs. However, we still don't have a maintenance man. Our bus mechanic, Ranson, has a helper, someone that seems to be doing well, Running Feather Hosteen. Just when Ranson really couldn't finish the year, Running Feather came and told John that God had laid it on his heart to come here and work in the bus barn. He is a former student who has lived in Idaho for several years and moved home in the fall. I think he was working in town when he came out here to work. He is a missionary without a sending church. This means that he is relying totally on support. He isn't paid a salary.
This is so encouraging. We see a lot of students make a profession in grade school (usually girls) then fall away in their teenage years. Some people even say that their profession of faith wasn't sincere because they were trying to please loved ones. Feather is a young man who has followed the Lord and has a good testimony. He's not a fair weather Christian. I wish all my students were like that.
Now we have five and a half more months of school. I look forward to seeing what is going to happen between now and May 16. I don't know what I"ll be doing at the end of this year. That's all I'm going to say about this.
I hope you all have a good year as well.
Love, Megan
December 31st, 2007 From: - Management [from: John & Ruth Bloom]
Dear praying friends,
We’ve been getting some of the snow that’s hit the rest of the country. As snow is one of Ruth’s favorite things (she says some of her best friends are flakes) she is excited. She is busy getting ready for Kid’s Christmas on Dec 20th, where we give all 80 students a bag of nice gifts. Our house is all decorated for winter – Ruth doesn’t necessarily decorate for Christmas – as winter is her favorite season. Lots of snowmen and snowflakes.
As we still have no maintenance man we have been relying on visiting handymen for help. God sent many talented ones our way this fall. We had visitors from Colorado, Kentucky, North Carolina, Arizona, Kansas and Michigan. We also enjoyed a short visit from the Montgomery clan. Howard, Jeannie and Ruth grew up here and it was good to see them again. I went to high school with Howard in Kansas many years ago. They loved seeing all the changes even in the last few years. While the project list is much shorter there are still many things to do if you have a mind to visit. Keep praying that in His time God will provide a maintenance man.
One of the visitors was Charles Roughton who is praying about coming to be the maintenance man. He and his wife Kathy live in North Carolina. He certainly has the skills we need. Pray that God would lead him and his church fellowship in discerning God’s perfect plan.
We are excited to welcome a new Navajo staff member. A former student, Running Feather Hosteen has come on staff as bus mechanics helper. Running has been trained in auto mechanics and wants to use his talents for the Lord. He has come on faith, trusting the Lord to meet his needs. Pray that support will come in for him and that he will be the help that Ranson needs. Ranson is still in much pain from his back and may need to go for surgery. Lula’s brother died suddenly recently. They remain faithful servants in spite of many trials. Pray for them.
We had our annual Community Christmas program last Sat. About 175 came to see the Nativity acted out, sing carols and listen to a great message. We served a good meal for everyone. We praise God for yet another opportunity to share the good news with our community. Dec 19th we are having a school Christmas program. Anne Denny has worked hard to put together a great musical program involving most of the students.
We will visit family and friends over Christmas in Kansas and Missouri. Please pray for God’s grace in many miles of travel.
John & Ruth Bloom
December 20th, 2007 From: - Management [from: Kathy Staley]
After Christmas break we hope to offer the high school girls a class on scrapbooking. There will be close to 20 in the class which will require a lot of supplies. If you would like to help, here is a list of things we will need to collect before January.
1) 12×12 albums (top-loading)
2) Cardstock, paper — all colors, all prints (not construction paper)
3) Acid-Free Adhesives
4) Personal paper cutters.
5) Stickers, Letters
6) Colored brads, eyelets
7) Punches
 Acid-Free pens and markers
December 13th, 2007 From: - Management [from Kelli Wilson]
Merry Christmas to you! I have been in the Christmas mood soooo much this month. I am ready to go home and see my dad and my family. I hope that you have a great Christmas with family and friends as you remember Christ's birth and sacrifice for us!
I had the joy of being in the wedding of my former roommate (Elaine Walter to Eric Evers) at the beginning of this month. It was neat to see the way that the Lord helped with the arranging of my transportation to get to the wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and yes, I did cry. But I know that Elaine and Eric will have a great marriage as they continue to focus on the Lord!
Thanksgiving for me was a restful time. A group of about 20 or so people were visiting Anne Denny for the holiday. Also, everybody from the mission stayed here for the holiday. We started the day with a pie breakfast at Dorothy Harvey's house. The idea is that since everybody is always too full for pie after the big meal, let's just eat it for breakfast first that morning. I loved the idea!!! Then for lunch we all ate a big meal down in the school cafeteria. We each brought a dish or two and had a great time. It was a fun day and then I had the rest of the weekend to get caught up on some much needed sleep.
I have had a couple bouts with a cold this month. I even sick on my own birthday—how lame is that. But the Lord worked it out that since I was home sick, I was also home when my grandma called to wish me a happy birthday—it was so nice to be able to talk to her when I was sick. One of my students also had a birthday this month. She shared her birthday with a kindergarten student—so we all got together and watched a movie and ate purple cupcakes!
I do believe that we all teacher's and students alike are looking forward to Christmas break. I always anticipated it as a child—but I never knew that I would anticipate it even more as a teacher!!! I find myself saying, "Let's just go read a book instead of…" We have the countdown going—only 13 days til Christmas!!! Have a Merry Christmas!
In Him,
Kelli Wilson
November 22nd, 2007 From: - Management [from: Megan Thurston]
Hello everyone! Well, it has been an age since I've written, I think. I say "age" because my students and I are on a Tolkien kick. We're reading The Hobbit and will be reading the Lord of the Rings Trilogy . Hopefully they are as prepared as they think they are! They seem to be enjoying the fantasy aspect…most of them are. For my poorer readers, it has been a little daunting, but they haven't given up and that makes me very happy.
Right now it is my break. I have a break every morning from 9-10. I should be finishing my grades, but it is so boring and slightly depressing! It is much more fun to write a note, drink some cocoa, and listen to Christmas music on my TV. My dogs are playing in the living room, except Sally who is sitting right next to me. My puppies have been very mature lately. No books, DVDs, CDs, or furniture has been chewed on for over a week, nor has there been any messes on the floor. It is indescribable how wonderful that is. I pray it continues. A friend, Kelli Wilson, has been helping me walk them in the afternoon after I get back from driving the bus. Kelli is our first grade teacher. She walks Sally while I walk Buddy and Barkley. Cassie, the tripod, isn't put on a leash unless she is in town. Her stopping and going is too much of a nuisance for her to be on a leash.
Well, now it is Wednesday. My students and I are almost finished reading The Hobbit. Next they will have to write a five paragraph essay about it. Reading, thinking, and writing…what a dangerous and daunting proposition!
We are definitely ready for a little break. I think school on Monday will be much more interesting than a normal Monday! I also hope that some students think about how much they really do like school and won't do anything foolish to jeopardize their position here. A high schooler was suspended yesterday for coming to school drunk. His dad is working and not at home, so U. drives himself to a bus stop or to school. So, he drove himself to school while he was under the influence! Our school is his last chance since he has already been kicked out of some public schools, kicked out for alcohol and drug use. Please pray for him and his father. Aside from that, school is going along normally. I am seeing tpyical amounts of affection and disrespect from the students. Yes, disrespect. Remember I teach teenagers!
I have a lot to be thankful for…plenty of wood for my stove, dogs that are growing up, classroom work that is getting done, junior high students that are getting excited about basketball and the holidays, and of course all the people that support me!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving, love, megan
November 12th, 2007 From: - Management [from Kelli Wilson]
Wow! October was a very busy month for us here at the Mission. Every weekend and many week nights we had something going on. As a result I have a very messy house—at least I like to blame it on that. The month kicked off with a Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) teacher conference down in Phoenix. I had a great time, was reminded of many things, and generally encouraged. I really enjoyed the family that put Megan and myself up. I also enjoyed getting to know more of my co-workers on the road trip. I also saw my first saguaro—very exciting! After the conference, Anne Denny went to Kansas to a wedding and she and a friend, Andrew Hawkinson, drove back a new bus for the Mission. We are very excited to have that and at the amazing way that God provided it. It was also a blessing to have Andrew here for a day. The next weekend we had a garage sale here at the mission. Since I just moved in, I didn't have anything to contribute. So Megan and I took her four dogs to a park in Cortez, Co. She thought it might be a good idea to not have them barking all day long. About the middle of the month, the mission hosted a Singspiration. Several of the area Navajo churches came together and organized a 2 ½ days of singing, concerts (local people), preaching and food (of course—lots of food!). It was a huge success. Many people were either challenged or encouraged through the weekend. That Friday marked the end of the first quarter and we had to prepare the report cards—a very scary and stressful process. Then on Tuesday we had an open house in which I got to finally meet many of my students' parents. It was a lot of fun, and amazingly I wasn't at all nervous—praise God!! The next weekend we had a work day here at the mission. We don't have a maintenance man this year so we took a Saturday to try and accomplish a lot of things. We cut firewood, winterized all the water coolers, changed furnace filters, replanted flowers, fixed chairs, and many other things that I've already forgotten. A family from Colorado came and helped out that weekend—it was so neat to meet them and see their desire to help out in whatever way is possible. Do you know of someone who might be interested in coming out here and being a maintenance man for a weekend, week, month, or year or more? The next week was Halloween. My kids definitely got sugared up even before they left school to go Trick-or-Treating. I left school early on Halloween to fly to Iowa for Elaine (my former roommate and best friend) and Eric's (another good friend from college) wedding. It was so wonderful to see friends again and laugh about old times. We had a great weekend, but not nearly enough sleep! Other than that, not much happened. I hope and pray next month's newsletter covers a lot less events. One thing I learned this month is that God definitely knew what he was doing when he created weekends—and they ought to be treated as sacred events. I very much enjoyed this Saturday!!! It was a great day of rest, time in the Word, time with friends, great food, and my house is so much cleaner!!! I pray that you can find time for a refreshing weekend or even just a rejuvenating hour or two!
In Him,
Kelli Wilson
November 6th, 2007 From: - Management [from Megan Thurston]
Well, here it is another school year. In fact the first quarter is half-way done. How is it possible for something to feel like it is taking forever, when you see that it is going by faster than you realize? No wonder junior high teachers are slightly "off"! At least, I am!
We have thirteen fun, goofy students this year. One student came all the way from Canada! Another student came back after living in town (Farmington/Kirtland) for several years. The rest are repeat business. I have three students who are not at grade level. Their language arts skills are between grades 3-5. Please pray for them to be encouraged as they work; please pray that I will have wisdom and patience to teach them. Some students are in that rebellious stage and are routinely obnoxious. Pray for them as well, that they will learn self-control. Please pray for my self-control too!
On the whole, this group of students gets along well and is helpful to each other. I pray that they learn more about following God this year, and that they become better thinkers and doers in general.
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