Month: April 2008

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New Responsibility

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
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News from Becky

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 Knopf

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March Newsletter

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

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Bloom Newsletter – April 2008

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