Year: 2009

Posted on

Academic

Every year our students participate in an Academic Meet/Fine Arts Festival with nearby (only 3 hours away) mission schools. I’ve been organizing the academic portion of this event for several years and because of helpful coworkers things went swimmingly. Our students worked on art projects and social studies reports all year that we saved to submit to the contest.
In early spring we began learning songs for the mass choir and preparing small ensembles and solos and instrumental (recorder and guitar) pieces. The days of the event went well. There was a musical concert the first evening after the day of performing for judges and practicing with students from other schools. The following day was full of academic tests, Sword Drills, Bible Memory recitations, speeches, and spelling bees.
It was a great time to see other Native American students learning the same things and singing the same songs to our glorious Father. The students came home with many ribbons and medals. It was fun to honor the students for academics and music and to be reminded that God is working all over the Navajo reservation, not just in our little corner.
Anne Denny
Posted on

School

Highlights of the last month of school:

  • Cheyenne Dee scored 21 on the ACT College entrance test. That is a very high score for a minority student.
  • Zach scored 18 points in the All-star basketball game and was awarded the MVP trophy
  • We did well in the annual academic meet – a contest among mission schools – especially in Bible and Bible memory.
  • The juniors and seniors had a great trip to Florida – especially loving the beach. It was also their first time to fly. The saints in Orlando and Tampa were an invaluable help by housing the group.
  • We had a wonderful graduation on May 15th. Six seniors and two eighth graders walked the aisle. The gym was decorated beautifully. Five of the six seniors are planning to go on to college.
Prayer items
  • On the senior trip Tiffany had to go to the emergency room for an allergic reaction. She is fine but the bill was over $2,000. The Navajo tribe is refusing to pay. We have appealed that decision. Pray that they will do what is right.
  • Two of the seniors graduated without coming to a saving knowledge of Christ. Pray for their salvation.
  • Pray that the others will continue in the faith.
  • Pray that we will have a full complement of teachers for next school year. At this time we still could use another high school teacher.

John Bloom

Posted on

Journey

Becoming the bookkeeper was a very hard thing for me. Since I knew that the Lord wanted me to do it, I kept at it even though I did not like the job. I felt overwhelmed and not adequate for the task. Some days I would sit at my computer screen filled with dread wondering why everything disappeared when I hit that key and how can I make it come back?

One day in church Greg described his idea of the worst kind of job…one where you sat in a small room all by yourself for hours at a time looking at a small screen and typing in numbers. I almost raised my hand…that’s me!! I cried out to the Lord and He answered, but not quickly by my standards.
I recently realized that I liked my job….a lot, and was now happy doing it. I was amazed and told my husband about it. He said, “That’s great Ruth, that only took 4 years.” I am truly rejoicing to see that the Lord, only, can change the heart.
I am also rejoicing to see the Lord provide the needs of the Mission. I get to see it firsthand everyday as I open letters and see the Lord provide the funds we need to keep on ministering here in this place. The Lord apparently is not struggling with a recession. I am humbled and thankful to see His provision.
Ruth Bloom
Posted on

Summer

We are five weeks into the summer. We have had three work groups with four more coming. We have made great progress on the new apartment. This week we will lay the tile floor and finish painting. All that will be left will be carpet and kitchen cabinets. The carpet has already been donated. We still need to purchase the cabinets. We have also progressed nicely on a new house for Ranson and Lula Tom. The house is mostly framed but still needs a roof and interior walls as well as electrical and plumbing to finish the rough construction.

We are also remodeling a room for our music program as well a repainting the gym floor. We are so thankful for all the work that these groups do for the mission. The groups also do a ministry in the community and these are always well attended and effective. Many kids who don’t go to our school can be reached through the VBS ministry in the summer. Please pray for these groups and the gospel outreach.
John Bloom
Posted on

New Phone Number for Immanuel Mission

Immanuel Mission has a new phone number.  Effective immediately.  830-2000-351.   Please spread the word to everyone you know that has contact with us.  The old number will be disconnected shortly. Thanks for your help spreading the word.

Posted on

News in April

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 Knopf

Posted on

Bloom Newletter – March 2009

Dear praying friends, March 2009
It’s time once again to share with you the blessings and challenges of ministry at Immanuel Mission. We are having a good school year and we are nearly 3/4 of the way through. Basketball season is winding down with the league tournament next week. We expect to do well. The juniors and seniors have been doing lots of fundraisers in preparation for their big trip to Florida this year. Last week we had our annual carnival night. The BIG attraction this year was a new climbing wall — 19 ft of hand and toe holds with different skill levels. Putting people in “jail” is also a big attraction. We have had a lot of sickness in the school but so far no teachers have missed a day. Mel Meinzinger our kindergarten teacher (Ruth’s niece) is scheduled for surgery later this month to remove some growths on her ovaries. Please pray for her. This may be done over spring break but she may have to miss the rest of the year.
Here’s a great story. Laverne went to school here through 8th grade. She was a student when we first came here 21 yrs ago. She went to Red Mesa to high school. Later she got “Navajo married” which means she lived with a man but was never legally married. This is a common practice out here. It usually ends up being common law marriage. She and Bernard had three children which are in our school. Not surprisingly they had marriage problems and eventually separated. Last fall Laverne was very depressed but fortunately got out the Bible we gave her for 8th grade graduation. She remembered many of the verses she memorized in school. Well, she gave her life to the Lord — then told Bernard and he trusted Christ as well. They are back together and planning a wedding. Sometimes the seed takes a while to grow but we are reminded to be faithful in sowing and leave the increase to God. Pray for Laverne and Bernard and kids.
Johnny graduates from Emmaus this year and we hope to attend. Then he will be married July 25th in North Carolina and we definitely will attend. He and Kara plan to live in Topeka, Ks where Johnny will work for his brother Rex.
Our daughter-in-law Katie continues to improve. She still is not back to work but is able to handle raising three active children.
Today I go to a planning meeting for a Navajo produced Passion Play. I am hoping many of our believers will participate. Our maintenance situation has improved with the addition of Willard Shannon to the staff. We still need an auto-shop teacher.
We have 9 youth groups scheduled this year. The first is a large group from Hutchinson that will be here in early March. There will be 8 more in the summer. Pray for blessing as the Word goes out into the community.
Thanks so much for your faithful prayers and support. Your partnership in the gospel is a great encouragement.
John & Ruth Bloom