Category: Donations

Posted on

Old Fashioned Navajo Christmas Update

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for praying for us and being a part of our celebration through gifts that you sent.  God gave us a wonderful day with beautiful weather (though we did appreciate the outdoor fires that we put in the shade).  We gave out 300 gift bags to adults and 75 gift bags to children and I think there might have been 50 who didn’t take a gift bag but did eat beans and hot dogs and visit with us.

Some highlights of the program were the school kids singing Go Tell it on the Mountain and Away in a Manger in Navajo, our two preachers both giving the Good News of salvation, and Danae Olson Schonberg (a direct descendant of the original Holcombs who began the work here in 1922) sharing a testimony of God’s faithfulness through the generations that was translated for the crowd.

A highlight of the day for me was visiting with so many former students and staff (Ruth Bloom even came back for the day!) who travelled to be here.  I also met several who went to school here in the 1940s. One grandma said she was raised as a Christian but drifted away after she married a non-believer.  She now wants to put her grandchild in our school so he will learn to sing about Jesus.

Another bonus story; Raefer said one man was so excited about the rollup he got that he wasn’t going to open it for a while, just enjoy it.

And a bonus picture; today our youngest teacher, Tamara, organized a crazy Christmas sweater day for all the teachers.  Here are many of us at breakfast.

We get so much joy out of giving, especially when it is well received.  I pray that all of us will receive well the gift of eternal life that God offers us through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son Jesus.  Praise Him!

Anne Denny

for Immanuel Mission

Posted on

Thrift Store News

Hello! It’s me Dedra Lee. I run the thrift store on campus with my family. I am also a Sunday School teacher, an EPIC youth leader, art teacher for preK-8th grade, mom of four plus a new-born, and a wife…and I will add one of Ruth’s many jobs to the list—receiving donations for Immanuel Mission.

I feel fortunate to be given this job.  Ruth has done so much here at IM and as much as we love her being here, God has other plans for her and we’ll continue to pray for her as she begins another chapter and is with family that love her dearly. I’m sure she will be missed here by staff, students and the Sweetwater community. 

You can now contact me for donations information, to know what we can use. I hope to do my best to communicate with all who send donations. I look to the Lord as I am given this job (Colossians 3:23) to do it well.  Thank you all who support Immanuel Mission through donations, financially and through prayers.

You can reach me at dedralee3@gmail.com or text (928) 814-5224

Posted on

A New Kid and Kid’s Christmas

Hello, Yá’át’ééh!

I am a new mom once again, the 6th time over. We had a little girl, her name is Natalia Ruth Begaye, she is now 2 months old. So, she and I accepted Ruth Bloom’s job of doing the Kids’ Christmas for the school. I think we will have fun and are ready too on days we are free from appointments and, you know, mommy duties. Please meet our little precious.

But at the same time, please pray for us as we take on another job—that we are able to do it and make good decisions. We will be making gift bags for the students including toys, winter wear, hygiene supplies, and candy.

As far as donations for this, I am going to accept anything you send, I cannot say what is needed right now. What we receive will be greatly appreciated.  So thank you in advance,

Natalie Begaye

Posted on

All Things for Good

Playground

God works all things for good to those who love him. I’ve been thinking about this in regard to our playground. For years the health inspector had recommended that we replace our homemade playground fort with a commercial apparatus. I strongly resisted tearing down a perfectly good fort and spending the money for an updated playground. Finally, the inspector insisted. So about this time last year I bought a used apparatus on Ebay and went to NJ to get it. We have had to purchase some slides that were missing but the manufacturer also donated about $3,000 worth of equipment. In all we’ve spent over $10,000.  We gave it a fresh coat of paint, installed it and it looks great. But the wonderful thing is how much the children enjoy it. I love sitting outside and watching 20 or so kids climbing, sliding and enjoying the new playground. They use the new one much more than the old fort I tried to hold onto. So, even though the inspection was a trial, it has in many ways made us make improvements that have benefited the school children.

John Bloom

Posted on

Bloom Newsletter

Dear praying friends,                                                                                              April, 2013

 Spring has come to northern Arizona although we have had some very cold nights recently. We are playing softball outside most days. Spring on the Rez usually means WIND which means SAND in the eyes and mouth and hair. However, the tulips and daffodils are blooming and the chickens are laying. (in December I bought 9 hens at an auction. For about a month they didn’t lay any eggs but since about Feb we get 6 or 7 a day. I sell them to the staff here.) Just one more month until graduation. We only have one senior and three eighth grade graduates this year so it will be a shorter ceremony. If I’ve counted correctly, Thomuel will be the 100th graduate of Carrizo Christian Academy.

I want to give you an update on Raven – the 7th grade girl I wrote about in the last newsletter. Further tests have revealed that now there is now nothing wrong with her heart even though earlier tests indicated a major problem. PTL. The mother gives full credit to God that He answered our prayers. She gave another testimony in church recently and said she is now a believer and that prayer and Bible reading are now a part of their daily family life. This all has been a real encouragement to us here.

We have had the accreditation visit I mentioned in the last newsletter. Four ACSI team members spent three days here looking at what we are doing and gave us high marks – especially for our emphasis on Biblical training and discipleship. They recommended that we retain our accreditation. This is a great answer to prayer.

We are still in need of a kindergarten teacher for next year. We also need a maintenance man as well as a computer type person. God has provided an art teacher and a cook for next year already.

Recently the mission staff voted to NOT participate in the National School Lunch Program next year. New regulations have made it increasingly difficult to comply with all they want us to do. So, this will be a major increase in our expenses for the school year. If you would like to help feed the school children gifts can be designated for the school food fund. We estimate that it costs about $150 per day to feed our students and teachers. We serve both breakfast and lunch – about 150 meals a day. We are also suggesting that if someone is coming to visit that they organize a food drive and bring some food with them. Contact me for a list of needed items.

Be sure to address anything to us or the mission as BOX 1080, Teec Nos Pos, Az 86514. The post office is returning anything that does not have our new address. Ruth and I want to thank you for your prayers and faithful support of the work here.

John & Ruth Bloom

Posted on

Video

In September and October of 2012, Jim and Lynn Adams of CreativeImpactMinistries.org came to create a video for Immanuel Mission.  Here is a link to the videos.

Tour of Immanuel Mission (6 minute tour)

Trailer for Immanuel Mission: God With Us (2 minute trailer to the short documentary)

Immanuel Mission: God With Us (30 minute short documentary)

Immanuel Mission: Esther Yazzie (5 minute interview of Esther Yazzie Navajo Language and Culture teacher)

All of the above

Posted on

Timely Gifts

Recently the mission has been given some great gifts of personal property which are known as “Gifts-in-kind.” We have been given two vans, four cases of copy paper, three furnaces and two acres of land. These gifts are tax deductible and you will get a gift-in-kind receipt if desired. Of course we continue to need good new and used clothes, household items, and school supplies, but it has been great to see God supply even bigger items for our use.
John Bloom
Posted on

Big-Time Answers to Prayer

We had a rough time financially in September, but we had just enough oil in the jar to make all the cakes. That is just like God to make sure that we have enough to keep on going. We were given a couple of gifts…they seemed like miracles to us. We are doing ok again. That propane truck always seems to wipe us out. Because of where we live we have to have it delivered and we have to buy the whole truck or the price is more per gallon. These days it costs almost $6000.00 every time we order. There are no gas lines out here so we only have the option of choosing which propane company. We are learning that God is good all the time and He provides.

Ruth 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

Message from the Office

There are no gas lines to the Mission (or phone lines, or mail delivery, or trash pickup). We all have tanks of propane outside our homes and huge ones for the school. I call and order a truck to come and refill them when they get low. When the prices for propane went up I was tempted to call the bills profane! Please pray with us for the Lord’s provision. We are not allowed to have a partial order without an even bigger per gallon price. So we must order the whole truck and put it in various tanks. We had to order for the school tanks in August. The bill came to over $6000. It has been exciting to watch God provide this need. Many have given more than usual to help cover this added expense. We are so thankful to God and to you.

Ruth Bloom