Category: Newsletters

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From the Principal’s Desk:

It has been a gift from the Lord to have all repeat teachers this year. Expectations are already known. Consistency is a major need in children’s lives.  But our God, who never changes, walks with us through changes that we face. Please pray for the need of new early childhood teachers for next year. We have been so happy with Tiffany teaching kindergarten but we are thrilled that the Lord is giving her and JR a baby due in June. If you know of someone the Lord might send to teach at Immanuel Mission, please connect me with them. A teaching degree would be ideal but we can work with someone who has a heart for children’s ministry.          —Miss Denny

                       dennyanne@gmail.com

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The Book of Proverbs teaches us, “Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.”  That is a summary of our life. Occasionally, we all are able to get together for a meal, to stop our day-to-day life and enjoy being together. When you see us all together, we are a large group: 25 Staff +28 kids +7 loved ones (+a couple more on the way) for a grand total of 60 who love, live, and serve together. In such a large group, you will see such a variety of gifts, callings, and ministries. Yet, we are all striving together with the same mind, same purpose, and same message. Yes, there are times of strife as the enemy loves to divide and cause us to struggle against flesh and blood rather than principalities. But we serve a risen Savior, Jesus Christ who is far above all and who is the head of the body. Thank you so much for your continued prayers for the work and the workers here at Immanuel Mission.   
 

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“I had a wonderful time”

“I had a wonderful time”

In September we had a delightful women’s conference put on by Village Ministries International. The women all met together for singing and eating then separated for teaching. Village Ministries shared the materials with Helen Tom, a local believer who taught the same thing to our Navajo speakers while VMI taught the English speakers. Tears were shed, hearts were touched. “Thank you. I needed to hear my own language spoken from the Bible.”

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Volleyball again at Immanuel Mission

   This fall a group of girls 5th-8th grade asked about having a volleyball team. After praying about the details (Could all the girls commit? Who would we play? Would the girls be too shy to play in front of others?), the Lord put it on my heart to just go ahead and start working with these girls! This week is our last week of practice and then the girls will play together as a team against a team made up of their own family members! Through this the Lord reminded me that there are times when all of the details I worried about aren’t what matters. Our God desires that we step forth in faith, offer what we have to the Lord and let Him work. Through these practices the girls and I have gotten closer and we have been able to look at different Scriptures together and grow in ways that don’t only have to do with the game of volleyball. Please keep these young ladies in your prayers going forward. They have a lot going on in life and, like all of us, need Christ. I’m thankful for the way the Lord has worked even through something as simple as volleyball.                                —Liz Skillen

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Come teach at Immanuel Mission!

Immanuel Mission School is a very special environment to teach in! It’s a small school with supportive staff, little class sizes, flexibility, and an overall emphasis on relationship building. I believe this creates many opportunities for good conversations to be had and fun memories to be made. The highlight of my time teaching here was last school year when I led a week of specials every quarter with the 6th-8th grade girls. Being the first grade teacher I really didn’t have much to teach Jr. Highers. So it was a very easy-going and simple time of doing little crafts, baking treats, getting to know each other, and joking around together. But I had a great time and, as far as I know, the students had a great time as well. I think there are few places where others would be willing to fill in and do my job for me so I could leave and go have fun with another class.                                           —Brynne Springs

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“Letters from Scott’s tailgate”

Hoping this note finds you safe, happy and thankful. We all have so much to be thankful for. A cheerful heart is good medicine, Pr. 17:22. Maybe a stretch, but thankfulness makes me cheerful.  

Always something going on at Immanuel. Last Thursday I did a trip to town for a dentist appointment between morning and afternoon bus runs. Friday I picked up school food, ran some errands and played 18 holes of golf. Saturday was the Veterans Run at Monument Valley. I walked in the Wildcat 4 mile, while my daughter Brynn ran the marathon. “She placed first in her age group,” -proud dad. Anne Denny and Kelli Wilson bring the 7th and 8th to work an aid station on the course. Sunday a visit from daughter and son-in-law after meeting. And Broncos!  Monday, back to bus duty and chores. His yoke is easy. We still covet your prayers. —Scott Valentine

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My plans became His plans

My plans after school started were to be available for His leading, day by day, each moment as a new adventure in retirement from teaching Kindergarten. My plans? Let’s say to conform to His plans as well as His leading! Two weeks after school was in session, I became quite ill with flu symptoms. After a week, the fever/abdominal pain getting worse, we headed to the ER in Cortez. There they discovered a lodged 13 mm kidney stone and inflamed kidney. The next 44 days required several trips to Durango where I could be treated.

But why so long? Everything I read from His Word. Every devotional. A visit. The Holy Spirit used these to teach me, the teacher, and build up my faith in our loving Lord. His plans. His appointment. His grace to gently accept and delight in His plan and His timing!

“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Romans 1:16. To every nurse, doctor, and technician who asked, “What do you do among the Navajo?” I’m so glad you asked!                                         —Susan Price

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Encouragement for a brother 

I’ve enjoyed seeing how brothers and sisters in Christ are providing for the mission in many different ways! I want to share one example with you. I have been meeting with a brother for Bible study each week for a while now. He has mentioned struggling with reading his Bible. Sometimes having different first languages, can cause misunderstandings. However this week I realized when he said, “I can barely see the words because they are awfully small.” that he simply couldn’t see the words! As an elder, I knew we had some Bibles sent to the chapel from believers and so I was able to go find a large print MacArthur Study Bible. What a difference that made! This brother is very excited about his new study Bible and even more excited to grow in the Word. Those of you who pray for, support, and send as the Lord leads, are a huge part of what the Lord is doing here at Immanuel Mission and we can’t say thank you enough.            

  Your brother in Christ, Ryan Skillen

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Reading between the lines

“Uh…Miss Kelli…will you do that thing you do for my brother?”  “Uh…teenaged student…what do you mean?”  “Well, his girlfriend is going to have a baby.” 

Sometimes when teaching Jr. High students I have to read between the lines.  I eventually figured out that his brother’s girlfriend was in the hospital and the pregnancy was in danger.  A couple weeks prior, the kids heard that I often crochet baby blankets for my friends and pray for the baby as I crochet.  After figuring it out, I was more than happy to do what he asked. 

So, I made him a blanket and prayed; not only for the baby and mother, but also for my teenaged student to learn to trust the Savior.  I long for my community to know that prayer is not a magic spell, but that the Creator of the universe delights when we take our concerns to Him.  Pray with me for this young teen (and others, too!) to surrender his will and commit his life to the Lord. 

P.S. The Lord answered! Mother and baby are both healthy and Teenaged Uncle is enamored with his new nephew!                                                  —Kelli Wilson

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Fond Memories & Baking from Rachel

The long cold months of winter tend to be a challenging season for me. They feel so dark and gloomy and depressing. Baking is one of the things that brings the most joy to me in this season… apart from the ultimate comfort and joy of my relationship with Jesus and experiencing His incredible presence and peace. I’ve sometimes wondered why this is so. Baking has always been something I’ve genuinely enjoyed, but I think part of the reason baking feels so comforting to me in these winter months is because of all the memories I have of baking with my mom in the winter as a child. The winter baking memories that stick in my mind most are baking baskets full of bread, cookies, and mom’s homemade caramels and delivering them to all the neighbors each year, decorating gingerbread cookies as a family event, and enjoying homemade treats along with eggnog or hot chocolate during our nightly advent reading. There were evenings spent listening to Dad read aloud to us, while Mom scooped and baked batches of oatmeal cookies. Somehow, the characters in the stories Dad read always ended up “eating cookies” at random times throughout the pages, and of course, Dad had to pause for a bite or two of cookie whenever this happened. I’m grateful for these fond memories and grateful to still be able to enjoy baking in these winter months, and getting to share that joy of baking with students on occasion is extra special!                                                                                     —Rachel Faust