Precious Blossom...

This sweet girl loves to help in anyway possible. 

She had the cutest disposition while washing these potatoes. 

 Such joy!  The simple task of washing potatoes to help out.  

What you pray over your children can truly have an impact.  

Christmas 2014

 Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

2nd Grade Graduation...

The second graders at our church "graduate" each year with a special presentation of their own Bible.   They are recognized for being able to read God's word and for learning how to locate books of the Bible on their own.  And they get cake!

Inscription Rock and Zuni . . .

With our week of activities nearly complete I feel we were true to the words on the shirts we wore.  In order to have an - impact - i must act. Galatians 5:13 - ...but through love serve one another.

After serving lunch we could have gone back to the dorms and started packing up for our departure the next day.  Thankfully, that was not on the schedule.  Our instructions were to load up on the bus right away.  We were headed south to the Zuni pueblo.

Our week of activities was planned and orchestrated by Mr. Polinder.  His connections to Rehoboth go back 30 plus years.  He has a heart for teaching through fun experiences and serving those in need.

It was nice to have everyone together on one bus instead of strung together in a five vehicle caravan. On the bus we could sit next to our spouses and relax.  The kids were having a grand time in the back singing Frozen songs.

Our first stop would be at El Morro National Monument.  This amazing rock of sandstone rises from the ground and was a precious source of water and shade for travelers heading from one side of our country to the other.

 Nestled in one of the corners of this great rock formation is a pool of water.  We all know the importance of water in the desert. 

This place was named El Morro (headland) by the Spanish and Inscription Rock by the English.  Over the centuries travelers carved their names, dates and stories into the rock.  They are still clearly visible today.

The trail took us around the base and side of the rock where we could see dozens and dozens of inscriptions from travelers from the 1600 - 1800's.  Further inscriptions were banned in the early 1900's.

Back on the bus, we headed to Zuni.  After this trip to New Mexico I can now clearly list 3 major differences between the Zuni and Navajo people.  

Number 1 - Navajo prefer to live spread out from each other.  Zuni want to live together in a small, tight community.  

Number 2 - Zuni have a religion of ceremonies.  Do the ceremony correctly and you should be OK.  Being so close together in a tight community also makes it difficult to leave the religion.  Zuni is considered a "dark" place spiritually with a fear of the unknown.

Navajo are more accepting of Christianity because they are isolated from each other and peer pressure.  Their traditional religion is one that incorporates a medicine man.  They choose to fix problems or ailments with a medicine man rather than prevent unknown badness with ceremonies.

Number 3 - Navajo are decedents from the Athabascan Indians of Alaska.  They are adapters of their environment.  Their wide open spaces of land allow for shepherding and ranching.  Zuni have always been sustainability farmers.  They grow corn, beans, squash, etc. 

Zuni are well know for the traditional and daily bread they make in these outdoor clay ovens. Nearly every home or cluster of homes has one or more.

Our destination in Zuni was to the first school ever established there.  A Christian Reformed Mission School.  I didn't get any pictures but they just finished a brand new school last year and no longer have to meet in portable buildings.  This school is a safe haven for the students who attend.  I don't know how they make the daily adjustment of life on the pueblo and life inside the new school walls.  When you walk inside the school it's as if poverty has melted away.  Take a step outside and you're reminded of where you really are.   I chose not to take pictures of the poverty.

 Our last stop of the day would be at Chu Chu's pizza restaurant in Zuni. Awesome pizza!

Our youngest, the Scientist,  was happy to sit next to the big boy teens in our group.  These boys were able to attend this spring break mission trip without their families.  It was a great, safe and educational experience for them.  And of course, all of us moms looked out for them.  Calling out concern when they got too close to a cliff edge.  Making sure they had sack lunches when we were out for the day volunteering.  And occasionally waking them up in the morning.  They were a blessing to the group just like every family and person on the trip. 

Serving the hungry and homeless...

Thursday - Our last day of service. 

We awoke on April 2nd to a significant dusting of snow.  We knew snow was a possibility for this area but it was still surprising.  On the schedule for this day was a morning of volunteering with the ministry "Answer God's Call."  These wonderful people work with the Navajo homeless in Gallup.  Once a week they make lunch and serve it at a local church. They glean from the grocery stores and make what they are able.  Egg and sausage burritos, boiled potatoes, applesauce and cookies would be today's meal.

Our group of 15 arrived at 9:30 am to a little home in downtown Gallup.  With no idea of what we would be doing - I was amazed that we walked in, received instructions, made friends and easily cooked eggs, sausage and boiled diced potatoes in large quantities.  To God be the Glory for orchestrating us and using us so efficiently.

After we were finished, there was enough time for our group to have a devotional before we loaded up and took the food to a small Nazarene church building nearby.

At the end of the day the kids would say that this was one of their favorite volunteer activities.  I think this activity allowed them to be all hands on.  Making food and then serving that food to the people who really needed it, helped them feel (helped us all feel) like we made an impact. (Remember that word for later.)

Like I said before, it snowed that night.  Homeless who are on the streets will often have to stay awake during a cold night to stay warm.  When they get inside to a warm building it's easy to fall asleep.  Our first job was to serve them coffee.  After a short biblical message it was time to serve lunch.

With so many hands, the task was completed quickly so, we sat down to eat lunch and fellowship.

As many of my friends know, my youngest son doesn't go anywhere without his chess set.  This day was no different.  As soon as his lunch was finished the Scientist has whispering in my ear, "Can I ask someone to play chess?"  His ability to engage and communicate with new people, regardless of age,  never ceases to amaze me.

This son of mine is going to take me for quite a ride as he grows up.

With the day only half over we headed back to our dorms to get ready for another activity.   
Our trip to the Zuni Pueblo - next up on A Few of My Favorite Things!

Church Rock Elementary...

Tuesday - It's our fourth day here at Rehoboth.  The men, women and children all have volunteering to do.  Then men head back to work on the fence in the wind and blowing sand and we (moms and kids) drive a few miles down the road to a little K-5 school called Church Rock Elementary.   Church Rock has nothing to do with a church, it's named for the rock formation that can be seen near the school.

All the kids at Church Rock qualify for free lunch.  Not a single child brings a lunch from home.  This really streamlines the lunch process.

This school, like others, has had to tighten it's budget over the years and art enrichment classes were cut in order to keep music class.  Our goal would be to provide an hour of art class to 12 classes - grades 1st-5th.

A few of the moms in our group have been teachers.  One was an art teacher (before kids) and she organized all the art projects weeks in advance.   I estimated that 220 pieces of art were created in two days.  We framed them on construction paper and hung them on the walls.  The teachers and kids loved it.

Working two days in a school was exhausting.  I don't know how teachers do it every day. 

I loved talking to the 1st and 2nd graders.  They are bright eyed and sweet kids.

I listened to one little boy tell me about his older sister who had the art class the day before.  She was so excited about what she made.  She went home and recreated the project for her younger brother.  He told me he was really looking forward to the art class after that.  That was a special conversation for me.

Our kids were big helpers.  They handed out all the supplies as well as organized and cleaned them up when each class finished.  Our younger guys offered smiles and encouragement to the students.  We all offered a good portion of praise and encouragement to each student.  

Working all day in a school was a bit of a challenge for my little guy but he did the best he could.  I was proud of all my boys and the work they did those two days.