On the Rez

Today started as usual with team devotions over breakfast.  Our journal always seems to be in line with things that are happening on the mission or a challenge to individuals on the team and so tense times are important as they equip us and strengthen us and keep our focus on why we are here.

After breakfast we had an hour free to visit the small mall downtown before we headed out onto the Rez.  We stopped in Window Rock to go into Ace's Hardware Store which didn't just sel hardware!  We'd been told about the store by some ladies at the flea market who told us that is where you could buy traditional native material.  Sure enough you could!  It was really hard to choose from so many fantastic designs.  We bought a sample of several ... Plans afoot to make some items to sell and raise money for ongoing missions.

Then we went to meet Ella, a member of JGFG, and is chief prosecutor who showed around the courthouse and we met the judge.

We had lunch and then carried onto St Michael, Arizona and STP which is the 'Summit Training Post' - it used to be a trading post and is now a church and Christian centre run by Bishop Herb Hutchinson (Herb was one of Bill Haley's Comets).

It is a beautiful place with fantastic views.  They keep several horses too and have an open  air stage which is where set up for the evening service.  We practised and planned the service before having Navajo tacos under a large canopy.  (Part way through the afternoon things got a bit crazy as the lads had a bit of a comedy moment ... Bobbie did a stand up set with CJ punctuating each joke with a drum roll.  I think we nearly lost Mark who couldn't breathe for laughing!)

The service was great - our team did an amazing job doing drama, Bobbie shared his testimony, the worship was great and Richard preached really powerfully.  There was a real sense of celebration as the sun went down out there in the open air stage.

We left to drive back to Gallup stopping off along a side road to star gaze as the sky was full of stars with little light pollution.  Stopped also for 'gas' - only the second top up this mission as so far we haven't done much out of town stuff.  Then we did 'drive thru ice cream' at Sonic.  Only in America!  You drive up and press a button and place your order, pay by card out of your car window in a card reader on the menu board and they bring your ice creams or shakes out to the car.

We ate them in the cars, the boys car was full of laughter whilst the girls was somewhat quieter ... we are very tired.  Please keep us in your prayers for next couple of days as we go east up to Grants to the prisons and first thing in the morning we are off to see the mayor again.  Photos to follow.  Thank you again for reading and for your support.