21 August 2011

The first of many (I hope).

Through God's faithful, faithful, faithful provision, Cody and I were able to join the Navajo Nation mission team. We traveled through California and Arizona to arrive in Navajo Mountain, Utah. A place populated with less people than the number that visit a local Starbucks on an average day. We were so so blessed to serve on such a trip.

Our team was made up of twenty junior highers and a great team of leaders. We learned so much and tried new goodies like ginger tea, Navajo tacos, and mutton, that my stomach proved to survive. God used the junior high kids in ways beyond my teeny expectations. I was blown away by their boldness and willingness to serve our Lord. It encouraged me to be more busy about God's work in my daily life.



Day 1: A van full of boys with Cody as the pilot and myself as the co-pilot, of course. It's not a van full of 13 year-olds unless Justin Beiber is nearly playing on repeat accompanied by singing loudly and dancing wildly. On a side note, I'm proud to say that some of my dance move creations were adopted in this Justin Beiber dance party. Those years of amatuer choreography as a kid, proved to pay off here. Moving on, we drove for nearly 9 hours and arrived safely at our campground in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. It was such a blessing to camp in such a beautiful place!


Another blessing from our Creator, just for us!


Day 2: We watched the sunrise at the Grand Canyon and had a time of devotionals with a wonderful view of the Grand Canyon. After packing up camp, we were off to Navajo Mountain, Utah, where we met these wonderful people along with many others.
Day 3: We spent the day encouraging the church through God's Word, skits, worship, puppets, games, and crafts. It was encouraging to see the youth use their talents for God's glory.
The Navajo people were so welcoming. It challenged me to be less self-centered and more loving to others. We talked, played with the kids, worshiped together, and ate together.
Day 4: The evening prior, we were informed we would be leading all of the church services - children, youth, and adults. We planned a few lessons and were beyond blessed to encourage them again in worship and God's Word. (personally, my favorite day). After an eventful church service (2 hours), we packed up our vans and trailer and trekked via caravan to this beautiful lookout accessible to only those who knew the off-road trail.
Following the great view, we embarked on a crazy 30 minute off-roading adventure to Hawkeye Arch.
Meet Hawkeye Arch.
After our visit to Hawkeye arch, we said goodbye to Navajo Mountain and began our trek to Kayenta, Arizona. Through God's faithful provision, we found the perfect camp site and the most interesting restrooms. (See Below).
We all agreed the view from the toilet was speechless and 100% worth it. Plus, how many people can say they saw lightning while using the toilet? (I can!)
Day 5: We started our day with a tour of Monument Valley.


Day 6: We camped another night at this breathtaking location (compliments of a local church) and said goodbye and began a day of evangelism in Kayenta, Arizona. All vans split up and God moved in each area. After great conversations with strangers were had, and seeds were planted, we began our journey to Lake Mead where we would debrief and head home the following morning.


And so concludes our wonderful Navajo mission trip. Anxiously awaiting the next...