Fires, earthquakes, roaming bulls, more fires, and stolen dogs

Dear Family and Friends,

Pictures at the top were taken just in the last week or two. I think I figured out how to put the date back on the pics, but we will see. Bottom picture is "Older" Olson with Older Lee Nez, 1st Counselor in 2nd Ward Bishopric and a great friend.

The top two are pictures taken at Loretta's. She is extending her garden and her family is very involved in making that happen.

If you saw the Title, I hope it sparked your interest, not sure anyone is reading our Blog anymore.

Our latest missionary couple has had one trial after another since arriving. At the first of the week someone thought they would help the freezing water line problem, by wrapping the hose in insulation, then putting the wire around that and then adding another layer of insulation, sealing it all with duct tape, well I guess you might say that was a BIG NO NO, because it caught fire and burned through and melted the PC pipe and some of the bale of straw it went through. Someone had to be watching because the trailer did not catch fire. You can see the burned and scorched straw and the melted PC pipe. It also burned the hose, I am going to assume the water in the hose dampened things enough to keep everything from going up in flames. That was pretty scary.

They have not been able to use their kitchen sink since they came, because it would not drain. Several people tried to help to no avail, then another person discovered that the trailer had a third holding tank where the sink water was going and the value was closed so it was completely full. As soon as they turned the value the water quickly drained out.

The following night Sister M called and asked if I had felt the earthquake and I paused and said, "No" then she said they had and soon realized that it was not an earthquake, but one of two very large bulls who were eating the bales they have placed around their 5th wheel.

They must have got wind that I was the mother of the "Barbaric sister-in-law" (Ask Uncle Derek and Aunt Shelaine about that story ;o}) in any case people seem to think that I know all the answers about what to do in an emergency so they call me. I go out to see two very large bulls munching away, so I pick up a stick and try to prod them, but because it was dark and there were no lights and the ground is very uneven, I decided to call the police dept.

They were very friendly and cooperative and we soon had two police cars with a Bro. Campaign who quickly prodded them on their way back across the cattle guard. They decided they liked the buffet arrangement and returned later. The bulls, not the police :o}

The next morning "Older Olson" woke me up to go see the lunar eclipse which he was sure I would miss if I got dressed, so out I went in my pajamas and coat. I could have showered and dressed and not missed it, but instead I pretended to be OK even though I was freezing my toes off.

After the moon was completely covered I glanced over and who should be quietly chewing their cud and watching me freeze, the two roaming bulls. I was not going to call the police again, so I got my stick and proceeded to prod them from their beds and head them to the gates. They really weren't to happy, so they dropped a few presents on their way to the gate. ;o}

The older and bigger bull timidly placed his left front hoof on the guard about 4 times and each time as his hoof began to sink, he would pull it back. Then he placed it on the 5 inch wide panel, realized it was solid put his other hoof on the far side of the guard, then jumped neatly over. The younger bull appeared to be watching carefully and did exactly what the older one did without trying the middle first, It was actually very interesting to watch. We now have to lock the gates with a bolt and wire because they know exactly where the food supply is located. It is a big nusiance, trust me.

Yesterday I decided to make bread. It was kind of fun and actually turned out pretty well. It was raising nicely on the back of the stove and I decided to boil some eggs. I carefully turned on the burner making sure the rising bread was well to the back. Well I smelled something odd, but I figured something had spilled on the burner, then I glanced up to see smoke coming from the kitchen. I did carefully turn on the burner, but it was the one next to the bread and so the towel was making a good try to catch on fire, fortunately it was only trying and had not caught on fire, so I quickly put the towel in the sink, opened all the windows and the door and cleared out the smoke. Only a small part of the rising bread was affected.

The loaves didn't rise as much as they might have because the apt cooled off so much, but it was good and I will try again tomorrow. I won't be cooking any eggs however or anything else if I put it on the stove to rise. :o} I usually learn from my mistakes. Your prayers of protection are being answered, thank you.

The last event is really quite sad. The couple who have had something happen every day since they have arrived went to church at 9 just like we did. Well after sacrament he came home and someone had taken their two dogs. We found out too late that dog snatching happens quite frequently. They have searched most of the day without any luck. They were beautiful Schnauzer dogs. They are heart broken as you might imagine. Hopefully someone will find them or question whoever is selling them. They did not have those things you implant, so I don't know how it will all turn out.

Hope there aren't to many mistakes, the edit option doesn't seem to be working.

"Older" Olson continues to work like he is "Younger" Olson. They did not approve his surgery for tomorrow. They said his case needed further review. I wish they could live in his body for just one day before they stamp "Needs further Review" I have to keep believing that Heavenly Father's time line doesn't always look like what we think it should.

He does loves helping people get ready, so our winter work schedule is not much different than our summer schedule.

I have a project going at the Family History Center. I am writing down all the names of the infants and young children who are buried at the local cemetery without markers. I am systematically going through the Arizona death records and checking everyone in Coconino County, if it says Tuba City I write it down. I have found over 100 names of infants and small children who are buried here without grave markers. I am trying to come up with a way to search all those records by the child's name, father's name, or mother's name. Whoever is looking should be able to find all the information when they look under one of the names. It all makes sense to me in my head, now I have to make the program work the way I want it to.

If anyone has a system that they think will work, let me know.

Christmas without family makes me a little homesick, but all our kids survived on their missions, so I suspect we will also.

Relief Society was really amazing today. Two sisters gave lessons. One was on visiting teaching. I wish every sister could have been there. It was wonderful.

We love you and wish you a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful holdiay season. Sorry about the big spaces between .

Elder and Sister Olson

The faces of history.

Can you imagine how fun it would be to listen to their stories and all the adventures they shared together??

Thanksgiving

Dear Family and Friends,

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and we will go over to Kayenta with all the other Senior Missionaries for dinner. I think there are over a 100, but I may be way off on the numbers. I am sure I will find out on Thursday. I do know they are taking 30 pounds of mashed potatoes over. ;o}

Time marches on very quickly and so do we. The picture (top left) shows what is going on now. Elder Olson takes great pride in filling the truck with manure and taking it to the furthest garden spots, speads it out then helps till it in.. Seems to me that there is a story about the furthest most part of the vineyard and how the Lord knows where to place things to get the best results.

Top right is Zonie if I remember right, they're way out on Black Mesa, very remote and a bit of a challenge to get there. She and the other family members took their turn tilling. They will have a garden next spring and are very excited to have the materials that the church will provide so that they can become more self-reliant.

Bottom left shows how cold it gets. There is no snow of course, but the temperatures have dropped to below freezing several nights now. Time to turn on the heat and get the chill off in the morning. ;o}

Bottom right is a shot of Sister McMurtrey and I walking across the parking lot to the church building to walk. We walk around and around for 20 mins or we to sit for a minute during the laps, but we get in a full 20 mins of walking. It really helps to walk every day. She is an amazing person and I have grown to love her. She and her husband are the counseling missionaries for the stake. I think they have the toughest calling of all. The Temple Sealer asked where they met and she said, "Prison" there was a minute of silence then she added. We were serving as "Counselors" then everyone took a deep breath. ;o}

Last weekend, Sister Thompson, Sister Dalton and Sister Esplin from SLC came to speak. They brought and an amazing spirit with them. Sister Esplin spoke in our 2nd ward sacrament and said that she had tried to prepare by reading the scriptures and attending the temple, but she then added that she was not prepared for the outpouring of love that she felt from the Navajo and Hopi sisters. To tell the truth that is what I also felt. You cannot describe the feeling that you get when you are embraced by the members and what they say and how you feel when they bare their testimony or give a talk that they have prepared after studying and going to the Lord for help.

The sisters met with the young women and the primary for two hours. They visited and got to know the young people as well as they could. They left a noticeable impression on everyone they came in contact with.

We had a member baptism. An eight year old girl was baptized by her father. They are "white" the mother works as a midwife at the hospital. She is expecting a baby any minute herself. This little girl's name is Piper and her older sister, Prudence, who is 9 or 10 gave the talk on baptism. It was very touching. Her grandparents, one aunt and two uncles drove up from Phoenix to attend.

We had the 2nd Ward Thanksgiving dinner Friday and in Dec the 1st Ward will have a Christmas dinner. The potlucks around here get pretty serious when it comes to food. If you go away hungry you must be blind because there is food everywhere.

They are planning to go Christmas caroling to the Emergency room staff, the Police Dept, the Ambulance service people and the fire station people. They also go to the four group homes that they have here in Tuba. AND to some of the member homes. They say they will divide and conquer. It will be interesting to see how it all works out. They won't use sleighs, no snow. ;o}

I worked in the Catholic Soup kitchen last Friday and we served around 800-1,000 people. We were really busy. Some time I may give you some little details about that adventure. I did help two older men who could not see when they came in from the sunshine. The people who come in are not allowed to really do much except take their plates to the table and dump the empty plates in the trash. Everything has to be served, so there is a lot of running to do, but it was a very good learning experience on how things are different. I was a little confused by all the rules they have to abide by and how much is donated by our church and other organizations to make it all happen.

Well it is late and I am tired, but it is the good kind of tired. We hope you all have a great holiday and give thanks for all that you have been blessed with. Be especially grateful for your health and your ability to work and provide in the Lord's way for your family. Don't take the fact that you can kneel and thank Heavenly Father for granted.

Be especially kind in word and deed to those you come in contact with daily. Your smile could make a difference and never forget that in the quiet heart is hidden sorrow that the eye cannot see.

Never forget that the past need not hold the future hostage. Forgive every day and don't ever forget that we will be granted the same forgiveness that we give to others.

Remember that faith and fear cannot exist together. A good scripture to remember is Isaiah 26:3 " Thou willt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stay on thee; because he trusteth in thee."

Remember Peter when he walked toward the Savior. As long as he kept his eyes on the Savior he could do it, but when he looked down and took his eyes off the Savior he started to sink. Remember to stay focused on Him who provides all things.

We love you.

Elder & Sister Olson

Sacrament Meeting 6 Nov 2011

Dear Family & Friends,
May not post pictures this week. Seems like every week is busy in a different way. Sacrament is always a renewing feast to start a new week.
One of the wards attendance is down, so today a 96 year blessed the water, the one who blessed the bread is older too, perhaps in his 70's. He recently survived a heart attack. Both bore their testimonies of the gospel. I don't remember all the words, but I won't forget the spirit and the power of their words.
The men who passed the sacrament weren't as old as those two, but the youngest was probably in his 30's. Everything was done in such a reverent manner. The 96 year old took a while to get down to his knees and when he finished the other one helped him stand up, what an amazing display of compassion and charity for his brother in the gospel.
They didn't just bless the sacrament, you felt the power of each word of the sacrament prayer. You know that they know Heavenly Father and the Savior in a very personal way. It wasn't done quickly either each word was spoken clearly and with emotion. It still touches my heart to see them kneeling before the Lord and saying the prayers. I don't know the right words to convey what I felt. I just wish you could have been here to feel what we did.
All but two of the testimonies were by the brethren. Brother Mitchell thanked everyone for their prayers and told how much it meant to him to know we were praying for him when he had his heart attack.
Another Brother talked about praying to the Lord to know what the words were in the Bible and Book of Mormon. He had not had an education and could not read. He wanted to learn to read so he could know the words himself. He has taken the literacy course that the Church offers. He was the one who wanted to read every single word of every scripture in the lessons. He was not content to read just the excerpts that are in the manual. He wants to find the verse in his scriptures and mark them carefully, reading each word. Then he talks about them and if he has questions, he asks. He has an amazing testimony and desire to know the scriptures. Decoding new words is not always easy, but he wants to do it by himself, so when he is at home he can feel confident about attacking new words. He has probably been taking the lessons for over a year. He thanked Sister Droddy for being his teacher and helping him learn to read better. He had started with Sister Meldrum and then I taught him two lessons, but thinking that we were leaving we thought it best to have the consistency of one teacher instead of one for a couple of months then another. What a privilege to be his teacher for just two lessons.
I wondered today what it will be like for him when he passes through the veil and what the Savior will say to him.
Someone asked me what I had learned here on my mission. I have to honest, I have learned a lot about myself and the testimony of humble people. When they are asked to speak at church, they do not download a conference talk and read it. They go to the scriptures and they go to their knees and you get to hear what they learned from the Spirit.
Tomorrow we go to Durango for the second injection. They are predicting snow, so we are putting 6 bags of sawdust in the truck bed for the extra weight on the roads. I would say keep us in your prayers, but we already know you do and can feel the power of those prayers as we travel.
The appt after that will be Nov. 30. We will visit with Dr. Yousself and see what he feels would be the best "plan of attack"
The new couple arrived Friday night during a bad storm. They are from Rigby, Idaho, practically next door neighbors. They seem very nice and have a lot of family history experience. We are suppose to be updating our family history center. We got a new printer, fax, scanner machine sitting over there right now. Hopefully we will get a couple of new computers also, but won't know for sure until they arrive. The brother from Facility Maintenance has to come from Page to install things, so we are not sure when that will happen.
Next weekend, Sister Thompson, Sister Dalton, and Sister Esplan are coming from SLC. They will hold meetings in Kayenta and speak at our 2nd Ward meeting at 9 Sunday. We have a baptism on Sat, so we won't be going to the meetings there on Sat. Everyone has been invited to the 2nd Ward meeting on Sunday. Hopefully we will have a full house.
Guess that is all for this week. Grandkid letters may be a little late this week. We love you all and hope all is well in your part of the world.
Elder & Sister Olson

Halloween on the Rez

Dear Family and Friends,

I can tell that some may not be looking at the blog because they didn't read about our extending our mission until Oct 2012. Today I will be lucky to extend another day however, since I have a toothache. Going to call a dentist in Page early tomorrow to see if I can get in.

Halloween is actually tomorrow, but like everywhere else Halloween is celebrated the whole month. We had a great time at the Provident Living activity Thurs and the 2nd Ward Halloween party on Friday.

This weekend was Stake Conference. One of the speakers was a young man who is leaving for a mission in Vera Cruz, Mexico in December. He has spent the last two years at Stanford University. All his older siblings are engineers. He speaks English, Navajo and Spanish. I think his middle name is Humble. He is so awesome. He spoke about Helaman 5:12 and 2 Nephi Chapter 4 and how we all should be building our testimony upon our foundation of Jesus Christ. I have always love 2 Ne 4. If such an amazing man as Nephi had temptations and weaknesses, how could I be any different. I guess that makes sense. I just love the part when he takes negative thoughts and lets them go knowing of the love that God has for each of us and that he will succor us in our weaknesses.

His mother teaches chemistry and one of his older siblings is a girl and she is an engineer. They are all doing amazing things with the talents and gifts they have received from our loving Heavenly Father. The people are so easy to love.

The picture at the top is the pottery that Gloria Babbit, & Martin and Mary Maloney gave us last Saturday at the Harvest Celebration. They are very beautiful.

Having problems getting pictures on again, so I will add them on a separate blog post.

The week was very busy. Last Saturday morning the Fall Harvest Celebration. Then there was a big Stake Dance for the youth that night, funerals on Wed and Thurs this week. Thursday night Provident Living, Friday 2nd Ward Halloween, this weekend Stake Conference so we were pretty booked with things to do. Not complaining just realizing why I am so tired. ;o}

Getting late so will head to bed.

Love,

Elder & Sister Olson

Pictures from the Parade, Elder Olson said the one float was Veteran's from the Korean War. Other pictures show traditional Navajo clothing.

Extending Mission Call

Dear Family and Friends,

I guess this will not be a big surprise, but we are extending our mission call and will be here until next Oct. The last couple of weeks have been a little hectic with everything that was involved and driving to Durango, CO to see a spinal specialist. Elder Olson and I will go again tomorrow so that he can get an injection, then again on Nov 7 for another injection. One injection will be a L4-L5 and the other at L3- L4. Don't know which will be first. The Dr. will use the feedback from Elder Olson to determine what to do next. They are hoping that he will get some relief from the pain he is suffering in his leg and foot on a daily basis.

If he keeps busy he is able to deal more effectively with the pain, but as soon as he sits down it becomes a real issue.

We have been to Durango twice and have three more appts. The first two for injections and the third to consult with the Drs. about what the next step will be.

The pictures above show first the large black bumble bees that come to the garden daily. They are really very big and Shelaine and kids were quite taken back by their size. I guess we are pretty immune to even noticing them.

Top right is Sister Olson ;o} sitting next to my favorite gardner, Gloria Babbitt. Her daughter Mary made the skirt I am wearing and bought the black top to go with it. Gloria wanted to have our picture taken with me wearing a traditional Navajo outfit. Mary was wearing red jewelry so I put on a necklace I had purchased then twirled around for Gloria. She laughed and laughed.

They also gave us some beautiful hand made pottery. Another sister gave us a quilted wall hanging which I will take a picture of and post later. We had a big Harvest Celebration yesterday and many people came thinking we would be leaving next week, but we surprised them by saying we were extending.

I will continue to work in the Family History Center and Elder Olson will do what he can. If surgery is done, I plan to nail the apt door shut until he recovers then let him out.

Bottom left is Brother Lee Canyon who likes to have his picture taken with the missionaries. He is a nice guy.

Bottom right is Shelaine, Derek and kids who were able to come last Thurs. spend the night then head on to Phoenix to visit Derek's sister Kara. It was so fun to have them come and they saw me waving to them as they came down Monaeve Dr. I was so excited I couldn't hardly control myself. Shelaine and Brock raced around the car, but I think Shelaine reached me first for a big hug.

The kids all did hide and spook when Elder Olson came home and they did indeed spook him, especially the girls. Landy was behind the shower curtain and Elder O jumped backward when she came out. Leah was on the shelf by the frig and totally got him again when he started for the laundry room door. It was so fun. We had breakfast together at the Hogan restaurant and then we went to the "Flea Market" before they had to leave for Phoenix. It was hard to let them go.

Last weekend they had a huge end of year Fair Parade here in Tuba. The parade took 3 hours to pass by, so you can see it was really big.
The traffic is bumper to bumper so we warned to stay in the compound which we did. They honored the veterans on several different floats. One was in honor of the Code Talkers which was really wonderful. There are not many left. They have a museum in their honor in Kayenta which I would like to visit before we leave.

We love hearing from you and hope you have time to write.

Elder & Sister Olson

Dear Family

Temple in Star Valley, WY.

Dear Family and Friends,
What an amazing weekend. We did not miss one message, although I will have to wait for the Ensign issue to read the talks given in the Priesthood session. There was not one talk that didn't bring a timely message.
Daryl must have truly loved the address byKazuhiko Yamashita about his love for the missionaries who served in Japan and who taught his family the gospel. What an inspiring talk for those who have any doubts about serving a mission.
When Pres. Monson announced a Temple to be built in Star Valley, WY and that he thought he would dedicate that one himself. I turned to Elder Olson and asked, "Do you think he is teasing?" Within less than a minute four of our children had called or texted a message asking if we had heard the announcement. Daryl's voice mail was filled with emotion.
I still am coming to grips with what was announced. For those who doubt the fulfilling of prophecy, this is another testament of a prophecy being fulfilled. Someone mentioned that we are actually looking at a few years, but the promise was made. I don't think we realize what an impact that will make on the Saints in the valley, but I suspect it will be a temple that has every seat filled in every session held.
We will get to know many of our close neighbors better, like those from Montpelier, Cokeville, Jackson and Kemmerer. Won't it be exciting for people traveling to Jackson and Yellowstone to see the Spire as they come into the valley.
The way he said it was just so amazing. I wrote notes for each talk and I want to read each and every one again and again. Is there any doubt about serving a mission or extending your call if asked to do so? Boyd K Packer's talk was filled with hope and guidance. I can remember him years ago talking to the youth and counseling them about choices.
President Utchdorf's talk about how much God loves each of us and how it doesn't matter our social status, where we live, or where we serve.
Ian S Ardern's comment about time never being for sale and how we should prioritize our choices.
I guess I could write something about each talk and how the spirit was so strong I hope we can all remember Carl B Cook's comment about "Looking up" How would you like to be in an elevator with Pres. Monson :o}
We may end up somewhere else before we return, but whatever happens we will look up and know that all will be well.
We love each of you and appreciate the comments that you take the time to write.
Elder & Sister Olson

Those were the days

Dear Family and Friends,
Anyone recognize this young man? Could it be young Elder Olson? What a handsome guy!!
Two weeks ago when we went to the "Flea Market" he visited with some ladies that I buy jewelry from when we go. They treat us well and the jewelry is affordable.
He impressed them by his ability to speak Navajo and especially his accent. The younger of the two there asked about him this Friday when I went with sister McMurtrey. She was so taken in by his ability to speak Navajo with such accuracy. She then asked me if he was my son. I apologized and made sure that he was "my husband" and not my son. He does clean up quite well you know, so I wasn't offended and figured she recognized a handsome man when she saw him and I guess he hides his age better than I do.
I will continue to shop there, but I may keep Elder Olson on a short leash as we stop there. lol
I guess the big news this week is our upcoming trip to Durango. CO to see Dr. Jim Yousself. He was the surgeon who did back surgery on Pres. Justice last month. We sent a letter to OWCP (Workman's Comp) to which they replied much quicker than they ever have before. Sister Mc helped us write the letter and suggested we send a copy to our lawyer, which we also did. Whatever it was the response was quick and our appt is 8:45 am Thurs. Durango is 334 miles from here, but a lot closer than Jackson Hole for now.
We ask that everyone continue to keep us in your prayers and remind you that we pray for you as well. Remember the scripture Leath Henderson often quoted. "..The effectual fervant prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James 5:16. We know that this is true and appreciate all the prayers in our behalf.
We are looking forward to General Conference which they will broadcast at the church building right across the parking lot. We are so blessed to live on the church compound as I like to call it.
We did have a visitor at 1:00 am this week. The police referred her here and we able to calm her down, give her a special blessing, and then drive her home, which was boarded up trailer with no electricity. Be very gratiful for the daily blessing you have, and trust me you have many.
Life's trials sometimes takes away our peace, but reading and pondering, and especially remembering the Lord's tender mercies in our own lives will quickly put us back where we need to be in trusting Him and knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt that He is always there and will guide us and protect us as we strive to live the way we should.
"I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35
May all of us be more willing to give and daily recognize how great our belssings really are.
Elder & Sister Olson

Stroll down Memory Lane

Dear Family and Friends,

We were able to drive over to Lukachukai yesterday morning and spend the night in Chinle and return for church with the Lukachuka Ward. They meet in one of the gyms at the Dine College in Tsaille. They start at 9 with a combined Priesthood and Relief Society lesson, then Sunday School, concluding with Sacrament. There were quite a few there when Sacrament ended. The former Stake President knelt at a table to bless the sacrament and one deacon passed the sacrament to everyone present. Very humbling meeting to say the least.

The talk was given by a former Bishop who is now a high councilman. The Bishop also gave some comments about faith and prayer. They announced that they have approval to build their own chapel. It sounded as if the paperwork is in Salt Lake with whoever makes that happen.

Afterward we found the sisters you see above. The one next to me was about 2 when Elder Olson met her family. He had pictures of each of them except the one on the right who is a daughter. Jennifer, next to me had called her two sisters who drove over to meet Elder Olson. Elder Olson had asked about her in the local gas station where she works. They called her and she made the arrangements for us to come by after church and visit. It was somewhat emotional. Her daughters had a good laugh of the picture of her sucking on a bottle with her hair all askew. They gave us their addresses so we can send a copy of the pictures we took.

On Saturday they had a big celebration and an even bigger feast. Over 60 hamburgers and even more hot dogs were consumed along with salads, desserts and lots of soda pop and water. We walked around and saw the gardens that were close by. They are still very green and growing while ours are going the way of all earth. I must admit I hate seeing the plants start to die, but Elder Seeley assures me it is normal.

The couple above is Bishop Ralph Begay and his wife Priscilla. They are a great couple.

The other picture was taken up the canyon behind Lukachukia. The road is paved and it is a beautiful drive. We appreciated the opportunity to visit the school where I taught and see the front of the apartment where I lived and met Elder Olson so many years ago. It was truly a stroll down memory lane yesterday and today. I took lots of pictures and will try to post them separately.

We had an amazing couple of days, seeing old friends and old places. Things have changed a lot, but the memories haven't.

Elder & Sister Olson

Finding Waldo Pic Posting

Dear Family and Friends,
For some reason I could not add anything to the Finding Waldo pictures. If you look very closely, you will see a hand in the middle picture. That hand belongs to Mary Maloney, daughter of Gloria Babbit. Mary yelled to Elder Olson to take her picture. Obviously, she is well hidden behind the corn stalks. Their family is so proud of that garden and so they should be, it started slowly, but continues to extend, with big plans for next year. Neighbors have caught the vision also. I think there will be many more in that part of the rez next year. The best news is that Martin will be the mentor and he knows just how to crack the whip and get things going. ;o}
The top picture is Floyd and Mrs. Manygoats. It was their son, Floyd Jr., who was able to get things started with Elder Olson on a very windy day. I remember it well. I sat in the truck and wondered how they could work so hard with the sand in their faces, but they did it and look at the result. There will be several more in their neighborhood next year.
The last picture is one that has been on the blog before. It is a long distance picture of George Babbitt's corn field that Elder Olson put in as a surprise. It has not tasselled yet, but we still have another month or more of growing time.
It was pouring buckets of rain outside for a few mins., but the rain has moved on. The flowers outside our window were doing a very fancy dance of bouncing up and down with the gusts of wind. It was hard to see across the street in front of the church because of the gusts of wind and rain. It was awesome to watch.
Elder Olson bakes a lot of cookies and lemon pies for some of his "favorites", but tonight I am going to make chocolate chip cookies and main line all that I dare eat. :o] What better time to bake cookies than during a rain storm.
We had two amazing sacraments today, but basically I haven't attended one that wasn't amazing, of course I wasn't listening when we spoke ;o} I was to nervous.
Sister Claw spoke about how her faith had increased in the last few weeks waiting for some test results. The test results were negative. Then another Sister during Sunday School announced very calmly that she has breast cancer. Her husband had colin cancer surgery about 12 days ago. It is amazing how much faith these people have and how willing they are to share their testimonies.
Last night we had an investigator taught in our apt and she will come back next Sunday for another lesson. She said that Elder Olson's comment on 'female rain' which another lady had used to describe the dripping of the water from the emitter hose, had touched her in a spiritual way. She also said Elder Olson accepted people for who they were without ever judging them, which he has been known to do. ;o] His love for the people has had a profound impact on many of the people here.
My goal was to give out 10 Book of Mormons. I have given out 6 ;o] Elder Olson is reading the Navajo copy of the Book of Mormon. I like the pictures. ;o] The verses seem much longer and the words as not easy to get your tongue around, but I am going to try and memorize one scripture. The key word being "try"
The Relief Society had a family emergency so I gave the lesson on Faith in Jesus Christ.
What could I share about faith that they hadn't already lived. They are amazing, but I've said that a million times right?
Elder & Sister Olson

Finding Waldo

Dutch Oven Cooking, etc., and Gratitude :o}

Dear Family and Friends,

I know we stayed busy all week, but we can't always remember what we were so busy doing, perhaps it is "old age forgetfulness." ;o} Elder Olson walks in and writes in his journal the minute he gets home. He also carries a pocket notebook, which he writes in faithfully.

The Seeley 's did come earlier in the week and answered some of our questions about some of the things that are happening in our gardens. There is a gray tinge to some of the things and Elder Seeley explained that it had something to do with the humidity, but I can't find where I wrote it down, but I know it is some place safe. :o} the note that is.

We have a winter squash that is over 36" long and well over 30 pounds. I don't have any scales here, which is a good thing. ;o} All the winter squash is growing like crazy and I have learned to truly love yellow crookneck squash fried in butter with onions, garlic, and mushrooms.

Tomorrow we our going to Inscription House and have a lunch with the Howard's and some of the other gardening missionaries. That will be at 11, then we have a dinner here at 4.

I guess the most interesting thing was the dutch oven dinner that Elder Olson put together Friday night. We had bought a roast and he was suppose to put that in the dutch oven, which he did, but he also added a pepper, potatoes, carrots, etc. The etc was what was interesting, beets with the greens attached, a squash, and a cucumber. Elder Olson tends to think very creatively, but his creative thinking doesn't always go together in the "pot". It actually turned out well, but the cucumber had to go the way of all earth. There are some things that I cannot eat, which included boiled cucumber.

(I just checked the blog and it looks like the pictures appear differently than they do on the draft, but you should just be able to go top to bottom.) The top left picture is Arlene Begay, Lou Goldtooth, her respite provider, and our hero, Elder Olson. The picture to the right is her garden with the watermelon hanging from the fence. We encouraged them to put it in an empty milk jug, with the handle cut at the bottom and the top front cut out. That way you can slip the melon into the jug and hang the handle on one of the fence wires, the melon continues to grow inside the jug and it won't pull itself from the vine because of the increasing weight. That is called "In ja nuity" Brother Nez's favorite explanation for his creativity. You would all adore Brother and Sister Nez, they are two of the reasons it will be difficult to leave here.

Another reason it will be difficult is Gloria Babbitt, bottom right picture. I know I knew her in the pre earth life, because I feel so much love for her. She told her daughter Mary, who in turn told me that she wants me to take her picture and have it "made big" and put it on our apt wall.

She also wants me to dress in traditional dress and have our picture taken together. To know her is to love her. She fell in her garden the other day on one of the vines, but she did not let the watermelon she was carrying get damaged. Now we say she fell hard for a watermelon, it must be true love.

She was in the back seat of the truck of Martin and Mary the other day and we got that picture. Later Loretta Strong came by and Elder Olson saw a lady in her back seat. He looked and looked and figured it was Gloria's sister, perhaps her twin because the lady looked so much like Gloria. Well, it was Gloria, but Elder Olson didn't realize it. Gloria laughed for two days over that. Martin and Mary say that the garden has brought her new life. She is happy and laughs every day. She has called Elder Olson "her baby" in Navajo, but always her son.

I think I wrote some of this on facebook, but chalk that up to old age too.

The man I wrote about earlier, just came by and asked if he could sleep in the back of our truck. We hesitated just a little, then he said, "I will work pulling weeds, I just want somewhere safe to sleep." It is one of those moments when you think of all the things you take for granted, like a safe place to sleep and a bed to sleep in. We couldn't image sleeping on the truck bed and we aren't allowed to have him stay for a variety of reasons, but we did find a safe place for him and furnished him a sleeping bag. We fed him and I find it difficult to write the emotions I feel for this son of God, that most of the world had forgotten as a child of God. Elder Olson just said, "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief."

Even though we are within a 1,000 miles of our "safe" home, it is like we are in another country at times where people don't have the luxury of knowing where their next meal is going to come from and where they will sleep safely. This area is filled with good people, but the poverty at times is overwhelming. Please remember to thank God for all that you have, for you have been greatly blessed with the gospel, with education, close family and friends and people who care and are willing to help.

Be grateful that you can kneel by your bed and thank God for all that He has blessed you with and continues to bless you with. We love serving His children and count each of you as a blessing from God, and thank Him for all your prayers in our behalf.

We can feel of your love and support and pray that God will continue to bless you and yours in only the way God can, with peace, love, and forgiveness especially within the walls of your individual homes and families.

Elder & Sister Olson

Gardening Missionaries

Tuba City, AZ

Garden Pictures

Progress of the Chipmunk Buffet Garden

Dear Family and Friends,
I was uploading pictures, but they don't seem to be where they should be, so I may put them on a separate post.
The pictures are of three gardens we visited yesterday. We actually visited 24, but we wanted to share 3 of our favorites. Are we suppose to have favorites, hmmm?
One is Rose Dallas, one is Annie Nockideneh, and the third is Bishop Polacca with his family. The have all harvested lots of squash, melons, corn, onions, beets and carrots.
Out of the 101 we are watching, there may be 10 that only have a "small" amount growing, but there are things growing. It has been an eye opening experience to watch the gardens and the gardeners growing. We have 53 1st year gardens and the rest are 2nd year gardeners.
Thursday at the Provident Living Meeting, we made things with squash. We had pancakes, which were really good. We also made bread and cake. We gathered round the tables, rolled up our sleeves and put our heads together, as well as our hands, and turned out some really nice items which we divided up for people to take home. It was a yummy evening.
I tried uploading again, but still no pictures ???? Maybe I will post this and then put them on another post.
The Chipmunk Buffet garden does have some things, but the tiny watermelon we saw has "chipmunk teeth marks" on it. I will never be able to watch Disney's "Chip and Dale" cartoons with the same attitude I had before. ;o[
Darrel Maloney is another favorite. He is so proud of his garden and I could not see one weed in it either. He gave us a slice of watermelon, after he posed for his picture. There is no doubt about his love for his garden. He is going to start tilling for next year where he will extend his current garden space.
Today Elder and Sister Droddy from Upstate New York spoke. They are both converts and live about 250 north of New York City. Because Sister Droddy was baptized, they have counted 75 more people who have joined the church and they are all family members.
He talked a lot about listening to the spirit and the importance of Seminary. They are awesome and we are lucky to have them. They have served in a variety of positions, including Bishop and RS President.
They have taken over watering the other section of garden and we noticed the flowers in front were looking pretty water deprived, so I mentioned it and he said his wife had also said something, but it was Sunday, so I replied farmers learn to milk on Sunday because the cows don't know it is Sunday and plants need water on Sunday also if they haven't been watered for a couple of days. He smiled and said, "I get it!" Elder Olson turned on the water. ;o}
We look forward to getting to know them better. They are very quiet and reserved. They have an amazing testimony and knowledge of the gospel.
Yesterday we had two baptisms and I got to play the prelude. That was also awesome. It was Casey and Ramona Calamity, brother and sister. She turned 9 today.
Hope everyone gets to read Mike's comment on Facebook. We love you Mike.
We miss all of you, but the days seem to fly by so fast.
Elder and Sister Olson

2 Thessalonians 3:10 D&C 42:42

Dear Family and Friends,

Hello from down under ;o} the sun, where it is very hot. Elder Olson doesn't mind working from before first light until after dark, but I prefer first light until 9 am outside, then inside projects until late afternoon, when the sun is low in the west.;o] I do little projects like cleaning the janitor closet at the church, including the vacuum bag which no one knew was suppose to be changed. That was a gruelling task, but well worth the clean vacuum in the end. Well you probably didn't need to know that much detail, but it's our journal right? and we should keep track of things.

The pictures are of Running Lady and her son Bobby James in his garden. The squash was taken from Bobby's garden already this summer with more to come. The other is the picket fence that surrounds Betty Babbitt's house out at Red Lake. I wonder if she dreamed of a picket fence when she was little, but perhaps it is the best thing for keeping the wandering sheep and goats out of the garden.

Actually I wanted most to tell you about another favorite person I have met. Her name is Ellie, but her Navajo name is Running Lady. That is her in the picture behind the garden fence. I wanted to take it with her on the outside, but Bobby James her son wanted her in the garden, so we did it his way. She is 96 and still walks every day and her mind is pretty dang sharp. She is the one who said she wanted one of everything, when I asked which thing in the garden was her favorite.

We purposely went to see Bobby to find out where Running Lady lived and there she was sitting on the couch. I ran back outside and I could hear Daisy trying to explain that I hadn't left, but was going to get something for her. When I brought the bag in she smiled and thanked me, then quickly asked where her watermelon was. I assured her that we would bring her one.

I love the older sisters out here. They are absolutely amazing and all the history they hold is overwhelming. I am grateful that they let me take their pictures.

The story that really made an impact this week is something that happened on Thurs. Elder Olson and I had been outside working for a couple hours, so it was round 8 am. A gentleman came by through the alley behind our apt and saw us and said, "I'll clean your hold yard for $10." Well I had been working several days on it and it was a very tempting offer, and worth a whole lot more than $10. Elder Olson and I talked for a few mins. (You have to know that pulling weeds, raking them up, and forcing yourself to put them in the dumpster instead of the compost pile is not Elder Olson's favorite thing to do.) So we said we could use his help. He threw his backpack over the fence and said he would be right back.

He didn't come back for a while, but we did have his backpack laying there. I started to worry just a little because a few weeks ago someone came running through the alley and asked if we had seen a young man running that way with a blue backpack that he had just stolen from him.

Well he did appear with a short handled rake, and hoe. He jumped the fence and started with a vengence pulling all the tall weeds along our side of the fence. I told him that if he pulled the tall ones I could weed whack the shorter things. He kept telling me he worked cheap, well his work ethic was astounding to say the least. Ten dollars an hour would have been a huge bargain.

He visited about a variety of things as we worked and he said that he had worked the day before for a meal. I asked if he would like breakfast and he said, "Yes, please" I fixed breakfast which he wolfed down. That man worked until 1:45 non-stop except for breakfast and a lunch the Wilson's offered. That fence line has to be a little over 100 ft and I had done about 30 ft. already.

I followed him with the weed whacker and soon realized that I am only capable of so much since it was well after 9 am. He was working so hard and asking so little, so I asked if he wanted to weed whack after he pulled the weeds and I would pay X amount. He seemed delighted and continued working.

He asked if we knew anyone else who needed help for food or money. I called Sister Margaret at St. Jude's and gave her a head's up on his work ethic. She had to leave at 2 pm so at 1:45 I insisted that he stop and go over there so he could visit with her and make some sort of arrangement to help pull weeds in their garden. I waited until the next morning when it was cool to finish raking and throwing the weeds in the dumpster.

This man did not ask for a handout, He was willing to work hard for a simple meal. He could be the "poster man" for doing whatever he could to earn a few dollars and a meal. I know we did not pay him what he was worth, but I know the Lord has blessed him far more than we could pay him.

We ran into him again when we were out checking gardens on Sat. He was with a friend, he referred to as "Biscuit" He asked if he could come back and work for lunch which he did.

I will not mention his name because of some things he shared, but I hope you will keep "Working Man" in your prayers. He could work along side of Elder Olson any day which is saying a lot. We saw him later that day "stomping aluminum cans" for another person.

I guess you could say he is an example of "those who are not idle and who wear the garments of the worker very well."

If more people were as willing to work as hard as he did the world would be a better place. I wish I had taken a before and after picture.

I hope all of you are taking the time to read the Sunday lessons each week and go to class prepared to make comments and share insights you have had during the week. The classes here have great teachers, but you have to be prepared to teach at any given moment. I wonder if that is why we are often referred to as the Minute Man church.

Our Stake President's surgery went well and he acutally wants Elder Olson to give some thought to having his surgeon look at his MRI pictures, which is very tempting.

We love all of you and hope you are noting the miracles that occur daily in your lives. We have been truly blessed and know that life is good and "things" don't happen by coincidence.

Hope you will overlook any spelling errors and fill in any missing words. My brain is not what it use to be and neither are a lot of other body parts. ;o] We love you.

Elder and Sister Olson

Where we started to where we are now.

Dear Family and Friends,

The picture just above is where it started and the top is where we are now. The one to the right shows what can happen in the middle of the rez.

When we first started it was difficult to envision what could actually happen. I could not find the picture for the starting point of the one on the right, but I think I posted it previously, so look for a Manygoats pic.

The title puppy herds and Garden Demos is what happened this week. We were asked to go to Lukachukai, where Elder Olson and I met, then on to Chinle where I was baptized on 14 Feb 1969. Both places have changed tremendously, but it was very fun to go back and check things out.

We started out at 7 am, planning to arrive at Lukachukai around ten, checking places out and meeting Brother Clement at 3. Well that didn't quite happen the way we planned. We had several people stop by to visit, so we left around 9, but still had plenty of time.

I was reading scriptures outloud as we were driving. Check out Helaman 58:10-11. The truck started to shimmey, so Elder Olson checked under the hood and under the truck hoping he could see something that would indicate what was wrong. Neither of us could really see anything except a dripping liquid. He touched it and smelled it and said it was probably water. After tasting it (a really smart move on my part) I verified that it was water.

We decided we had better turn around and limp our way back which we did. We called Brother Butler and he recommended Barlow Towing and Repair. We drove about 45 mph and everyone was passing and giving us "the look" We explained what had happened and handed John Yazzie the keys so he could take it out on the road, which he did. He drove right back and into his shop. Then he put it up on the rack thingy. ;o} He showed us the back left tire and explained that it was separating. Can you imagine what would have happened if we had passed someone and it blew out? Be sure you read the scripture above.

It took quite a while to fix, but after we had called the Seeleys and told them we weren't sure we could follow through and they in turn had called another couple to cover for us, we decided we would have two "free" days and went to lunch. Well Seeleys called and were happy to know it was a tire problem and not something much worse and asked if we could call the Kirks and tell them we would do the Demos after all, which we did. We jumped in the truck (Elaine may have jumped in, I was too busy hauling my old body up into the cab to notice; RLO) and headed out, arriving at 5 instead of 3.

We were able to see 4 gardens before going to the "Demo Garden" to do the Demo Presentation. That was a "Classic" demo garden. I found one tiny weed hiding in the onions. It was truly a show case garden. We dug a hill of potatoes so everyone could see what was happening underneath the plant. One brother said, "You mean there's more than just the two I found under the plant. I need to go home and find what else is there, I need to leave right now." We all laughed. The one picture that I will try to add is the shovel full Elder Olson was able to find under the plant. I guess you will be able to tell which picture that is.

When Elder Olson tossed the biggest spud to the demo gardener, everyone cheered and whistled. They were so excited and so were we.

We left Lukachukai about 8:30 and headed over to Chinle. Bishop Begay and Brother Clement wanted us to come back Thursday which we did and went out to 7 more gardens. I was able to make a Power Point Presentation that we sent to the Seeleys. I am still figuring things out, but it turned out pretty good for a Senior Missionary. :o}

We headed back to Chinle and Elder Olson got a well deserved nap before the demo at 7 on Thurs. We met some great people in both places and I guess we appeared to know something about gardening. I had major notes to read from, trust me.

Now about the puppy herds. Every female on the rez has had puppies I know. At two gardens there were 7 puppies each and they were just at the stage where they want to play under your feet. I know there were only 7, but it felt like a whole team of football players trying to attack the opposing team and lay them flat. Fortunately, I managed to stay upright, but it took great skill to manuver around those herds. They were all about as cute as chipmunks, and just as innocent looking also. ;o}

Lukachukai has changed a great deal, but the spirit of the people hasn't, you feel as though you are among the best saints ever in the church. They are humble and striving to do what the Lord has asked, to become self-reliant and help their neighbors, which they are doing in an awesome way.

We are blessed to be a small part of a great part of church history. We love our mission. Elder Olson added a few comments when he edited, but I am sure you will know which ones he added.

Elder and Sister Olson

Unpublished Posts

While trying to figure some things out, it appeared that I hadn't sent two other posts, one for May 8th and another for Jul 6th plus the picture I put on today, so there may be several posts out of order. Hopefully the dates will appear with them and you can figure it out. Please overlook any typos and other mistakes. I didn't take the time to edit them. Hopefully you can supply any words that I left out or spelled wrong. It has to be the keyboard, you know how often they make mistakes. :o}

Floyd's garden

Floyd Manygoats garden When the rain came they didn't think they needed to water, but the leaves were dragging the ground, so they watered again and they sprang right back up, it was pretty amazing to see how life came back into the plants. If you look closely you will see the second fence that is about 3 feet away from the garden fence. It's the defensive line they need to keep the wild horses from eating their corn plants.

Over The Hill and Far Away

Dear Family and Friends,

I think I have finally figured out how to upload the pictures. You decide which ones you want then post them from the last to the first and the first will be last. Amen. ;o

This post should come with the one I worked on earlier this week, so you get two for one this time.

This is the 1,500 ft line that Elder Olson put in for George Babbitt's corn field. The picture was taken at dawn, so he left here well before dawn and was able to watch the sunrise as he started to work another day on the project. The others kind of explain themselves as he goes up and over the hill burying the line, so it won't be stepped on by wandering horses, sheep, or goats.

The last photo is at sunset near the top of the hill. When we got the paperwork for this mission it said, 4 hours a dat, I'm pretty sure they forgot the 1 in front of the 4. That seems like a very long day, but amazingly enough you have the strength and endurance to do it again the next day. Whatever the Lord deems necessary, we seem to have the ability to do. He has blessed us greatly as we have served His children here on the reservation.

Yesterday, along with the two Elders, and Mike and Mae, we tilled four new gardens in preparation for the 2012 growing season. I was able to take pics of 3 tillers going while others were raking or throwing out fertilizer and manure, everyone did whatever needed to be done and no one complained, they just helped. One of the four prep gardens was for "Pastor Johnnie" I did pause just for a moment when Mae asked if we could put his in, but then I remembered that I had never read of the Good Samartian stopping to ask which church the man he helped belonged to before he helped him. Who knows maybe he will be converted and bring his congregation along. ;o} it has happened before.

After we tilled from 8-3 we headed back to check some gardens and spray squash bugs, which are becoming a real pain. They can demolish a squash plant pretty quickly. They lay their eggs underneath the leaves, where the larva hatch and eat away. We have actually sprayed twice, but they are resistant or persistant, not sure which but they remain a problem that we continually address.

The Seeley's have asked us to do two demos, one in Lukachudia on Wed evening and a second in Chinle on Thurs. We will actually stay at the Best Western in Chinle both nights because it is so far away then return on Friday morning. Elder Olson says we are getting a vacation and perhaps we are, but I suspect they have squash bugs there also.

There were 118 people at the 2nd Ward Sacrament, last week there were 119. Three young men bore their testimonies and are planning for missions.

I got up also and if you have time read D & C 18:34-36 The church is true, the scriptures bear solemn witness of the divinity of Jesus Christ. We can bear the truth of the gospel without fear of men and what they may say. Jesus is the Christ and will come again, we know not when, but we can look forward to that day knowing that He is our Lord, the Son of the living God.

We each have our individual roles to fulfill and we need not compare ourselves to others, for we are uniquely different and our roles are uniquely different. It matters not where we serve or in what capacity we serve. We need to focus on the tasks we were sent to do and spend less time worrying about other's tasks. The Lord loves us as individuals. May we strive to live a little better each day and serve wherever we are and in whatever way is necessary, being confident that the Lord will bless us in our individual roles to fulfill His work.

We think of you often and pray for your welfare.

Elder and Sister Olson

Dear Family and Friends,

The first picture is just one of the amazing sunsets that we have here on the reservation.

The others are of a garden for George Babbitt, one of the people Elder Olson met on his mission in 1968-1970. They still remember him from way back then.

George's daughter wanted to surprise him, so they started working on this small portion of a much larger area that George use to plant corn in as a young husband and father.

The pictures are out of order, but they show where it is and what he did if you look closely.

The picture with the small trench is actually a 1,500 foot trench where the water line will be buried. Elder Olson has buried about 5oo feet so far, so there's only a 1,000 ft left. ;o}

The rain water comes over the top of that rock you see and made it necessary for him to devise a plan that would direct the water into the beds and not wash away everything. He put flat stones at the bottom that sloped to the left then fed into the first trench, it then flows to the right, turns and goes back and then turns again at the left, much like a meandering creek. We had a storm and he went to check and it appears as if it will work..

We knew that Bessie, George's wife, was watching because she was out every day herding sheep and we suspect that George knows also, but we would like to get his picture when the corn is up about 6 feet tall.

One of our other gardens has 7ft tall stalks. When we went out mid Jul it had rained so they didn't think they needed to water. The squash plants leaves were touching the ground. We explained about the need to have water soak down about 20 inches. I used an umbrella to show how plants will wilt if the bottom roots don't get enough. When we went out this week the squash leaves looked like huge umbrellas fully extended. I will try and put those pics up next time.

I am working on a power point presentation with before and after shots of our gardens. I think I might be getting a little possessive of the ones we have worked on, so I will say "the" gardens least I should take ownership. ;o}

They are however, "our" people and we love them. Martin commented that his mother-in-law has been freed from her imaginary wheelchair. She is 85 + and use to get up, go to the couch and sit all day. Now she gets up and goes to the garden with her hoe. Weeds do not have a chance in "her" garden. She lights up like a Christmas tree when "her baby" comes. That is Elder Olson's name around her. You can tell she loves him very much. He has massaged her feet with essential oils, and when he puts "Sacred Mountain" on her she calls it "Good Stink" The Navajo's do not have a name for perfume or fragrance, but there is no doubt when she says "Good Stink" that she is saying she loves it.

The days continue to be long, but oh so rewarding. The new couple are Elder and Sister Droddy, from upper state New York. Sister Droddy is an aunt to Jimner Ferdet, the BYU basketball player. Hope I spelled his name right. Everyone hopes he comes to visit them.

We love you all and hope things are going well for you.

Elder & Sister Olson