Easter 24 Apr 2011

Nelda

Dear Family and Friends,

We spoke in the Cameron Branch this morning and then gathered with other missionaries and the Branch Pres and wife for a potluck dinner. We were asked to speak about the Savior. I always prepare my talk and then wonder afterwards if I said what I had planned.

I remembered the first Easter sacrament after I joined. It was in a building half the size of the podium we spoke from today. I remember the Navajo sister who had walked 2 miles to church. I could not understand one word she said, but I have never forgotten the spirit that I felt. It doesn't seem to matter whether you are at the big conference center or in the humblest little building in the middle of nowhere, the spirit conveys the message.

We hit our 6 week out day last Wed. When I taught school we always waited for 6 weeks to made hard judgements. Things seem to iron themselves out at that point and that is pretty much what happened out here.

We are getting to know the people and their circumstances. Elder Olson put up several fences rototilled the one garden spot, once again and we plan to go out there again this week.

Tomorrow we are going to do all the prep things for a single father of two. He has been out of work for several months and if anything could go wrong, it has gone wrong. He is planning on meeting us at a certain place on the highway and leading us into his home. He will working beside Elder Olson and he wept when he found out that we would be able to bring him the materials so he could have a garden. He lives with his parents who may have had a garden years ago.

The fence we put up yesterday is on what I call the 'rock' how anything survives is a miracle, but miracles happen a lot out here because of the great faith that people have. The daughter just called to see if their tubing was in, but we have to drive to Kayenta to pick up the things that had not been shipped to Monticello. It is a 75 mile trip and we are going to be at Red Lake tomorrow, so we may just drive on over if we get things done in good time.

Elder Olson was putting up the last of the fence when the daughter got there. She said she wanted her grandmother to see the garden spot. I guess when she was little her family had a garden, but she had not been able to do that for many years. She thought her grandmother would sit on the rock on the south side and cry when she sees it. I wish we could be there to see her face. It will be more fun however to see her pick the first vegetables of the season.

We also went 5 miles off road to put the posts up on Matilda Bighorses' garden plot. We took a picture of the 'survey crew' sign that is the roof on the out house. As we drove in we didn't notice, but on the way out here is this bright orange sign right on top of the outhouse. It was hard to miss it. Maybe it glows in the moonlight. ;o]

These are some of the garden plots.

I learned that when you add the pictures they go to the top of the list. The first is one Elder Olson tilled for Rose Dallas, who is a widow, with several grand daughters. They put the fence up.

The next one belongs to Delaine Henry. She and her brother put this one up. Notice how neat and tidy it is.

The third picture shows Darrell Maloney opening the door of the traditional Navajo hogan where his brother lives.

The fourth shows Darrell Maloney and Elder Olson. Hidden behind their heads across the highway you will find Wayne Smith's home and garden.

The next shows Wayne Smith's garden. You will notice that there is blow sand being used to fill up the right side, where it is a lot lower than the left side.

The next belongs to Haskie and Geneva Black who live on a rock basically. We were surprised he could find enough dirt to till. We had 3 little trees that had volunteered to come up in the flower garden that lies between the apts. Elder Seeley said two were apricot trees and 1 Siberian Elm. We gave them to the Blacks who were thrilled. Elder Meldrum didn't realize what they were and was going to till them under until Elder Olson saved them. We thought they were apple trees. ;o} The Hopis raise a lot of fruit down off the Mesa below them. One of their mesas is just north of us, less than 2 miles away. When you cross the intersection the time zone changes.

The last which should be first, is what gardens look like in the spring. They have some cleaning up to do, but it was a great garden last year and should be again this year. They had a root cellar they used for years and years, but the snakes liked it also, so they had to do away with both the cellar and the snakes. Makes my hair stand on end just to think about it. They have a huge garden area within a hundred feet where they grow lots and lots of vegetables and fruit.

15 April 2011

Ican't figure out how to put them where I want in the text, but I did figure out how to upload them.

Okay on to the good stuff. I am going to try and add the garden plots that people have started and tell a little about a few of them. Before I start, the picture I put on previously is of Coal Mine Canyon which is about 25 miles from here. If you look closely, you will see that the rock in the center is red. That is actually a huge hole in the front rock where the red rock behind is showing through. I did not see it until I was much closer. I will try to post other pics of that amazing place, once I figure out how to add the two things together. Description and pic. The garden plots are all uniquely different based on the terrain. Some are sloped because they are on hillsides. Some are a lot like Star Valley, a lot of rocks. Some are amazingly beautiful. It will be fun to see them progress. We won't plant unitl May. The best story this week is the one that took place in Gap, AZ near Cedar Ridge, AZ. First we went to Wayne Smith's. He is an amazing man who is always helping everyone. The picture doesn't do justice to the one end of the garden which is several feet lower than the east side. He is hauling in blow sand and dirt to build it up. People know that he will come and help them whenever they call or come by. I hope they help him in his garden as much as he helps them whenever they stop by.

The second place was Darrell Maloney who lives across the highway from Wayne. He is on very flat ground. I will try to upload the pics. Darrell's brother lives in a traditional Navajo hogan made from cedar posts and mud. Darrell had the key so he let us go in and take pictures. There is blow sand on the floor which they sprinkle with water in the summer to help keep it cool inside. He has a wood burning stove which he uses for heat in the winter and to cook on. In one of the pics (if I get them posted) you will see a spice rack nailed to a cedar post. There is a metal bed, a couple of chairs and a TV. I did not see any signs of electricity, but many use solar panels. There is no running water inside, but I did not see an outhouse either, but many are quite a ways from their hogans for a reason. :o}

The outside is covered in mud which they mix on site and plaster all over it. It actually turns hard and is very durable during storms because it won't crumble and fall off. They actually built this one from the posts that had been used in one just behind it. Cedar apparently lasts forever, so they can reuse it. The outside reminded me of a no bake cookie. It was very water tight on the inside and quite cozy actually. I was very happy that he let us take pictures.

The third garden out there was put in by a woman and her brother. Their yard, home, and surroundings were neat and tidy. It was so fun to see how well kept everything was. I expect their garden will be one of the best because they have running water in their home. ;o] A luxury you should not take for granted.

Elder Olson is extremely busy tilling gardens for single women and widows. The women are so expressive in their gratitude of his kindness. AND he is busy and working hard which makes him very happy.

Today we went to a District Mtg. which is actually for the senior missionaries in the Tuba City Stake. They are under the Farmington, New Mexico Mission where President Jones is the Mission President. We were invited so we could meet them and of course we found another relative serving. ;o] I have decided Star Valley is actually Eden because everyone can trace someone back to Star Valley. The meeting was great. The spirit is always amazing. The people are humble and hard working. I especially liked their handout, which they are going to send out to new couples. Senior's Item List Number 18 If you need or want to take a daily nap, DO IT! We are actually serving a Welfare Mission, so we aren't in that mission, but they have great guidelines and we have even more flexibility, so perhaps 2 naps would be OK ;o}

Be patient as I figure out how to put pics with the posts or posts with the pics.

Today Elder Mike Prickard of the Seventy spoke at our State Conference. They also had several converts speak. I have decided that it doesn't matter what type of meeting it is, the Spirit is always there. Spiritual feasting goes on at every meeting. Reactivating, fellowshipping and missonary work were really stressed. The people have a strong testimony of Family History Work and how important it is to find their ancestors and complete the work so they can be an eternal family.

Our next garden demo is set for Thurs. the 21st. If people have had us check their gardens to verify that it has been tilled and that their fence is up, they will be able to take their irrigation things with them.

We appreciate all the prayers in our behalf and express our love for each of you.

Elder and Sister Olson

9 April 2011

Ya at eeh, Today is our anniversary. We've been here one month. It has gone by fast. Yesterday we had to drive to Monticello, UT to pick up more tubing and other supplies. We are learning how to pull a trailer with different loads depending on where we go and what we need, which changes from day to day. Elder Olson is learning a lot about this part of the state and how good the roads are. Most of the roads are really good. The dirt roads are BAD. On the way to Blanding we were able to stop and see Elder Brian Stubbs and his wife Silvia. Elder Stubbs was the young missionary who baptized me. It was great to get reacquainted. She retired last year, but he is still teaching at the college there. The campus is small and very beautiful and has become an extension for Utah State. They have 15 faculty members and about 800 students. We drove through Monument Valley on the way home, but the wind was blowing and the dust was pretty bad, so we are going to try and go again before we leave so we can get pictures. I tried, but it looks like we were taking them in the fog. Elder Olson left this morning with a young couple who live at Inscription House which is technically in the Page Stake, but Mike teaches at the High School here. He teaches Special Ed so there was an immediate bond to him and his wife. They are excited to get their garden in. I suspect that Elder Olson stayed to work by his side. He left around 8 am and it's 6 pm now. It snowed last night and there is a very cold wind blowing. hopefully they are wearing their coats. ;O] I stayed to check out tillers and visit with the Seeleys about the Tuesday tubing party. We will be packaging 500 Ziplocs with the pieces they will need to go with the tubing. Some of the tubing is solid and some of the tubing has emitters. The two types have to be put together in a certain way so that the garden is watered with minimal water. They are using this system in other places around the world with great success. The seeds are planted next to the emitters and you have to plant a specific number of seeds and a certain distance apart. The number depends on what seeds you are planting. This whole operation is amazing. We are getting to know Lee and Avy Nez a wonderful couple who are helping make our job a whole lot easier. Brother Nez welds and put a hard bead on the edge of the tines for the tiller. We discovered afterward that the company had sent the wrong tines, but Elder Seeley says he is sending them back because they made the mistake not us. Sister Nez knew we were doing the seed sorting, so she brought over a huge pot of meat and beans and a huge Ziploc with fry bread dough. We got the lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese and then made Navajo tacos for all the missionaries and a few members before the "seed sorting" started. Sister Seeley has all the seeds sorted into various sized totes. Each has a label on the big tote and small labels which go into small ziplocs along with the seeds. There were 24 seed totes. People sat by the totes, one would put in the label of what kind of seed it was. Someone else would put the seeds in and then seal it tight and put it into another tote. She had measuring spoons at every station. Some had teaspoons and others tablespoons. Other people would take 2 gallon Ziplocs around and put a seed pkg in each. We did the assembly line approach and were done in about an hour, which I found amazing, but we had a lot of hands helping. I figured there were about 80 members who showed up. It would have been fun to have a video. Elder Olson called and he did stay to help the Belintes. He said he had to drive 5 miles an hour on the dirt road this morning and then went 50 miles an hour coming home on the same road. That tells you how slick the driving gets when the dirt roads are wet. ;o] Glad he knew what to expect and what to do. Opening a bank account was quite an adventure. It took an hour and a half, even though we already have an acct with Wells Fargo. This branch of WF is the only bank for miles around. They stayed open until 8 pm one night last week because people were lined up outside and needed to make their transactions before they left. They work 9-4 on Sat. also. The bank should be 4 times bigger than it is and have about 5 times more employees. I have never gone by when it isn't super busy. Tomorrow is fast Sunday. Keep us in your prayers and start recording all the blessings you have each day, like running water, both cold and hot, a stove to cook on, and a frig to keep cold things cold. Try to think of one thing each day that you take for granted and thank Heavenly Father for the great blessings you enjoy. You will be amazed at how many blessings you have and fail to notice because you take them for granted. Elder and Sister Olson

1 Apr 2011

Another week has gone by quickly. There's a huge advantage to keeping busy. We started in on cutting the first ten 500 foot rolls of tubing. Each roll has to be cut into 30 ft lengths. We need 500 all together. For those of you who are quick at math, you've already figured out that we will have to cut 20 more rolls and each roll has one piece that ends up being 25' The tubing is black and when you've done a few so are your hands ;o} The rolls are coiled like a new lawn hose. Pulling them out so you don't get kinks is kinda tricky, but good old Elder Olson puzzled it out and we had a really good system going in no time. Between phone calls he ended up finishing by himself while I answered calls. You will notice our voice mail messages have changed. "Golden Touch Massage" just wasn't cutting it here. ;o} although he's given a few neck and shoulder massages already. The word spreads faster here than at home. Wednesday the Meldrums told me to hurry, that there was a parade. It was awesome. They were honoring the vets and those that are serving now. The older veterans marched by and right in the middle was an older Navajo lady in traditional dress. I started crying and it makes me cry now as I picture her among all those vets marching silently by. There were 4 young women in uniform and they were in perfect step and dress. There were a lot of young men in fatigues, it was all so amazing to see how they were being honored by the people standing along the road. The moment still touches me very much. Elder Olson was out helping Desbah's daughter so he wasn't able to see it. People are checking out the roto tillers and getting their gardens ready for the drip system which will be passed out at the next demo. One young Navajo woman had been on the waiting list and came by with her brother hoping someone had dropped out.. I had been told to put her on and she was thrilled. She was dressed like a business woman, but pitched right in loading the steel posts and bagging sawdust. It sounds like she is a single mom with 2 kids. They live in a place called "Gap" which is 35 miles away. Elder Olson went out to help 2 women and they both rolled up their sleeves and took turns on the tillers. They didn't back away from helping with anything. Their fence was already up, not sure who put that up, but Sister Nez was helping with the other sister who had back surgery a couple of years ago. That sister helped too. I wish I had been there. One of us needs to stay at the apt in case someone needs to check out the tiller or get other materials. Some come after 9 P.M. so you are on call until about 10 just in case you have a late caller. Friday we went to an amazing place called Coal Mine Canyon about 18 miles from Tuba. You turn off on a dirt road which appears to go off into no where. Not very far down the dirt road you come to an awesome view of a mini version of the Grand Canyon. To say it was spectacular would not even come close to describing it. The general tourists who drive through this area do not even know about it, so very few people get to see it. I took pictures and hopefully they turned out and I will figure out how to put them on here. Keep your fingers crossed. ;o] Friday night we went to a Pow Wow where they had a huge group of individual dancers beginning at about age 3. They sign up in age catagories and judges decide who wins each event or dance. You refer to their beautiful clothing as "outfits" not costumes. They were beautiful. Many wore traditional hairstyles and very elaborate outfits. They never stop moving during the dance. Around the outside were six different groups who beat the drums and "sang" for each category of dancers. They were also judged. Girls in their outfits would come by selling raffle tickets to earn gas money to get them home. Some sold brownies and rice treats. One was raffling off a beaded purse. In the morning we went to the "Flea Market" everyone sells out of their car, truck, or van. Many sell jewelry that they make or beads for making Navajo jewelry. They also have a "food court" area where everything is cooked out in the open. It reminded me of the Lincoln Co Fair. Elder Olson was working on someone's garden, so I am taking him another time for lunch. The menu includes about 4-6 different ways of cooking mutton. The mutton and dumplings looked pretty good, but I think I will go for the ribs. They smelled wonderful. Yesterday and today we were able to watch Conference at the ward building. In the Relief Society room, it was broadcast in Navajo. How would you even begin to describe the power of the spirit that was there? Every talk was apparently something I needed to hear. Is there any doubt that we are serving where we are suppose to and helping members develop skills so that they can become self-reliant. We hope all of you will heed the counsel that's been given for years. Plant a garden or a patio garden if you don't have any room for a regular garden. Then share you zucchini recipes. ;o} Elder and Sister Olson