Dear Family and Friends,
This is a report that I wrote up for President Justice. I thought it would be fun for you to hear about what we did this last week.
In correlation with the Navajo and Hopi Gardening and Self-Reliance Project of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in the Tuba City, Arizona Stake it was decided by the Relief Society Provident Living Committee to provide classes that would teach the participants how to preserve what they have been growing.
On Thursday Aug. 9, 2012 the Tuba City 1st and 2nd Ward held a “Pickling Party”. The sisters from both wards, all the gardening participants, including interested neighbors, were invited.
Many of the participants are friends of other faiths and it was exciting to see barriers broken and sisters, side by side helping each other. It was an ideal opportunity to visit and freely share the abundance of cucumbers and friendships that were harvested and preserved that evening.
It was great to ease drop on all the conversations that were going on and all the ideas that were being eagerly shared. Barriers were broken and friendships germinated.
Each sister was involved, cutting, slicing and dicing what they brought, freely sharing with others who had not had as many to pick and bring. Recipes were followed and each step done before the next step so everyone would be successful and take home some of that success in bottles and hearts.
It is impossible to put into words the feelings that were expressed and what was felt in those few hours we shared together as daughters of our Heavenly Father. Several came that had never set foot inside a “Mormon” church. Fears were soon abandoned and replaced with knowledge, laughter and giggles as we sliced and diced, measured, poured and stirred. Each sister was able to pickle her own cucumbers. Jars were labeled, put into the canner, timed and then set out to cool. The “canning time” allowed the sisters to just sit and visit with each other.
The RS president in charge mentioned that we will be getting peaches in the next little while and they were encouraged to buy bottles, sugar and other things that they will need to preserve them. During the next few weeks, more classes will be offered. On the agenda is bottling peaches, making salsa, preserving pole beans, and several other classes on preserving what is growing in the gardens.
Several of those attending came from Tonalea. One group came from Black Mesa. They live 13 miles off road, but it takes an hour to drive that 13 miles. Three sisters car pooled and took home 4 gallons of “Ice Cream Bucket Pickles.”
President Larry Justice came by to see how things were going and brought a basketball size cabbage, and an onion the size of a grapefruit that had been grown in the Winslow Stake. Brother Max Gardner is overseeing the Gardening Project in that Stake. He says he will be glad to share the seeds.
The Navajo and Hopi Gardening Self- Reliance Project was divinely inspired and as President Utchdorf stated in his April Conference address, we have the programs in place, but each geographical area will be uniquely different and as we ask, the Lord will provide inspiration and guidance in how we will help the people become more self-reliant.
The gardening project has provided a perfect setting for members and missionaries to share their knowledge not just of gardening, but of their testimony of the gospel and friendship future members before baptism, helping to increase retention after baptism.
Positive Side Effects seen:
Sometimes families and communities are split into factions and families can be torn apart during times of trial, but through promptings of the Holy Ghost and people working together on a common goal members and communities can find their way to reunite and work side by side to heal wounds that have been cause by careless words that have been thoughtlessly said.
An hour before the meeting a young woman called and said that one of the participants had told her about the “party” and asked if it would be OK if she came. The answer was, “Absolutley!”
It was later shared that this young woman was adjusting to life on the “rez,” and that she was overwhelmed with feelings of being isolated and alone. Watching her reach out and enjoy the company of other sisters was very touching and she left with a smile and the knowledge that we are there and we care.
One of the sisters of another faith is interviewing some of our participants for an article she is writing for the Navajo Times. She has had an amazing garden and is encouraging her neighbors to do likewise.
One sister asked that we locate her church records. She remembers the names of the missionaries who taught he,r and where she was baptized, but has forgotten the date of her baptism.
Two of the people who came want to be included on next year’s list and they will have the advantage of knowing others who have had gardens and been successful. Mentoring was a natural side effect of the activity. No one had to be assigned or asked, no new program implemented, it just happened as a result of following leaders who are inspired for what will work for their unique circumstances and situation.
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