This mission is awesome!

Ya'at'eeh!! Sorry for last week. The Library computers are lame and like to crash a lot so last week I ran out of time. I'll try to make this weekly report a good one and I might add some stuff from last week if I can remember what we did. I didn't have time to explain the picture. A member family called us in a panic and said there was a snake in their house so we went over to help them out. (Natives hate snakes) and so we were the ones to get it out of their house. We tried to find this thing in their back room for 15 minutes and had no luck. The oldest son was helping us and finally we heard him start flipping out and yelling like crazy! we rushed over and lifted up a bed frame on the floor and there it was! we hit it with a stick and dragged it outside. Elder Acaylar went super commando and cut its head off and threw the head far away. Turns out it wasn't a deadly snake, but hey! we did give service in a way that you wouldn't even think about giving anywhere else! This mission is awesome!

Last week we  painted parking lines in the school parking lot for service..  you probably already know, but Elder Acaylar and I are still companions in Chilchinbito and stuff so I'll move on to the big stuff now. Last Saturday an investigator got baptized in Kayenta (Chilchinbito doesn't have a font.) He is 10 and has been meeting with the missionaries for 4 months now. He is very converted, and he knows more than your average kid. In the interview to be baptized he was asking our District leader a ton of questions and was interviewing him almost. In two years he will be ready for the Priesthood and can pass the sacrament for the branch, which has not had a deacon in over 5 years!! 

This area is growing faster than it has in the past, which shows me that it has been waiting for missionaries for a while. Elder Acaylar and I are the second set of missionaries they have put here so it is very new! We have 3 more people who are getting close to baptism as well and there are two less active families who have started to come back to the church. Lately we have been relying on the members to tell us what to do for the branch and it has helped a lot. Two member families have been on board with missionary work and have shown us people that are interested but just haven't had anyone there to show them how to join the church. It has been more less active members that they are referring us to but it is great because then we can invite the members who referred us to go with. We are going to ask a newly activated member to go teaching with us this week so I'll have to let you know how it goes. If we can get all of the members active then this branch would easily become a ward. Last Monday we ate dinner with the Branch president in Dennehotso and we were able to get something going there too. The Senior couple there appreciates our help every tuesday. We have been providing the service work so they can concentrate on the teaching the rest of the week which has really gotten Dennehotso going. Their attendance in sacrament meeting is going up each Sunday. Wednesday we went on exchanges and I had to take over the area again, which is scary because I'm new. and we were able to see every recent convert in Chilchinbito which was really good. We tried stopping by a ton of other people but Wednesdays are when everyone goes to Kayenta to sell stuff at the Flee market so not a whole lot happened other than the three lessons. Thursday we took our truck to Farmington because it was having problems (chevy Colorado = piece of junk). And the driving coordinator for the mission found out it was problems with the hub and transmission so he had to give us a new truck. We ended up with a used Nissan Frontier which is a good truck but this one was secretly broken too. The people who had it before us used the e-brake while the car was moving and it snapped the cable so it didn't have an emergency brake. The mission knew this but said it would be safe for us to drive for now as long as we came in and had it fixed in a few weeks. While taking it home from Farmington the whole inside of the brake pad ripped to pieces and the whole E-break system shattered into little chunks that jammed and locked up the wheels. Elder Shrum the Mission truck coordinator said that it was his mistake and that we could have gotten in a wreck on the freeway. 

We then got another truck to replace the replacement so it's been a little crazy. The truck we have now is another Chevy Colorado (an old one) which we aren't to happy about but at least we can drive to appointments. While driving to Kayenta this morning the right signal light on our truck rattled loose and fell out. The Colorado's are cheep. This is why tithing is so important, so that the mission can buy more Nissans haha. The Colorado's are being taken out of the mission and they are buying more Frontiers because the driving coordinator hates the old trucks so the mission will be swapping out the truck we have now with a new one within the next two months. That will be exiting! The Nissans are super tough and Elder Shrum says there have not been any problems with them since they got their first group last year. So that took up pretty much the rest of the week. Saturday was the Baptism, Sunday was the confirmation of the Holy Ghost. Despite all the trials the missionary work is continuing to grow here in Chilchinbito and it is great! I love it here and it is going to be a great week. Talk to you next Monday! Hagonee'!

...playing catch up from the last 3 week's emails from Josh

Sorry I haven't posted Josh's emails from the last few weeks. Its been a little busy and we've been on vacation. :)  I'll post them oldest to newest.....

Mon 6/2/2014 

Ya'at'eeh! This week has been great! The Senior couple missionaries in Denahotso are awesome! We were able to put two more people on date to be baptized and everyone wants to talk to us all of a sudden. It's cool! Monday we had family home evening with a member family and that was good because they had never had family home night before. The two youngest daughters and the youngest son were baptized a month ago and are supper smart when it comes to the gospel. The oldest son just got the priesthood and the Mom is just starting to come back to church because of her kids. Really cool success story for the area because her family fills up a whole row at church now! Hopefully they will continue to have family home night because it will help. Tuesday and Wednesday we met with a few people in between a bunch of service. It is time for the gardens and Farms so everyone is asking for help with fencing and planting. When I get home I want to have a garden, now that I know how to set one up. The Church is providing a lot of materials because it will help the area to have farms and produce. Thursday we had a Zone Training in Tuba City, Az, so it was nice to see a bigger town. It is still small but at least they had a Taco Bell haha. Our Zone leaders are Elder Fonsbeck and Elder Livermont. Elder F. was in my first district on my mission and Elder L. was my first district leader on my mission! So its sweet being in this new Zone! Friday we met with one of our investigators on date and they are still good to go. Saturday we helped an investigator on baptism date paint her house and we got to talk with the family while we helped so that was good. Sunday we had a smaller turn out for Church but it was still good. The testimonies of the members are really strong and it is great being in a branch where everyone knows each other. Later in the day we met with an investigator in Denahotso on date and the senior couple helped us teach. That evening we had a fireside in Chilchinbito with a real fire and the Branch president was able to be there. He lives in Kayenta so it is difficult for him to come to all of the Branch activities. Well I love it here and my Companion's awesome. The work is progressing so there is not much to complain about. Have an awesome week and I will talk to you all next Monday! Hagonee'! Love you Mom! :)


 nametag Josh sent home because the pin was broken. thought it was cool in Navajo! :)  

Mon 6/9/2014

Ya'at'eeh! Hello everyone! This week was crazy in a good way but very satisfying too. Last Monday we went to Farmington to replace a flat tire and were able to do some shopping at Walmart. We got back with enough time to see two people and call it a day. Don't get to do much during trips to the city but it needed to happen so its alright. Tuesday we went to Dennehotso and went finding the whole day. That branch has a lot of Less active members that could help out the unit a bunch. All they need is to start coming and except a calling, which shouldn't be too hard with the new senior couple out there. Elder Acaylar and I like the Work out there and are trying to visit more and more and maybe even work in a plan to have one of us at each branch that we cover on Sundays. Wednesday we had Elder James the housing coordinator show up very early in the day and he was able to fix some much needed repairs on our camper. We now have a working fan in our ceiling to vent out air when we are cooking and stuff, and we have a third carbon monoxide detector haha. 4 Months ago the elders in Lukachukie got carbon monoxide poisoning from their camper so now they are making it a priority to have triple protection and that we test our alarms every week. Pretty crazy but our camper is very new so he said we have nothing to be worried about. Living in a camper is cool because it is like camping every day. I thing the Lord only sends missionaries who like small homes to areas with campers because Elder Acaylar and I love it. We were able to meet with some Recent Converts and get them ready for the Temple trip this Saturday so that was good. Thursday we went on exchanges with the Elders in Kayenta and I had to take over Chilchinbito for a day. Elder Tipitts and I tried our best to navigate the area but we got lost a few times. It was good though because despite me being very new to the area it all worked out and we were able to meet with some people we have been trying to see for a month. Tender mercies are there when you need them so I'm glad that I was able to at least try taking over. Friday we showed up to a members home and right as we got out of the car all of the kids started pelting us with water balloons. From there it escalated very quickly and we had a full on water fight in the streets! We got soaked from head to foot and it was awesome! We then shared a message with the family on the Youth standards of the Church using the "For the Strength of Youth" pamphlet. We are having another water balloon fight with them today for a rematch. We had a total of four lessons that day and they were all very good. Saturday we did some service and went finding. We have a sports night every Saturday night at the school gym next to us and it has been a great finding tool. New people showed up Saturday and we were able to talk to them about the Church while playing basketball and dodge ball. At the end, the Recent converts that went to the temple came and told us how great their trip was. Sunday they all gave talks on their experiences in the temple doing baptisms for the dead. It was very touching listening to them describe what they felt inside the temple. We had lunch with the Senior couple in Dennehotso and saw the investigator on baptism date out there. He is going o be baptized this Saturday and we are exited for him. That night we had family home night with a member family and then had a fireside at the church. It all went well and it is great serving these people. I have seen the people here grow in the 5 weeks I have been here and it is amazing. Thank you for your letters and emails this week. I appreciate your support. Talk to you all next Monday. Bye!

Love you Mom! :)

Mon 6/16/2014

I sent Pictures of our hike this morning. We got the "Sunrise Blessing" that every native talks about. Very spiritual to watch the sunrise

Sooooo.... I ran out of time. My email is simple though. Elder Acaylar and I are staying this transfer, and we were able to help out with a converts baptism from Dennehotso. We have been teaching this 12 year old with the Napierski's (senior couple in Dennehotso) and it was great to see him get baptized. We hope his dad, who is not a member, will follow soon hereafter. Everything is awesome in Chilchinbito. We went to a Mission tour in Chinle to listen to Elder Carolson from the 70 speak. He was awesome! I got to see the missionaries in my last area and they told me the ward is doing really well so things are good for me. Gotta go! Bye!    Love you Mom! :)