Christmas was Good!

After a rough Christmastide, Christmas weekend and day were good.  As gifts go, this year was one of the best in years:  beautiful gray sweeter, awesome Starbucks cocoa gift set, a bike rack to take "Gypsy" bike places on "Stormy" car, heavy winter coat, two dressy western flannel shirts (one green & one turquoise), and a nice pair of snow boots (plus many small items too!).  But even more important were the memories made and those shared.  Christmas in KY was awesome!

As I have begun prepping for whatever path God has for the future, I began looking over alot of notes and remembering stories from my journey, I wonder where is all this going?

~ Michelle

A Day a of Thanks

Thanksgiving, a day set aside to remember all we have to be thankful for.  Basically, a day to count all our blessings and name them one by one, since we seem to struggle to remember the rest of the year.  *la sigh*  It is also a time to gather with friends old and new, and eat wonderful feasts.  This year we were with friends, the Ottens, in Bethoud, CO, with their family.


Blessings we have this thanksgiving:
        * A good working Car: "Stormy"
        * Each other
        * Good friends
        * A vision for the future.
So as this thanksgiving closes, God bless everyone, and lets get ready for Christmastide!

~ Rob and Michelle

Refecltions

It always surprises me when I am able to reconnect with old friends here in Colorado, some whom I have not seen in years.  Some were friends from church, some from ministry, some were family friends and criss-crossed all three.  Sitting and talking with one, it was like even though 3 years had passed since we crossed paths, hardly any time had passed, but then Jeremy was like a cousin, and both our mom's can tell stories on us...lol.

Another I have known since we were both young, and have not seen in 4 years. He is grown now and such a blessing.  An other, I chat with every few weeks, and miss greatly was once like a sister to me, and I trust we can be good friends again.  ^_^  Tis indeed a blessing to have built in friendships... yet with maturity to go with them.

~ "Morria"

Southwest in my Blood...

My birth mom, was born in Colorado.  I was born in Western Kansas.  The western soul and the winds
of the west flow in my very being.  After living a wee over 2 years in Dine Bikeyah, I can honestly say, you can take the woman out of the Southwest, but you can't take the Southwest out of the woman.  Homesickness for the West aches in my heart.  The slower, rancher pass of life, "Rez Time" if you would, beckons me.   Soon my heart,  you will at least have a visit.

~ "Morria"

What is this adventure before me?

 As a Ragamuffin, a Traveller Gal if you would, I have gone through so many changes and grown so much in these past nearly 10 years.  I have survived great sorrow, I found true love, I have journeyed to Dine Bikeyah and long to return, I have learned about my place on the journey-task.  Yet Jesus still has many surprises on the trail.   I had longed to travel, and now I have more than I could ask.  Yet my heart longs for a time when this gypsy soul can rest and share hospitality to others weary along the road.

~ "Morria"

Stormy ~ The Car

Stormy came into our life at last!  Who or what is Stormy?  Stormy is a stormy blue 2002 Dodge Neon, which was given to us by a family at Immanuel Baptist Church.  They knew we were missionaries returning from the Reservation, and that we have only Rob's old 1986 Scottsdale, Rez Rocket, to drive, and that she is a gas hog at that!  Stormy does well on gas.  All we have to do is replace her tires soon, and she is as good as new.  ^_^  Where God guides, He provides!

~ Rob and Michelle

PS: Thank you to the   , for your gift of the Car!

Fall is here...

Fall is here at last with all her charms, the leaves have begun their annual march from green to vivid then gone, the little gray squirrels are busy hiding away walnuts, much to my dismay as I would like some too, and the toads and frog are slowing down. The turkeys are again out strutting there stuff, tempting us to catch them... thanksgiving dinner early anyone? LOL!  It feels so good to walk in the crisp cool breezes and hear the birds chirping away.

This has to be my second favorite time of the year, next to winter, of all time.  I love the ciders, the leaves, the animals, and the start of fires in the fireplace.  This is when one can start buying things for the long winter ahead, and start planning for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

~ "Morria"

Furlough

So for the next how ever long, we will be on furlough.  We don't know when we will be returning to our beloved Dine Bikeyah.  But until then we will be working odd jobs, and gathering items we need.  Praying that we get a new assignment soon...

~ Rob and Michelle 

Living our Faith...

When we talk about living our faith, and being Jesus hands and feet, what do we really think about? Do we see a poor widow?  Do we see the fatherless kids down the street?  Do we remember the thousands without clean water?  Do we think of the many without a meal, especially the 1 in 5 children who will not eat today?  Do we remember the orphans, the homeless, the strangers, and the outcasts?  Do we think of those ill?  Do we think of those alone?  Do we care? Do we picture feeding 5,000?

When Robby and I returned to Kentucky, we also returned to our anchor church here, Immanuel Baptist Church of Corbin, because of their heart to reach the world.  Little did we know we would be returning during the Love Loud outreach, which is not just hosted by IBC but many other churches from the area.  One of the goals is to feed 5,000.  How?  That is the awesome part...

Have you ever gone to church Sunday and had a reverse offer?  What is that?  Were the church passed the offering plate and TOLD you to take $1 dollar out for yourself.  Then we learned about the parable of the talents   Then we all, along with many other churches descended upon walmart (only food place that could handle all of us), and each spend that money, and many of us beyond that, to buy food for others.  Result?  One large truck, plus 7 small pick-ups full of food...  how many feed still pending...  That to me is living our faith... in a BIG way.

~ "Morria"

Reflecting

As I sit here, with cool weather coming upon us, reflecting on these past 9 years since I started blogging back in February, 2003, I am struck by the journeys I have been on.  I have been looking at a few of the keepsakes that are here with me: the glass bottle with dirt from Dine Bikeyah, the doll called "Gypsy" that Robby got me as a gift, the cedarwood flute I am learning to play, and the few photos about the room with friends and places from the journey.   These past 9 years have brought many people into my life: many, many more than I can list (or spell all the names of... ~_^)  And of course, it brought me Robby, too!

One of the biggest surprises and blessings has been my little sister, Chissy, and her son (my nephew), Ethan, entering my life.  Chrissy was a surprise to me on so many levels.  First that she was in my life, after not being for 24 years.  Now, I am shocked that we have become best of friends, the "forever friends" that sisters should be.  Tis not a bad shock, but a joy I never dared dream would be mine. What a blessing it is to have Chrissy and Travis back in my life again!

So many things have changed over the past 9 years, but these three remain the same: my love for Celtic Christianity, my desire to journey and travel for God, and the calling (now clear) to Dine Bikeyah.

"May Jesus's peace rest with you all, and may you each find your journey-tasks!  Blessings! Amen."

~ "Morria"

Dreams and Hopes...

When one dreams of a place, when one starts talking of hopes for the future, what do they look like?  I have often dreamed of land, children, missions, homesteading... all in Dine Bikeyah area.  But for many years it was just that, a dream.  I was not going to ask really for anyone to do that... Then, my beloved Robby, began to share his dreams for living out in Dine Bikeyah.  And he spoke to my heart...

He spoke of a homestead or sheep camp in the area of Dine Bikeyah, with sheeps, goats, a few horses, rabbits, chickens, gardens, and such.  A home with room for me to do some kinda hospitality/art-music ministry.  And my heart awakens with dreams and with hope.... maybe there is more to fight for then even I knew...

~ "Morria"

Great Thoreau Flood

 Yesterday, monsoon season continued as expected, but what came after has not happened this bad in over 10 years... The Great Thoreau Flood.  Our backyard and drive way turned into a literal river.  I had to rescue our dog Nikida back onto the porch.  The rain had stopped and she had gone out to relieve herself, but in the 2 minuets she was out... the flood hit.  Robby had just walked from the front window to the back, and back to the porch...and it hit between leaving the back window and the front porch.

 We had to wait till our driveway stopped being a river to get over to the church. The church got hit too.  Our back field, which last week we used for a cowboy church service, was "Thoreau Lake" yesterday.  We were blessed with sandbags from the Fire Department, and bagged every door of the church to keep it from leaking through the doors, more than it had at least.  We had pizza and fellowship after cleaning up the church.

Even more unbelievable was the flooding out of the train tracks.  These tracks have been used since the 1890's by first the Mitchel's lines and now the Amtrak and Santa Fe Railroad.  Trains were waiting till about 9 till 10 pm for the water to go down and the tracks to be cleared off enough for the trains to pass.  At 6 pm when I took the pictures, the tracks were still flooded out... It was totally and unbelievable sight!

~ Rob and Michelle 

Torn..

Here I sit in a home soon not to be mine, torn between my life here in Dine Bikeyah and the new life I will lead in Kentucky until our return... Yes, the open road is calling me.  Yes, I am very restless.  BUT  I have so many friends here.  I have a good life here, except for no work... *la sigh* Tis that not work part thats killing me... 11 days and then farewell, for how long I know not... Next time I will ask for more than a year settled down...

Tis not like we don't have friends in Kentucky; we do, and family, too!  It is just we have not lived there in 3 years.  We both have changed, grown, and become different.  We know where "home" is, where we are called.  Until the day we get to settle (though the road will always be part of my life), the day we establish "home base" here in Dine Bikeyah... I will be among the wanderers.  As Tolkin said, "Not all who wanderer are lost."

~ Rob and Michelle

Monsoons and Birthdays

Monsoon rains have come.  And this makes an already exciting existence more adventuresome.  It also make daily work more difficult. I cant take my bike, Gypsy, out because our old paved roads get too slick with the rains.  Gas is too expensive to drive my husband's truck, Rez Rocket, just around town.  She is a good truck, but as a 1986 Chevy Scottsdale, she is also a gas drinker at slow speeds.  So its foot for us for a while.  That can be a challenge, as monsoon rains come up fast and some times with little warning.  But it can be fun to out run the rains...

Yesterday, I was at the open air market (sometimes called a flea market out here), and one of the vendors had an awesome ammo box, a good pocket knife, and a very used tool bag, perfect for my bike, Gypsy.  The ammo box and knife were for my husband's birthday, which is today.  I love the open market!

~ Michelle

Basketball Camp

Wow, what a week.  Last Sunday through Wednesday we were swamped with children and teens for our church's (First Baptist Church of Thoreau) summer basketball camp.  We had 13 salvation/re-dedications (plus a few more that we didn't get names), and 30-40 young people every day.

We had at first planned to just give them snacks, juice, and water, but the Lord provided for us in away that only He can get the credit for.  Every day we were able to feed these youth full meals, plus snacks with donations and food that was provided for us.  If any stomachs left hungry, it was because they did not eat what they were given, not that the Lord did not provide!  PTL!

We were sad to see the team from Crossfire leave, but with more outreaches, including another basketball camp later in July, we have much to prepare for as the summer moves forward.

Keep Robby and me in prayer as we seek God as to how He wants us to serve even more.

~ Rob and Michelle

Rez Rocket ~ The Truck

After Michelle's truck, Gypsy Dakota, died back in December, we had been vehicle-less for 6 months.  But now, we have to introduce you to our newest vehicle, my truck "Rez Rocket".  She is a 1986 Chevy Scottsdale, and I feel in love with her the moment I spotted her at the car lot here in Thoreau.  She is not great to drive around town in, but she is good for hauling woods, and gathering good supplies in Gallup or Farmington.  She is powerful, but at slow speeds she hogs gas.

Like a good Rez Rocket she has vroom.  She also needs a plow under the drivers seat and a tail gate.  She is beat up, but loved.  Now at least we have wheels again.  Thanks for everyone who prayed.

~ Rob

Culture Shock

What is culture shock? One of the most common causes of culture shock involves individuals in a foreign country. Just as easily though, could be one going to another culture or subculture in their home town or any one of the Native American tribes around the USA.  Culture shock can be described as consisting of at least one of five distinct phases: Honeymoon, Negotiation, Adjustment, Mastery and the interdependence. There is no true way to entirely prevent culture shock, as individuals in any society are personally affected by cultural contrasts differently.

What is the Honeymoon phase?  In this stage a person is in love with their new culture, the food the clothing, the language, everything about it is new and exciting.  This for me lasted for the first 6 months out here in Dine Bikeyah.

What is the Negotiation phase?  This is were one begins to negotiate through the new culture one is living in.  It is a period of great exploration and also frustration, for me this took about 3 months after the honeymoon was over.

What is the Adjustment phase?  This is where one begins to really adjust to a culture and find ones place within it.  It cant take 6-12 months.  For me, I am just now wrapping up my own adjustment phase. (Michelle)

What is the Mastery phase?  In the mastery stage assignees are able to participate fully and comfortably in the host culture. Mastery does not mean total conversion; people often keep many traits from their earlier culture, such as accents and languages. It is often referred to as the biculturalism stage

This is what any honest traveller goes through, and many times makes re-entry to own one home cultures hard on return visits.  Pray for all of us serving among other culture.  ^_^  You have no clue how much your prayers help us!

~ Rob and Michelle

Dine Bikeyah Calling...

I was 16 years old the first time I heard the words, "I hear Dine Bikeyah calling..."  I was sitting on a chair in Wichita, KS watching Rich Mullin's musical, Canticle of the Plains.  Then I learned, "Dine Bikeyah is a real place, its the land of the people, the land of the Navajo."  Right there at the edge of my seat, I felt some how Dine Bikeyah and the Navjao people were to be my future...

Now I am 29, and I have been living in Dine Bikeyah for over 2 years.  I am still just a beginner in the beautiful Navajo language, and I live just off the rez in the town of Thoreau.  Yet my heart is pulled there deeply, especially when I have been gone for a while.  I get homesick when I leave Dine Bikeyah.  I have found my home among a people not my own.  I have found a place to stop wandering, in a land not my own, and I am home, at last.

~ Michelle

Casa Rosa Update

I promised back in October more info on Casa Rosa, so here it is!  We have a nice living room/dining room, a kitchen, a den, Rob's office/man cave, my office, the guest bedroom, guest bathroom, and our master bed and bath.  We have an awesome pantry, which is a major plus!  ^_^

For us, Casa Rosa, while really to large for just us, is perfect for the work we do.  With mentoring, discipleship, and relational missions as our focuses, a large place like ours means plenty of room to have people over.  Now we just have to get that leaky roof fixed!!! LOL!

~ Rob and Michelle