Hi ,

I (Cheryl) have always loved driving through the Navajo reservation.
There is a peace in that land, a beauty that enthralls me every time I
step out and take a breath and view the buttes and outcroppings. Mel and
I have done this many times exploring the area for research, or just
passing through on our way back to Wyoming when we lived there. Last
night our church held our first evening of a half-week missions
conference, and two of our visiting pastors are Navajo. Since Mel just
recently uploaded and edited an audio version of Double Blind, set on
the reservation, he asked one of the men last night how they pronounce
Navajo. His answer? They don’t call themselves Navajo. That’s our name
for them. To them, they are the Dine´, which is “The People.” We’ve
written about that in Double Blind.

Last night we learned more about the Navajo Nation than we had learned
in our research, and we hope to learn more tonight. We knew they were
the wealthiest tribe in the country, but that just tells you how poorly
the rest of the tribes fare. Only a few paved roads go through this vast
land, and the rest are very rough dirt. We could have guessed that a
preacher in a Baptist church on the reservation has to be bi-vocational
because of the poverty level–no church on the res can support a pastor.


Alcoholism is rampant, as we’ve learned about other parts of the world
where everyone struggles to survive. The two pastors taking part in our
conference have first-hand experience with this nightmare, as they,
themselves, were rescued from alcoholism by Christians who reached out
to them. Both men had stalwart wives who stayed by their sides
throughout. Now they can use their experiences to reach out to others
who have desperately turned to alcohol. They can testify with assurance
that Jesus is the only light in their darkness.

It was mentioned last night that if you want to see what a third-world
country looks like, check out the Navajo Reservation. But if you want to
see beautiful jewelry, also go to the Navajo Reservation and look for
the stands alongside the roads. Check out Four Corners, which is set on
the corners of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado. You can stand on
all four states at once, and you can see some of the beautiful creations
made by Navajo artists. All the Dine´ I’ve ever known throughout my
life have been soft-spoken, kind, and gentle.

If you would like to hear a Navajo preacher speak and if you live close
enough, join us tonight at Harvest Baptist Church, 535 N. Sarival,
Goodyear, AZ, 85338 The service begins at 6:30 tonight and tomorrow
night, and you will be made to feel very welcome. Or checkout the video
recording in about 3 days at www.hbcgoodyear.org.