Challenge - Summer 2008

The Newsletter of the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission, Rock Point, AZ

From the Board Chair

Dear Supporters of the Navajo Lutheran Mission,

Warm greetings from the NELM Board of Directors. We are very grateful for your faithful support of the Mission. May God’s grace fill your lives!

At the end of Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, Christ speaks to building our lives on the Rock of His teachings. That advice applies to the life of the Navajo Mission as well. As a board, we try to continually build a strong and lasting foundation under the work of the Mission.

Some of our foundation is institutional. Writing a strategic plan, developing a budget, and updating by-laws and policies are examples of what the Board does to help the mission work responsibly.

Some activities are relational, such as keeping in contact with our donors and offering ways for people to support NELM with effort and money. Board members take an active role in the Planned Giving program informing and mentoring potential participants. They also interact often with Lutheran church bodies such as the ELCA and LCMS, and visit with congregations to tell the mission’s story across the country. Two members recently gave presentations to congregations in Pennsylvania over the Memorial Day weekend.

But most important is the work done in order to maintain a full partnership with the Navajo people and with the House of Prayer Lutheran Church. The House of Prayer Church is an independent ELCA Grand Canyon Synod congregation with close historical ties to the mission. In April, Bishop Steve Talmage and members of the national ELCA office in Chicago, came to visit the House of Prayer and the Mission, and church members and the Mission board were there to participate. As a result of this visit, the Synod is strengthening its support for the Church and the Board reaffirmed its active interaction with its partner, the House of Prayer.

Mission Board actions are always taken in the spirit of our mission statement. So please pray for us as we walk with Christ to carry out God’s will for the mission.

As a closing note, these are difficult times for everyone but particularly for the Navajo people who are impacted by high fuel, long distances to travel for services and rising food prices. We will continue developing our mission programs to help in as many ways that we can.

Please pray for the Rock Point community and its people.

In Christ’s service,
Ron Augustson

New Health Care Center to Open at Navajo Mission

The Navajo Lutheran Mission will hold a Grand Opening Celebration this August as it “reopens” a small Health Care Clinic on Mission grounds! Thanks to major funding from the Johnson and Johnson Community Health Foundation and Wheat Ridge Ministries, the Mission will once again provide basic medical services to the residents of the Rock Point community.

The Mission was founded as a Lutheran Church and a Health Clinic, and medical care was the first basic service provided for the Navajo people in the area. The clinic ran successfully for over 40 years, until lack of staffing and funds forced the Mission to close the Clinic doors. Although the new Center will not provide emergency or overnight services, it will provide basic medical care and extensive health education throughout the community. Cherrie Evans, a Family Nurse Practitioner, from Utah, has been hired and will start in early August. More on her in our next newsletter!

Many thanks to all of you who have already provided generous donations, in-kind materials and volunteer time to make this a reality! Visit our website for more information of the needs of the Clinic for the future.

The Executive's Corner

Greetings from the Navajo Lutheran Mission!

My service to the Navajo Lutheran Mission started in April of 2007, when I accepted the position of Executive Director. The Mission has grown by leaps and bounds during the past 15 months, thanks to our generous donors, sponsors and committed churches!

Today, the Mission consists of a Kindergarten through 6th grade Christian elementary school for up to 70 children, a soon to be opened Health Center, a small Food Bank and a thriving Thrift Shop. Other institutional programs include a Holiday quilt giveaway, Thanksgiving food boxes, firewood projects, Navajo Artists nights, Churro sheep projects and community office services. We also have developed a very strong volunteer base, and are blessed with skilled individuals and church groups who visit the Mission regularly and work on critically needed projects for a week!

As this issue of the Challenge represents our Annual Report for 2008, some highlights of the past year include:

• The development of a 3 year strategic plan for the Navajo Mission.
• The implementation of a comprehensive development plan funded by a Thrivent grant.
  A 50% increase in early student enrollment from the previous year and our first ever “summer school”.
• A wonderful Christmas pageant and celebration.
• The substantial funding of major grants from Wheat Ridge Ministries and Johnson and Johnson for the re-opening of our Health Clinic at the Mission (and four smaller grants for various Mission programs).
• A 25% increase in church volunteer groups visiting the Mission during the year.
• Affiliation as a Social Ministry Organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Blessings to everyone for your support and commitment to the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission!

In Christ,
Dolores Weis, Executive Director

More Rescue Kitties!

After Luther, Milo and Jasper found good homes, these darlings were nursed back to health here at the Mission, and have all found good homes in Phoenix, Farmington and Las Vegas! God’s work comes in all shapes and sizes!

Food Bank to open at Mission!

Thanks to a Domestic Hunger grant from the American Indian and Alaskan Native Office at ELCA headquarters, and a most generous donation from Resurrection Lutheran Church in Oro Valley, Arizona of a large upright freezer (and a refrigerator and ice machine for the School), the Navajo Mission will begin a monthly food allocation project this summer for low income residents in the community.

The project is being implemented with the assistance of the St. Mary’s Westside Food Bank Alliance in Flagstaff, Arizona. St Mary’s will deliver the food to the Mission on a monthly basis. Residents who qualify will be given the opportunity to purchase a 2-week food supply for a family of 4 for either $16.00 or $20.00 with meat included.

The Food Bank is indeed a blessing at this time of rising transportation and food costs. Once again, thanks to all the wonderful people out there who supported the start-up of this needed service!

Campbell’s Soup Labels DO Count!

Many people have written to us to ask just what do we do with all those Campbell soup labels? What do we get in return for all the clipping and cutting of coupons that thousands of volunteers do each year? Well, this year in particular, we were able to ‘cash in’ our millions of points for another brand new dodge mini-van! Since the program started many years ago, we have redeemed enough points to purchase 4 large passenger vans (several on their last legs) and 3 mini-vans!

In addition to vehicles, this year the school was able to order several digital cameras, a projector to use with computer DVDs and software presentations, a large wall screen, interactive world globes and wall maps, various sports equipment and several books and video tapes for school use. Remember that this year Campbell’s requires only the bar code from the label. You should send the clipped bar code to the address below and designate you want them to be used for the Navajo Mission:

Solheim Lutheran Home
Campbell’s Soup Coordinator
2236 Merton Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90041-1915

We are truly grateful to all of you who continue to send us those labels! It does make a difference!

New Computers and Phone System

Thanks to some La Casa de Cristo church members, Dave Ullibari, Board Member, and his cadre of techies from ReMax, the Mission received fourty, upgraded computers for the school to use. Almost new computers were donated to the Mission and David’s group overhauled them and loaded them with new hardware and software. The group spent 2 full days at the Mission from dawn to well past dusk to install them all! In addition, they installed a brand new phone system for the Mission.

The students and teachers are excited about the new computers now actually located in their classrooms, and they are used constantly for classroom instruction. The new phone system has also made it much easier to communicate with staff in all buildings at the Mission.

Events, Graduation and Summer School!

This spring has been filled with activities that have kept out students quite busy! In spite of lots of testing exercises, the students took part in basketball games (girls and boys teams), health education and outings, a swimming trip, movie and reading nights.

Graduation festivities were held on May 27 and the entire 6th grade class graduated and will go on to junior high school in the fall. In addition, the 5th and 6th students worked all spring to raise enough money to take a class trip to Flagstaff and do lots of fun and educational things while they were there. Congratulations to the students and teacher who worked so hard to make this trip a reality!

For the first time ever, the Mission decided to hold a 4-week summer school in June for students to improve their skills, and get a head start for the following school year. We expected about 20 students to enroll, but by the middle of the first week of summer school, we had over 60 students coming to join us - many who had not been at the Mission before. The school was complimented with several weeks of Vacation Bible School and enrichment activities in the afternoon offered by several volunteer church groups. A special thanks to Victory Lutheran Church in Mesa, Arizona, for financially helping us to support this new venture!

Thanks to our Sponsors!

As the 2007-2008 school year has come to an end, we wish to extend our thanks and gratitude to many who have sponsored a Navajo child in the sponsorship program.

Your donation and interaction with your sponsored student has been extremely beneficial to our organization and our community. The difference that you have made in your sponsored child’s life with your interaction has been the highlight of the school year for so many of our students - many who come from households lead by single parents and grandmothers living beneath the poverty level. And on birthdays and holidays, you provided the students with needed clothing, and sent wonderful birthday presents and letters throughout the year. You have made a great difference in their lives!

As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we hope you will decide to develop a relationship, friendship, and cultural exchange with a sponsored student. We encourage and invite you to assist us in the rejuvenation of the Native American spirit of creativity, joy, and life. Please let us know if you would like to participate in the Sponsorship Program with our Navajo students.

If you have any questions, feel free to call the Mission Office at (928) 659-4201. Thank you and we look forward to your generous support in the future!

The Navajo Churro Sheep Project

The Navajo Churro Sheep Project is a Navajo Lutheran Mission project that is being developed in conjunction with other non-profit organizations to help restore the endangered breed while implementing self-sustainability for the Navajo. The Navajo Churro sheep is a breed that was introduced by the Spaniards in the 16th century. Herding and weaving had become a major economic asset for the Navajos by the 1700s. The textiles woven by Navajos using Churro wool was admired by collectors for its luster, silky hand, variety of natural colors and durability. By the 1970’s, the Churro breed became endangered on the reservation due to past relocations of the tribe and laws that required a reduction in livestock for Navajos. Less that 500 head were left at this time.

This spring, Nancy Miller and her family, owners of Maple Tree farms in Portland, Oregon, donated 24 head of Churro sheep to the Navajo Mission. The sheep were distributed throughout the community in a drawing held during a 2-day event sponsored by the organization Sheep is Life. Four community recipients of the sheep are now attending workshops that teach fiber arts, proper maintenance and care of the animal, as well as the many economic advantages of owning and weaving using the Churro sheep wool. Once trained, they will hold workshops for the Rock Point community, in conjunction with the Navajo Mission, the Navajo Churro Sheep Association and Sheep Is Life. The first workshop, ‘Colors of the Earth’ will be a natural vegetation wool dying class and will be offered at the end of July in Rock Point at the Navajo Mission.

Many thanks to Nancy Miller and her family for their generous donation that has helped us prepare the foundation for this new Community Service program. For more information on this project contact Tara Chee, Community Services Coordinator.

Navajo Lutheran Mission Website!

Don’t forget to visit our website for new information and updates. We are trying to keep the website current with new information, new photos and lots of links. And remember that you can now donate online at our secure site. The Support the Mission button gives you ideas on how to help the Mission as we grow.

Statement of Financial Position

As of December 31, 2007 (audited)

Serving on the mission board in 2008: