Navajo Mission Programs
In addition to the Mission School, the Navajo Lutheran Mission provides a number of services to the Rock Point community. Some programs are throughout the entire year, and others are held on special holidays. We will also be starting new programs in the future, so watch this section for continuing updates.
Thrift Shop
The Thrift Shop is one of the ways the Mission reaches out to meet the needs of the Rock Point community. Donations from Lutheran churches and individuals from across the United States stock the Thrift Shop with summer and winter clothing and shoes for all ages, kitchen utensils, pots and pans, and many other household items. In this way, community members can purchase basic household items and clothing at extremely low prices. This is especially useful considering the nearest clothing store is over 110 miles away!
If you are interested in donating new or gently used items, please contact the Community Services Manager, or ship directly to the address found on our Contact Us page.
Campbell Soup Labels Program
Please save your Campbell’s Soup Labels proofs of purchases! The labels are used to purchase vehicles for the Mission and are very valuable, as in the past we have been able to redeem these points in exchange for four 15-passenger vans (worth 1.5 million labels each!), and two 7-passenger mini vans for employee use. Although Campbell’s no longer have the 15-passenger vans, the Mission is still able to purchase smaller vans and educational equipment, such as overhead projectors, computers, and playground equipment.
Starting in January of 2008, the Campbell’s Soup program will only be accepting the bar code portion from the labels. Instead of saving the labels from Campbell’s, Swanson’s, V8, Prego, and Franco American products, they now just require that the UPC (bar code) insignia be sent (Any bar code whose number begins with 51 or 14 will qualify). If the bar code has dotted lines around or near it, cut on the lines.
For more information about how to cut the labels see the instructions Campbell's Labels for Education page.
Also starting in January 2008, people should send their cut bar codes directly to the Regional Center in California, where they will be sorted, packed, and shipped to the Campbell’s Soup company for the Mission. If you have labels from 2007, and were not able to get the barcode cut out, send the entire label and the Solheim Regional Center will trim the UPC before it is sent to Campbell’s.
The address to send your labels to is:
Solheim Lutheran Home
Reverend Ed Busch, Coordinator
2236 Merton Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90041-1915
Solheim, CA1-626-799-0961
Make sure that when the UPC bar codes/ labels are mailed to the address above, that you designate that they be credited to the account of the Navajo Lutheran Mission.
Also, if you shop at Albertsons grocery story or Target, contact the Mission about a "partner's" card, which will contribute a dollar amount of a certain percentage of eligible purchases to the Mission School.
General Mills Box Tops for Education Project
The Box Tops for Education proofs of purchase are also very valuable, as they convert into cash for the school. In 2007, we received over $40,000 from this program! Please mail your box tops directly to the Mission for processing.
Medical/Dental/Vision Program
At least three times a year, the Mission offers medical and dental care on the Mission grounds for school children and NLM employees at no charge. This care is donated by several dedicated doctors and dentists who come to the Mission and provide their service onsite.
As part of the Mission's 2008 Strategic Goals, plans are underway for the re-opening of the clinic at the Mission. Pending funding, the plan is to open the clinic to the community by June, 2008. It will be staffed by a registered nurse, and visiting doctors will assist the community on a rotating basis. Basic health education, home visits, and health fairs are a few of the activities being planned.
If you are a doctor or a qualified Registered Nurse or Nurse Practitioner and would like to be part of this exciting Mission opportunity, please contact the Executive Director.
Summer VBS/Outpost
Each summer, church groups from across the United States offer Vacation Bible School and "Outposts" for the Navajo people. They plan activities for kindergartners to adults, including crafts, singing, praying, and outings. These groups offer a Christian Education, which is hosted on the mission compound. The “Outpost” is one of the exciting programs, which is held at a Navajo residential area. Each Outpost lasts three to four hours a day. The visitation covers preaching, teaching, prayer, fellowship, and crafts. Generally, an average of 20-25 people from young children to adults attend these gatherings 2-3 times during the summer.
Volunteer Work Projects
Each summer, Christians of all denominations volunteer at the Mission. While the summer months are always the busiest, volunteers are welcome to share their talents anytime during the year. The mission complex is always in need of repairs, new construction, structural face lifts, and general cleaning. The 5-acre campus includes school classroom buildings, an office building, a school kitchen and dining room, a thrift shop, garage building, apartment buildings, a dental and medical building, school playground, and a church building. If you or your church group are interested in volunteering at NLM, please read more about the volunteer opportunities at the mission.
Community Services
Many people come to the mission compound to put in air in their tires, make prepaid telephone calls, receive phone messages, use the fax machine, use the internet or shop at the Thrift Store. NLM is committed to accommodating any visitor, given the availability of resources and funds. Thus, we extend our gratitude to God for all He has blessed us with.
Thanksgiving Food Box Program
When possible, the Mission hosts the "Food Box" outreach program, and delivers food boxes to needy families during the holiday season. Donors send the Mission the necessary funds and Southwest Food Foundation puts together the boxes, which we then deliver with the help of staff, school children or volunteers on mission trips.
Each food box consists of a large turkey, a 25-lb bag of flour, a large sack of potatoes and various other non-perishable items. If you wish to contribute to this program, please send a tax deductible gift of $70 designated for the "Food Box Program" to help feed a needy family. We welcome church groups, individuals, and others to join us in delivering the food boxes.
Christmas Program
Each year, after the School’s annual Christmas Program, the elderly, mothers, and children line up for the Mission's traditional Quilt and Toy Giveaway. This gift is only made possible through the financial support and in-kind gifts from our donors. The quilts are sent to us from every corner of the United State through various sewing circles, churches, and individuals. We invite you or your church group to join us each year in making quilts and making "Christmas at the Mission" a special time of year.
House of Prayer
The House of Prayer is a member of the ELCA-Grand Canyon Synod, and is a 501(c)(3) registered church. The Mission and the church work together to provide services and spiritual guidance for the Rock Point community.
Every Sunday, House of Prayer Lutheran Church has Navajo services for all ages from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. There are announcements, singing, scripture reading and prayers. Navajo worship services are also held on holidays throughout the year. The services are led by lay pastors who are certified by the Grand Canyon Synod.
In 2008, it is the hope of the community that a full time ordained Pastor be called to come to the Mission on a permanent basis. We are blessed by those who find themselves called to support the Mission programs whether through prayer, donations, or volunteer work!