For the first time in my life, I have no doubt that God has called me to where I am right now. I am currently serving at a Navajo Christian boarding school in Northern Arizona, located nine miles outside Holbrook. Yes, I am in the middle of nowhere in the desert, but it’s so exciting! God has provided me with a gorgeous apartment, an amazing and supportive staff around me, new friends, great food, and such a fun environment! I walk (or run!) around campus, only to find jackrabbits hopping around, multitudes of ants marching in file, horses, goats, and chickens! I have a green-tailed lizard that lives outside my apartment and we found a bat in the chapel this morning! I’ve even gained to courage to kill spiders and pick dead moths up with tissue (I know- surprising!).
I arrived on this beautiful piece of God’s creation Sunday evening. The sky is illuminated with lightning bolts at night and sunshine during the day. God sings me to sleep through His rainfall on my roof and wakes me up with grand sunshine through my window. The people here are incredible as well. Tonight Vanessa (another teacher) and I got trapped in our classrooms, which are on the other side of campus, during a lightning storm, and one of the older maintenance guys came over and walked us home through the dark and terrifying monsoon. A mere five minutes after I arrived I received a knock on the door. It was Rodney, one of the dorm parents. He saw our classrooms lights on and was making sure we got home safely. God is so great to provide people who love us already! I have a great Christian family here that I can enjoy nearly every moment of the day (from breakfast to bedtime) with.
The staff, as stated before, is incredible. My shower was freezing cold and Fred came almost immediately, only to find that it’s not actually broken. My hot is cold and my cold is hot! I just have to remember that. Vera drove me around campus in her golf cart searching for pieces of furniture for my apartment, in which we found a nice bookcase and dresser. Sandy showed me her art and has offered me resources if needed throughout the year. She is even taking me and the other two elementary school teachers out to dinner tomorrow night! Wallace is a mechanic and has offered to teach me to change my oil and rotate my tires the next time I need them done! Eric helped me carry my belongings into my apartment upon arrival. The list goes on and on…
God has truly blessed this small piece of land. He has called people from many different parts of the country into one area in Arizona to reach a people so often forgotten. We have a mission field here in the United States that we don’t even think of! The Navajo people are beautiful and creative, yet so many have yet to find the truth. They’ve yet to learn of the ONLY true God and how much He loves them! God tells us, “I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” He has a plan for each child’s life, if only they would open their eyes and their heart, willing to follow His direction. I believe this is the reason God has sent me to the middle of nowhere. I am to share this message with all around me.
Yes, I thought life would be different. Several years back I imagined being married by now (or at least engaged or dating if nothing else!), possibly in a larger city. I would be teaching in a public school, making $30,000-$40,000 a year. My husband would have a great job. We’d buy a new car, maybe be preparing to purchase our first house. We would attend a large church, with air conditioning, and serve mid-week in some sort of ministry. Life would be sweet and worry-free. However, this is not what happened. Although this seemed to be a dream at the time, the reality is that God has BETTER plans for me… and yes, I thoroughly believe that that includes Sun Valley Indian School here in Arizona off the I-40.
Here at Sun Valley life is sweet. I understand that I have a challenge ahead of me. Students from backgrounds of abuse and neglect are going to step onto this campus in a mere six days. Yet, despite the hardships, gang activities, disobedience, and frustrations that are to come, life is still sweet because Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, is at the center of all that happens here. We are to open our arms wide to these students and love them through every situation that may arise.
There’s a song in my Itunes account that I listen to often. It’s my most real form of worship at this point in my life. This song seems to have been specifically written about my life. Keeping Me Guessing, sung by Francesca Battistelli, has a chorus that reads the following:
“I try and try
To read Your mind
But I forget that patience is a virtue
You're teaching me to hold on tight
And I don't know how the story ends
But I'll be alright 'cause You wrote it
I don't know where the highway bends
But I'm doing just fine
'Cause You're in control
Even when I don't know
Where my life's gonna go
You're keeping me guessing”
I’m doing just fine here at Sun Valley because He’s in control and it’s so fun that He’s keeping me guessing! It’s so wonderful to be at peace with where God has me. I love my mornings I spend in His Word, and my days of continuous conversation with Him. I love living to glorify Him in all I do. I love being in a place where I can openly express my love and passion for my Lord.
Please be continuously in prayer for Sun Valley Indian School and this new mission field I have become a part of. The children arrive in a week. The staff are diligently working to prepare the school. Our Work and Witness team from Ohio leaves tomorrow and a new one arrives Monday. Finances are tight and support is desperately needed. The great thing is that we are at peace with all of this, as we know God will provide. However, please remain in prayer, because if we “delight ourselves in the Lord, He shall give us the desires of our hearts”.
It is all “His Agenda, His Way, His Time, By His Power, For His Glory!”
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