Much to Be Grateful For: November News from Navajo
Blessed Fall and Thanksgiving to everyone. As I write this snow is falling outside, so it feels more like winter today. We are very thankful for the effort of a team from Risen Savior Lutheran Church in Wichita, Kansas, that visited our church in September and repaired our roof. We had been having water damage for the past two years. This was a very expensive and labor-intensive project, but the group worked hard, and because of Christ’s love they shared with us and blessed us this way. The team from Risen Savior also shared in Bible stories with the children and involved the children in worship. This is the fourth time they have visited us at Shepherd of the Valley, a relationship for us to be very grateful for.
We enjoyed visits from two other churches in October: Trinity Lutheran Church in Wahiawa, Hawaii, and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Durango, Colorado. The group from Hawaii was like a mini-family reunion as it included my sister, Marcie Norton, and brother-in-law, Clarence De Lude III (also Lutheran Indian Ministries staff). The team led art projects and devotions with families and had meals with our church and community members. Even though most of the team fell ill, it didn’t dampen their spirits and they served with joy through it all and kept going until the end.
Around the theme of “Life Together," we shared a devotion, a meal and worship with the group from Durango. We had planned a campfire as well, but rain visited us that evening, so we stayed warm inside.
In the times when groups aren’t here (which will be now until next summer), we continue with regular worship & Bible study. We are teaching the new people who have come to church since the summer the Christian Faith, and hopefully in the future we will confirm them in the Faith.
Our programs with the LWML grant have not yet started as we are still trying to recruit personnel, but please keep these goals in your prayers, as we seek to serve more people in our community and reach them with the Good News of Christ Jesus.
Please Thank God with us for:
- The new roof, and the hard work done by Risen Savior Lutheran Church from Wichita, Kansas
- The fellowship and creative expression we experienced through the group from Trinity Lutheran Church, Wahiawa, Hawaii.
- The “life together” we experienced with the members of St. Paul’s, Durango, Colorado.
Please intercede with us for:
- The new families, that their faith would grow, by understanding the Scriptures more and that their family lives would be greatly impacted by God’s love.
- That the Lord of the Harvest would send workers to His Mission in Navajo, to help with the programs we’ve envisioned.
In Christ’s Service,
– Tim Norton, Vicar, Navajo, New Mexico