First week in the field
Yá’át’ééh everybody!
I AM OFFICIALLY IN THE FIELD! I have been assigned to the Chinle, AZ area, which is like right in the middle of the Navajo nation! I was very very sad to leave behind my awesome MTC district, however…
INTERESTING STUFF:
- The Navajo nation kind of gave me a culture shock… it really does feel like a third world country here. People live in ‘hogans’ which are these little circle-houses and a lot of them just have dirt floors. Practically no white people here. Everybody has lots of animals, including dogs! I started counting 3 days ago and I have seen 75 different dogs. Some are mean. The native Americans I have met are almost all super nice and accommodating and want to invite you in and talk your ear off. I love it!
- The nearest Walmart is 2 hours away.
- Lots of people here speak Navajo, including some missionaries! The prayers in sacrament meeting were all in Navajo and it’s fun to try and pick up words here and there. “Gáamalii” means God-talker in Navajo, and the elders can get church issued Navajo nametags that say “Gáamalii (Nef)” on them. That’s what they call us missionaries.
- I live in a nice trailer in the church parking lot.
- I was tracting with my companion (who is awesome) and some native kids were out in their yard lassoing a fake bull. They would run it through the street and try to rope it before it got away. We joined them and I caught the bull twice. Hoping to be a roping legend by the end of my mission.
- This old lady needed her car jumped so we went to her house to jump it. She had lots of dogs. The inside of her car’s hood was full, like FULL, of dog food??
- Every vehicle in our mission is a truck with 4WD. I don’t have permission to drive yet.
PICTURES:
Hágoóneé!