Last night, in aisle #3 of Choices on Cambie, I got kicked in the shins…

For dancing, like this…

What I am, what I believe in...

The weapon…

And the lame man, he gonna fly...

Early this morning I was minding my own business while washing up some of last night’s dishes and Little Gem (7yrs) asked me from the dining room table under steady light while eating her Honey Nut Cheerios…

Mama, What’s a milestone??? 

I had to think about it for a minute… and I had to admit that the business I was minding had everything to do with accomplishing a difficulty…

“A milestone is when you’re changed somehow… like when you were a baby and you started to crawl, and walk, and say your first word…

Or when you asked your first big question…”

What was my first big question???

“It was when you had just turned three and we were eating apple pie at our friends’ house and you said to them, while they were holding their second child on their lap…

“How come you guys are two moms???”

I remember that…

Do you remember the answer to the question?

Not exactly, just that I know that love doesn’t pay attention to the container…

real love just loves…

And now we live in a time and a place when it is okay for different kinds of love to make and grow a baby…

A little while later I was at a Remembrance Day soccer tournament out at 8-Rinks and I ran into an old friend from the late 1980’s…

He mentioned something about his twenty year old brain and how his mentality at the time was such that he would have sold anything to make a dollar…

He said, “I even would have sold you…”

I had to laugh… 

Thankfully I was never in his possession… and this interesting turn of phrase, along with a feeling of finale, seemed to cut a cord and brought closure to some small talk… 

And his innocuous comment reminded me of something I was reading when I flew over Lake Sakakawea —A Shoshone word for ‘boat launcher’— a few weeks ago…

Sakakawea, renamed Sacajawea by popular culture, is constructed as the shapely Indian princess with perfect Caucasian features who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their expedition across the American West… many of us, including myself, may only be familiar with Sacajawea — A Hidatsa word for ‘bird woman’ — from watching Night at the Museum…

But the framework of her real life and personal experience can only be pieced together from the journals, diaries, and notes of other people whose economic and political purpose was to scout the American West in the early 18oo’s… something they couldn’t have done without her help…

How would the karma of the alleged gambling or selling of a young pregnant native woman to a European voyageur incarnate today???

How would you know???

What would tell you???

The theory isn’t entirely comprehensible, or well documented, but anyone who claims to be knowledgeable should be open to the fact that science is beginning to recognize degrees of freedom…

and supersymmetry…

with the steady beat of dragonfly wings…

For lunch Little Gem and I sat in the car at the White Spot on the Lougheed Highway…

in-between games…

She said,

I can’t believe I’m spending my whole day in Burnaby…

I asked her if she thought that today could be considered a milestone…

She said,

Kind of, because even though I didn’t plan for it, it just happened…

I've been lost without a trace...

This pair of Shoshone dolls from the Wyoming tribe is from our Cleora Helbing Native American Arts and crafts collection.

According to Cleora’s notes, these dolls were made by Eva or Annie Washakie, granddaughter of Chief Washakie. (Cleora’s object notes listed the maker as Annie Washakie, while her guidebook said it was Eva Washakie that made the dolls.) The story in the guidebook notes that Eleanor Roosevelt came to visit Haskell Institute, and the director of the school wished to give her these dolls, but the student refused. She said she had made the dolls specifically for Miss Helbing.

In 2008, we contacted a Shoshone Artist names Eva McAdams (Formerly Eva Washakie), but unfortunately, she was not the maker of the dolls. She did however remember Annie Washakie who had a daughter Eva who went to an indian boarding school. Both Annie and Eva have since passed away.

2009 Board of Directors Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission

Ron Augustson, Chair

Janice Lee Jim

Roger Johnsen

Jerry Thomas

Bill Heincke

Richard Wixom

David Ulibarri

Jeannie M. Harvey

Christel Badey

Clarence Begay

Sue Vogel-Herrera

Alice Natale

You can support the Navajo Lutheran Mission through financial donations, volunteering and many other national programs.

For details visit the mission’s support page

Campbell’s Labels for Education

General Mills Boxtops for Education

Links related to the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission (NELM):

NELM on facebook

NELM on wordpress blog

NELM on Blogger

NELM on Zimbio

NELM on myspace

NELM on bliptv

NELM on youtube

NELM on photobucket

NELM on Twitter

Flute music courtesy Arizona Flutes and Native Arts in Camp Verde, AZ

Navajo Lutheran Mission Second Week of School and Photo Montage:

Check out Carol Buckley CD’s

I hold this ancient instrument to my heart

And bless it with love.

I ask that my breath flow with ease

As my fingers dance to the rhythm

Of the ancient spirits joy.

May the music coming from this ancient instrument

Flow from my heart to heal wounded spirits,

Comfort and sooth troubled souls

And bring joy to the lives it touches.

Allow me to play in the peacefulness of the moment,

In the joy of celebration, and in the sacredness of living.

Arizona Flutes and Native Arts homepage

Navajo Nation Flag used in this video was created by artist R. Daniel Markstedt of Linköping in central Sweden:

R. Daniel Markstedt Wikipedia username is Himasaram

Link to Navajo Flag on Wikipedia

Himasaram Wikipedia gallery

Knox College

2 East South Street

Galesburg, IL

61401-4999

1-309-341-7000

Knox College website

Knox College students at NELM (left) in 2008. Students make fry bread (right) on the Navajo Reservation

Knox College students at Navajo Lutheran Mission

Knox College Courses involving Navajo Lutheran Mission

Wikipedia page about Knox College

Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch in Texas

Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch

Located 36 miles northwest of Amarillo, Texas, on US Highway 385

Cal Farley’s Girlstown, U.S.A.

Situated on 1,425 acres of land eight miles south of Whiteface, Texas, (west of Lubbock)

1-806-372-2341

1-800-657-7124 (toll free)

Cal Farley’s

600 W. 11th St.

Amarillo, TX

79101-3228

A Couple With A Mission: Rev. Dr. Lynn Hubbard and Rev. Deborah Haffner Hubbard

Photos of the students, teachers, staff and friends of the Navajo Lutheran Mission:

2009 Board of Directors Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission

Ron Augustson, Chair

Janice Lee Jim

Roger Johnsen

Jerry Thomas

Bill Heincke

Richard Wixom

David Ulibarri

Jeannie M. Harvey

Christel Badey

Clarence Begay

Sue Vogel-Herrera

Alice Natale

You can support the Navajo Lutheran Mission through financial donations, volunteering and many other national programs.

For details visit the mission’s support page

Campbell’s Labels for Education

General Mills Boxtops for Education

Links related to the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission (NELM):

NELM on facebook

NELM on wordpress blog

NELM on Blogger

NELM on Zimbio

NELM on myspace

NELM on bliptv

NELM on youtube

NELM on photobucket

NELM on Twitter

Flute music courtesy Arizona Flutes and Native Arts in Camp Verde, AZ

Navajo Lutheran Mission Second Week of School and Photo Montage:

Check out Carol Buckley CD’s

I hold this ancient instrument to my heart

And bless it with love.

I ask that my breath flow with ease

As my fingers dance to the rhythm

Of the ancient spirits joy.

May the music coming from this ancient instrument

Flow from my heart to heal wounded spirits,

Comfort and sooth troubled souls

And bring joy to the lives it touches.

Allow me to play in the peacefulness of the moment,

In the joy of celebration, and in the sacredness of living.

Arizona Flutes and Native Arts homepage

Navajo Nation Flag used in this video was created by artist R. Daniel Markstedt of Linköping in central Sweden:

R. Daniel Markstedt Wikipedia username is Himasaram

Link to Navajo Flag on Wikipedia

Himasaram Wikipedia gallery

Knox College

2 East South Street

Galesburg, IL

61401-4999

1-309-341-7000

Knox College website

Knox College students at NELM (left) in 2008. Students make fry bread (right) on the Navajo Reservation

Knox College students at Navajo Lutheran Mission

Knox College Courses involving Navajo Lutheran Mission

Wikipedia page about Knox College

Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch in Texas

Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch

Located 36 miles northwest of Amarillo, Texas, on US Highway 385

Cal Farley’s Girlstown, U.S.A.

Situated on 1,425 acres of land eight miles south of Whiteface, Texas, (west of Lubbock)

1-806-372-2341

1-800-657-7124 (toll free)

Cal Farley’s

600 W. 11th St.

Amarillo, TX

79101-3228

A Couple With A Mission: Rev. Dr. Lynn Hubbard and Rev. Deborah Haffner Hubbard

Photos of the students, teachers, staff and friends of the Navajo Lutheran Mission:

Video of the First Day of School (August 13, 2009) and the second week of school at the Navajo Lutheran Mission in Rock Point, Arizona.

2009 Board of Directors Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission

Ron Augustson, Chair

Janice Lee Jim

Roger Johnsen

Jerry Thomas

Bill Heincke

Richard Wixom

David Ulibarri

Jeannie M. Harvey

Christel Badey

Clarence Begay

Sue Vogel-Herrera

Alice Natale

You can support the Navajo Lutheran Mission through financial donations, volunteering and many other national programs.

For details visit the mission’s support page

Campbell’s Labels for Education

General Mills Boxtops for Education

Links related to the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission (NELM):

NELM on facebook

NELM on wordpress blog

NELM on Blogger

NELM on Zimbio

NELM on myspace

NELM on bliptv

NELM on youtube

NELM on photobucket

NELM on Twitter

Flute music courtesy Arizona Flutes and Native Arts in Camp Verde, AZ

Navajo Lutheran Mission Second Week of School and Photo Montage:

Check out Carol Buckley CD’s

I hold this ancient instrument to my heart

And bless it with love.

I ask that my breath flow with ease

As my fingers dance to the rhythm

Of the ancient spirits joy.

May the music coming from this ancient instrument

Flow from my heart to heal wounded spirits,

Comfort and sooth troubled souls

And bring joy to the lives it touches.

Allow me to play in the peacefulness of the moment,

In the joy of celebration, and in the sacredness of living.

Arizona Flutes and Native Arts homepage

Navajo Nation Flag used in this video was created by artist R. Daniel Markstedt of Linköping in central Sweden:

R. Daniel Markstedt Wikipedia username is Himasaram

Link to Navajo Flag on Wikipedia

Himasaram Wikipedia gallery

Knox College

2 East South Street

Galesburg, IL

61401-4999

1-309-341-7000

Knox College website

Knox College students at NELM (left) in 2008. Students make fry bread (right) on the Navajo Reservation

Knox College students at Navajo Lutheran Mission

Knox College Courses involving Navajo Lutheran Mission

Wikipedia page about Knox College

Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch in Texas

Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch

Located 36 miles northwest of Amarillo, Texas, on US Highway 385

Cal Farley’s Girlstown, U.S.A.

Situated on 1,425 acres of land eight miles south of Whiteface, Texas, (west of Lubbock)

1-806-372-2341

1-800-657-7124 (toll free)

Cal Farley’s

600 W. 11th St.

Amarillo, TX

79101-3228

A Couple With A Mission: Rev. Dr. Lynn Hubbard and Rev. Deborah Haffner Hubbard

Photos of the students, teachers, staff and friends of the Navajo Lutheran Mission:

UPDATE!  Ilene, Jerry & Drake discuss digital vs traditional illustration in the comments section below.

I get quite a few historical projects to illustrate, and that suits me fine.  I enjoy doing the research—which is crucial to making the costumes and settings authentic.

Here are a few thumbnails, sketches and final paintings from Lewis & Clark, A Prairie Dog For The President. First, a thumbnail sketch of Lewis & Clark making a map—

And here’s the tight sketch.  Remember, the thumbnail sketch is pretty small, about an inch-and-a-half tall.  My tight sketch is usually half the size of the printed page.

I usually paint at the same size as the image will be printed.  The compass in the wooden case shown here belonged to Lewis & Clark.

Here’s another one.  The squares with an ‘x’ through them show where the text will go.

This was a fun little book to do.  It’s 48 pages long, which is much longer than normal (32 pages).  But it’s smaller in size than most picture books.

Below is what I mean by historical costume.  I had no reference for Sacajewea, but used a drawing George Catlin had made of a young woman from Sacajewea’s tribe thirty years after her adventure with Lewis & Clark.

Here’s a comp (short for comprehensive layout) of the book’s cover.  It shows the type and the sketch together.  The next step is for me to paint the sketch portion.

sleeping under the milky way was nice … beautiful, for sure … but sleeping in a real bed was brilliant. being able to stretch out … being able to adjust the layers of blanket coverage. it was brilliant. after a good night’s sleep, Jeff and I were up and gathering everything in order to head out on our last long day on the road. there began growing in me at this point, a twinge of sadness, knowing the trip that had taken so much planning and so much effort to get going was coming to an end. these feelings were enough, at this time, to overpower my desire to be back in Seattle, something i wasn’t sure what to do with at the time … but, there were still many miles between us and our final destination.

while i’d rather not include this next part because it would spare me the embarrassment, Jeff would be upset if i didn’t include it … Jeff was up and showered first and had gone upstairs to gather some things and to hang with Mike and Carol for a bit … i got up and headed to the bathroom to shower, having not had a real shower in a couple of days. i turned the water on and waited for an appropriate temperature, so as not to scald myself upon entering … the water, at this point, was still coming from the main spigot. once the temperature was satisfactory, i was ready to hop in … only, i couldn’t, for the life of me, figure out how to turn the shower head on. i scoured the tub/shower looking for the mechanism that would switch the water from the spigot to the shower head and … never found it/never figured it out, much to my chagrin/future embarrassment … i had to then, give myself a sponge bath of sorts trying my best to clean my road worn body. once i felt somewhat clean (or as clean as one could have gotten), i got dressed and headed upstairs with my things, making no mention to anyone what had just happened … only mentioning my ordeal to Jeff hours later while on the road. i am quite silly, i know.

Mike and Carol were already hard at work preparing a huge breakfast for Jeff and I. the grill was fired up, and bacon was being thrown on … each piece met the grill with a loud sizzle, reminiscent of applause, as Jim Gaffigan would remind us. Carol cut up some melon and beat some eggs to then give to Mike to prepare over the side burner of the grill, where the bacon was being cooked. once everything was complete and laid out before us, we, again, like the night before, felt incredibly indebted to our hosts and amazed by their generosity to relative strangers. over breakfast we discussed our route out of Cowley and into Yellowstone … Mike and Carol suggested a very specfic route that would take over a mountain pass by the name of Beartooth. the route would have us weave along the Wyoming/Montana border, entering and leaving each state several times before arriving at the northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Mike and Carol mentioned the towns we would be passing through and if there was anything worth stopping for in each town. As we finished breakfast, we helped clean up, and began saying our thanks. we couldn’t have thanked our hosts enough. Mike and  Carol were amazing. they treated us like old friends. they said that if i ever come back across the country, to stop in again … we had made new friends in Wyoming.

Jeff and I had the car loaded and pulled out of Cowley, heading west on 789. from 789, we turned north on 310 and entered Montana …

Montana ... we've got ... mountains!

310 took us through various random small towns … i hate to say not worth mentioning, but compared to everything else … they aren’t worth mentioning. From 310, heading north and west, we turned on to Rt. 72 and headed south and west.

some scenery ...

once on 72, we passed through a town called Belfry and turned due west onto Rt. 308, which would take us through the town of Bearcreek. Bearcreek is significant because the “worst coal mining accident in the history of Montana (occurred here) killing 74 men and sealing the fate of the coal mining industry around Bear Creek. Today, the rail spur has been removed, and no active mining is done in the area” [ Wikipedia ].

Bearcreek mine remnants ...

...

...

...

the pictures above show a lot of mining buildings still standing, seemingly abandoned. it was all pretty eerie …

From Bearcreek, we continued on toward the town of Red Lodge, where Mike and Carol suggested we get gas because it would be the cheapest gas we could get for a while. they also mentioned Red Lodge being a quirky little mountain town. Jeff and i drove through and snapped a couple pictures of random things …

Red Lodge

a river runs through it ...

leaving red lodge, we drove into the mountains …

into the mountains ...

i would be lying if i said i wasn’t at all nervous about driving in the mountains after our experience the day before. headed south and west on 212 back towards Wyoming. between us and Wyoming was Beartooth Pass, with an altitude of over 10,000ft. Mike and Carol spoke of the drive up the mountain being really fun … steep grades and switchback turns. this excited me. the drive back down from 10,000ft. did not. nevertheless, we pressed on into the mountains. each mile traveled brought views more scenic than the previous mile. the scenery we began to encounter reminded me of when i had been in Rocky Mountain National Park two years earlier.

Beartooth Scenic Byway

Huge tracts of land ...

...

hazards of the road …

hold on ...

tighter ...

if not for the sign, i'dve driven off the mountain ...

after a series of switchbacks and steep grades, we arrived at …

The Rock Creek Vista Point

breathtaking, no?

Me

the view ...

Jeff

after many pictures and exchanging of amazed utterances … we pulled out of the vista point and to our amazement, continued to climb …

our pace was slowed not only by our ogling of the beauty all around us, but by the loose gravel of the roads, and the steep grade of the climb up to the pass. i cannot imagine that the road up here stays open very late into the fall … 10,000ft. is high for a pass. we continued climbing, encountered a bit of roadwork (surprise), and took a lot more pictures …

Beartooth

Glaciers

Ski lift?

jagged

more ...

Bear's Toof

10,947 ft.

having passed over the west summit of the peak, the dreaded descent was upon us … though it wasn’t as fierce a descent as the one conquered a day before, there was more traffic to potentially complicate our drive … motorcycles and minivans and trailers and RVs to be exact … the pace down the mountain was acceptably cautious. we crossed back into WY on the way back down, only to cross back into MT not more than 30 miles later. the winding roads of highway 212 provided driving excitment and the views out the window remained breathtaking … plus there was the possibility of wildlife around every corner …

This is Grizzly Bear Country

Down ...

Down ...

once we were back in MT, we drove through the small, touristy town of Cooke City, just outside of Yellowstone National Park’s northeast entrance.

Driving into Cooke City ...

we got to the entrance for Yellowstone. the fee was $25 for up to a week’s stay … we were just driving through, so it seemed a bit steep. the ranger at the pay station was nice enough … from MD … Havre de Grace, he said. we paid the $25, and entered the park with expectations of grizzly, wolf, elk, and moose sightings dancing in our heads, much like sugar plums dance in the heads of children at Christmastime (i think it’s time to update this saying.)

Yellowstone National Park

as we entered, stately evergreens stood tall looking over from both sides of the road … seemingly a perfect place to spot at least a deer … here is what we saw …

Bison hanging out in the woods by himself ... sad

this is funny because once we drove out of the tree-lined entrance to the park and into the valley, there were hundreds of bison grazing … for whatever reason this one was in the woods … alone.

part of the herd

the view as we drove into the valley …

Waterfall

the bison and waterfall further raised our already too-high expectations for Yellowstone … especially for us driving through … as we drove along, we encountered a lot more bison on the side of the road … jeff spotted one on the right side of the road. i drew his attention to the left side, where i spotted this …

Pronghorn Antelope! again, all alone??

i pulled over and Jeff went in with his 80-300mm telephoto lens to capture the above photo … we piled back in the car after a few more photos and after pulling some eats out from the backseat. back on the road through Yellowstone …

Yellowstone River

i’d like to skip over our next stop, but i suppose i can’t because it is something that we did … on our map of the park we saw a petrified tree monument or something to that effect. it sounded cool enough, so jeff and i decided it would be worth a stop. once we stopped and parked and walked up a paved walkway to the “tree”, we were amazed by it … not because it was so spectacular, but exactly the opposite. this is more of a product of our ridiculously high expectations. the actual tree, though not much to look at, was hundreds of years old and had survived the harsh climate and volcanic activity of those years. anyway, here it is …

Petrified Tree

after we felt we had wasted time at the Petrified Tree, he hauled ass, heading westward still in the park. Mountains, rolling hills, green meadows, waterfalls, etc. Yellowstone is a beautiful place.

...

...

...

blurry, but beautiful ...

of course, the beauty of the park cannot be captured in a handful of images … even if i posted every last picture that Jeff and I took in the park as we drove through, the magnitude of the beauty wouldn’t come through. our time in the park was drawing to a close … saying our “time” was drawing to a close is a bit misleading. it was just that the road we were driving through on would soon exit the park and take us north toward I-90W. we climbed one last mountain in the park and once at the top, we were greeted with a pleasant surprise …

Badass Elk

Elk!

growing some antlers ...

the space that was full of elk was a courtyard in a little town in the park. it reminded me so much of estes park, CO, which is the  town right outside of Rocky Mountain National Park, where elk roam through the streets and gather in a park on main st. it was a good way to end our time in the park. the descent from the courtyard took us down into another valley where we exited the park, passed through the town of Gardiner, MT and headed north on Rt. 89. for some reason, we didn’t end up with many pictures from this part of the journey. this, however, is in no way an indication of lack of beauty. it was really no different than being in Yellowstone still, just higher speed limits. we encountered a touch of rain on the way up to I-90. upon further inspection, once we left the park, the next pictures are from when we filled up in Missoula, MT … weird. i guess every photographer needs a break … so Jeff took a break.

one thing i do remember from this leg of the trip is the delicious homemade conchord grape jelly (courtesy of jeff’s grandmother in law) that we had on PB&J sandwiches. so delicious. there is something about a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich …

this was our longest day in the car because of the time we took to drive through Yellowstone. we, as i said, stopped in Missoula, switched places, grabbed a little treat for ourselves, and headed out. the treat i refer to, and i am ashamed to say, was mcdonald’s. before you begin to pile on the criticism, all we got was one order of fries and two apple pies (one each). just a little treat to keep us going. jeff took the wheel, and we headed north and west on I-90 toward our destination.

The route through Montana ...

i had my fun on the roads earlier when we conquered Bear’s Tooth, and at this point in the trip, Jeff got his fun. I-90 west of Missoula and into Idaho turns into a winding speedway. The car handled wonderfully. Jeff was loving every minute of the drive and the scenery was no slouch.

Montana

Idaho

west with the sun in our faces ...

Idaho ... more than just potatoes

the bitterroot mountain range is stunning … not so craggy as the rockies, but covered almost exclusively in coniferous trees. the sun hits the trees and and creates intense patches of light and dark. it was just sad to see Idaho go some quickly … something like 63 miles … and then …

...

Spokane River

Washington State

we had finally reached washington, but it was later in the day than we expected. the sun was setting and we still had 2-3 hours left of driving before we got close to the campgrounds. once we entered washington, the earth flattened out. the mountains were behind us, for now … we pushed further into washington state as the sun began to set, not only on the day, but on the trip itself.

Setting ...

this was a difficult time on the road … washington state drivers seem to be unable to grasp the concept of the left lane being the fast lane … so we’d end up behind a minivan going 65mph in a 70mph area, and of course everyone around this minivan was going 65 as well, which made passing near impossible. it was just a very frustrating stretch. on top of this, with the sun setting and darkness coming, the campground we initially had pinpointed as our stop for the night was looking to be a little bit too far off of I-90 for us … so i had go into my phone and vigorously search my nav software and google maps in order to find a more convenient campground for us … after a little research, the R & D (that is, whoever was passenger with the phone) found a couple sites closer to I-90 … but the drive was still tedious. we had about 80 or so miles to the campground, traffic had cleared up enough to where the darkness and lack of traffic started to wear on us … 4 days on the road will eventually wear you down. we were tired. we wanted to be at the campground, out of the car, enjoying some hot tea and a clove, but we still had a ways to go.

i was sad that it was dark when we crossed the Columbia River Gorge. going over the bridge at night is an interesting experience, especially when your car is buffeted by crosswinds … i am curious to see how it is to cross in the light of day.

soon after crossing the gorge, we stopped for fuel and some candy, as a little pick-me-up … the home stretch was proving a bit tedious. a little while after our stop, we were jumping off I-90 again towards the campground. after passing through the small town of Cle Elum, we were ensconced in the tall pines of central WA. it got very dark, very quickly. we saw our first sign for the campground … the distance didn’t at all agree with what google maps was telling us … this is the part of the trip where it seemed like we were in every horror movie ever … lines like these started from our lips …

“it’s just up here a bit further …”

“maybe we should stop and ask for directions …”

“huh … my cell phone just died …”

ha, it was a little creepy, to be quite honest. each little town we passed through seemed more deserted than the last. it wasn’t all that late, and yet, we saw nary a light on. the part about the cell phone isn’t completely true … it didn’t die (even if it did, i had a car charger), but instead it lost reception completely. no gps, no incoming or outgoing calls. google maps still gave us a map, but the gps was no longer following our progress. after a while, we passed the point on google maps that was supposed to be destination. we were now relying on street signs and our own sense of direction. after a little while longer, and many more jokes about being in a bad horror flick, we pulled into the campground. we promptly parked at the first site we saw. upon turning the car and lights off, we were hemmed in by the black of night; swallowed up in its darkness. it was black. can’t-see-the-hand-in-front-of-your-face dark. we had a single flashlight by which we were meant to set up and get around by. we grabbed some things from the car, plugged in the water for hot tea, scoured the site for a suitable tent location, and began setting up for the night. it wasn’t too bad, actually, but mostly because jeff is a whiz with camping gear, having camped in many settings and circumstances. props to jeff …

got settled, layered up (it was cold and getting colder … into the 40s by morning), poured ourselves some tea, and lit a clove. the day was nearly over … it was a long one.

with the evergreens of washington state towering over us on all sides and the stars, with their ancient light, suspended overhead, we slept. comfortably nestled in the belly of blackest night, we slept.

The Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission thanks Lisa and Robert Gehl of Plainfield, IL, the owners of the website GiftCrazy.net because the company donates 10% of all sales to the mission.
And they promote that fact heavily on their website

GiftCrazy.net is owned by Lisa and Robert Gehl – who live in Plainfield, IL – “with their hyper dog and lethargic cat (doing their part to promote a cosmic balance).”

Their company, Gehl Force, Ltd., specializes in finding unique gifts and seasonal items for home and office.

1-800-917-4345

1-815-577-2219

email Gift Crazy

email Lisa Gehl

email Robert Gehl

On the GiftCrazy.net website it states:

Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission:

GiftCrazy donates 10% of all sales (or commissions, whichever is appropriate) to the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission.

The Mission is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that provides much-needed services to people who live on the Navajo Indian Reservation.

Services include education, medical services, school-aged nursing, food, clothing and spiritual counseling.

For more information on the mission and the valuable services they provide, contact the Navajo Lutheran Mission directly at 928-659-4202

The Navajo Lutheran Mission thanks GiftCrazy.net

Truckloads of clothing and other items sent to Navajo Lutheran Mission in recent years by Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bellbrook, Ohio

Church also helps other Native American communities including Hopi

In recent years, the Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bellbrook, Ohio sent four shipments of clothing and supplies to the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission in Rock Point, AZ, and to the Hopi Reservation, Second Mesa, AZ.

“We traveled to Rock Point and had the privilege of attending worship and spending a day at the school with the children,” said Carla Becker, wife of Pastor Steve Becker adding the group sent clothing and other items to the NELM in 2004 and 2006.

“The Sunday we were (at the Navajo Lutheran Mission), we rode in the van with Bobby Yazzi as he picked up people for church,” she said “It was a wonderful experience, and I purchased a Navajo weaving from his aunt, Lolita Begay, which I treasure.”

Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church

4030 West Franklin Street

Bellbrook, Ohio

45305

1-937-848-8436 (church)

email Pastor Steve Becker

email the Church office

Pastor Steve Becker thanks Swift Transportation Company Inc. for its help in delivering goods to the Navajo Lutheran Mission and other Native American communities.

Related Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission (NELM) Links:

NELM on facebook

NELM on wordpress blog

NELM on Blogger

NELM on Zimbio

NELM on myspace

NELM on bliptv

NELM on youtube

NELM on photobucket

NELM on Twitter

In Memory:

The Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission remembers a longtime employee.

90-year-old Bernita Severson died on April 10, 2009 at the Peaceful Valley Care Home in Prescott, AZ .

She served for 22 years as the mission cook, education director. She fed countless Navajo children tens of thousands of meals.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Grand Canyon Synod on ELCA

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Augsburg Fortress Vacation Bible School Navajo Mission School Project

Augsburg Fortress One Mission Blog about NELM Navajo Mission School Project

Vacation Bible School Mission Project Offering

P.O. Box 71764

Chicago, IL

60694-1764

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Navajo Lutheran Mission named Johnson & Johnson 2008 Community HealthCare Program Awardee sponsored by the Johnson & Johnson family and The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

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The Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission thanks Lisa and Robert Gehl of Plainfield, IL, the owners of the website GiftCrazy.net because the company in Plainfield, IL donates 10% of all sales to the mission.
And they promote that fact heavily on their website

GiftCrazy.net specializes in finding unique gifts and seasonal items for home and office.
1-800-917-4345
1-815-577-2219

email Gift Crazy

email Lisa Gehl

email Robert Gehl

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NELM News Stories:

Green Valley News & Sun story on the NELM visit by the 2009 team from Desert Hills Lutheran Church in Green Valley, AZ

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Pittsburgh Tribune-Review preview story on April 9, 2009 on upcoming NELM visit by 2009 team from the Hope Lutheran Church of Forest Hills in Pittsburgh, PA

Pastor Susan Schwartz & team at NELM in July 2009

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AZCentral preview story on NELM visit by a 2009 team from the Mountain View Lutheran Church in Ahwatukee, AZ

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Yuma Sun story on June 5, 2009 on NELM visit by a dozen volunteers from three churches in the Yuma, AZ and Blythe, CA areas: Calvary Lutheran Church, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church and Zion Lutheran Church

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In recent years, the Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bellbrook, Ohio sent four shipments of clothing and supplies to the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission in Rock Point, AZ, and to the Hopi Reservation, Second Mesa, AZ.

Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church

4030 West Franklin Street

Bellbrook, Ohio

45305

1-937-848-8436 (church)

email Pastor Steve Becker

email the Church office

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Global Citizens Network page about Navajo Lutheran Mission:

Global Citizens Network

130 North Howell Street

Saint Paul, Minnesota

55104

1-651-644-0960 (office)

1-800-644-9292 (toll free)

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During the summer of 2009 a group of 20 members of the Lakes Lutheran Church in Las Vegas, Nevada and the New Promise Lutheran Church in St. George, UT did building and repair work at the Navajo Lutheran Mission

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Los Angeles Times PSA: Some proceeds from the 28th annual Apple Festival Bazaar in Oct. 2001 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Los Alamitos, CA went to the Lutheran Brotherhood Relief Fund for 9/11 survivors and the Navajo Lutheran Mission

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Bethel Lutheran Church of Cupertino, California church council reports on 2004 donation to NELM

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Preview info from 2008 on visit to the NELM by the Maricopa Lutheran Church aka Mountain View Lutheran Church in Maricopa, AZ

1-520-280-6102 (office)

Mountain View Lutheran Church

20987 N. John Wayne Pkwy.

B104-180

Maricopa, AZ

85239

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Visit by La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church of Scottsdale, AZ to the Navajo Lutheran Mission in June and April 2008

1-480-948-1234 (office)

La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church

6300 E. Bell Road

Scottsdale, AZ

85254

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Navajo Lutheran Mission on Facebook

Warren, Ohio Tribune Chronicle news story from July 19, 2009 on TribToday.com

Children collect money for Navajo Lutheran Mission in Rock Point, AZ

Youth from churches in Hubbard, Ohio attending a Vacation Bible School helped the Navajo Lutheran Mission in Rock Point, AZ and children at the new Akron Children’s Hospital of the Mahoning Valley, according to a news story in the Warren, Ohio Tribune Chronicle.

Approximately 120 students and more than 50 volunteers, made up of both adults and teens, met the challenge and went beyond anyone’s wildest expectations.

Hubbard children attending VBS also raised $300 in offerings to support the work at the Navajo Lutheran Mission School in Rock Point, Ariz. where Navajo children go to learn the three R’s in a religious setting, but also are given the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the Navajo culture.

Sponsoring churches include Central Christian Church, First Baptist Church, First Methodist Church, First Presbyterian Church, Grace Lutheran Church, and St. Patrick’s Church of Hubbard.

Warren Tribune Chronicle

240 Franklin Street SE,

Warren, OH

Click on link to read more details

http://www.tribtoday.com/page/content.detail/id/525125.html?nav=5216

Related Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission (NELM) Links:

NELM on facebook

NELM on wordpress blog

NELM on myspace

NELM on bliptv

NELM on youtube

NELM on photobucket

NELM on Twitter

In Memory:

NELM on wordpress blog

NELM on myspace

NELM on bliptv

NELM on youtube

NELM on photobucket

NELM on Twitter

Pastor raises mission money, a pound at a time – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

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