Life on the rez....

There are many things that have changed in my life since moving out here to the reservation.....what I wear, what I eat, how I speak, etc. My personality has even changed (I shudder when I think of how loud and obnoxious I was when I first started working out here, 19 years ago).

As I sat in our prayer meeting yesterday morning, I realized something else has changed since I moved here.....my prayer requests. Twenty years ago I would have never thought I would be praying about things like sheep who are sick, a safe day branding cattle, for medicine men and for rain.
I was reminded of this change as we sat around as a staff and shared prayer requests.....
*safety while out cutting wood for the elderly and for Navajo churches
*yet another drunk driving accident
*elderly mom, that she will be safe this winter (still hauls her own wood and uses an out house)
*same elderly mom having visions/dreams of a medicine man that keeps visiting her at night
*missionaries who are struggling to be away from family members who are sick
*the struggle of teaching the concept of "sin" to Native people (they don't understand it because they are taught they are born with a 'neutral' spirit)...the concept of sin is not in their tradition.
*Shalako season in Zuni (google it)....and the persecution the youth experience because of this festival. Some of the kids are being groomed to be leaders in this festival....they are persecuted for NOT wanting to participate, and are often forced to perform and be involved.

These are just a few of the things that are on the hearts of the missionaries here and a few things that are going on to hinder the Word of God coming to the Native people.

If you think about it, please pray for one or two of these this week.....