Torreon Days 5 & 6

Thursday brought more sewing and another trip out to the job site.  The men had finished the job up on Wednesday and stayed around the mission Thursday making a new cover for the well pump, cleaning out Paul & Sarah's drain pipe and doing odd jobs around the mission.  Paul and Jason are more than capable of doing all these jobs themselves but after teaching and tending to the children's needs all day...you know how the cobbler's children have no shoes? 

Friday morning we got packed up to go.  After a quick lunch we headed into Albuquerque where we were to meet Paul and all the sisters for dinner.  They had been at a teaching conference all day.  Since the teachers were gone, the students didn't have school and it was too quiet around the mission!  We stopped along the way every mile to take a picture.  We just couldn't get enough of the scenery.

 This was a "camp" on the way to the mission.  The Navajo are matriarchal and live in clans.  I still do not quite understand the clans but Paul told us you don't ever leave your clan, even when you marry you are still a part of that clan and that clans come before family.  You cannot intermarry in your clan though.  Clear as mud?  You can see, if you click on the picture, the wide variety of houses, from mobile homes to the traditional hogan.  Sometimes we saw a travel trailer as the original basis of the house and then they added on to that.  Some homes were just OSB stood up on end with no roof and seemingly no foundation.

 Ranchers taking care of their animals.  You could see flocks of sheep and groups of ponies or cows just roaming around.  The roads had cattle guards so they wouldn't go into the intersections but basically, out there, the animals rule the roads.  We had a very "Wild West" moment when a wrangler was gathering his ponies.  They were running like the wind - gorgeous sight!

 We met everyone for dinner at Outback Steakhouse, a bittersweet end to a wonderful week!  That is L-R: Jason and Sheena Carpenter and Paul and Sarah Skiles.  Jason has served at the mission for 9 years, Sheena is part Navajo and went to the mission school.  I don't remember how long they've been married.  Paul moved onto the mission with his parents when he was 7.  Sarah and he have served there since they got married.  Thank you, Paul and Sarah, and Jason and Sheena for your tireless commitment to the work of God going on at Torreon Navajo Mission!  You truly are the hands and feet of Jesus to each student who crosses the threshold of your doors!

 These are the teachers, Abbey Hawbaker, Grace Meyers and Candy Carley (Candy is currently pursuing a degree in nursing and therefore isn't teaching this year).  These sisters have committed a year or more (Laura has been there several years and two different periods of time) and put in long hours.  These ladies are almost like homeschooling momma, in that they are the teacher, the lunch lady, the cleaning lady, and even in some cases, the laundry mistress!  Bless you for your commitment and service, sisters!

We didn't get a group picture, which I was so saddened about and the goodbyes were bittersweet.  The boys were already talking about when we can go back before we were out of New Mexico and it has been the topic of conversation at least once a day since! 

Yes, Satan is at work in Torreon, New Mexico.  Jobs are scarce, immorality is high, and alcoholism abounds.  But the teachers and staff at Torreon Christian School infuse Jesus into each one of those students every day.  And the fruit is unmistakable.