Ya'at'eeh!

Sent June 29, 2015

Well. This week has been pretty great! On Monday when we got to the mission home, they had pizza for us, which is good, because traveling all day made me really hungry. The pizza was pepperoni and green chille it was pretty delicious. They told us that you will either learn to love green chille or eventually hate it. I love it, and that will never change. We had our interviews with President Batt, and in mine, I told him that I wanted to learn Navajo (Dine Bizaad (Language of the People)). I am just glad that he took that seriously. That night, we stayed at the AP's house, it was a zoo!!! Transfers are super crazy here! There were so may elders there!! it was hard to find a place to crash.

We went to the Mission office Tuesday morning. The orientation training meeting that morning took forever! We found out who our trainers were. Elder Middleton is my 6'5" trainer. He's pretty cool. When I found out that I would be serving on the reservation, I got super excited. I also found out that we could order Navajo name tags, and so of course... I did! We left and went to Bluff, and since the hippies in Bluff are all descendants of Apostate members, they don't like us much. We live in Bluff, but proselyte on the Reservation. Since we couldn't proselyte, we went over to the fort. Bluff Fort is like 50 feet from our trailer (which is on the Church grounds). The people that work there are all senior missionaries. It's like I've inherited 12 new grandparents!! They're all great.

I got my Initiation to Rez culture on Wednesday, when we went to visit an investigator named Leo Blackhorse. They were having a cook out, and I got to experience eating some interesting food! I ate ach'ii, which is sheep intestine wrapped around the fat of the animal. It was surprisingly good! I also ate chopped intestine with green chille on a tortilla! I enjoyed it. Tell Annie, that the natives point with their lips. I also got to meet a member named Betty Bigboy. She reminds me so much of Grandma Breinholt. She cares for her 103 year old mother (shima) so she doesn't make it to church all of the time. We saw Betty three times this week, and she always feeds us when we go over there. In Navajo culture, it's offensive to decline an offering of food. If a 60 year old shima offers you food, you take it! Even if it is to-go. We taught this man named Dwayne Lameman about prophets, and he completely understood! He is definitely ready for baptism. We are also teaching a Part Member family, named the Laughings. we are teaching the kids. They are frustrating, but also fun. They were in the pool when we were teaching them, and they decided it would be funny to squirt us with their water guns! It felt nice, but it was not so nice on Elder Middleton's planner. We're going to try to commit them to baptism next time, because they were asking if we could baptize them in their pool.

Thursday was super slow. We had District Meeting, which was good. After that, we went and did service for a less active man named Leroy Boy. He's pretty cool. We dug up weed's in front of his dad's house. It was really hot that day, it got about 105. Elder Middleton and I were dead after that. No one was available the rest of the day! It was tough! There are no addresses out on the Reservation, so we have to remember where everyone lives. That's really hard. We drive a Nissan Frontier, and have to blaze our own trail sometimes.

Friday, we got to eat Fry Bread (Da' Dinilgahzh) the size of steering wheels, at the flea market near White Rock. It was delicious. Friday was pretty slow as well. We tried to find some people and they were out of town. So that was pretty difficult.

Saturday was good. We ate at Betty's house and she made enchiladas. The food that the natives make is either really hot, or really bland. It was bland, but with salt, it was very good. The work out here slows down on the weekends, because everyone is out of town, usually in Shiprock, New Mexico or Cortez, Colorado.

Sunday went well. Church is only two hours, so that's nice. They have the Bluff Branch, and also the Group out at the Todahatakani Community Center out near White Rock. Leroy Boy and his dad own it. After church Elder Middleton and I went and taught the Sam family. Their Mom, Valentina, is single, and Nigel the 14 year old son, is the father figure of the home. They're both members. He is such a great kid. Next Sunday, we are going to get him ready to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. He is so ready. We are teaching Nya, 11, and Damien, 9. We committed Nya to baptism and she is going to be baptized on the 25th of July. We're pumped.

Well, that was my week! It was pretty fun! I can't wait to do it again this week! This gospel is so true! I am so happy to be out here! The people are amazing!

I hope you all are well! Love you all!

Hagoonee,

Elder Ben Breinholt
New Mexico Farmington Mission