I arrived in the San Juan region from the Utah region of ECN in September 2021. I came from a region with people I had gotten to know fairly well to a region almost entirely new to me. It has been both a challenge and a wonderful learning experience. Each region in ECN has its own distinct character. The people here have been warm and accepting, which has been a blessing.

One of the great things that has happened since I have been here is that the pandemic has abated enough that we were able to welcome partner groups to come here. Three of these groups came here for the first time, a small group from Northern Virginia, a large group of the Diocese of Pennsylvania Youth, and a group from the Mar Thoma community. These groups came to learn as well as to serve, and I was privileged to learn along with them as Canon Cornelia and elders gave teachings on Navajo traditions and Navajo spirituality. That was a real blessing for me. Another group from Virginia had a mix of newcomers and some folks who have been here before. It was also a joy to work alongside a wonderful group from St Julian’s of Norwich in Austin, which came back after an absence caused by the pandemic to overhaul the kitchen at St. Luke’s completely. Finally, the Mar Thoma group, which traces it spiritual lineage back to the Apostle Thomas in India, delivered a two-day VBS to children in the area. It was so joyful to hear the voices of children singing and rejoicing again in our church spaces!

There is a tremendous potential for the people of ECN to be a prophetic voice, calling God’s people back into relationship with the Creator as stewards of God’s Creation.   Hosting groups from around the country is one way to allow that prophetic voice to be heard. It is also an essential part of the work on issues of justice and reconciliation.

In early June, the San Juan Region Sewing group was looking forward to selling their quilts at the ECN Convocation in Bluff, but due to health and safety concerns, Convocation was moved online. At All Saints, we welcomed parishioners Sarah and Kali to join us at the Lord’s Table. Sarah, the mother, was confirmed while her daughter Kali was baptized. Kali and the other grandchildren are looking forward to Sunday School one day.

This summer, St. Julian of Norwich in Texas remodeled the kitchen at St. Luke’s. This colossal project was three years in the making due to COVID. Three youth groups from the Diocese of Pennsylvania assisted with various projects, including filling a flatbed and truck with cemetery debris from St. Luke’s Cemetery. Overall, it was a great time for St. Luke’s! They ended the spring season with a repaired roof and received a new kitchen stove and refrigerator this summer. Moreover, reconciliation and a step toward healing were made. After the cemetery was cleaned on Independence Day, it was time for family. Children from the church were busy with summer activities, visiting grandparents, and summer jobs. Yet, we were able to gather them for two days of vacation bible school with members of the Mar Thoma Church.

Here in New Mexico, the second week of August is filled with feast days, and they usually conclude the following week by meeting friends in Santa Fe for Indian Market. Meanwhile, work ended on the Hospitality House roof in Farmington at the beginning of September, the time to gather wood for family and friends, and the fair season begins..

This summer, we began to welcome groups back to St. Christopher’s Mission. We hosted various guests and retreatants in a newly renovated Retreat House located in the old mission house (the Common Building, the U-Building, or the Monk Rooms). We also hosted groups from as far away as Richmond, VA, and Philadelphia, PA. As close as Houston, TX, and Pagosa Springs, CO.  These groups joined us in performing some much-needed maintenance, from beginning the renovation of the old community center into a vicarage to putting on our first Vacation Bible School in over three years. We also hosted an exploratory team from Restoration Works International, which partners with communities to restore architecturally significant buildings. They have committed to joining us in renovating our historic buildings, including the old Clinic building, which will serve as a new community center.

In addition to the work on the new vicarage and the new community center, we are beginning the development of our tiny house community. We will start constructing fourteen tiny houses south of the old Clinic soon. Each little house will offer a micro-kitchen, a bathroom, a living space, and a loft and will provide short-term accommodation to seasonal workers in our communities and visitors to St. Christopher’s Mission. The renovation of the old Clinic as a new community center will offer our guests in the tiny house community a full kitchen, two ADA-compliant bathrooms, and several multipurpose meeting spaces for after-school programming, mental health, family, and legal counseling, as well as for our recovery programs. Our new community center will also offer bunk rooms for workgroups who will join us throughout the year.

The Summer of 2022 in Fort Defiance and Coalmine has been a refreshing one with our doors now opened to partner groups that come out to do work projects and some that simply want a pilgrimage experience.

For both parties on the receiving and giving sides, it was a long wait that was fruitful with its end results. After months of planning and having the group finally make their way to Good Shepherd, the campus seemed to come alive with people walking about and working. Life has once again been brought to the grounds of the mission.

Visiting groups experienced a medicine person’s teaching and presentations inside the church regarding Native American Spirituality. In addition, a Roadman, a person who conducts Native American Ceremonies, shared their Sacred water drum and sacred staff that is used with healing songs and chants that are reflective of the Native American Church offerings.

Groups also participated in the morning corn pollen blessings, where more of the Navajo culture is shared. As the Vicar and Leon+ the Curate, we shared our life experiences and our walk with the Christian way of life and the Navajo philosophy and teachings that were instilled in us by our mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and grandfathers.

We offered these two unique experiences to visiting mission groups, hoping to share our understanding of God in our context. God in our way of life, working together to do minor yard work, repairing a picnic table or painting a wall, always learning and reciprocating the sharing with the various groups that came and left throughout the summer.

By Rev. Cathlena Plummer

First, to introduce myself, as we do in my Dine’ Tradition/Culture;  I am born of the Ashiihi (Salt People) clan, born for Hashtl’ishnii (Mud People) clan, my maternal is of Tabaaha (Edge of Water People) clan, and paternal is Tl’aashchi’ (Red Bottom Cheek People) clan, this is Dine’ woman I am. I am originally from Old Coalmine, NM. A member of St. Marks and Good Shepherd Mission parishes.

The summer sacredness is everything around us: the changing weather, the air, the water, the rain, the rainbow. At the end of spring planting and crops are ready to grow, the hot summer days come. Prayers are said, corn pollen collected, offering of sacred minerals (ntl’iz), made to Diyin Dine’e for rain for vegetation and all. The sighting of a rainbow is sacred; people tend to their gardens and pull weeds so crops can grow. We are also noticing and experiencing climate changes, i.e., heat, flooding, and trees dying. Our medicine people say our surroundings are changing with earth, sky, plants, and the weather, Nahasdzann lahgo aanil doo Yadilhil lahgo aanil.

Some ceremonies are performed as well. The becoming of Age Ceremony (Kinaldah) is one, although some take place at other times, most in the summer. The Beauty Way Ceremony takes place with prayers and chants throughout the night. Beautiful songs of blessings are sung, be it for Hogan (hooghan), livestock, the Four Sacred Mountains, things of value, such as turquoise, (dootl’izhii) cornfield, land, to restore health and well-being for hozho, etc. Another ceremony during the summer months is the Enemy Way Ceremony (Nidaa), usually for veterans to regain their well-being upon returning home from the military. Other ceremonies, like Protection Way Ceremony and others, happen throughout the year. During the pandemic, these ceremonies ceased, only a few were heard of, but they have now been restored. Sadly, we have lost many traditional practitioners and medicine people to Covid-19.

To us native people, all is sacred, and we all have our ceremonies in appreciation and respect to Mother Earth and Father Sky as to how prayers go.

By Maggie M. Brown

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Friday, August 28^th, 2020

O God, our heavenly Father,

You have blessed us and given us dominion over all the earth. Increase our reverence before the mystery of life; and give us new insight into your purposes for the human race and new wisdom and determination in making provision for its future in accordance with your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

*Daily Text Scripture and Reflections are submitted by Navajoland Clergy

***Join us for Evening Prayer at 5:30 local time on Facebook or YouTube.

Facebook: The Episcopal Youth of Navajoland @NavajolandYouth

YouTube: Navajoland Youth- Iina

Friday, August 28^th Lectionary-

AM Psalm 16, 17; PM Psalm 22

Job 9:1-15,32-35; Acts 10:34-48; John 7:37-52

Feast of St. Augustine of Hippo- Bishop, and Theologian. See more here: http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Augustine_Hippo.htm

Readings for the Feast of St. Augustine of Hippo: Psalm 87; Hebrews 12:22-29; John 14:5-15

Visit our Website to submit prayer requests https://ecofnavajoland.org/prayer-request/

Saturday, August 29^th Lectionary-

AM Psalm 20, 21:1-7(8-14); PM Psalm 110:1-5(6-7), 116, 117

Job 9:1,10:1-9,16-22; Acts 11:1-18; John 8:12-20

The Beheading of St. John the Baptist- The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist commemorates the martyrdom by beheading of John the Baptist on the orders of Herod Antipas through the vengeful request of his stepdaughter Salome and her mother Herodias.

Read more here: http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/beheading_John_the_Baptist.html

2 Corinthians 4:5–11; Psalm 71:1–7; Matthew 14:1–12

John Bunyan– Writer. Learn more about John here: http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/john_bunyan.htm

Sunday, August 30^th Lectionary- Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 17)

Exodus 3:1-15 & Psalm 105:1-6,23-26,45c or Jeremiah 15:15-21 & Psalm 26:1-8;

Romans 12:9-21; Matthew 16:21-28

Please text (505) 278.9080 for more information.

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