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Show - 2 - Next to leave was Brother Juniper. He was the first to take up official residence here, living in the smaller of the two hogans which we had dubbed "The Vicarage". During this time three boys from Verde Valley School in Arizona elected to work here for a week in March, helping Father with his new project, so the four of us were here for all or part of that time. It was a rather cold month and the boys worked heroically re-mudding the roofs and walls of the hogans. Brother also spent much time shuttling back and forth between Bluff and here in his l~ton Datsun pickup, .oving our goods and chattels from the Mission. We were given the use of a disused mine building 3 miles away for storage purposes, plus the abandoned Moonlight Trading Post building, for both of which we are eternally grateful. Father's reSignation did not take effect until May 1st, as he had undertaken to see out the school year, with its heavy schedule of Sunday masses in four different places. Needless to say, these few months were especially hard and sad for him, but he was sustained by the conviction that a complete severance from all offici_ connection with the Mission was the wisest and best course he could pursue. Helen was the last to leave, as she had to complete her baptism and confirmation records for the school year - and try to compress eight years of training as a Social Worker .into a few hours of instruction to her successor. Our plans were not clear even to ourselves; we knew we wanted to be with our friends the Navajos, and we echoed tne Psalmist's words: "The lot is fallen unto me in a fair ground; yea, I have a gOOdly heritage." We ordered two houses of pre-cut lumber from the Tribal Lumber Project, laid out a scheme, dug trenches for gas and water lines, shopped for bargains, conferred with Tribal authorities on many subjects. In Fort Defiance, where we were visiting one day, we talked of these ideas with the Vicar of Good Shepherd Mission, Father Davis. At one point he surprised us by saying, "When you are established I'd like to make my retreat there. It sounds like a wonderful sgnt for it." Slowly the idea unfolded: a Retreat Center along ecumenical (in the modern sense) lines, a place where one, two or a score or persons, of Catholic, Protestant, Jewish or any other faith, might come and find God in the solitude of the desert. At present, of course, this is just a somewhat nebulous idea, but if, in due course, it seems likely to become a concrete reality, we will let you know more about it. The Navajos of the area have been more than friendly. Three youths rolled up their sleeves and put in a solid day of digging, just for friendship's sake. Others brought tokens of friendship; many stop for a cool drink or a cup of coffee; no vehicle gets stuck in the sand or stranded with a silent engine without an appeal being made to us for what help we can offer. And we are especially grateful to our friend Charlie Atene for the loan of the aforementioned Moonlight Trading Post for storage. What with our Anglo as well as Navajo visitors our Guest Book already has several filled pages. The water from our well, drilled by George Petty, is very good, and word of "good water" gets around quickl~ in these parts. People stop by to fill up their tanks, and among |