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Show AUTUMN 1955 r NEWSLETTER ST. CHRISTOPHER'S MISSION 'ro THE NAVAHO, Bluff, Utah A volunteer Mlsson, under the Bishop of the Episcopal Church In Utah, to the Navaho Indians, founded 1943. A LITTLE girl of six, her hair done into pigtails for the first time, her little body clothed in pink cotton dress of current American style in place of the velveteen blouses and full sateen skirt she has worn since before she could toddle -- this poor child is brought by her adoring parents to St. Christopher's School. The parents know that St_ Christophers is "not trying to make Navahos into whites" but her father has been in a government school, he has been in the Army, he has been talked into some idea of "higher standards of living" which means that the Navaho shall imitate the American habit of living beyond his income, and he wants to show that he knows what is expected of him_ So, we take lonely little Mary, who knows not one word of English except the swear words that Navahos shout when they are drunk, and we try, so hard, to make her feel at home_ A different type of bed, a different way of eating, strange clothing, the sound of strange language, toilet facilities and the routine of school in place of the routine of sheep-herder's life -what this all means to a child of six we can only conjecture_ But it is typical of what every autumn brings us_ God give us always the gift of sympathy - that quality of feeling, of suffering with these people so dear to His Heart, so inscrutable to our obtuse minds_ School opened, as usual, with a bang. The older ones we transfered to government schools, where we can only pray that the Church will watch over them in some way. When we have more teachers and more facilities so that we can offer our children a full education, comparable on the secular level with that which the Government gives and vastly superior because of the spiritual atmosphere which the Uovernment cannot and may not provide, then we shall feel that we are really accomplishing our purposes in this field. We have two competent teachers now, and three more have indicated their desire to join us when circumstances allow it. Perhaps the day is not so far off as we have thought. THREE of our Staff with two Navahos attended the dedication of the new Chapel at the Mission of the Good Shepherd in Fort Defiance, Arizona. This Mission is the oldest having been begun in 1897. The beautiful new building should be an instrument for presenting the Faith to the Navahos, and we believe that under t.he capable leadership of Fr. Given the work in that area will go forward as never before. CH~ISTMAS seems a long way off, but it has a way of sneaking up on us unawares. Should we be prevented by pressure of other work from get-ting out our pre-Christmas Newsletter, we know that our friends will not think we have forgotten them - nor will they forget us, for it is only by voluntary sacrifices that our work can continue and expand. SOME of the writers of letters printed in our Spring Newsletter wrote so convincingly that they came back for more. We had a houseful. For days on end we had 20 to 25 volunteer workers here, and all left their marks on some phase of our Mission. The MacDonalds from Akron not only came, worked off pounds, but they escorted a vanload of hospital equipment donated by Akron General Hospital. With this and the gifts from Clarkson Memorial and the University in Omaha we are going to have one of the best equipped dispensaries in Utah's largest County. All is not yet unpacked, and maybe we shall find an X-Hay machine and a doctor inside something - those are two big items we still lack. Meanwhile, construction work goes on untirinqly. One of the pictures on the back of this sheet shows the new building in the hackground - the boiler-room stack rising high in the air. The partitions between rooms are nearly all in place, as is the ceiling of plaster board; there remain electric wiring, installation of plumbing fixtures (the "rough-in" is all done), some painting and a number of small finishing-up items before we can really open for business. WE ARE happy to announce that three members who have passed their two-month trial period have been admitted into the Community and are rapidly finding their places in our life and work: Ruth Palmer who comes to us from St. Francis Hospital, Evanston, Ill.; Caroline Smith who is letting Atomic Energy shift for itself on Long Island, while she devots herself to more important things; Brother Peter (Robert Brough) who comes to us from the 1"ranciscan Monastery of The Little Portion, at Mount Sinai, N. Y. We ask your prayers for their perseverance in a vocation that can be full of happiness, but Is inevitably full of difficulties. OUR WEEKLY broadcast in Navaho language continues. It seems to meet a real need and to find an ever increasing audience. Hardly a week goes by but we hear of more Navahos and Anglos who listen in and find it an inspiration. The project is not expensive, as broadcasts go, but it is a strain on our meager resources. Special gifts for the purpose would be most welcome. Each half-hour costs $11.20 Other special projects we can gladly suggest to interested persons - A trip to the nearest Uovernment hospital costs about $35; a priest's monthly pension is $:l5. THE Utah State Department of Health has been at the Mission for chest X-Rays. It is encouranging to see the new interest in the Navaho, and parti-cularly so to find a ready response on the part of the Navaho, far beyond anything that could have been hoped for even eight or ten years ago, when the People were still afraid of the "thing that lights up the blood". We are following up carefully the individuals whose pictures gave cause for anxiety. Unless you are keeping a permanent file of Newsletters, (which, by the way is not a bad idea) why not pass your copy on to some one who might be interested'! Many new friends have come to our acquaintance in this way. Or, if you do keep a file, write for extra copies. We always 1 un off some for this purpose. WHO WANTS TO BE AN INDIAN TRADER? It is not often that a Trading Post in good condition, with a lively business, can be bought in Navaho Land. Trader has children of school age and wants to move. Write for particulars. --Free Adv |