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Show Fr. Brown experienced last summer - keeping up the daily and Sunday services while Fr. Liebler is out in the field. One or more who loves to get his hands into the soil, and make things grow. Mechanics who can put in some time on our rolling stock. Men or women who can cook, hang out laundry, sweep, tend the household. Typists or stenographers who will take even for a short time the burden of overmuch correspondence. Is God calling ME? And is it too fantastic to think that a doctor might want to join up with us? In a recent magazine article justifying physicians' fees, it was brought out, among many other things, that doctors have no Social Security benefits to look forward to on retirement; they must save for the future. Perhaps these lines will reach a physician who has given himself unstintingly to his work, and has .saved : nothing. Such a man could come here, have all his physical needs and his spiritual needs supplied, and could be on call when needed either at the Mission or in the outlying areas. "IT'S LIKE MOVING TO A DIFFERENT PLANET!" So Ric summed up our first impression of St. Christopher's. Language, manners, even the landscape utterly unlike anything we had seen before. It was thrilling to be in contact with a piece of real missionary work,. where with the freshness of a first hearing, pe?ple were being taught the story of God's love - Creation, Incarnation redemptive Sacrifice. ' An experience never to be forgotten! -Rev. Wm. R. Brown THE four months at St. Christopher's proved to be . one of t~e most rewarding experiences of my hfe. The crymg need for workers, both professionally trained and unskilled, in the crusade to improve the lot of the Navajo Indians was made clear to me in the four months when I was everythina from cook to construction worker. To anyone wh; wants to be of service to his fellowman, and work with the most devoted and wonderful group of people in the world, * I sincerely recommend a tour of duty at St. Christopher's.-Tom Bauman *Opinions expressed in signed articles are not necessarily endorsed by the editors of the Newsletter!! 2 I N THE summer of '53 I was fortunate enough to teach three weeks at St. Christopher's. Summer school was a completely new idea to the Navajosas was any kind of school ten years before that. I have never thought that I taught them much except • that there is such a thing as Summer School, and that there are people in the world who care. But I learned a lot from them, and I had a fine vacation. There is always work - dishes, cooking, gardening, mending, laundry -the list is endless. Father Liebler is priest, but he is also "many other kinds of people." Brother Juniper cooks, runs the power plant, prints, and does a million other things. Catherine is nurse, and the Navajos love her, but she, too, has her share of dishes and other work. Helen, well, I think Helen is like Mother - her work is never ended. She teaches, but hopes for more teach- , ers to free her for other things. What will a newcomer find? Not Heaven. It's not perfect. It could be a lonely place for some kinds of people. It's gorgeous, magnificent, fascinating. Cliff-dwellers lived there a thousand years ago, and pit-house dwellers in the days of Christ . . . The Navajos are a beautiful people, proud, dignified, quiet. Their standards are not ours, and if one goes there with a superior attitude one can be very miserable. The Mission opened a completely new world to me; horizons wide, visions high. For me, I gained four friends whom I hold in affection. I have found my future, for some day I hope to live there. - Last summer I read the plea in ACN ews for workers at St. Christopher's. Before that I knew nothing of the Mission or of the beautiful desert country in which it is located. On inquiring I was happy to learn that despite my being only a secretarytypist my help would be gratefully accepted. So, travelling by bus and mailtruck, I reached my most profitable and in· teresting vacation. --Jean Hoeffier 3 Here at St. Christopher's I found a beautiful little log church, benches for pews, dirt floor with rugs for kneeling; a main building consisting of common room, refectory and kitchen, with wings of bedrooms; a school and community building, and other buildings in process of construction. The small staff is busy from early morning to late at night. The Navajos come daily with their problems, or jUst to "be there." But each problem has its reward - and a much more satisfying one than those connected with everyday life in the hustle and bustle of a great city. Here one realizes how few material things are essential to a happy life - but also how essentials are needed by the Navajo: he needs help in learning social ways, daily health and cleanliness care, helpful and instructive recreation and many other things. There were so many tasks I wanted to do, but my two weeks sped. I shall not be happy until I have arranged for an extended vacation - three to six months - at St. Christopher's. There one can find big rewards for little efforts, a deep insight to a different way of life, and last but not least an inner spiritual peace. A FEW years ago I had the privilege of going to St. Christopher's to give what little assistance a visitor might offer. I saw at once that here was a great work for one who loves our Lord and IDs people. The Navajo is a fine race, shamefully neglected in the past; yet here and there we see signs of hope for the future. There is still much to be done - not that a great deal has not already been done in spite of lack of adequate finances, equipment and helping hands. Anyone who has been associated with Father Liebler and his loyal, smali band of workers even for a short period cannot but see how they have plodded on under ali sorts of handicaps: preaching, praying, healing, teaching, buliding and covering that wide area with the good news Jesus and IDs saving health. --.John H. Chapman I know of no better way to test one's vocation to the missionary's life, or any greater satisfaction that one can have than that which came to me from the spiritual work and the manual labor that goes into the life of St. Christopher's Mission. -Rev. Alan McDaniel I'll never forget my vacation at St. Christopher's! We canned peaches (those we didn't eat) enough for the whole winter, and had a picnic doing it. That's one place where everybody helps. You never get bored - just peacefully tired. Yet there Was time to climb and explore and learn the canyon country ... Some day soon I hope to introduce my growing family to St. Christopher's.-Mitzi Robert."-, 4 ( |
