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Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Thoughts on Our Presence at the School
At the Tuba City Boarding School I had two opposed sets of feelings. On the one hand I feared that we were being a burden to the teachers and the administration. On the other I felt that they all generally appreciative of our being there - especially the students. I had the pleasure of working in the middle school music classroom and not unlike the AHS band classes, the teacher understands that music should be fun. Like students all over, these kids are under a lot of stress to succeed. On top of that, outside of school, they live a life of what many of us would consider to be poverty. Yet in his classroom, Mr Q the music teacher has create a place where they have a little more freedom to be kids. Because of this there is a feeling of mutual respect between the teacher and students. I believe our presence there added to this environment of freedom and respect. The students were attentive when Andy and Misha played for them and they loved to show off their own skills on the guitar. I worked with a number of them and when the showed me they could play they e-string and b-string lesson if they day, I would give them a guitar pick. Later in the day a student came up to me at the beginning of a new class and said "I heard you were giving out picks" when I told him the condition he very quickly grabbed the guitar and mastered the six notes needed to earn his pick.
Mr Q and our host Eric Kee both indicated that these students would be remembering us forever. They won't remember our names our where we came from, but they will remember that we were there and we cared. I certainly hope this is true. I will certainly remember them.
Paul
Mr Q and our host Eric Kee both indicated that these students would be remembering us forever. They won't remember our names our where we came from, but they will remember that we were there and we cared. I certainly hope this is true. I will certainly remember them.
Paul
Closing
On our last night here together Elias and Gabby ran a workshop that had us in concentric circle pairs and in randomized small groups discussing and reflecting upon our experiences in Tuba City. They asked us the following prompt questions:
- Why do you choose to serve?
- Discuss the one thing on the trip that you expected to be one way but turned out to be another.
- What experience was most meaningful to you?
- Did you find diversity during your stay? If so in what ways? What was your reaction to those differences?
- What struck you? What surprised you about the environment, the culture, the students?
- Based on your experiences on the trip how would you define "service"? Is that definition different now compared to before you left?
- What about Navajo culture / lifestyle or life on the reservation has humbled or enlightened you?
- How can we become better people from this?
- How can you apply the knowledge gained on this trip to your faith?
Ultimately each of us must ask ourselves "What can I do with thy truths I have discovered here in the Navajo Nation?"
- Why do you choose to serve?
- Discuss the one thing on the trip that you expected to be one way but turned out to be another.
- What experience was most meaningful to you?
- Did you find diversity during your stay? If so in what ways? What was your reaction to those differences?
- What struck you? What surprised you about the environment, the culture, the students?
- Based on your experiences on the trip how would you define "service"? Is that definition different now compared to before you left?
- What about Navajo culture / lifestyle or life on the reservation has humbled or enlightened you?
- How can we become better people from this?
- How can you apply the knowledge gained on this trip to your faith?
Ultimately each of us must ask ourselves "What can I do with thy truths I have discovered here in the Navajo Nation?"
Location:Camp Verde, AZ
Saturday, February 26, 2011
What we did...
A while back we posted a tentative itinerary ... Here is how it really played out:
Sunday 2/20:
Overnight in Camp Verde, Arizona while we wait for the weather to clear on I17 to Flagstaff.
Monday 2/21:
Grand Canyon Field Trip with packed lunches
Dinner at Cameron Trading Post
Group Meeting
Arrive in Tuba City and settle in to the hogans
Tuesday 2/22:
7:00 - 7:30: Breakfast
8:00 - 3:00: Cleaning and Stacking Wood at the hogans instead of Tutoring at Tuba City Boarding School where there was a water main break.
3:30 – 5:00: Visit to Navajo Interactive Cultural Museum
6:00 - 8:00: Navajo Taco Dinner
8:00 - 10:00: Open for Group Discussion and Reflection
Wednesday 2/23:
7:00 - 7:30: Breakfast
8:00 - 1:00: Tutoring at Tuba City Boarding School
1:00 - 3:00 Relaxation at the hogans.
3:00 - 3:30 Early Dinner
4:00 - 9:00: Sweat Lodge Experience with Eric Kee
Thursday 2/24:
7:00 - 7:30: Breakfast
8:00 - 3:00: Tutoring at Tuba City Boarding School
4:15 – 5:15: Navajo Arts/Jewelry/Flute Demo by Eric Kee
5:30 – 6:45: Dinner
7:00 – 9:00: Songs/Stories/Dances by James Bilagody
9:00 - 10:00: Open for Group Discussion and Reflection
Friday 2/25:
7:00 - 7:30: Breakfast
8:00 - 12:00: Tutoring at Tuba City Boarding School
12:00 – 2:00: Visit Outdoor Navajo Market/Swap Meet
4:00 – 5:00: Visit Coal Mine Canyon
5:45 – 7:00 Barbecue dinner
8:00 – 9:00: Open for Group Discussion and Reflection
Saturday 2/26:
9:00 – 9:30: Breakfast Burritos and departure to get through Flagstaff before the snow comes through.
12:00 Bag lunch & hiking at Red Rocks Park
3:00 Shopping in Sedona
4:00 Montezuma's Castle
5:00 relaxing in Camp Verde
7:00 Pizza & salad dinner
Sunday 2/20:
Overnight in Camp Verde, Arizona while we wait for the weather to clear on I17 to Flagstaff.
Monday 2/21:
Grand Canyon Field Trip with packed lunches
Dinner at Cameron Trading Post
Group Meeting
Arrive in Tuba City and settle in to the hogans
Tuesday 2/22:
7:00 - 7:30: Breakfast
8:00 - 3:00: Cleaning and Stacking Wood at the hogans instead of Tutoring at Tuba City Boarding School where there was a water main break.
3:30 – 5:00: Visit to Navajo Interactive Cultural Museum
6:00 - 8:00: Navajo Taco Dinner
8:00 - 10:00: Open for Group Discussion and Reflection
Wednesday 2/23:
7:00 - 7:30: Breakfast
8:00 - 1:00: Tutoring at Tuba City Boarding School
1:00 - 3:00 Relaxation at the hogans.
3:00 - 3:30 Early Dinner
4:00 - 9:00: Sweat Lodge Experience with Eric Kee
Thursday 2/24:
7:00 - 7:30: Breakfast
8:00 - 3:00: Tutoring at Tuba City Boarding School
4:15 – 5:15: Navajo Arts/Jewelry/Flute Demo by Eric Kee
5:30 – 6:45: Dinner
7:00 – 9:00: Songs/Stories/Dances by James Bilagody
9:00 - 10:00: Open for Group Discussion and Reflection
Friday 2/25:
7:00 - 7:30: Breakfast
8:00 - 12:00: Tutoring at Tuba City Boarding School
12:00 – 2:00: Visit Outdoor Navajo Market/Swap Meet
4:00 – 5:00: Visit Coal Mine Canyon
5:45 – 7:00 Barbecue dinner
8:00 – 9:00: Open for Group Discussion and Reflection
Saturday 2/26:
9:00 – 9:30: Breakfast Burritos and departure to get through Flagstaff before the snow comes through.
12:00 Bag lunch & hiking at Red Rocks Park
3:00 Shopping in Sedona
4:00 Montezuma's Castle
5:00 relaxing in Camp Verde
7:00 Pizza & salad dinner
Almost back
After quick stops in Sedona and at the Montezuma's Castle National Monument we have arrived safely back at the Comfort Inn I'm Camp Verde.
Location:Camp Verde, AZ
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