Welcome to Winter

We now have three snow storms behind us, and realize why everyone said we needed a 4-wheel drive vehicle. One of the families we are teaching lives 7 miles south of us, 5 of those miles on dirt roads which turn into quagmire after rain or melting snow. The housing development areas are paved, but even more people live in rural area, off the beaten path, some in frame homes, some in hogans, and others in trailers. We hope we can find something servicable, and not too expensive -- otherwise our effectiveness as missionaries, greatly diminishes.

The Navajo people here have been very friendly and helpful to us. Many of them still haul their culinary water, reminding me of our childhood on the Antelope farm when my dad had to haul water 17 miles from Ririe. Most homes have electricity, though during a storm, we are prone to blackouts.

Last Friday the temperature got down to 3 degrees, and our waterpipes froze. It took about 5 hours for the pipes to thaw, and now we plug in a heater under the trailer when we know it's going to be cold. There is still snow on the ground, through the highways melt off quickly. This area needs moisture as badly as Blanding, and we're off to a great start.

Living next to the Hubbell Trading Post has been fun. There is lots of traffic in and out each day. It's our favorite place to take visitors. Just before Christmas they had a 3 day celebration with Santa and Luminarias at the trading post.

We went the first day with the Davises, a neat family from the Branch. Here they are with Santa Claus. Their oldest daughter Jessica is now going to school in Idaho Falls!! The next two days it rained and snowed and the candles didn't survive, but people still went to have their pictures taken.

Here we are in Ganado, Az

We have arrived! Sunsets in the fall are especially spectacular. Our trailer home in our mission is nice and right next to the LDS chapel here. It is fairly roomy. It has a nice queen size bed and another bed room on the other end that is used for our office and drop invisitors who don't mind air mattresses. We are right next to the Histoic Hubbell trading post.
We have met the full time elders who live in a little house just east of the Church. There is another couple here with us, The Davises, who used to live in Blanding 30+ years ago.
Ganado is really quite pretty. There are lots of trees and plenty of water. It looked quite dry as we drove down from Blanding, but this area seems a little greener and more variety in trees. The elevation is about 6500 ft. so the weather will be much like Blanding. The couple we replaced bought water from the store, but we both like the water so we are drinking it. I set it in a sunny windown in a glass jar or picture, and let the cholorine escape during the day, then refrigerate it. We also have 3 rez dogs guarding the church and our trailers and keeping the cows out. One just had 6 puppies -- I don't think they put dogs in our missionary job description!!