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.