Working on Al's House

by Janie Giebelhaus, EM Summer Staff on the Navajo Reservation

Grace, Andrew, Paul, and I are at "The Mission": a place for rest that is around three hours away from our location in Northeast Arizona. Normally, it will only be Grace, Andrew, and I, but this week, we were lucky enough to have Paul from the Eastern Navajo team join us! We are coming off of our first week in Black Mesa at the "House of Joy" Church, working with JR and Mary Lou. We are partnering with them in reaching out to their community. JR has a vision for the way his church can influence the community, bringing life to the surrounding area.

As many of you may know, reservation life can be economically difficult. While the Navajo people are smart and capable, there are few jobs, and lots of land in between job opportunities. With a harsher economy, many have resorted to alcohol, and the young women and elders have especially had a tough time. With all of that said, what JR is doing—showing Jesus' hope to his fellow Navajo—is beautiful. We are honored to stand with him and work beside him in his mission.

This first week was an amazing way to start in this partnership. JR's son Al is a father of two boys, aged seven and two, and their two-year-old recently underwent a liver transplant. His recovering body requires a healthy environment, and while Al provides excellent care for his son, he also had dreams of making his house even safer and more practical for his family. This week, under Al's leadership, we replaced and secured the roof. The visiting team from Phoenix had many experienced construction people, making these tougher jobs possible.

In addition to Al's house, the team also worked on the "House of Joy" Church building, securing the basement so it can withstand many years of fellowship. The church has become a home to many in the community. Most church-goers travel great distances to get to church, with even the closest attendant traveling fifteen miles. JR and Mary Lou foster a great environment, with an open sanctuary and dining area for many to gather. We also got to bless JR and Mary Lou by helping with their house thanks to the Mountain View Lutheran Church team! They did an amazing job painting the house and plumbing the bathrooms.

This weekend, JR is hosting a "tent revival" worship gathering, which is expected to host around one hundred people in a circus-like tent. We are excited to report beautiful stories from the tent revival soon. For now, happy day from the Western Navajo Reservation!

You must have a group size of at least 6 members to join this trip. Please view the Small Team trips or call our Servicing Department for more options at 888-475-6414.

View Small Team Trips

For most trips, you must have a group size of at least 6 members. Please view the Small Teams tab on each Community page or call our Servicing Department for more options at 888-475-6414.