Reflections on Mission

An excerpt from "Reflections on Mission: Our Trip to Navajo Nation"
by Janet Nolan

We [the Old South volunteers] arrived and found that we had much more to learn than we had to give. We were immersed in the Navajo culture for a week and just barely scratched the surface of understanding these amazing, proud Americans. We were treated to archery, roping, traditional dancing, and the arts of weaving, beading and silversmithing. We learned firsthand from a Navajo Code Talker the role he played during World War II. We ate blue mush and fry bread, Navajo Tacos and mutton stew. And what we saw!—harsh, dry, beautiful, wide open spaces and enormous skies where you could see a storm a day away, majestic mesas, deep canyons, petro glyphs that told ancient stories, and ruins of a sophisticated culture that drew trade from as far away as South America.

We worked and ate among the Navajo, getting to know them and each other. For Natasha Wilson, her 6 year old daughter Natanya, her twin 4 year old boys Leander and Leeldon, and her mother Dorothy, we made a difference by transforming a shell of a trailer with no windows and doors into a home that is now weather tight. The electrical supply is now safe instead of a fire hazard. We also worked at the dormitory where we stayed. While laying rock and creating weed control measures to prevent erosion we got to know our hosts and delighted in their humor and stories. We also became a team. When the task of moving river rocks around the building called for many hands, all 19 of the work crew rallied and formed a human chain, passing the boulders from hand to hand. Strong bonds were formed throughout the week that will not be broken, even long after the work has been completed.

We came back having touched and been touched by the lives of our Navajo friends in New Mexico. Of equal or greater importance, we have experienced a deepening of the bonds with those whom we travelled. The team is in place. The commitment to mission is building. Old South Church is ready to reach beyond our city with our hands and our hearts. Will you be with us when we do this again next year?

To view photos from the Mission Trip, click here.