September 4th letter

September 4, 2016 letter

Dear All,

Well only one more letter after this one.  What a fun week we have had.  We have been able to serve many different people that we usually do.  We even picket up 1,000 cans of Pepsi products from Gallup to bring to the Zuni Fair.  I though they ask for 6,000 cans so we were glad when it was only 1,000.  I was sure wishing it wasn’t Pepsi but oh well.

            Yesterday we went for wood with our District of senior Elders.  We were getting it for a lady that lives in Sawmill and works for the Church employment system.  She is a Navaho and has touched many lives with her goodness.  I sent a few pictures of the trees but they were so big.  We were glad that two young people were with us to help lift into the truck   We were able to get her 5 truck loads of wood.  She said it takes at least 30 loads of wood a winter for their family.    That represents a lot of work for them.

            We were glad to go to Window Rock and help our friends the Huffakers get on their way home.  Elder Huffaker had a heart attack and could only lift 2 lbs.  He is Stacie Huffakers uncle.  Anyway we helped them move and they are  home in Oregon by now.   They had to go home a bit early because of his health but he should be all right under a good doctor’s care.

            We sure like our new elder.  He is elder Willcomb and he is a very hard working Elder.  He and Elder Brurud work well together and are making a difference again.

            We went to Keyenta for our last District Leaders Meeting.  It is about 4 hours away each way.  That is our last meeting like that.  It was done well but a long trip in and a long trip back.

            We have told some of our family when we talk to them that we can’t get phone service at our trailer which is at the church.  So we drive up the road a bit by a mountain and text and call.  So we were in a lesson with a 20 year girl and she said I have a question.  She said,  what are you doing when you are sitting by the mountain.  I told her we were testing and sending pictures.  She said, oh I thought you were praying to the mountain.  What an experience we are having with these great people. 

            This letter will be short because we have been all over but everywhere we go has taken a day to accomplish.  Today has been so funny.  Just have to laugh and love the Zuni People.  First right after church John Park asks Elder Dattage to look at his car.  His wife drove it so church and something seemed wrong.  They open the hood and there is a squirrel in there with the belts wrapped around it.  Not dead just missing a tail and one leg.  So it is out there somewhere not.  Second we go to church and they tell about a pot luck on Wednesday night next week.  They remind the Branch that the dattages will only be here a bit so everyone should try to come.  We patiently tell them we will be home and visiting with our Home Stake President by the time they are having the pot luck.  No one ask us when we were going home.  They just figured it was some time after that.  They have changed the night to the Tuesday night before we leave.  We were ask to take the announcement and change or night around to 30 or 40 people.  Glad to help.  Should be very fun. 

            Then I am in Primary doing sharing time.  Brother Lalio calls me out into the stairway and says we were having the Elders to dinner but instead we will bring our part of the dinner and you can do whatever you have planned for you and we will all come to your house.  There are 6 of them.  I was scrambling but they brought chicken and we had a very good dinner.,  After the dinner the Elders gave Logan their 10 year old son a lesson .  He wants to be baptized as soon as he can.  We will probably come back down to see his baptism  It turned out to be a good night for sure.

            Good to talk to Mitchel on his almost 16 birthday.  Wow the older kids are growing up so fast.  Couldn’t even recognize his voice on the phone while we called him by the mountain.  Love all of you and look forward to seeing soon.  We will be home on the 14 then speak in our Ward on the 18 so it will be fast.   We are speaking here next Sunday and then in Providence the next Sunday.  Wow what a difference a week makes.

            Love all of you and have an amazing week.   We are planning on enjoying this week and know already that it will be busy but a fun kind of busy. 

            See you real soon,

Love, Elder and Sister Dattage