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Well Linden has arrived in New Mexico in the four corners area where N.M. Colorado, Utah and Arizona meet and started working with the school and community at Newcomb, in the Navajo Reservation area. Newcomb is a location with a Navajo chapter house about 15 Navajo houses and 20 teacher houses, the closest shop and Post office is at a road house 10 miles to the North.  Newcomb has 3 large schools of about 250-300 in each of Prep, middle and high school. About 30 buses collect students first get on at 5.30am, school starts at 8:10 till 3.15pm a big day. No mobile phone coverage or house e-mails! It has been a week of introductions to Central Consolidated schools head office staff in Shiprock and Kirtland and schools at Newcomb. Getting allocated a vehicle and the setting in motion of a Social security number so I can get paid and opening an American Bank account and understanding there shopping methods! Farmington is the closest real shopping centre with a population of 50,000 and is about a 70 mile drive like going to Pt Lincoln. They reckon it swells to 200,000 on Saturdays.
A welcome dinner was thrown to the Aussie guy and an update on an arson attack at the school (not sure of the connection!) on the first Monday night, I was taken around the district by a local who is a rep on several of the Navajo communities then spoke to a committee at a chapter house at Sonastee on Wednesday then back to meet staff at the Prep school . I will speak to students about Aus and hope to form some linkages with the community through this. The word is already out as I went to a school basketball game Friday night and yep they knew who I was!! I am renting a newish prefab central heated house and the local staff furnished it for me even down to sheets, and towels, a fluffy bath set! All kitchen utensils ect some canned food, and pasta . I only bought a mop and broom and staples! Knowledge test what is a spigot and staples? The country is very similar to the Break Away’s near Coober Pedy strikingly familiar except on arrival it looked as if everything was dusted with castor sugar, a light coating of snow over the brown earth. As the week progressed the snow melted and was left on the northern side of the Messas and Buttes and obviously on the surrounding mountains. It had taken the week to melt and a change is expected Tuesday with snow forecasted so I might see it fall. The first time my direction co-ordinates are way out. I realised this morning that the sun travels across in the south from east to west it is weird. I have been given the use of a Chevie suburban 8 seater wagon 4WD and it goes best on the right inside of the road; that has been interesting. By Friday it was nearly frightening driving naturally and turning without thinking. I have to get my NM drivers license with the month, and there are some weird thing like able to do a U turn at traffic lights. The road out here ooops highway from Ship rock to Gallop has the highest number of drink related casualties so defensive driving is a must. I am doing well although the altitude makes me a bit woosy and have burst a couple of capillary vessels in my eye which I am sure gives me a nick name “man with red eye” or something like that. Yes it is isolated but within 20- 30 mins are some remarkable canyons, mountains and Messas. A major project is to work with a new community library to document the Navajo code breakers effort in the Second World War, they came from this area only one living of 27 that were recruited. The other is with the Shiprock and Kirtland schools with small ag courses and see what opportunities can be developed at Newcomb. Reflection so farFlying out of Adelaide to Sydney I openeda book that I was given by the people we were billeted with when I came over to Kansas city with YWAM in last May06. I looked previously at this book “the ancient paths “ and it wasn’t my cup of tea. Out of courtesy and being a slim book I stared reading it at Chapter 3 it blew me away; God’s timing Yes. this is what it said Gen 12:1-3 now the Lord said to Abram. Go forth from your country, from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land I will show you. And I will bless you, and make your name great; and you will be a blessing; and I will bless those that bless you. And in you the families of the earth will be blessed. Some interesting parallels particularly as this journey started sometime ago with a sense of “I will declare his goodness to the nations”. The book went on to describe the word, Blessing to prosper, thrive, do well Blessing from the Hebrew Baruch means TO HAVE A PLEASANT FULFILLING JOURNEY. Wow this is the essence that I have had for 3 years that the future would be just that. Interesting, VERY. New address Linden Masters Newcomb High School PO.Box 8048 Newcomb, NM, 87455 |
Of Interest ... 
Diary (table format) 
