A View TransformedA journey through the Navajo reservation

By Haley Henderson

A few years ago my youth group traveled to

New Mexico…

…by BUS.

We were going to

serve on a Navajo

Indian Reservation,

to spread God’s LOVE to the

people that live there.

The 40 hour bus ride was filled with many things…

like sight seeing, national parks, friends…

…crying children,

…and MOLDY bread.

Once there we hosted a week long VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

for the children of

the surrounding

Navajo communitie

s. We led the kids in Bible

lessons, SINGING

, crafts, games, puppet

shows and more.

They loved to be HUGGED, to hold your hand, and most of all to receive

piggy back rides.

We were made aware that drug and alcohol addiction riddle many homes, leaving the kids desperately

seeking AFFECTION.

And to think I was excited for the time AWAY from my parents that this trip was

allowing.

Everyday we would SERVE

the children lunch.

I learned that for some, it would be the ONLY meal of

the day.

That moldy bread didn’t seem so bad anymore.

One day I rode with the bus driver on the 2 hour bus route to drop off the kids at their homes.

What I saw SHOCKED me.

My bedroom ALONE would be bigger than some of the houses.

This trip opened my eyes to the REALITY of a harsher world. SHEILDED by the comfortable confines of my

middle class American lifestyle I was living in

naivety. Unable to grasp how truly fortunate I was. But my

VISION was cleared. I learned that I am blessed, but

that those blessings are a GIFT that I must use to help others. The Navajo are a shy but BEAUTIFUL people, with a rich history and old traditions. Yet despite the

differences, at the CORE we all are the same. We all need food, shelter, and clothes. We all long to be LOVED. To be

accepted. And maybe sometimes, just to be

HUGGED.

I was told before we went on the mission that it would make an

impact. That LIVES would be

changed and HEARTS would be transformed.

I just didn’t realize they were talking about

MINE.

Some images courtesy of:

-publicdomainimages.net

- Lydia Rittenhouse

-freedigitalphotos.net