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This Issue (May, 2007)When David Boatwright began baking with Bob Blair last year they tweaked the recipe. Bob Blair, La Vida Mission worker believes there may be another factor than just being friendly and outgoing in connecting with the Navajo community. Longevity. Many thanks to all who have donated. April brought few showers to the high desert, but LVM school did begin experiencing a shower of activity that takes place before school closes. In memory of... Positions to fill and special thanks. Sebring, FL Seventh-day Adventist Church youth were on fire to help La Vida young people. Homemade Bread a Wholesome Hit
Bob Blair has baked bread for LVM cafeteria for nearly eight years. When David Boatwright began baking with him last year they tweaked the recipe and sprouted the wheat instead of grinding it dry. The resulting wholesome loaves are light and tasty.
Bob Blair Bonds with Navajo CommunityBonding with any community would seem to be a matter of just being friendly and outgoing with community members. Bob Blair, La Vida Mission worker believes there may be another factor in connecting with the Navajo community. Longevity. “Missionaries come and missionaries
go but most community members
were born right here and have lived
here all their lives,” says Bob. Workers “Some people move around a lot doing evangelism and there’s a lot to be said for that, but there’s a lot to be said for staying too.” says Bob. Bob had a degree in art when he became an Adventist. He and his friend, Gene O’Toole, enrolled at Atlantic Union College (AUC) in 1974 when Bob started on his second degree in art. Another friend of theirs, Ken Baxter, (who, incidentally, is also currently working at La Vida) came to AUC in 1976. Ken and Gene visited the Mission in 1978, just after the new bridge over Chaco Wash was finished. The old bridge, which was so often under water during spring floods, was still standing. Gene sent Bob newsletters from the Mission and in 1980 Gene let Bob know that there was an opening in the arts and crafts department under long time art director, Barbara Starrett. Bob started teaching that year, “just to try it for a year or two to see how it goes.” Today he is head of the art department and still teaching art. He didn’t have a particularly deep interest in missions when he first got here but Bob says he developed a mission mind after only a few months. Some time later a community member ran into Bob and exclaimed, “Man, you’re still here?” It was then that Bob realized that being here and staying here was the key to being effective with the Navajos. When Bob came here he felt a personal need—a lack in his life. It was time to make a drastic move from the Northeast and his home state of Maine. “I’m not one to make drastic moves,” he says. “Problems don’t necessarily disappear when you move somewhere else. You have to deal with them, with the Lord’s help, wherever you’re at. You basically come here to be a servant,” he adds
Bob has been a servant in just about every capacity since coming to the Mission, from cook to water system operator to board member. His experience building log cabins in Maine helped him in Mission building projects. He’s seen construction of the greenhouses, the arts and crafts hogan, six duplexes and four student homes. He helped construct the gymnasium and assisted in renovating the school. Bob is La Vida’s hike leader. He leads hikes for students on Sabbath afternoons as well as for visiting mission groups. Ana Sofaer of the Solstice Project, and archaeologist, Tom Windes, used Bob several years ago to guide them as they researched the Anasazi monoliths aligned to indicate, not only the solar cycles, but also lunar cycles in the nearby Chaco Canyon archeological area. Adriel Heisey, noted free lance photographer, lands his ultralight airplane in to La Vida’s small dirt runway. Bob has accompanied him on several local photography flights and over the last ten years they have become good friends. Bob still loves to create and build things. Besides the antique oven he has built several laminated wood canoes, two of which he uses in the local bodies of water. He also has a homemade dune buggy that lives in his garage. He and David Boatwright are making a simple solar still to purify water for drinking or agricultural use. Bob feels that he is doing his life’s work now. As he starts his seventh decade of life and looks back on the last three, he realizes that everything he did before La Vida Mission was preparation. “I did find my career here in New Mexico, and it is working at La Vida Mission, Bob says. The difference between an oceanscape and high desert terrain is stark. “There is so much around here to do or see, I don’t miss the East Coast,” explains Bob. He gets his “ocean fix” in summer when he visits Maine. Since working at LVM he has been away for only one year. “I had been here five years when I went back to Maine. When I was there I missed this place more than I missed Maine when I was here,” he remembers Bob’s desert wind-weathered, character-lined face often lights up in an encouraging smile as he teaches or serves food in the cafeteria. His Maine accent and use of puns and made up words sets him apart.
Bob reads Navajo and can defend himself in a conversation. He conducts Navajo Sabbath school class and leads out in Navajo song services at La Vida church. Bob is respected by the Navajos and is thought of as a part of the Community. He is often seen helping older Navajos get coal and fire wood. Jesus taught us to look after people’s physical and emotional needs first and then bid them follow Him. Bob would be happy to guide your group in hiking to rarely-visited areas of this archaeologically, geologically and paleontologically rich high desert country. Box Tops Needed
New DonorsMila Aguire School Year Nearly OverApril brought few showers to the high desert, but LVM school did begin experiencing a shower of activity that takes place before school closes. Three groups (two student, one staff) competed in a spelling bee April 7 and every participant shared the gummy worm topped parfait prize.
Kindergarten to 4th graders packed a picnic lunch April 16 and headed for Farmington to minister at a nursing home, visit E-3 Children’s Museum & Science Center and swim. This outing was to make up for their missing out on the 10-day trip around New Mexico taken by upper grades.
April 21, upper and lower grades carried out the church service with 5th to 7th graders delivering sermonettes and leading closing hymn while K - 4th graders covered other duties during worship service.
Pathfinders/Adventurers met for the last time this school year on April 21. Most honors were completed and the day ended with grades 5-7 reaching out to do something nice for the younger students.
April 24, 5th-7th graders visited local Lake Valley Senior Center with literature to give and books to read to seniors. April 30-May 3, 5th-7th graders did job shadowing. Each student spent part of a day following a person who worked in a profession which the student thought he or she might want to pursue.
By May 1 new offices were ready move into. Activating two phone lines was the last obstacle to overcome before being able to operate in the new office area.
In Memory of
Bulletin BoardPositions to Fill:
La Vida Needs:
Special Thanks to:
Sebring Walk-a-Thon a SuccessSebring, FL Seventh-day Adventist Church youth were on fire to help La Vida young people. April 21 they sponsored a walk-a-thon to raise money to carpet LVM School Library. Below is an e-mail account of the event from church member, Mary De Bloc. Hello Cindy & All at LaVida, We don’t have a total on the funds generated at the walk-a-thon and won’t have that for a couple weeks as mile tallies were posted last Sabbath. We should have a total in a couple of weeks once all donations are received. Unofficially it looks as if we reached our goal and if we fell short it’s not by much! The dedication, perserverance and sincere effort shown by everyone here is so uplifting. We had 29 participants with a total of 156 miles walked, most of which were completed by our young people. The olderst was 89 (we had many seniors that walked) and the youngest under a year (her mom & grandma pushed her carriage for 7.5 miles that day so we counted her miles too). We started at 9 am and the last lap was completed at 4:30 pm. I’ll gather the pictures from the various photographers that were on hand. I took several early in the day but they are not a good representation of our participants. Our picnic lunch included homemade gluten steak burgers & big franks cooked over a charcoal fire and a variety of covered dishes. We drank some 90 or 100 bottles of water. The day was sunny, a little cool and quite windy which made us more comfortable though some got sun burned and some (me included) wind burned. I used the pics you sent and some from the Novy’s stay at the mission to create a story board about LaVida. A photo of it is attached. I’ll be back to you with more news as it becomes available. The success of this effort is to be attributed to the power of prayer and the answers we receive when we are ernest in our efforts. Best regards and loving wishes from the Sebring SDA Church . . . . June Navajo News will include an update of their efforts. If your church would be interested in doing a fundraiser such as this, contact Cindy Boatwright for an information packet. Coming Events May/June, 2007
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La Vida Missions, Inc. is an independent Seventh-day Adventist Mission to the Navajo. It operates a boarding elementary school for Navajo children (K–8th grade), clinic, water/mail/clothing services and an evangelism outreach for the Navajo community. The mission is located off Highway 371, 55 miles north of I-40 on Exit #53, or 50 miles south of Farmington, New Mexico.
Mission Administrator Federal Tax Exemption © 2007 La Vida Missions, Inc.
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