Church in Chinle

By:  Mary Katherine Drasbek

Marcos Inga in front of the Chinle Stake Center

While staying here in Chinle, we have had the great blessing of being able to go to church with the Chinle Ward at the Stake Center, just a couple of minutes from the hotel.  We were warmly welcomed our first Sunday by the senior missionaries, the elders and the bishopric.  We learned that most people arrive to Sacrament meeting 20 minutes late.  After the meeting many ward members came to say hello and welcome us to Chinle.  In the combined Relief Society/Elders Quorum meeting we were all asked to introduce ourselves, specifically, our names, where we are from, and if we are single.  Then, the ward introduced themselves to us.  It was great fun!  The Navajo members are very kind and enjoy laughing.  We loved getting to know them and their personalities a little better.   

Although the ward is small, they are very strong.  I admire their faith and determination to put away the traditions of their fathers and to fully accept the gospel.  Unfortunately, this has caused some members to become inactive because they are not yet willing to give up the traditional Navajo beliefs and practices that contradict the gospel.  The active members that I have spoken with have strong testimonies of the gospel.  They say, “We are Latter-day Saints first, and Navajo second.”  What a wonderful statement that perfectly exemplifies what Elder Dallin H. Oaks recently said in a regional conference to Africa in November 2010:

“To help its members all over the world, the Church teaches us to give up any personal or family traditions or practices that are contrary to the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ and to this gospel culture. . . . We ask all to climb to the higher ground of the gospel culture, to practices and traditions that are rooted in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Our second Sunday was fast and testimony meeting.  We all felt the Spirit very strongly.  We noticed that the Navajo members love telling stories about their families.  They especially loved telling us about how it was growing up in the Navajo Nation many years ago.  Even though every meeting was a mix of English and Navajo, we still felt the Spirit.  At dinner that night we discussed how the Church is true throughout the world.  The same gospel is being taught around the world.  It is very comforting to be able to go to any ward and feel the Spirit. 

A Navajo Book of Mormon

This Saturday we are teaching Disaster First Aid at the Stake Relief Society Super Saturday activity.  Next week is our last Sunday.  We are looking forward to two of our girls teaching in Relief Society and two other students speaking in Sacrament meeting.  We have loved getting to know the Chinle ward!