We want to give you who donated school supplies a big THANKS for the wonderful things you sent. We especially liked the atomic classroom clocks that have their time automatically set to the second.. A signal from somewhere in Colorado resets them each night. We got all the supplies we needed. Things that weren't sent in boxes were purchased with money that some folks sent to fill in the gaps. We are very grateful for your support. We don't want for anything at this time and have what we will need for the rest of the year. We are praising the Lord and thanking you, His servants.

Ruth Bloom

Well, here it is another year at the mission. New school year must mean a new house, right?
      
I decided last year that I would not move to a new house; after all, moving every year is a real pain  in the neck.  In nine years, I have lived in six different houses here...what a record!  In July, when I returned home, it was very nice being in my "old house".  However, by the end of August, itchy feet and restlessness attacked me in my cute cottage-like house.  Hmm, I could save money in a smaller house.  Hmmmmmmm, Dave and Leona's trailer (Dave and Leona Douglas returned to Washington state last June) has a wonderful, big yard.  It would be just right for my two dogs!  Hmmm, it is a nice and cozy house. 
      
"John, could I move into the trailer?"  the words just came out of my mouth.   Now about three weeks after talking to John about it, I am in my newest house.  The yard is just right for my dogs, Cassie and Sally.  I don't know yet if the house will save, but in the long run, I am confident it will.  I know, though, that God will meet all needs as He is always faithful to do..no matter where I live! 
      
Now, what house could I move into next?!
 
Megan Thurston

Ya'at'eeh! This is my second year teaching first grade on the Navajo Reservation. I have enjoyed teaching the children and playing with them, but what I really enjoy is listening to them. They say the funniest things! There is such a big difference between how a little kid thinks and interprets life and an adult…it makes me wonder if what I think I am teaching them is actually what they are learning. Here are a few amusing tells from my secret story vault.

• A little girl raises her hand. "Yes?" "Ms. Jessica, I had a dream last night." "You did? What was it about?" "I had a dream that I was AN INDIAN! I had my face painted and everything!"
  
• A student and I were standing on the front porch looking out onto the Reservation. (Home of many Native Americans) "You know what would be cool Ms. Jessica?" "What's that?" "If there was Indians still living out there!"
  
• We have a toy Indian in the toy box. During free time, one of the children grabbed the toy Indian and raced over yelling to the other Navajo first graders, "Who wants to be the Indian?!"
  
• "Time to clean up. Put your notebooks away." "Is it recess time?" "Yes it is." Talking to the other boys around him: "It's time to be talkin' with the ladies!" Giggling: "Yep, we'll be talkin' with the ladies!" A chorus of boys nod their heads and chuckling say, "Talkin' with the ladies!" --I am guessing that the phrase is off a movie ...other then that I have no idea where that came from. All of my first grade boys are into super heroes. One day they were sitting around a table discussing which super hero was the best. One child argued against Spiderman saying, "Spiderman is cheap! He's got a girlfriend!"
  
• I was cleaning our new fish tank when the questions began. "It that the fishes new home." "Yes it is." (Slightly giggling...when the little giggles start you know something is up) "Are they [fish] going to move in?" "Yes, when I get the tank cleaned out." The giggling is getting a little louder. "Are they going to move in their suitcases and clothes?" Giggles turn into laughter. "Well, if they had any." "And their TV and dresser?" Now laughter has turned the class into hysteria. Now I am speechless. Their laughs are so cute it makes me laugh with them...even though I don't understand why it's so funny to them.
  
• Since getting the fish tank I have had trouble keeping the fish alive. I placed 2 big fish and 3 little fish into our new tank. Less then four hours later they died...the toilet burial was held at 8am in the boy's bathroom. A day later I got a sucker fish, which I thought would be hard for me to kill. Less then 24 hours later it died. One of my little first grade girls went outside to the playground monitor reporting very seriously, "Ms. Jessica keeps killing our fish!"

I am so blessed to be able to teach first grade at Immanuel Mission. It has been a lot of fun and a wonderful learning experience. The children are such a joy and I love being a part of their lives. Thank you all for your prayers. I know that God is using many people to accomplish His work out here.

Jessica Williams

My name is Melissa Meinzinger and I am the new Kindergarten teacher.  I am 29 years old and for most of my life, I have lived in Michigan, near Detroit.  I grew up at Dearborn Chapel in Dearborn Heights.  I attended Emmaus Bible College, where I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Biblical Studies.  I have worked with kids over the years in a lot of different capacities; babysitting, counseling at camp, and teaching Sunday School, but I did not originally intend to teach.  However, this past year, I had the opportunity to work at an education program for children with Cerebral Palsy.  It was an amazing experience that showed me that I really did want to teach children.  The Lord had been prompting me about serving Him here at Immanuel Mission, so after praying and seeking some wise counsel, I asked to be commended by the chapel to teach Kindergarten.  I am excited about the opportunities to serve here.  I currently have 10 students in my class, and we have been in school for four weeks.  I have had the opportunity to meet the parents of a few of my kids.

Teaching here has been a learning experience for me.  In some ways, my kids are like many other kids I have worked with.  They have the same need for attention, the same desires to have friends and have fun, and the same wiggles when they lose focus or want to go play.  But many of my kids have little experience with the Lord, so I have had to start from scratch teaching them about Him. I answer questions like "who is God?", "where is God?" and my personal favorite, "does God love superheroes too?" (I really had a student ask this!).  They also have had little to no discipline, so I really have to work with them at obeying the teacher and classroom behavior.  It has been a challenge, but the Lord has been giving me strength along the way. Barely a day goes by that I don't feel Him helping me along during the times that I feel out of answers or unsure of how to handle a situation. 

There is also a ladies craft group, so I can get to know the ladies in the community.  I am praying that the Lord gives me the chance to reach the people He puts in my life here and that I would be able to clearly share the gospel with them.  I hope that I will be able to serve Him well out here. Though I have only been here a short time, I have already felt the prayers of those at home and would sincerely appreciate your prayers too. I would appreciate prayer for strength and wisdom as I am a bit overwhelmed by all there is to get done and adjust to. Also finding/making time to do all the planning is a struggle for me. I would greatly appreciate prayer about these things.  Thank you for your support in prayer!

In His Name,

Melissa Meinzinger

"[Jesus] explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." (Luke 24:27b)

To my praying friends:

The first few days of September were spent in Kansas at the 50th Reunion of Kansas Bible Camp. Though only a few people I knew were there that I had not seen in the last year or so, I still had a good time with those old friends that did show. I spent a few hours building a large photo mosaic that showed the camp building. The small parts of the mosaic were made up of many of the 5,000 photos that were from the previous 50 years of camp at KBC.

Volleyball season has begun once again and our team is doing well. So far we have won most of the matches. Most of the players that were fair last year have shown a lot of improvement and it is fun to watch them play.

The fall newsletter for the Mission was put together mostly by me this time. This helps Ruth out a little who normally does it but does not have as much time since she is now the bookkeeper. I did make a small but obvious mistake when I had it printed--you have to open the newsletter backwards to read it. A rookie mistake that simply shows my confidence was a little too high.

Yearbook class is off to a slow start. It started with 8 students and has since dropped to 5. None the less it is quite hard to keep that many people even somewhat busy at first since there is not much to do with a yearbook when not much has happened. Towards the end of September it got better as the photo collection grew and a general layout of the yearbook was finally coming together.

During the last week of September my Dad and Fred & Sue Scott came out to Immanuel Mission to help with several projects. They include desks for the new computer lab, tiling floors in the new house, building a new shelf in the library, making lap size white boards for the English class, and many other smaller projects. My Dad also brought a craft project for the students from 4th to 1th grade. The craft was a clock made from black walnut wood. the project seemed to be going well considering the many age levels all working on it at the same time at different speeds and quickly different stages of completion at the same time.

It is big request this year that the Lord would cause a revival among the students here at Immanuel Mission School. For many more to be saved and for those that are to live in a Christ-like way. We do not have any major troublemakers so that makes it easier with the shortage of staff. Pray for God's will in the lives of those He has already chosen.

In Christ Alone,

Andrew Nelson