No Turning Back
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The first Christmas we were at Huerfano, the trader Bob Osborn had planned a big community feast. Bob went to the Trading Post the day before to find that some Navajo men had dug a pit and build a fire in the bottom. He learned that they had left the fire burn to ashes then covered them with about six inches of dirt. Flour bags filled with mutton, beef and venison were placed on the dirt and covered with another six inches of dirt. Another fire was built over that and kept burning all night.
Have you ever eaten Christmas dinner wearing mittens? The next morning there was some snow on the ground and it was chilly but not real cold. We saw many horse drawn wagons, a few of which were covered wagons, coming from every direction toward the Trading Post. Later we went to see that men had pulled the bags of meat out of the pit. There were wash tubs of strong coffee, with cream and sugar already in it, setting on racks over fire pits. I don’t remember what else was on the menu but I remember being impressed with the women wrapped in beautiful blankets covering velvet blouses and satin skirts, sitting on the ground with their babies and toddlers playing at their feet. We estimated about 600 people were served, but in our awe at the scene before us, our estimation probably was a little high.
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About the Book
This book is the story of one mission school that was established to give the gospel to the Navajo people. Although Native Americans are United States citizens, each tribe has its own language and culture, which has kept them from becoming accepted participants in many English language activities. Our goal was not only to give them the gospel, but also to help them learn English and basic subjects, enabling them to become active citizens in New Mexico and beyond. Most of our eighth grade graduates have finished high school and many have received advanced college degrees.
About the Author
My twin brother and I were born to David and Ora Engleman in rural Dawson County near Overton, Nebraska, in 1928. That same year, my husband, Robert (Bob) Foster, was born to Jesse and Gertrude Foster in rural Logan County near Logan, Nebraska. Our lives were like parallel tracks as we journeyed with our Lord throughout a lifetime of serving Him. After graduating from county high schools, we each taught in rural schools and then went to Omaha Bible Institute, where we met. We were married in 1951 and went to Kearney State Teachers College in Kearney, Nebraska, where we earned BA degrees in education. We were teachers at the Berean Mission Navajo School, which closed in 1992, forty years after it opened in 1952.