NEIGHBORS N ava j o Fall 2015 • Volume 9, Number 2 Navajo Nation’s New Leader YOUR CONNECTIONS TO NAVAJO MINISTRIES Keep connected to what’s happening at Navajo Ministries, the Four Corners Home for Children and KNMI Vertical Radio electronically through the following: Navajo Ministries www.NavajoMinistries.org Facebook Join our E-mail Club for consistent updates through our electronic newsletter, Navajo Ministries Notes. Four Corners Home for Children www.FourCornersHomeForChildren.org Facebook KNMI Vertical Radio www.VerticalRadio.org Facebook Pinterest Twitter N ava j oNEIGHBORS contents Fall 2015 • Volume 9, Number 2 YOUR CONNECTIONS 4 FROM THE PRESIDENT MISSION STATEMENT A Smooth Transistion to New President Navajo Ministries helps the people we serve TO NAVAJO MINISTRIES through programs that instill hope, restoration and Christian values. 5 NEWS AND VIEWS EDITOR Eric Fisher 6 COVER STORY ‘God Is In Control of the Navajo Nation’ GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hannah Rodden 9 CELEBRITY ROAST PUBLISHER Navajo Neighbors is owned and published Roast Brings Out Fun, Highlights Bakers by Navajo Ministries Inc., and is published two times a year and distributed approximately 10 fOUR CORNERS HOME FOR CHILDREN every six months. Postmaster send address changes to Navajo Active Summer of Fun, Faith and Fellowship Neighbors, PO Box 1230, Farmington, New Mexico 87499. 11 ON-site SCHOOL CONTACT INFORMATION Students Find Educational Success at School Navajo Ministries 2103 West Main Street PO Box 1230 12 NEWS AND VIEWS CONTINUED Farmington, New Mexico 87499 EUBANK COUNSELING CENTER UPDATE Phone 505.325.0255 Parents’ Actions Affect Overall Wellness of Children Fax 505.325.9035 E-mail [email protected] Web site www.NavajoMinistries.org 13 NAVAJO NATION OUTREACH ABOUT NAVAJO MINISTRIES Teams From Across U.S. Lead VBS Navajo Ministries was established in 1953 for the purpose of caring for dependent children, regardless of race, religion or national origin, 14 KNMI VERTICAL RADIO and for printing and distributing Navajo tracts Station Brings Home Two State Awards and hymnals. The ministry has expanded over the years to include: a non-commercial Christian radio 15 lIVING MEMORIALS station, KNMI Vertical Radio 88.9 FM; an The Little Missionary On-Site School; and Navajo Nation Outreach, providing spiritual, emotional and material encouragement to those living in Navajoland. LETTER FROM THE EDITOR When a donor expresses a preference as to the use of donated funds, Navajo Ministries will Welcome to the Fall 2015 edition of Navajo Neighbors magazine. This issue is filled with make every effort to honor their request and interesting, relevant stories of how God is working both through Navajo Ministries, and the in most cases this is done in exact compliance Navajo Nation. with the donor’s wishes. However, the Board Our cover story this issue is on new Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye, who served on the of Directors, in ensuring that Navajo Ministries Navajo Ministries Board of Directors from 2009-2011. President Begaye has been a good friend to Navajo Ministries and fully credits God for placing him in this important leadership position. It was our pleasure to carries out its exempt purposes required by law spend some time with the new President this summer and talk about his vision and hopes for the Navajo people. and effectively uses available funds, accepts the responsibility of applying funds in accordance Also inside this issue: with objectives of the ministry. • Navajo Ministries also has a new leader as I was named just the third President in the history of this amazing organization earlier this year. Views and opinions expressed in Navajo Neighbors by those interviewed are not • We have a new Director of Development, Diana Lang, who brings a wealth of experience and energy. necessarily those of Navajo Ministries. • A recap of the Jim and Kay Baker Roast, held in April to honor the Bakers’ 40 years of service. Navajo Ministries is a Charter Member in • Updates from the Four Corners Home for Children, Navajo Ministries School, KNMI Vertical Radio and Navajo good standing with ECFA (Evangelical Council Nation Outreach programs. for Financial Accountability). There’s even more to read in the pages that follow. We hope you enjoy this latest edition of Navajo Neighbors, and stop by and see us any time if you’re in the area. God Bless, Eric Fisher Editor and President from the president A Smooth Transition to New President immersed in successfully directing our fund-raising activities for the new Education and Activity Center. Remembering how founder Jack Drake had prayed for someone to come and continue the leadership role of this organization, Kay and I were now doing the same. In the summer of 2012 our board appointed Eric to the position of Vice President. On May 1st of this year, I retired as President of Navajo Ministries after serving in that role for 28 years. It was a joy to welcome Eric as the third President of Navajo Ministries in our 62-year history. I’ve often said, “When God guides, He provides!” He has done just that with the smooth transition of Eric moving from Vice President to President. Kay and I are delighted to continue on a half-time basis, serving as Co-Directors of Partnership Ministry. “I want to thank Jim and Kay for their leadership and friendship during my first seven years at Navajo Ministries. This is a wonderful place to serve, with God leading the way in all we do,” Eric added. “I look forward to what He has in store for all of us in the future. It is amazing to realize By Jim Baker and Eric Fisher of Development who would be how Navajo Ministries has grown It was just after I finished hosting my able to connect the ministry to new from a single children’s home in 1953 daily radio show “The Four Corners donors who would join us in reaching to an active 16-acre campus with four Spotlight” in August of 2008 when many in our region with a message programs today.” Eric Fisher entered my office. I had of hope. After reviewing his past Eric can be reached at 505.324.5260 known Eric casually over the years. accomplishments and hearing of his or at [email protected]. His mother was an elementary school desire to be used of God through this He looks forward to continuing to teacher for many of our children when ministry, we welcomed him to our play a vital role in fulfilling Navajo Kay and I were houseparents. Eric, staff. He hit the ground running on Ministries’ mission of helping the a veteran of the newspaper business, September 8th, having only one week people we serve through programs that had been on my show in the past when to get his office in order before joining instill hope, restoration and Christian he was working for San Juan Regional us for our annual Navajoland Tour. values. Medical Center. I remembered him With his journalism degree it was mostly from having a wonderful, deep only natural for Eric to quickly “radio voice.” become editor of our Navajo We were looking for a new Director Neighbors magazine. He also became Eric Fisher, President 4 NAVAJO NEIGHBORS news and views regarded Charity Navigator, receives no state, federal or tribal funding, relying primarily on individual, business, church and foundation support to operate its programs. “Sometimes in life you are lucky enough to have opportunities find you. I believe that is what happened for me with this position at Navajo Ministries,” Lang said. “The mission is one that is close to my heart, and I Navajo Ministries Gives am excited about my future with these amazing people.” Thanks for Large Gifts Lang, an active member of First Navajo Ministries thanks Houses United Methodist Church in with Hope and the “Get Mom Down” Farmington, is a 1981 graduate of event for providing $5,000 for the Farmington High School and holds Four Corners Home for Children an Associate of Arts Degree from San earlier this year. Pictured are Ronna Diana Lang New Director Juan College. and Andy Jordan with Houses with Hope, and Navajo Ministries President of Development She says her greatest Eric Fisher. Navajo Ministries welcomed accomplishments are her three Diana Lang as our new Director of daughters, Heather, Breanna and The Four Corners Home for Development in June. Diana is largely Emma Lang. Heather is a PHD Children, the largest of four programs responsible for fund-raising and candidate at Florida State University, at Navajo Ministries, also received public relations for Navajo Ministries. Breanna is a recent Texas Tech $14,900 from ConocoPhillips and graduate and is now the speech nearly $7,000 from the Charity Lang worked for Farmington- therapist at Mesa Verde Elementary Crawfish Boil event hosted byPinon based San Juan College for 27 years, School, and Emma is a senior at Hills Community Church in recent with most of her time there spent Colorado State University. months. We sincerely thank all of as assistant director of the Health these supporters, along with everyone Lang can be reached at 505.324.5241 and Human Performance Center. who helps make a difference for or at [email protected]. Highly active in the community children in need at the Four Corners Navajo Ministries welcomes Diana since the 1980s, Lang retired from Home for Children. San Juan College in 2012 and since Lang to our team! then has served as president of the board at the Arc of San Juan County, Letter to The Editor: a local non-profit assisting people with disabilities. She has a wide Dear Navajo Ministries, range of marketing, grant writing, A good many years ago my son told me about Navajo Ministries.