This last week I was able to go on a mission trip with the Sound of Life Foundation over to Bluff Utah, near four corners, to serve the people of the Navajo Nation and document the experience with my camera. On the way we drove thru Monument valley as the sun was setting. It was an artists palette of colors. God must really love us to give us views like this. I felt very blessed with this last minute adventure. We were exhausted after 6 hours of driving when we finally pulled up to our rental, a historic house from 1892. I got to go upstairs and choose my bedroom. I was so happy and chose the perfect one. It had deep set Windows’s with beautiful views. When I laid down at night I could hear the sound of the crickets.  The next two mornings we rose bright and early and went to the Navaho senior center. Immediately the people started to arrive. A lovely Navajo woman offered me Navajo tea. As we started the process of checking people in we realized some had fears and some wondered what the catch was and why we were doing this. We had a great team though and we put them at ease and loved getting to know them and their culture.  The use of interpreters was much needed and we appreciated the ones we had so much. I made it my goal to make them smile and tell me how they felt now that they could hear so much better. I loved the smiles and the stories. They could now be a more active part of their families conversations and lives. The frustration for themselves and their families would be so much less. A lady said she would now be able to hear her grandchildren when they called on the phone. That was important because they lived far away. A man now had hope because he had lost his job due to hearing loss. A lady called a friend from home later and said now I can hear my sheep! Another was relieved she would now hear her door bell and could go to community meetings and contribute. The stories go on. I was in my element as I served these lovely people, taught them about their new hearing technology, took pictures and laughed with them.

 

Starting the day with Navajo Tea

 

 

Intermountain Audiology, Southern Utah deaf and hard of hearing, Precision Hearing