Elder Dittmers Journey to New Mexico

Yá'át'ééh abini!

I got my transfer news yesterday and found out that I will be going to one of the most southern parts of the mission: Sanders, Arizona! And I'm going to be in a trio again! Their names are Elder Viola and Elder Linney. I haven't met them before and they are both about 4 months into their missions.

I think the best part of this week was sacrament meeting yesterday. It was a branch conference and over 40 people came! There was also a potluck afterwards, and there was a lot of food and people in that tiny trailer. 

I will be attending my farewell potluck tonight, so I'm excited for that. I will be leaving Tuesday morning and I'm excited to meet new companions.

Hagoónee! Have a good week!

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I'm staying on the rez! I am going just over the hill south of Steamboat to a place called Sanders, Arizona. I will be in a trio of missionaries (again!) and I will get to say hello to Sister Laughter, a member who moved out of Steamboat at around my 2nd transfer! She attends church in Sanders, according to some of the members who know her. 

My companions will be Elder Linney and Elder Viola. All I know is that Elder Viola is from Canada and that both of them have been out for about 4 months. 

I asked if he was okay staying on a rez: Of course! The deeper the rez, the better the experience!

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(You can double click to make it readable)  Looks like he's right next to the freeway and train tracks.

Church and basketball court.  Next door looks like an abandoned gas station (Stop and Go Café and Filling Station).

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That's Jackie Todachine. He lives in the middle of nowhere behind Toyei. We visited him a little, he loves the missionaries. That stack of wood back there was the most impressive wood that I have chopped, and it was FUN!

Roselyn, Ricardo, me, and Raymond.

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Sanders

Population 630

Elevation 5,865 ft

Sanders' English name either comes from C.W. Sanders, a railroad office engineer, or Art Saunders, who had a trading post nearby.

Sanders is surrounded by the Nahata Dziil and (north of the town) Houck chapters of the Navajo Nation. The latter is made up of local Navajos of the area and relocated Navajo refugees from the Navajo/Hopi land dispute. That dispute relocated hundreds of Navajos to the Sanders area from the western Navajo Nation, mainly around the Hopi partitioned land. The area was mostly ranch land until the U.S. government bought it and added it to the Navajo Nation in 1981.

There is even a mine (Cheto mine) that extracts a valuable type of clay used in the oil industry, a calcium bentonite, known as "Cheto" bentonite.

The vegetation of the surrounding region includes juniper, pinón pine and a variety of native plants such as prickly pear cactus and sagebrush. Wildlife includes pronghorn, deer, cougar, coyote, elk, turkey and quail.

71% Navajo, 22% white