¤ ¤
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¤ I want to spend my
life mending broken people ¤
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¤ I want to spend
my life removing pain ¤
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¤ Lord let my words
heal a heart that hurts ¤
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¤ I want to spend my
life mending broken people ¤
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¤ ¤
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Hello and welcome to another
3ABN Today program. My name is
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Ricky Carter and I'll be
your host today. Thank you for
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joining us. You know I'm so glad
that you guys could be with us
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and thank you for all those
who have been participating in
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praying for the ministry of 3ABN
and for your financial support.
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We greatly appreciate it.
I think you'll be blessed by
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today's program. I'm looking
forward to it. Before we begin
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though I want to read a
scripture from 2 Corinthians
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chapter 3, verse 18. And
the word of God says: But we all
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with unveiled face beholding
as in a mirror the glory of the
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Lord are being transformed into
the same image from glory to
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glory just as by the Spirit of
the Lord. Amen! Amen. Well today
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I want to introduce our guest.
He's been participating in
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transforming the lives of
students into our Lord Jesus
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Christ, into the Savior, he's
been participating in helping
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them be transformed. And I want
to introduce our guest today as
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Brother Pedro Ojeda. He's the
principal of Holbrook Seventh-
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day Adventist Indian
School. Welcome brother.
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Thank you very much. It's a
pleasure to be here. Appreciate
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the opportunity to share what
we do at Holbrook Indian School.
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It's one of my
favorite things to do.
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Amen, amen. Before we get into
our program I want to let the
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viewers know that we're going
to go into a special music right
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now. And Brother Jason Robinson
will be sharing the special
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music, Jesus, Only Jesus.
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¤ ¤
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¤ Who has the
power to raise the dead ¤
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¤ and who can
save us from our sin? ¤
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¤ He is our hope,
our righteousness ¤
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¤ Jesus, only Jesus ¤
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¤ Who can make the blind to see
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¤ who holds the
keys that set us free ¤
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¤ He paid it all
to bring us peace ¤
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¤ Jesus, only Jesus ¤
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¤ Holy King, Almighty Lord
Saints and angels all adore ¤
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¤ I join with
them and bow before ¤
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¤ Jesus, only Jesus ¤
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¤ Who can command
the highest praise ¤
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¤ Who has the
name above all names ¤
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¤ You stand alone
and I stand amazed ¤
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¤ Jesus, only Jesus ¤
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¤ Holy king, almighty Lord
Saints and angels all adore ¤
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¤ I join with
them and bow before ¤
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¤ Jesus, only Jesus ¤
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¤ You will command
the highest praise ¤
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¤ Yours is the
name above all names ¤
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¤ You stand
alone, I stand amazed ¤
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¤ Jesus, only
Jesus ¤ ¤ Only Jesus ¤
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¤ Holy King Almighty, Lord
saints and angels all adore ¤
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¤ And join with them and
bow before Jesus, only Jesus ¤
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¤ Jesus, only
Jesus Jesus, only Jesus ¤
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¤ ¤
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Amen and amen. I was very
blessed by that. Thank you
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Brother Jason for using your
talents for the Lord like that
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and blessing all of us. Well
now we get into our program but
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Brother Pedro, before we learn
more about the school I want our
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viewers at home to get to know
a little bit more about you, so
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tell us where you're from and
tell us a little bit more about
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yourself.
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Sure thing. So I was born
in Cuba and my parents, really
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didn't call them missionaries
When we left Cuba I was about
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three and a half. I don't
remember very much about it.
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We went via Spain to Jamaica and
that's where I learned English.
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And we spent eight years there
with a short five months stint
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in Costa Rica. And then we ended
up in Puerto Rico. We went from
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Adventist college to Adventist
college. In fact, my parents
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were both at the Adventist
College in Cuba before that got
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shut down. So we ended up in the
United States in 81. I went to
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school at Walla Walla
Valley Academy, then Walla Walla
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College which is a university
now. And by the way, I used to
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be known to say I'll never teach
or preach and look at me now.
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I feel privileged to be
serving our students, our native
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American students at Holbrook
Indian School. I had no idea
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that I would ever end up at a
place like this. In fact, when I
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first saw the posting for that
position on the NAD employment
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web page I skipped over it.
I thought they were going to be
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looking for a native American
principal and that the job would
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be really tough. I didn't know
very much about native Americans
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except for the stereotypes at
that time. And I was wrong about
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who they were looking for.
They were looking for the best
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qualified candidate which is
what we continue to do do this
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day. And also I was right about
the first one or the second one
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that the job would be hard.
But I like hard work and I love
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where I am. Before that though
we came from Montana, my wife
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and I. She worked at Mt. Ellis
Academy. I went there to work
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there at Mt. Ellis Elementary as
a teaching principal for fifth
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through eighth grade
and we spent 11 years there.
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Mmm, Amen, amen. Well I can
connect with you on two things
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that you said there. My mom is
Cuban, so you're from Cuba, and
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then, father, he's Jamaican. So
I can connect with you there for
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a little bit.
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Well, that's pretty cool.
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Amen. All right. Well tell
me about the school. Tell us a
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short history behind the school,
HIS, or Holbrook Indian School.
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All right. Be happy to do that.
Holbrook Indian School began in
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1946 and it ran for a year with
Marvin Walter. He had health
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issues if I remember correctly
and he had to shut down after
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the first year. It was shut
down for about a year then Frank
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Doherty came along and he
restarted it. He spent about 16
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years there and the school
has been there ever since. We
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recently celebrated our 75th
anniversary and super thankful
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for God's blessings for that.
The school was operated by the
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Arizona Conference for many
years. That's who started it.
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And now it's operated directly
by the Pacific Union Conference.
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And I can explain
more about that later.
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Mm-mmm. Well we have a video
that talks about the story of
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the school so why don't we
check into that video right now.
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In 1945, the Pacific
Union Conference of Seventh-day
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Adventists provided most of the
funds to build a boarding school
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near Holbrook which opened in
September 1946. Each September
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over this road come children who
will attend the Holbrook School.
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The pie wagon now becomes a
school bus bringing some of the
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boys and girls as far as 55
miles. One of the most difficult
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of all languages is the Navajo
language but on the blackboard
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the instructor writes in Navajo
and the student translates it.
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The Navajo language becomes
increasingly limited as a means
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of expression. Young Navajos
realize this and want to learn
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English. A Navajo child without
any knowledge of the English
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language can master it to
such an extent that he can begin
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regular first-grade work at
the close of the first semester.
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Seventh-day Adventists are
hopeful. They hope too that the
00:11:45.57\00:11:52.44
Navajos will gain all the
privileges they are entitled to
00:11:52.47\00:11:54.94
as citizens. Obstacles cloud
the horizon yet rays of hope are
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shining through. A new day
may yet dawn in Navajo land.
00:12:00.38\00:12:05.12
Well, that wasn't quite the
end. Oh no. This story is just
00:12:05.15\00:12:18.43
getting started. ¤ ¤
00:12:18.47\00:12:24.51
Holbrook Indian
School has one mission.
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It has produced countless
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achievers and numerous
cycle breakers. Join us as we
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celebrate the rich heritage
weaved throughout our history.
00:12:39.75\00:12:43.46
This is Holbrook Indian School.
Then and Now. Today Holbrook
00:12:43.49\00:12:58.41
Indian School serves Native
American youth with a deep
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appreciation of both native
heritage and native history. And
00:13:02.18\00:13:07.25
with good reason. The school
emerged during a very dire time
00:13:07.28\00:13:15.42
in U.S. history. For the Navajo
in particular, the 1940s was a
00:13:15.46\00:13:25.20
time of promise as well
as a time of little hope. The
00:13:25.23\00:13:33.11
traumatic history of forced
boarding schools that had gone
00:13:33.14\00:13:36.34
unchallenged in the decades
prior was now on the decline.
00:13:36.38\00:13:41.25
Yet the effects had left
generations shattered and
00:13:41.28\00:13:45.62
without any way to pick up the
pieces. Unfulfilled promises led
00:13:45.65\00:13:51.53
to the lingering problem of
neglected opportunity for equal
00:13:51.56\00:13:57.13
education. It was around this
time that Arizona Conference of
00:13:57.17\00:14:01.24
the Seventh-day Adventist Church
wanted to do something to help
00:14:01.27\00:14:04.01
the Navajo people. Marvin Walter
was a missionary working for the
00:14:04.04\00:14:12.21
Arizona Conference and he set
out to learn about the needs of
00:14:12.25\00:14:17.25
the Navajo. As Marvin talked
with the people he discovered
00:14:17.29\00:14:22.69
their desire for their children
to receive an education. With
00:14:22.72\00:14:27.86
his wife Gwendolyn and
funding from the Pacific Union
00:14:27.90\00:14:31.20
Conference they set out to start
a school. In 1945 the missionary
00:14:31.23\00:14:37.31
couple moved to Holbrook,
Arizona where a new school was
00:14:37.34\00:14:41.41
built. With 320 acres of land
at Holbrook the first mission
00:14:41.44\00:14:47.55
school started in 1946. That
fall 30 children sat on sheep
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skin rugs reciting their first
lessons in a foreign language,
00:14:53.86\00:14:56.83
English. This became the first
class of students of the Seventh
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day Adventist mission school
now known as Holbrook Indian
00:15:03.16\00:15:06.43
School or HIS. Through the years
many people have come to work at
00:15:06.47\00:15:12.07
HIS. The school has grown to
serve more than 100 children in
00:15:12.11\00:15:18.28
the school year.
00:15:18.31\00:15:20.58
Although graduation is the
goal it's always hard to see our
00:15:20.62\00:15:25.55
seniors leave. Much of what our
school does today continues our
00:15:25.59\00:15:31.53
history of celebrating
and uplifting native American
00:15:31.56\00:15:34.46
heritage as well as
practical hope pressing money.
00:15:34.50\00:15:39.43
¤ ¤
00:15:39.47\00:16:00.69
More recently we have included
supplementary programs like
00:16:00.72\00:16:04.46
outdoor school, college
transition, summer experience
00:16:04.49\00:16:07.73
and licensed clinical counseling
Holistic learning has always
00:16:07.76\00:16:15.07
been an integral aspect of HIS.
But recently this became a more
00:16:15.10\00:16:21.11
formal and systematic program
with the need, MAAPS. Navigating
00:16:21.14\00:16:28.38
spiritual beliefs at HIS is both
a fragile and a fertile area.
00:16:28.42\00:16:32.59
With a history of forced
exposure to less that Christian
00:16:32.62\00:16:39.06
Christianity we are very aware
of the historical wounds that
00:16:39.09\00:16:42.90
preceded our school's existence.
Today our students spiritual
00:16:42.93\00:16:49.04
heritage is respected and
in areas of common beliefs it's
00:16:49.07\00:16:53.11
also been a bridge. To get a
good representation of this we
00:16:53.14\00:16:59.78
actually looked back to our
1982 original poetry and prose
00:16:59.81\00:17:04.75
publication Hieroglyphs. In
one piece from this original
00:17:04.79\00:17:10.46
compilation past student Sandra
Flye created a poem based on
00:17:10.49\00:17:15.90
Psalm 23, in the expression
of their own native imagery.
00:17:15.93\00:17:24.31
Like the apostle Paul in his
appeal to the Greeks' unknown
00:17:24.34\00:17:31.45
god appealing to common beliefs
is a way to connect with our
00:17:31.48\00:17:35.78
students' spiritual journey.
Most native traditions teach of
00:17:35.82\00:17:41.92
the creator. By pointing
students to object lessons in
00:17:41.96\00:17:47.40
nature they can more easily
understand who their creator is.
00:17:47.43\00:17:54.00
It has proven beneficial to meet
our students where they are.
00:17:54.04\00:18:00.68
Students from many native tribes
have attended Holbrook. They
00:18:00.71\00:18:06.51
have gone on to become teachers,
HR specialists, private business
00:18:06.55\00:18:11.49
owners and some have even
served in the U.S. military. One
00:18:11.52\00:18:16.86
student went on to become
the first woman a Navajo judge
00:18:16.89\00:18:19.79
magistrate in Flagstaff,
Arizona. Charlotte would tell
00:18:19.83\00:18:26.90
you that my father had a dream
that his for his children to
receive an education
00:18:26.94\00:18:30.71
That is why he brought us to the
SDA mission school. Today we are
00:18:30.74\00:18:39.28
happy and humbled as we
see a number of our students
00:18:39.31\00:18:43.05
fulfilling their positions.
Not only are they choosing
00:18:43.08\00:18:48.92
to break the cycle
00:18:48.96\00:18:50.76
but have also gone on
to help others do the same.
00:18:50.79\00:18:54.96
¤ ¤
00:18:55.00\00:19:33.54
Amen, amen. Brother Pedro
so Holbrook Indian School is
00:19:33.57\00:19:38.57
located in Arizona correct?
(That is correct) Right. Can you
00:19:38.61\00:19:42.88
tell us a little bit
about what the school is like?
00:19:42.91\00:19:47.12
Absolutely. So to give you a
reference of where the school is
00:19:47.15\00:19:50.69
it's on Highway 40, 90 miles to
the east of Flagstaff, Arizona
00:19:50.72\00:19:58.09
about three and a half hours
to the west of Albuquerque, New
00:19:58.13\00:20:05.10
Mexico and about three hours 10
minutes to the north-northeast
00:20:05.13\00:20:09.00
of Phoenix. We're on famous
Route 66. If you've ever seen
00:20:09.04\00:20:14.31
the movie Cars, the inspiration
for it came from Holbrook with
00:20:14.34\00:20:23.15
the tee pee hotel. So Holbrook
is about, the school is about
00:20:23.18\00:20:28.56
two miles outside of town next
to a housing development and it
00:20:28.59\00:20:40.40
is a campus that has about
214 acres right now. At the very
00:20:40.44\00:20:44.97
beginning it was 300 acres.
About 100 of those acres were
00:20:45.01\00:20:48.14
sold off. We have on our commons
something that you don't see in
00:20:48.18\00:20:55.68
the desert, that is unless you
go to Palm Springs. You'll see a
00:20:55.72\00:21:00.36
beautiful lawn, at least in the
height of the summer after it
00:21:00.39\00:21:04.66
has recovered from the winter.
A lawn isn't supposed to be
00:21:04.69\00:21:09.30
there in the desert. But there
was a principal some time back
00:21:09.33\00:21:13.67
that decided...I believe her
husband was a landscaper...and
00:21:13.70\00:21:20.81
so they decided hey our
student's back yards are like
00:21:20.84\00:21:24.58
this. It's dirt, right? A red
dirt. Let's make an oasis for
00:21:24.61\00:21:29.12
them. So they raised the funding
put in the infrastructure and
00:21:29.15\00:21:33.22
put in a beautiful lawn.
And we've been trying to keep it
00:21:33.25\00:21:37.36
that way and to improve on
it if we can since then. It's
00:21:37.39\00:21:44.00
beautiful to see the students
roll in that grass when they get
00:21:44.03\00:21:47.44
there or when
they're on commons anytime.
00:21:47.47\00:21:50.87
Amen, amen. That's great,
great. So how long have you been
00:21:50.91\00:21:54.18
serving at HIS and tell us
why is it that you serve there?
00:21:54.21\00:22:00.98
I've been there for 11 years
now and the reason for that is I
00:22:01.02\00:22:08.22
remember the day I entered my
office as the new principal at
00:22:08.26\00:22:14.46
Holbrook Indian School, I sat
behind my desk and I talked to
00:22:14.50\00:22:19.13
God and I said, Hey God you
brought me here, this is your
00:22:19.17\00:22:23.71
plan. Now you have a big job
to do and that is to help me do
00:22:23.74\00:22:29.01
this job because I have no
doubt that the devil is going to
00:22:29.04\00:22:32.78
attack. And then I said, I will
be here until you say otherwise.
00:22:32.81\00:22:40.72
And so how would that come about
Well I imagine I would hear
00:22:40.76\00:22:45.86
about it from the board or there
would be a call you know to
00:22:45.89\00:22:51.63
another place or it would be
clear that things aren't working
00:22:51.67\00:22:58.41
out with the staff. The reason I
said that is because my parents
00:22:58.44\00:23:07.15
taught me a strong work ethic.
But most importantly I don't
00:23:07.18\00:23:12.85
want my will to be done
and that's what we look for in
00:23:12.89\00:23:16.49
everybody that we hire at
Holbrook Indian School is people
00:23:16.52\00:23:19.49
that are there doing God's will.
Holbrook Indian School is not a
00:23:19.53\00:23:25.57
stepping stone. Think of the
connotation that that has. That
00:23:25.60\00:23:31.87
means that Holbrook Indian
School would be a place that you
00:23:31.91\00:23:35.44
step on on the way to something
better. And what are you
00:23:35.48\00:23:39.08
stepping on? The school is the
students. Somebody told me when
00:23:39.11\00:23:46.86
you work there you're going to
fall in love with the students
00:23:46.89\00:23:48.99
there. You're going to fall in
love with the kids. And that's
00:23:49.02\00:23:52.26
exactly what happens when you
work at Holbrook Indian School.
00:23:52.29\00:23:55.90
You see the need. You look into
a student's eyes and you fall in
00:23:55.93\00:24:03.27
love with them just as
Jesus does with each one of us.
00:24:03.30\00:24:06.74
Amen, amen, amen. You know I'm
sure you've got some things that
00:24:06.78\00:24:13.42
you've worked out at the school
operating wise. Can you share
00:24:13.45\00:24:17.25
with us a little bit about
the model, the operating model
00:24:17.29\00:24:20.06
at HIS.
00:24:20.09\00:24:22.36
Yeah. So I mentioned earlier
that the school began as an
00:24:22.39\00:24:27.90
Arizona Conference school and
that's the way schools operate.
00:24:27.93\00:24:30.80
They're run by conferences not
by unions. But because of heavy
00:24:30.83\00:24:36.77
debt the Arizona Conference
was looking at having to shut it
00:24:36.81\00:24:39.14
down many years ago. The Pacific
Union decided not to and took it
00:24:39.17\00:24:44.91
on. And the Pacific Union was
able to provide a subsidy that
00:24:44.95\00:24:51.62
based on a percentage of tithe
to the Union that the Arizona
00:24:51.65\00:24:55.46
Conference just couldn't cover.
And so this is the only school
00:24:55.49\00:25:02.16
that's operated directly by
a Union in the North American
00:25:02.20\00:25:05.97
Division. And we are so thankful
for the Pacific Union Conference
00:25:06.00\00:25:13.54
support. My boss, as I call
her, is Dr. Von Pohle, Berit
00:25:13.58\00:25:20.08
Von Pohle. She is the Vice
President for Education for the
00:25:20.12\00:25:22.92
Pacific Union and she's been a
tremendous help for us. Everyone
00:25:22.95\00:25:29.02
at the Pacific Union is super
supportive. Now that subsidy
00:25:29.06\00:25:35.76
from the Pacific Union when
I first got to the school was
00:25:35.80\00:25:40.94
about 20 percent of the budget.
Now it's about 12 percent. (Ooo)
00:25:40.97\00:25:47.18
So where does the rest
of the funding come from?
00:25:47.21\00:25:49.74
Where does the rest of the
funding come from, Rickey, that
00:25:49.78\00:25:52.31
is the question. It comes
from amazing people all over the
00:25:52.35\00:25:57.92
world that have seen the story
of what our students go through
00:25:57.95\00:26:05.59
the cycle that they go through,
where they're coming from, the
00:26:05.63\00:26:11.17
was they're marginalized,
the country within a country and
00:26:11.20\00:26:15.77
their isolation, right? And they
say, Oh I want to help. And we
00:26:15.80\00:26:21.71
have donors that are giving a
dollar a month up to people that
00:26:21.74\00:26:27.35
send $500,000. The need is
evident to them and I believe
00:26:27.38\00:26:36.22
it's because they're listening
to the Holy Spirit and then
00:26:36.26\00:26:42.53
they're convicted and their
generosity just comes out. But
00:26:42.56\00:26:49.30
yeah, the rest of the funding
for Holbrook Indian School comes
00:26:49.34\00:26:52.31
from that because our students,
they pay $85 a month in tuition
00:26:52.34\00:26:56.75
and fees.
00:26:56.78\00:26:59.55
Wow! wow. That's all?
00:26:59.58\00:27:01.85
Yeah we currently have 58
students on our campus. This is
00:27:01.88\00:27:05.95
the end of the school year so we
suffer attrition which it's very
00:27:05.99\00:27:10.26
sad for us to lose students
but if you take say about 65
00:27:10.29\00:27:14.90
students, our capacity is 78 on
our campus. We have a satellite
00:27:14.93\00:27:18.37
school in Chinle, Arizona with
a maximum of 15 students there.
00:27:18.40\00:27:22.87
The most I've seen on our campus
is 92 between the two schools.
00:27:22.90\00:27:27.31
What happens is that if you take
say 65 students by our budget
00:27:27.34\00:27:37.69
it's more than $35,000 that
it costs for each one of our
00:27:37.72\00:27:42.09
students that attend there.
(Wow) And no one can explain
00:27:42.12\00:27:46.33
how the finances at Holbrook
work unless you say God provides
00:27:46.36\00:27:54.20
God provides. God provides. He
always provides. (Always) Amen.
00:27:54.24\00:27:59.01
You know I'm thinking about the
students and how blessed they
00:27:59.04\00:28:03.88
must feel to be able to attend
that school there and I remember
00:28:03.91\00:28:07.95
you saying that you have
58 students on site right now.
00:28:07.98\00:28:11.59
First through 12th grade.
00:28:11.62\00:28:13.15
First through 12
okay. (All boarding.)
00:28:13.19\00:28:15.79
Wow! Even the first graders?
00:28:15.82\00:28:17.89
Even the first graders. (Wow)
Think about why a first-grader
00:28:17.93\00:28:22.36
would be at a boarding school.
Or even first through eighth
00:28:22.40\00:28:29.17
grade. Why would they be sent
to a boarding school? That's a
00:28:29.20\00:28:32.64
story in itself.
00:28:32.67\00:28:34.01
Mmmm, wow, wow. So speaking of
the students, then tell us where
00:28:34.04\00:28:38.31
the students like.
00:28:38.35\00:28:39.68
Remember, I told you that if you
work at Holbrook Indian School
00:28:39.71\00:28:42.42
you're going to fall in love
them. If you walk on our campus
00:28:42.45\00:28:46.42
you're going to hear the normal
sounds of a school until you dig
00:28:46.45\00:28:54.80
deeper, until you spend some
time talking to them. You might
00:28:54.83\00:28:59.33
notice a little bit of
a difference in dialect or
00:28:59.37\00:29:05.64
pronunciation in their language.
That's not to say that they know
00:29:05.67\00:29:09.78
how to speak their native
language. It's unfortunate that
00:29:09.81\00:29:13.88
most of our students do not know
how to speak the native language
00:29:13.92\00:29:16.62
Unfortunately, they have lost
a lot of their traditions. The
00:29:16.65\00:29:23.19
positive traditions of
native Americans are very, very
00:29:23.22\00:29:28.16
supportive for families and for
success. But what is happening
00:29:28.20\00:29:33.77
right now, when you dig deeper
and you meet our students you
00:29:33.80\00:29:36.50
will find that they are heavily
entrenched in pop culture. They
00:29:36.54\00:29:42.21
may not have running water or
electricity in their homes but
00:29:42.24\00:29:46.21
they have a connection to social
media, to YouTube, to movies.
00:29:46.25\00:29:53.25
That they have. And they have
learned some lies about what
00:29:53.29\00:30:00.53
life is like and what success
means. Then you start to hear
00:30:00.56\00:30:06.57
their angst. Then you start
to hear about their life at home
00:30:06.60\00:30:13.48
and what it's like. Then
you might understand why a first
00:30:13.51\00:30:17.81
grader is being sent to a
boarding school. We strive to
00:30:17.85\00:30:25.02
never take away any of their
traditions from our students.
00:30:25.05\00:30:33.40
It used to be that those
boarding schools that you saw
00:30:33.43\00:30:36.30
in the video that the government
sponsored. There's a quote and I
00:30:36.33\00:30:43.14
forget who made the quote but
you can see it on our web page
00:30:43.17\00:30:46.01
they tried to kill the Indian to
save the man. Well guess what we
00:30:46.04\00:30:53.25
let our students grow out their
hair if that's what they would
00:30:53.28\00:30:56.28
like to do. We just ask
that they not cover their eyes
00:30:56.32\00:31:01.02
because one of the things that
I noticed the first year I was
00:31:01.06\00:31:06.29
there is that the students were
trying to hide in plain sight
00:31:06.33\00:31:10.80
with their hair or their hoodies
or their caps or their beanies.
00:31:10.83\00:31:18.97
and they were very isolated
even within the school. So about
00:31:19.01\00:31:25.25
three years after I started
working there we actually told
00:31:25.28\00:31:28.78
the students no more head
coverings inside of buildings
00:31:28.82\00:31:33.62
except for the dorm and the gym
and it just transformed them.
00:31:33.66\00:31:38.59
They have come out of their
shell and they're communicating
00:31:38.63\00:31:43.83
with each other.
00:31:43.87\00:31:46.30
Amen, amen. Well I'm sure that
their programs that are helpful
00:31:46.33\00:31:54.04
for the students that you need
to put in place to help them.
00:31:54.08\00:31:56.21
And what are those types of
programs that Holbrook Indian
00:31:56.24\00:32:00.02
School has to offer and how does
that help? What's the purposes
00:32:00.05\00:32:04.32
of those programs?
00:32:04.35\00:32:07.79
I feel blessed that we can offer
the programs that we do and you
00:32:07.82\00:32:12.06
several of them in the
video that we just showed about_
00:32:12.09\00:32:19.83
I'll tell you my favorite. I'm
going to start with my favorite.
00:32:19.87\00:32:22.40
My favorite is the mountain
biking program. When I first
00:32:22.44\00:32:27.54
came to the school I quickly
found out that that dorm was
00:32:27.58\00:32:31.38
going to take...the boys dorm
was going to take the boys on a
00:32:31.41\00:32:35.38
campout to a town close by,
Show Low, Arizona about an hour
00:32:35.42\00:32:41.22
away. So I went with them. When
we got there I saw that they
00:32:41.26\00:32:47.50
were taking the equipment out of
a box truck that we had at that
00:32:47.53\00:32:50.77
time to put all the camping
equipment in. They took out the
00:32:50.80\00:32:54.50
bikes, that was the first thing
they took out and they started
00:32:54.54\00:32:58.57
riding them around the camp
ground. I took a look at the
00:32:58.61\00:33:02.04
bikes. I also brought mine
because I love mountain biking.
00:33:02.08\00:33:06.08
It's one of my passions. And I
noticed that they were a little
00:33:06.11\00:33:14.42
bit in need of repair. Brakes
didn't work really well, the
00:33:14.46\00:33:19.69
shifters didn't work really well
They had to fix tires every time
00:33:19.73\00:33:23.80
they would take them out. We
went on a trail that weekend and
00:33:23.83\00:33:29.70
I went with them and the
students had a blast on that
00:33:29.74\00:33:32.37
trail. They were riding these
bikes as if they were $5000
00:33:32.41\00:33:36.08
bikes. And I saw how much they
were enjoying those. So there's
00:33:36.11\00:33:39.78
a mountain biking program and
I lead out on that. I tell the
00:33:39.81\00:33:46.05
students, Hey try to beat the
old man and it's fun to see them
00:33:46.09\00:33:48.42
try that. We go on single track
trails in the mountains and my
00:33:48.46\00:33:55.26
favorite place is Sedona Arizona
It's a minimum of eight miles
00:33:55.30\00:33:59.23
that they have to ride.
Sometimes it's 14 and it is
00:33:59.27\00:34:03.44
tough. And they have never
done that until they do it at
00:34:03.47\00:34:07.58
Holbrook Indian School. Then we
have the equestrian facilitated
00:34:07.61\00:34:11.68
learning which is basically
a horsemanship program. Ninth
00:34:11.71\00:34:15.45
through 12th graders get to
take that class. But all of our
00:34:15.48\00:34:19.75
students can avail themselves
to the therapy that those big
00:34:19.79\00:34:25.73
animals can provide. I heard
Fred Bruce who started that
00:34:25.76\00:34:31.63
program for us, but he's now
retired, he has been known to
00:34:31.67\00:34:36.40
say to students as they learn
how to ride horses and how to
00:34:36.44\00:34:42.68
commune with them, it is amazing
that an animal this big obeys
00:34:42.71\00:34:48.85
you. Why is that? How does that
work? So all students can adopt
00:34:48.88\00:34:54.96
a horse or help feed them or
take care of cleaning out the
00:34:54.99\00:34:59.59
stalls. Then we have our arts
program so we teach ceramics
00:34:59.63\00:35:08.20
that I believe is the correct
term but we call it pottery. So
00:35:08.24\00:35:12.27
they learn how to make pots in
the mostly Navajo tradition. You
00:35:12.31\00:35:19.95
saw that in that movie. They
make those and they can sell
00:35:19.98\00:35:26.05
them and they get a percentage
of the sale of each pot. And
00:35:26.09\00:35:30.86
it's a way that we put out the
story of the school to people.
00:35:30.89\00:35:36.80
We also make sure we cover
welding, auto mechanics and
00:35:36.83\00:35:44.24
construction or carpentry in the
programs that we offer. And all
00:35:44.27\00:35:49.21
of it is holistic, all of
it is meant to tie in together.
00:35:49.24\00:35:53.98
Amen, amen. You know I believe
we have a video that we can
00:35:54.02\00:35:56.99
watch about the programs.
Let's take a look at that now.
00:35:57.02\00:35:59.25
¤ ¤
00:35:59.29\00:36:57.71
I have ridden fast,
I've gone down hills
00:36:57.75\00:37:02.42
¤ ¤
00:37:02.45\00:37:15.90
If students are required to
just sit in one spot all-day
00:37:15.93\00:37:19.03
long their brains are going
to shut down. We need to have
00:37:19.07\00:37:23.61
activity and motion in order
to prime their brains to learn.
00:37:23.64\00:37:26.34
¤ ¤
00:37:26.37\00:37:34.58
Change of environment can
do a lot. It can do wonders for
00:37:34.62\00:37:37.05
a person. That's
all I can say. It's
00:37:37.09\00:37:41.62
changed me. It's like you're
on the edge you know and if you
00:37:41.66\00:37:47.53
lean too much to one side then
you're going to fall. You're
00:37:47.56\00:37:50.30
going to hurt yourself. I don't
know. It's just like looking out
00:37:50.33\00:37:53.80
for yourself because where you
look is where you go on a bike
00:37:53.84\00:37:58.91
you want to look for a
good path. That's where you
00:37:58.94\00:38:02.04
go. But if you take the wrong
path you end up getting hurt
00:38:02.08\00:38:06.15
I don't know.
00:38:06.18\00:38:13.15
My individual work with
the students focuses on drama
00:38:13.19\00:38:17.13
therapy and helping them be able
to find healing from the traumas
00:38:17.16\00:38:23.57
that they've experienced.
00:38:23.60\00:38:24.93
¤ ¤
00:38:24.97\00:38:29.80
You name it, physical abuse,
emotional abuse, sexual abuse,
00:38:29.84\00:38:35.11
financial abuse, spiritual abuse
You know most of these students
00:38:35.14\00:38:41.18
have dealt with it.
00:38:41.22\00:38:48.42
¤ ¤
00:38:48.46\00:39:02.97
So I feel that most of
our students have a Swiss
00:39:03.00\00:39:04.87
cheese education
00:39:04.91\00:39:06.24
that has giant holes in it
and something called effective
00:39:06.27\00:39:09.18
filter. And the more stressed
you are the less easy it is for
00:39:09.21\00:39:13.82
you to learn anything. So they
may have strange gaps in their
00:39:13.85\00:39:18.02
education. Something was going
on in their family and they
00:39:18.05\00:39:21.62
didn't learn it so they just
fall further and further behind.
00:39:21.66\00:39:24.76
So most of our students arrive
here anywhere from two to eight
00:39:24.79\00:39:32.03
years behind academically
from other students.
00:39:32.07\00:39:37.04
One of the great things that
we have going for us here at
00:39:37.07\00:39:41.04
the school in being able to help
students is that they have so
00:39:41.08\00:39:45.25
many options for physical
activity. So when kids have
00:39:45.28\00:39:49.15
opportunities to exercise and be
outside it makes it easier for
00:39:49.18\00:39:53.96
them to be in a good mental
state so that they can learn.
00:39:53.99\00:39:59.46
¤ ¤
00:39:59.49\00:40:03.30
A couch potatoes don't show the
same growth that the kids who
00:40:03.33\00:40:06.47
were out biking have. They
don't make the giant strides.
00:40:06.50\00:40:11.04
¤ ¤
00:40:11.07\00:40:24.52
Some people may think that
mountain biking is just for fun.
00:40:24.55\00:40:27.86
Oh the kids are just going to go
out and have fun. How does that
00:40:27.89\00:40:33.40
fit into a school. There is a
correlation and the correlation
00:40:33.43\00:40:38.73
is that their academics increase
every time. Their reading levels
00:40:38.77\00:40:43.77
go up, their math abilities go
up. That affects all the other
00:40:43.81\00:40:48.44
subjects.
00:40:48.48\00:40:50.35
There's a mountain of literature
that shows that physical
00:40:50.38\00:40:56.02
activity is not only beneficial
for mental health, it's key, you
00:40:56.05\00:41:01.62
can't get around it. You have
the activity of the body which
00:41:01.66\00:41:06.19
creates endorphins and you have
the sun which allows for the
00:41:06.23\00:41:11.63
production of melatonin and
vitamin D and you have the fresh
00:41:11.67\00:41:16.34
air which brings oxygen to the
brain and the rest of the cells
00:41:16.37\00:41:19.04
of the body.
00:41:19.07\00:41:21.11
Our students have to go on a
minimum of six miles each time.
00:41:21.14\00:41:27.68
On average it's nine miles for
every ride. So it is hard work
00:41:27.72\00:41:34.52
I discovered pretty quickly that
even though the students would
00:41:34.56\00:41:45.33
say this is hard when you're
climbing a hill. Just keep going
00:41:45.37\00:41:50.07
At the end of the ride, they
were able to say hey that was
00:41:50.11\00:41:55.51
tough but when are we
going bike riding again?
00:41:55.54\00:42:03.89
¤ ¤
00:42:03.92\00:42:15.86
Wow. I'd love to do some of that
bike riding as well. So anything
00:42:15.90\00:42:21.30
else you want to
share about the project.
00:42:21.34\00:42:23.04
Well first of all you're welcome
to come out and join us. (Amen)
00:42:23.07\00:42:26.34
Yeah, come on out and join
us. We can ride any time of the
00:42:26.37\00:42:29.98
school year. We just have to
pick a spot. Sometimes we have
00:42:30.01\00:42:32.28
to go close to Phoenix in the
middle of winter. So I hope all
00:42:32.31\00:42:36.55
all of you viewers out there are
wondering are those the bikes
00:42:36.58\00:42:39.52
that you were talking about
that were dilapidated? No. Those
00:42:39.55\00:42:44.99
bikes are the ones that amazing
donors contributed towards. I
00:42:45.03\00:42:51.03
appealed for quality bikes but
not super expensive ones. So the
00:42:51.07\00:42:58.07
students that have consistency
...see everything we do at
00:42:58.11\00:43:01.28
Holbrook Indian School has to
reflect the value that we have
00:43:01.31\00:43:04.75
for our students. If they
see that we're providing them
00:43:04.78\00:43:09.32
people's throw a ways then what
are they going to think about
00:43:09.35\00:43:14.69
themselves. Right? And the next
thing I want to share about that
00:43:14.72\00:43:18.59
video is it was a lot of fun
to make. Again I will mention we
00:43:18.63\00:43:24.17
went to Sedona, Arizona. If
you've never been there it's one
00:43:24.20\00:43:28.64
of those heaven-on-earth places
as close as you can get here on
00:43:28.67\00:43:31.94
this earth. And the movie was
directed and produced by Kerry
00:43:31.97\00:43:37.81
Benedict who's a good friend
of mine. He runs a foundation
00:43:37.85\00:43:41.18
called the Shay Foundation. We
began a collaboration with them
00:43:41.22\00:43:45.69
in 2014 and we have kept going
and it's because of his help and
00:43:45.72\00:43:52.73
the Shay Foundation's help
that we have been able to tell
00:43:52.76\00:43:56.03
stories in a quality way like
that so that you can see the
00:43:56.06\00:43:59.93
students' stories, all of
you out there can see what our
00:43:59.97\00:44:03.30
students are going through
and also, the joys that they're
00:44:03.34\00:44:07.78
experiencing. We're blessed by
people like him and, again, the
00:44:07.81\00:44:15.42
donors that made it possible
for us to go out there and then
00:44:15.45\00:44:18.92
enjoy that.
00:44:18.95\00:44:20.29
Amen. It was excellent to see
those different programs that
00:44:20.32\00:44:21.82
you guys provide. Are there
any other projects that you're
00:44:21.86\00:44:24.13
currently working on that you
want to share with us of yours.
00:44:24.16\00:44:27.30
One of the first things I heard
when I was looking at this job
00:44:27.33\00:44:35.00
as principal at this school is
that Holbrook Indian School is
00:44:35.04\00:44:38.74
put together with Band-Aids and
toothpicks. When I got there I
00:44:38.77\00:44:48.32
saw what that meant. Many
of the buildings needed to be
00:44:48.35\00:44:56.86
refurbished and there's a bit of
a Hodge podge of buildings here
00:44:56.89\00:45:03.50
and there. And so we have
been working on making sure our
00:45:03.53\00:45:10.54
housing is maintained and
remodeled when people move out
00:45:10.57\00:45:17.35
and it's a house that's pretty
dilapidated so that when people
00:45:17.38\00:45:23.89
come to our school the employees
that we have at our school they
00:45:23.92\00:45:29.89
can see that we mean well by
them, that we care about what
00:45:29.92\00:45:37.20
God has entrusted us with.
So a major project is working on
00:45:37.23\00:45:43.17
the infrastructure of the school
In doing that we are working on
00:45:43.20\00:45:50.65
a capital campaign, it's in its
early, early stages to replace
00:45:50.68\00:46:00.26
our gymnasium and our cafeteria
with a new building that we're
00:46:00.29\00:46:07.03
calling, it's not official yet,
but we're the Holbrook Indian
00:46:07.06\00:46:12.10
School New Life Center. The
student center. And we want to
00:46:12.13\00:46:16.67
emphasize that this is not
about a building. It's about
00:46:16.71\00:46:22.68
relationships, it's about
community, it's about providing
00:46:22.71\00:46:26.51
a place where our families can
be together. Because right now
00:46:26.55\00:46:30.79
unless it's outside, if there's
boys and girls in the family
00:46:30.82\00:46:36.32
they either have to be with
the girls in the girls dorm if
00:46:36.36\00:46:40.00
they're going to be inside or
the boys in the boys dorm. But
00:46:40.03\00:46:45.60
this center, the New Life Center
that many of you have seen
00:46:45.63\00:46:49.67
through the 13th Sabbath
offering that has been taken for
00:46:49.70\00:46:57.81
Holbrook Indian School and this
project. So the infrastructure
00:46:57.85\00:47:02.22
and we are working, the
most important thing that we're
00:47:02.25\00:47:10.46
working on is sharing Jesus with
our students and that comes in
00:47:10.49\00:47:16.26
many, many ways. Everything they
see that we're doing at Holbrook
00:47:16.30\00:47:22.34
Indian School has to reflect
has to point them to their best
00:47:22.37\00:47:29.01
friend and I hope they
accept Him as a personal Savior.
00:47:29.04\00:47:34.85
Amen, amen. You know we have a
few minutes left before we go to
00:47:34.88\00:47:37.35
our break. I want to ask you two
things. Are there any miracle
00:47:37.39\00:47:40.56
stories that you can share,
short, and then also what is the
00:47:40.59\00:47:43.86
greatest need of HIS?
00:47:43.89\00:47:46.43
Let me try to remember both
of those questions. So miracle
00:47:46.46\00:47:52.93
stories. I'd like to share with
you one, one miracle but it has
00:47:52.97\00:48:00.84
happened many times with
different students. So one of
00:48:00.88\00:48:04.85
the students that you all saw in
that video, her name is Quintina
00:48:04.88\00:48:10.02
and she's actually the one that
kind of stumbled and fell off of
00:48:10.05\00:48:15.19
her bike. She came to our school
in fifth grade and I remember
00:48:15.22\00:48:21.60
one of the first things that she
told me when I was supervising
00:48:21.63\00:48:25.83
out for registration day. She
came up to me and she had short
00:48:25.87\00:48:28.37
spiky hair and she said Hey has
my dad called you. Because he's
00:48:28.40\00:48:32.27
supposed to bring me money. I
said no he hasn't. And I could
00:48:32.31\00:48:36.24
see the disappointment in her
face. I've never heard from her
00:48:36.28\00:48:41.08
dad. He didn't show up then, he
hasn't shown up since. She was
00:48:41.12\00:48:46.99
in my office for discipline
issues multiple, multiple times.
00:48:47.02\00:48:50.73
We actually had to send her home
think it was her first year for
00:48:50.76\00:48:58.33
two weeks, out of
school suspension and when our
00:48:58.37\00:49:02.80
business manager and I went to
pick her up she didn't want to
00:49:02.84\00:49:06.21
come back. We were driving away
when we saw the door open, the
00:49:06.24\00:49:13.01
house on the rise in Chinle,
Arizona and out she came, very
00:49:13.05\00:49:18.55
solemn look on her face. We
found out that she really wasn't
00:49:18.59\00:49:25.43
wanted in her home. She happens
to have lighter skin. Her
00:49:25.46\00:49:31.60
features are very, very much
native American, Navajo, Dene'
00:49:31.63\00:49:37.41
which is the name of the Navajos
in their language but for some
00:49:37.44\00:49:44.41
reason her skin color is a lot
whiter. I don't know if that's
00:49:44.45\00:49:48.48
what the issue is but we became
her family and she's going to
00:49:48.52\00:49:58.59
graduate this year. (Amen praise
the Lord) That is a miracle and
00:49:58.63\00:50:04.63
we have seen that miracle happen
over and over again. We call it
00:50:04.67\00:50:07.77
breaking the cycle of yuk.
(Of yuk?) Yuk. I don't know of
00:50:07.80\00:50:15.91
another way to put it. The cycle
that just destroys our students.
00:50:15.94\00:50:20.42
We see it over and over again.
And thank you to all the donors
00:50:20.45\00:50:26.69
out there who make it possible
for us to provide a safe haven
00:50:26.72\00:50:31.03
for our students where we can
see those miracles happen. What
00:50:31.06\00:50:34.70
was the other
part of the question?
00:50:34.73\00:50:37.70
The greatest
need for your school.
00:50:37.73\00:50:39.07
The greatest need for our school
is prayer. Please, please get on
00:50:39.10\00:50:44.91
your knees, get on your knees
out there and pray for each one
00:50:44.94\00:50:49.14
of our students. Give me a call.
I can tell you stories, I can
00:50:49.18\00:50:54.68
give you specific names. You can
look at our web page. You can
00:50:54.72\00:50:57.65
look at our newsletter and
along with that is the continued
00:50:57.69\00:51:09.80
funding for our school. We
cannot do it without people like
00:51:09.83\00:51:15.07
you. It's not possible. Thank
you so much once again for the
00:51:15.10\00:51:22.24
funding that amazing people
are providing and again the most
00:51:22.28\00:51:29.58
important thing is pray that our
students realize how crucial it
00:51:29.62\00:51:35.22
is that they accept
Jesus as their friend.
00:51:35.26\00:51:39.19
Amen, amen. Well time is about
to run out. Be right back. See
00:51:39.23\00:51:43.90
how you can participate in
helping, donating. Here's how
00:51:43.93\00:51:48.17
you can do so.
00:51:48.20\00:51:49.74
If you would like more
information about this ministry
00:51:49.77\00:51:53.88
you can write to them
at Holbrook Indian School,
00:51:53.91\00:51:57.15
2001 McLaws Rd.
Holbrook, AZ 86025. You can call
00:51:57.18\00:52:10.96
(928) 524-6845. Email them
at Principal@hissda.org or visit
00:52:10.99\00:52:25.37
them online at
HolbrookIndianSchool.org
00:52:25.41\00:52:31.01