Celebrate
As I'm writing this right after we got back from "K-Town," I can say that this was the best trip ever!
Looking back through all the experience and taking a trip down the memory lane, there's a song that kept playing in my head. It's called CELEBRATE. — It is one of the song we taught the kids during story time.
Not just because of it's catchy tune, but the word CELEBRATE resonate highly with me and the whole experience we had while on mission in the Hopi reservation. This song became our anthem for this trip, a narration through the whole journey.
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It all started with an invitation from the late Pastor A (read the story here).
What we thought to be an invitation to work with the youths in sports and craft camps turned out to be a greater than our wildest imagination. An invitation to a party, celebrating our saviour and all his marvelous creations.
New things are always exciting, but not without it's own set of challenges.
From Pastor A's passing, to logistical details being the first team ever to a Hopi reservation, to personality differences among team members, losing a couple team members (and gaining another) during the process, and countless of other spiritual battles along the way.
All in all, we celebrate that after over a decade working with the Navajo, — and despite thinking the door was very closed-off up until seven months prior . . . here we are, back from our first trip to the Hopi with all the memories and a lot of exciting things to celebrate for.
Let's get the party started!
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Kykotsmovi, AZ
Locally known as K-Town, it is the official capital of Hopi Reservation, where a sovereign nation of tribal government governing the Hopi tribe and their tribal land in Northeastern Arizona.
The town itself comprised of a tribal government building, a few business offices, a couple of radio stations, a grocery shop with a gas station right in front of it, all in one main street spanned no more than a mile long (or two).
Just a few minutes drive from the city center is the school where we held our sports and crafts camp.
Right next to the “town” is the village, known as Kykostmovi Village.
This is one of several traditional Hopi villages.
Photography and any form of recording is prohibited in Hopi villages, only permissible in the common area such as the major highways and designated tourist area known as the cultural center.
As we weren't sure what's permissible and what not, and took the err side of caution in limiting our liberty. Doing that out of respect of the people we're serving here. After all, it's never about us.
Whilst we didn't actually start our journey in K-Town, I started with a little intro of K-Town, because that's all we know before we get there.
Photography and any form of recording is prohibited in Hopi villages, only permissible in the common area such as the major highways and designated tourist area known as the cultural center.
As we weren't sure what's permissible and what not, and took the err side of caution in limiting our liberty. Doing that out of respect of the people we're serving here. After all, it's never about us.
Whilst we didn't actually start our journey in K-Town, I started with a little intro of K-Town, because that's all we know before we get there.
That, and the cultural center.
Unlike the Navajo, there were very little information on the Hopi and their reservation. It wasn't until we get there we uncover more and more about the Hopi, their culture, their way of life, their history as all those slowly unfold before our eyes day by day.
Stay tuned for next posts as we unfold those stories for you!
Stay tuned for next posts as we unfold those stories for you!
