Navajo Lutheran Mission Board President Ron Augustson: Your help is needed to improve education standards for Navajo children and bring buildings up to code

NELM Needs Your Help! Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission in Rock Point, AZ needs your help to bring its buildings up to state standards, purchase computers, improve education for Navajo youth and to possibly partner with Arizona Charter Schools NELM Board President  Ron Augustson An important message from Navajo Lutheran Misson Board President Ron Augustson: Dear Friends The Navajo Mission is alive and well, and through God's good graces, we continue to implement the goals of our mission statement: Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission House of  Prayer NELM, rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and in partnership with the Navajo, is a community seeking to recognize and help meet the educational, health, social, and spiritual needs of the Navajo People  You will be pleased to know that we began living into this vision through the re-birth of the health clinic, and the calling of an ordained pastor for the House of Prayer. Since the early spring, our energy and resources have been directed to re-vitalizing our school to better meet the educational needs of the Navajo children here at Rock Point.  Students enjoy attending NELM The NELM is implementing major improvements in the quality of the education we will be offering our students, starting this Fall semester (August, 2010). These improvements have evolved from recommendations from the educational advisory committee formed by Executive Director Lynn Hubbard, and by partnering with the local Navajo Community.  To accomplish these goals, we've hired a new principal, a part-time education coordinator, and committed the school to the Core Knowledge curriculum. We have also implemented a program for teacher certification, and discussed partnering with other Charter Schools in Arizona, with the goal of becoming our own Charter School in the near future. NELM must purchase new buses As you can imagine, the principal and teachers are currently working hard to give the school a new look by the first day of school in August. However, WE MUST MEET STATE INSPECTION STANDARDS in order to continue to provide a safe environment in which to educate our children! We MUST buy newer buses ($150,000) we have no choice.  This past winter, we had at least five “mud days”, due to the inability of our buses to transport our children. We also MUST bring our buildings up to code with proper fire alarms, asbestos inspections and other safety concerns. Finally, teacher training for certification and adding computer lines to all classrooms for effective on-line access to educational resources are imperative ($100,000).  Your participation is absolutely necessary to make these improvements happen. Many of you are already full partners and participants in the NELM by virtue of your generous donations of time, money, and prayers, and for that we are truly grateful.  This year, however, we have a special challenge. We are working to raise an additional $250,000 by the end of the year. This money will be used to buy new buses and underwrite much needed improvements to our school. Whether by individual donations, through congregational giving, or signing up for the AZ tax credit program, I encourage you to consider a generous contribution to the ministry of our Mission. We believe that the improvements needed at our school are long overdue! The Navajo children here in Rock Point deserve quality education that prepares them for a bright future—this means bringing our building up to code, getting certified teachers and buses that don't break down. Without your support, and the support of like minded churches and organizations throughout the ELCA, our ministry here would simply not be possible. So, on behalf of the Mission, and the children of Rock Point, let me express our sincere and warmest thanks. May God Bless, Ron Augustson The Navajo Lutheran Mission in Rock Point, AZ is a busy place Rev Dr. Lynn Hubbard and Rev. Deborah-Haffner Hubbard NELM Executive Director          House of Prayer Pastor