By Dedrick McCord, Navajo Nation Site Director, from Community United Methodist Church of Pacific Palisades
Driving into Tsaile at night left me in my hotel room as impressionless as when I had woken up that morning in Los Angeles. I had spent the previous six hours driving with a recent Tsaile Site Director, Pascal Domicone, and his excitement never waivered for a moment. He told me about the beauty I had to look forward to, but when we got there the Red Rock Forest was covered completely in darkness.
The next day, the first stop we made was Canyon de Chelly. Huge, flat cliffs spanning for miles on end. There were no sounds there other than us, it was like nature was there just for us to experience it. Our second stop led us towards the Chapter Houses. Within minutes on the road the red rock mountains started coming into view. White capped from the last snowfall and sparkling with the reflection of the sun. It was difficult to stop staring long enough to go inside the building.
While at the Tsaile/Wheatfields Chapter we came into contact with a man named Silver. He was a family member of our contact at the chapter and meeting him was an incredible blessing. He told us about his graduate education studying tribal law and his effort to become fluent in the Navajo language. Silver led us around Tsaile helping us to understand the place my staff and I would be staying. He is excited to help us bring a truly powerful program to the SSP program in Tsaile this year.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to have seen Tsaile already and allow my excitement for this summer to come even earlier this year. I can’t wait to experience it again with all my new friends and family this coming June!
Editor’s Note: There are still some space is still available in Tsaile and all other sites. If your youth group is going to Youth 2015 or doing something else this summer, you can still go to SSP! Learn about our Individual Youth Program.