The Tabahonzo Miracle

The Tabahonzo Miracle

By Walt Stone

Elder Kim and I were walking on the second farm road in Shiprock, New Mexico.  Our pickup was back at our apartment.  A big black dog came charging towards us, barking. 

“Don’t worry,” said Elder Kim. “He’s friendly.”

The dog jumped up on Elder Kim, stretching his length to five or six feet.  Like I said, this was a big dog.  Not too far behind the dog came a little, old Navajo man dressed in jeans, a rough coat with a sheep’s wool collar and a greasy flattened ball cap with the logo warn out.  He had on his work clothes.  His boots were scuffed and well worn.

“Ya’at’eeh ashiikeh,” he said in Navajo.  “Hello boys.”

“Hi Brother Tabahonzo; this is my new companion, Elder Stone.”

“Oo’ ya’at’eeh Elder Tse; Yes, hello Elder Stone,” he replied with a little grin.  We exchanged handshakes in the soft-gripped manner of this very polite people. Good thing Elder Kim had taught me not to grab to tightly.

Elder Kim then went on to tell Eugene Tabahonzo, a 70ish Navajo man, that I had taken the place of Elder Novak who had been transferred and that I was from northern Utah.  They met Eugene a few times when they were out trackting on the several farm roads west of Shiprock. But they had not yet been to his home.  The homes in the area were able to take advantage of the San Juan River, allowing them to irrigate their small gardens and farms.  The Tabahonzos grew a few vegetables, squash, watermelons, and corn in their modest garden.  Elder Kim and Elder Novak had not succeeded in being asked to come into his home which was a frame home with the stucco painted turquoise with white trim; nicer than most.  They had exchanged only a few words of greeting.

But today, Eugene seemed to want to talk, almost as if he had sought us out.  He told us about his family.  Most of his children were raised but he had a teenage daughter, Eugenia, at home and some of the older children were relying heavily upon Eugene and his wife to provide child care and most of their meals.  Eugene was concerned for his family.  How would they do after he was gone? How would his dear wife manage?  What chance did Eugenia have to make a life for herself without her aging parents becoming a burden?

The subject of religion came up.  Brother Tabahonzo said that it would “take a miracle” for him to ever join a church.  “I am an atheist,” he said.  Elder Kim reached into his backpack and produced a soft-bound, blue Book of Mormon.  “This is your miracle,” he said.

Brother Tabahonzo chuckled.  “You think so?  The Book of Mormon…hmmm…I’ve seen one of these before…hmmm….oh yes, I remember, when I was a young boy, a cowboy at the ranch where I worked gave me his beat up copy.  He had told me to read it.  I never got around to it at the time. That was 50 or 60 years ago.  Maybe today is the day I give it a try!” We chatted about a few more things before making an appointment to come back and see him.

The big black dog greeted us again when we returned in a few days.  It was later in the evening after dinner time.  Brother Tabahonzo came to the door giving us a quick “Ya’at’eeh” but instead of inviting us in, he ushered us to a small trailer home adjacent to the main house.  He said it was his “office,” but then confessed that his wife and daughter were not happy about him meeting with the missionaries. 

“My wife is pretty mad at me,” he said, “we will have to meet out here for a while.”  That little while went on for several weeks.  Soon, Eugenia began coming to the trailer, although she remained out of sight in the kitchen.  Eugene had read the entire Book of Mormon after just a few days.  He was very literate and wanted more.  We gave him the Doctrine and Covenants and gave him a steady dose of the discussions.  He prayed about what he was reading and learning and found his “miracle” really was the Book of Mormon.  We challenged him to baptism and things seemed to be progressing towards that end.

But then he announced one day that he could not see us anymore.  “My wife will leave me if I join the church…she can’t understand what I’m doing…our family seems to be falling apart…my children are on their mom’s side, there’s been lots of troubl.”   Elder Kim and I sat stunned for several minutes in the living room of his trailer.  Eugene was crying softly.  Elder Kim and I mixed our tears with his.  

Then a miracle happened.  Elder raised his head and said, “Brother Tabahonzo, I don’t think all of your family is against you.  Would it be alright if we asked Eugenia to join us?  I know she has been listening to us the past weeks.”  Brother Tabahonzo nodded.

“Eugenia, would you come in please,” Elder Kim said politely. No answer came. “Eugenia, your dad would like you to come out here for a minute.”  Eugenia came around the door of the kitchen and peered into the room.  She was crying too!  “Dad, don’t worry about Mom.  She won’t leave you.  She loves you.  I love you.  I will talk to her,” said Eugenia.

“Eugenia, how do you feel about the things we have been teaching your father?” Elder Kim asked.

More tears came from Eugenia as she looked at us and said, “I know it’s true!  Dad, I want to be baptized too!

As Elder Kim and I walked to our pick-up truck that night, accompanied part way by the big black dog, we felt the love of the Savior and our Heavenly Father.  In about a week we went back.  This time we were invited into the main house.  We met Sister Tabahonzo and she greeted us warmly, calling us “shiyaazh, my sons.”  Within a few weeks a baptismal service was held for Eugene, his wife, and Eugenia.  The entire family attended.  It was truly a “marvelous work and wonder.”