Soak navy beans at least an hour prior to cooking. Do this by placing the two bags of navy beans in a large bowl and cover with water about an inch over the top line of the beans.
Dice onion and bell pepper. Place oil in pot and place the diced onion and bell pepper in the pot. Brown them for around 10 minutes.
Dice the cubed ham as well. Once the onions and bell peppers have browned, add the ham and brown for another 5 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, water, and navy beans to the pot. Stir.
Slice the carrots and celery. These should be sliced into 1/4 inch pieces. Add to the pot.
Add your seasonings to the pot..
Place on a medium heat and cook for around 2.5 hours. You can cook this longer depending on if your beans are soft. At the end to make this a little more creamy, take around 1/4 cup of beans and mush them. Add them back to the pot and cook another 10-15 minutes.