Dear Matt,
Thanks so much for your letter. I am so glad that you are not sick anymore, and I hope that you will stay well and also safe. We have been praying for that and for the members to help you find people to teach. Have you found anyone? I hope so. Wow, Matt. You know that when you almost miss the hot Mexican weather, you have been in Mexico too long, ha ha. I am glad that you no longer take air pressure and drainage for granted. Maybe you will become an engineer some day, ha ha.
Today is Sunday and may I say, what a week. Monday was Labor day, and Thomas had to labor, ha ha. He is now done with the water park for the year. Dad went to work at Wash Hut, and Miriam, Katrina, and I went out to do a little shopping. We didn’t buy anything, and our trip was uneventful. Later on, when we had all gotten back from our various pursuits, we did something together as a family, but I cannot remember what it was. I hope it was fun, ha ha!
Tuesday I worked on doing a monthly inventory of what food and household items we needed. After dinner on Tuesday, Thomas had Young Men. They were meeting at the church to go rapelling, so Dad and I drove him to the church. I have no idea why we didn’t have him walk (probably because he was a bit late), but I wish we had, because after we dropped him off and said “hi” to the leaders and everything, I went to back out of the parking space, and we heard a loud “wham!” hit the side of the van, and then Thomas and the other boys were yelling “get off, gett off!” I figured I’d run over someone’s foot, which I had, so I drove forward a bit, we stopped the car and got out. Daniel was laying on the ground, moaning. He had been walking backward and had hit into the side of the van. I’m still not sure how his foot got under the wheel, he must have turned around before I ran over it. Anyway, Daniel’s dad is one of the leaders, so he was there, and between our dad and Daniel’s dad and the other leader, they tested the foot and decided it probably wasn’t broken. It was hard to see Daniel in pain like that. He was pretty brave, though. They had Daniel walk around a bit, and then his Dad took him home.
I called their house a little later, and the first time, no one was home. Daniel’s mom is a nurse and I was afraid that she’d found out that it may be broken after all and had taken him to the emergency room. I called again, later, and the phone was busy. When I went to call the third time, I was interrupted by a knock at the door, and there was Daniel’s mom and sister, whom I visiting teach, with beautiful roses in a vase for me. Can you believe how compassionate, Matt? They stopped to think about how I may have felt after running Daniel’s foot over and had come to comfort me. They smiled and hugged and reassured. Matt, I don’t know if I've ever felt so blessed in my whole life. Their love and example mean the world to me. I want to be like them. I am still so touched that they would think to do that. It is what the Savior would have done, I know it.
The next day, when Thomas and I went to check on Daniel and bring him a couple of candy bars, he came to the door using a cane, and with a smile. Daniel worships the ground Thomas walks on and was thrilled to get a visit from him. He told us that he’d gone to school (without the cane), survived just fine, and even walked home. He was barefoot, and I could see no bruising or swelling. Matt, if you had asked me about Daniel's before this all happened, I’d tell you the same thing I tell you now, they are some of the sweetest, most humble and kind people I know, and this experience has just served to drive home the point. I am humbled to know people like them, and I am so glad that their boy was not hurt any worse. I know Heavenly Father was blessing them, and I feel very unworthy to have been blessed so much, myself.
Wednesday was Katrina’s birthday, and she was pretty excited because she’d bought a comforter with her birthday money sometime last month and wasn’t allowed to use it on her bed until today. She was so excited to try it in her new bedroom with her new chair. It looks beautiful, by the way. On Sunday Thomas and Miriam had given her a throw pillow for her new bed, and that looks awesome, too. I delivered cupcakes to her before lunch so that she could share them with her friends, but I didn’t need to since one of her friends had baked some for her. Still, in a lunchroom full of kids, you can never have too many cupcakes, right? She also got birthday cards from Cassandra and Grandma, so in all, I think it was a good birthday for her.
On Wednesday morning I had a job interview. I, once again, realized something that I could do better in an interview and that was to find out as much as I could about the job and tailor my interview to the needs of that job. Matt, you may say, “Duh, everyone knows that,” and I guess I did, too, but knowing and doing are two different things since I am never quite sure how to get more info on a job.
But this time, Dad was familiar with the job and is good friends with the teacher I would be working under, so I called him and asked him to tell me everything he could about the job. Dad was really excited about this job and told me I would love working there. Instead of telling me much about the job, Dad gave me the phone number of an associate who’d worked in the same program for years, and that good man told me a ton about the nature of the job.
In the interview I concentrated the skills and understanding I possess that would make me good for the job. When I finished interviewing, I still thought of things I could have said better, but I felt better about how I’d done than ever before.
Wednesday afternoon, I got a call from the district head of the special ed. Department telling me that I didn’t get the district job I applied for last week. He said, however, that he had recommended me for the job I’d just interviewed for that morning. That meant so much to me! I had interviewed and interviewed, and interviewed, and until then had no idea how I was doing, and I appreciated getting that feedback, although I knew that a recommendation did not mean a job.
Thursday morning I got the job! I asked them when they wanted me to start, and they basically wanted me immediately. After I got off the phone, I dropped to my knees, scared to death. After praying, I showered, dressed, went down to the district office to fill out papers, drove to the high school, got there at 10:00, and began my day. It’s such a nice high school, Matt. You should see the kids in the halls, no PDA or bullying, respectful attitudes towards adults, and an unbelievable amount of kindness to the students I work with. I think all high schools around here are like that, although I’m sure that they also have problems, some of which I’m sure to discover as time goes by.
So, what is this job that I’ve been hired to do? It is five days a week, from 8 till 1:45. I am working as a technician in a class for moderately physically and mentally challenged students. Our goal is to teach them reading, math, social skills, and basically help them have a happy and positive high school experience. We also take them out in the community to teach them life skills. They are such sweet students, although sometimes they struggle. As a tech I help teach them, take them to lunch, drive them to places, and support the teacher. I liked the teacher when I interviewed, and now I like her even more. I also like the other aids that work there. Mainstream-peer tutor students come in to help the kids, and are an amazing group. I have thoroughly enjoyed my first two days at this job.
Matt, I feel very blessed to get such a job. I feel like Heavenly Father’s hand was in it as I blundered and learned through all those interviews. Another thing that makes me know His hand was in it was that I apparently applied for a different job at the high school than the one I got—a very demanding job and Dad knows a lady who’s been transferred there who cries every night because it is so physically and emotionally demanding and exhausting. I knew all about the job from Dad and thought I had steered clear of it and applied for this one, but I did just the opposite. Luckily the man from the district office recommended me for the one I got, so they pulled my application and interviewed me for it. I hope that all made sense, Matt. The gist is that I know Heavenly Father answered my prayers. I also know that no job is perfect, ha ha. I hope I can do a good job for them.
Thursday night, Dad went to Thomas’s game. They were ahead at the end and let Thomas play. He made a tackle and we are so happy about that. The girls and I bought baby outfits for Preston’s new little sister and delivered them. We had lots of fun being together.
Friday after work I put away some of the monthly shopping that had been left out when I had to go to work on Friday and I slept. That evening Dad and Thomas went out on an outing, Miriam went to a college dance with her friend and coworker, Brooke, and Katrina went to the laundry to wash some clothes. After we got the laundry in the washers, we went out to eat for supper, and afterward we dried and folded. On the way home, we bought ice cream which Dad and I shared when he and Thomas got home around 9:00. Miriam seems to have had a fun night with her friend, so I think everyone was happy.
Saturday, Dad and Thomas went on another outing out in the boonies and I did lots of house cleaning. When I Dad and Thomas got back, Thomas went to a birthday party and the rest of us went to a movie. It was Despicable Me 2, and I thought it was sweet and funny.
Katrina started throwing up around bed time and kept throwing up through the night. Dad gave her a blessing around 1:30, and later around 3:00, I thought to do a search on the internet to see how to stop dry heaving (throwing up when there’s no food in your stomach), and I found out that Dramamine, a motion sickness medicine, inhibits the vomiting reflex. I can’t remember anyone in the family ever taking Dramamine, but I said a prayer that we had some, went to the bathroom cupboard and dumped out the medicine container. Close to the bottom, there it was. I crushed it between two spoons and had Katrina lick a finger, pick up some powder and eat it over and over slowly till it was gone. She was fine the rest of the night and hasn’t thrown up since. I know it was a result of the blessing Dad gave her and prayer.
This morning I was supposed to go to the assisted living home and give a lesson, but I began to feel sick while writing this letter. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to give the lesson, so I said a lot of prayers and sucked on lots of Pepto Bismol. I was able to give the lesson just fine, with lots of silent prayers, but after that, I was pretty much toast and wasn’t able to go to church. Katrina and I laid here and watched Peter Pan, etc. Now we are watching Little Women. Katrina started feeling better and I was able to sleep off and on between stomach pain. I never threw up and now feel much better which is how I can write this letter. I feel guilty for staying home from church, ha ha, but not really because I felt awful. I have every hope that I will be able to work tomorrow. Katrina, however, seems flushed and bleary-eyed like she has a fever and she gets hot and cold and has a headache. Weirdly, she’s not hot to the touch--maybe because she has wet hair from a bath. I’m pretty sure she has a fever. I hope she can go to school tomorrow, and so does she.
Tonight I think we are going to watch a CES fireside talk given by Elder Nelson, and I look forward to that. In the meantime, Dad and Thomas are going to home teach the Jewels. Wow, I’m not as “better” as I thought. I probably should ask Dad for a blessing when he gets home.
Well, Matt, this was our week. I want to get today because who knows how the morning will go. Thank you for being an obedient missionary and for seeking the spirit. I know that Heavenly Father is blessing you. Please don’t get discouraged, Matt. You are exactly where you are supposed to be and are doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing. I love you with all my heart.
Love,
Mom
