Send-Off Celebration

Don and I attended a party celebrating my retirement yesterday at Lisa and Ken Knoll's in Landers. We had a great time. It was a cookout/pot luck. Great company!! The Knoll's opened their home to all the staff and their families. Don and I even played a game of ping-pong together. He was winning at 22 to 4 (his favor), but I concluded that I had ping-pong potential!!

It has been my blessing to have worked with wonderful, good people at Landers Elementary School. Some time ago it occured to me that Landers is a place I've grown-up. Over the past 12 years, I've become a part of the Landers Elementary School Family. I've learned so much about myself and how to be a better teacher. I am confident that our Heavenly Father is mindful of and loves the children at Landers. And He loves those of us who have served those dear little children. I have felt His strength and support so many times!! May He continue to bless the work and efforts of my dear friends there.

I was given some sweet gifts! Several people prepared a scrapbook page and compiled them into a really lovely book. It is a treasure! Little bits of personal experiences gathered up. It really is sweet!!

Debbie Turner, a former principal, friend and mentor who helped me see "opportunities for growth" instead of problems, gave me a lovely lap quilt to take to Mongolia. It's great - red, white and blue, stars and stripes, Americana! She chose it so I'd remember from whence I come. Don and I will be sharing it on cold Mongolian mornings as we have companion study. Debbie told me that when she went into the quilt shop, after finding just the right quilt, she took it to the counter and told the lady there that it was for someone who would be serving a mission to Mongolia. The lady thought that was lovely and asked if she could put our names in her prayer book, which Debbie gave her. So this will be our prayer quilt. It will remind me that prayers are being offered in our behalf - and there can be no greater blessing than that!

Mary Wilson, our school psychologist and my dear friend, hand knitted a wool cap and scarf which will keep me wrapped in warmth and love. What a thoughtful, kind gift!! Mary won't be serving Landers next year being reassigned schools. It has been a pleasure working with Mary, who made sure we had fresh cookies every Tuesday. And she never brought the same kind in twice I don't believe.

The staff gave us money to buy winter coats - real winter coats. I haven't had a real winter coat since my first mission to British Columbia 33 years ago. All I took out with me to BC was a short dress jacket and nearly froze to death! (You'd think a girl from Colorado and Utah would have more sense than that!!) But the Lord knew I was cold and He set a woman in my path and touched her heart to give me her coat. It was a full length, wool coat with a hood. I lived in that coat for the rest of my mission! And memories of that incident have crossed my mind a zillion times since, reminding me that the Lord is mindful of our every need. So now, I'm being provided, once again, with "rainment" (Matthew 6:24-34) from people who love me and want me to be warm. I am so blessed!!

"Grandma Willis," (aka Carolyn Willis) serves as the kindergarten instructional assistant, gave me a wonderful large, and I mean LARGE bag with a "travel kit" inside of incidentals needed for travel, including our own can of nuts for our 19-hour plane ride to Mongolia (since they don't give you nuts in flights anymore). The bag is what I'm excited to have. Lightweight but big enough to carry my American quilt in when we travel in taxis in Darkhan, Mongolia! The couple we are replacing told us they carry a lap blanket with them wherever they go. I'm so glad to have this thoughtful gift.

So many sweet friends and associates! Many hugs and encouraging words! As we drove away Don put it simply, "Very nice. Very nice!"