The Defining Decade

     Another year in Holbrook has gone by and time is sure flying. As I continue to focus on the reason I am here (which I believe is to draw very close to God and learn to be independent while serving great children in the process), I seek to learn more about how to do these things. One recent discovery of mine has been boundless.org. This website is run by Focus on the Family and is geared directly toward young Christian singles. It's great, as there are articles to read about living a joyful life in Christ while being single, finances, spiritual growth, and many other topics. There are also radio sessions available discussing similar topics. Last night I discovered the radio session entitled, "The Defining Decade", which has set up a whirlwind of thoughts in my mind.
     Throughout the show, Meg Jay discusses the significance of your 20s. So many think of this decade as a time to decide who you will be in the future. However, Meg states that that theory is completely wrong! This is not just a decade to decide, but rather a decade to actually become who you will be. She discusses how habits set now can be easily maintained throughout the rest of your life. She writes of the serious decisions we need to make at this point in our lives and how, habits formed in your 20s will be easier than at any other point in life. She spoke of practical ways to grow, pursue your career, build relationships, and draw near to God. She then asked a question that hit me hard: "If you continue life the way you are going, will you be happy in three years?"
     I fell asleep last night thinking about that question. I actually came to a peace in the process. I was thinking of all the things I am doing right now, and truly believe that I am setting good habits as a 25 year old, which will benefit me throughout the rest of my life. As I cleaned my apartment today, I focused on the modem and realized that a mere year ago I didn't even know what a modem was! My dad had to travel to Best Buy with me to show me what they were! How pathetic. But- this shows growth, so I guess I'm proud of my modem.
     Anyways, those are my random thoughts on this stormy Friday afternoon, as I pray that the electricity will stay on. 
     

Living and Learning

     It's been a while since I last posted here in my blog, and this one will be brief, due to time constraints. However, I've been living my life here in the small town of 5,000 people, Holbrook. I moved from Sun Valley to Holbrook two months ago and joined the Holbrook Unified School District team. This was the best decision I could have made. Despite the fact that I did not get to move to my favorite place, the mountains of Colorado, I am enjoying every bit of my time here. AND- the benefit is that I get to go to Colorado quite frequently. I traveled to Durango a few weeks ago and will be in Denver, CO over the next three weeks.
     Holbrook has been great in many aspects. First of all, I'm all fully cared for as far as good pay, medical benefits (including dental and vision), paid leave (10 days), and retirement goes. I was also blessed with a beautiful two-bedroom apartment, newly tiled. I'm at peace here, and life is slow. I get a little anxious when I live a slow life, but it is just what I need.
     My mentor at school has been teaching me SOOOO much! I've learned classroom management of 22 six-year olds, templates, words mats, objectives, 100% engagement, etc. She came in unexpectedly last week and then sent me an e-mail stating that I have "withitness". This is because, as I walked around the room, she caught me correctly many things, such as the way a child held his pencil. Then, shortly after my principal came in to observe (she just comes- never announces) and wrote down that I had 100% engagement! She told my mentor that I was ON IT! It is so encouraging to get these compliments from professionals, especially as I am the youngest staff member, by several years!
      My classes for my Masters in Early Childhood Education have begun. My professor at NAU has been working with me, and it's so neat to communicate with other teachers through my class in different parts of the country. One of my group partners actually teaches first grade as well, where my parents live in Queen Creek! What a small world.
     A parent volunteer at my school wanted us to make a class scarecrow and submit it in the Navajo County Fair. It took a while and she put a lot of effort into it. BUT WE WON FIRST PLACE! You can see pictures on my facebook page. This scarecrow is now permanently  in my classroom.
     Life in a small town is fun. I ordered my first bountiful basket, which is a basket of SURPRISE fruits and vegetables! They come every other week and are so fun. I'm very excited as I figure out what to do with collards and 15 limes! I found a lime dessert online I might try, and red that you can wrap sandwiches in collard leaves instead of bread. This will be a fun week of lunches!
     Church is going well, as we just began our women's bible study. We are studying the book of Nehemiah and I wanted to quote a bit of Kelly Minter's bible study. She is a young Christian singer (probably in her thirties) who lives in Tennessee. This bit of her study really encouraged me. Here goes:

"As I think about Nehemiah's response to opposition, I think of my desperate need for God in all areas of my life. I don't write a lot about my singleness, at least not in the sense of it being and incomplete stage of life, or worse yet, a nonmedical disease. (Plus, it tends to set off a frantic alarm clock in women who suddenly have an unruly urge to set me up with their son, cousin, or uncle they haven't seen in 15 years, but who really loves the Lord. I write in love.) But in the last few months I have become very aware of how much I take care of myself.

My dream was never to do life without someone committed to walking alongside me until death do us part. I have friends who are as tight as family. My life is filled to the brim with joy and adventure, but only a man can fill the roll of a man in my life. Some days I wake up and say, 'Lord, be my husband, my father, my brother,' even though I have the best father and brother ever, they just don't live close enough to mow my lawn. I long for the faith of Nehemiah who looked the opposition in the eye and said, 'I've got God.' And by the way, He trumps everything."

     I completely relate with Kelly. My choice to live in Holbrook has pretty much eliminated any possibility of another boyfriend, or husband. But right now, I'm okay with that. My life is fun! I'm continuing in my Zumba classes, love my bible study, love my job, love continuing in my education online, travel frequently, enjoy my cute cat Luna, and am meeting new friends in Holbrook.

     I also relate to her when she speaks of taking care of herself. My toilet broke the other day and I learned all the parts of a toilet on the computer, and even fixed it!! (Sort of.) Let's just say it works for now. I even just figured out how to put new windshield wiper fluid in my new car, and picked out new tires by myself! Who knew there was so much to know about a tire! (I knew a lot about my CR-V, but had to start all over when I got my fit.) It is a small step, but I'm learning.

     Overall, I am doing well. I know this ended up not being that brief, but I type fast. I love this stage in my life and am going to drink it up while I can! :)

Something New

     After six weeks of summer involving traveling all the way up to Vancouver, B.C. and being a bridesmaid in two weddings, I have finally resettled in Holbrook. I must say, I am very happy. If you've read my blogs on a fairly regular basis, you would know that the decision to stay in Holbrook was very difficult to make. I struggle with the desire to have a busy social life, which is not too easy in a town of 5,000. There are not many people my age here, especially men. But, in the mere week I've been back, my life has already turned out to be wonderful.
     I was welcomed back into Holbrook by four friends (two being the pastor and his wife) who offered to help move me in. The process went so quickly as we unloaded the smallest U-Haul available. I often look at my belonging and think to myself that I have WAY too much junk. However, when I can fit all my belongings in a 10-foot U-Haul, I think I'm okay. Saturday through Thursday my parents were here assisting me with moving in. Prior to the trip up here, I made my first visit to IKEA. There, I purchased a bar table and a black tv wall unit. It's perfect, with many modern shelves on which to arrange my trinkets. My dad assisted me in assembling these pieces, as well as getting my internet modem and cable set up.
     Being in this apartment is more than I could have asked for. Over the summer, my landlord called informing me that the renovated unit had become available. It's nearly 700 square feet, which is almost twice the size of my previous place! This apartment has a new refrigerator, central air conditioning/heating, a full-size stove, two bedrooms, and a bathroom with a BATHTUB! I've unloaded everything I own and still have multiple empty shelves and spaces around this place! It's crazy. I love having so much space. Luna (my year-old teenage cat) is adjusting very well. She enjoys having her own room (the only thing I have in there is my desk) and spends the majority of the day watching the world out the living room window. The window faces the courtyard of grass, followed by the fence and road. I'm within walking distance to Safeway, and I even got to ride my bike to Zumba the other night instead of driving!
     I've had two days of training this week so far. I've also had the opportunity to begin working on my classroom. I would say I'm about a third of the way done, and a week and a half out from school starting! My hallway bulletin board is currently in progress. The heading is "Ms. Matheny's First Grade All Stars" and I'm creating an individual baseball card for each student, placed on a star as the background. I plan to photograph each student holding a baseball bat on the first day to complete the card.
     The first grade teaching team at Park Elementary is incredible! There are five of us in all and the other four ladies are incredibly supportive. One even spent a couple hours with my in my classroom helping me sort through my belongings. We met together for a few hours yesterday and completed our general lesson plans through September. These women are on top of it and I am so excited to learn from them and improve as a teacher!
     This morning was the perfect Saturday morning. First of all, Luna and I fell asleep to a thunderstorm last night, which was very relaxing. We woke up to sunshine and a blue sky. Unfortunately, she thinks that sunshine means it is time for me to get up. Therefore, she's been waking me up at around 5:00 every morning. It's okay though, as I will be waking at that time on a regular basis very soon. I spent a while this morning catching up on the news while sipping my espresso and enjoying my multi-grain bagel with strawberry cream cheese. When 8:45 rolled around, I headed to the Holbrook pool where I met my Zumba class for an hour of aqua Zumba! When the class was complete, we remained at the pool for another 45 minutes. We spent the time jumping off the diving board and soaking in the jacuzzi while catching up. One of the ladies in my class is pregnant and we were discussing some plans for her baby shower. While talking to her during class, I found out she lives about half a block away from me. Crazy.
     The remainder of the day was spent working in my classroom. My co-worker had her 3-year old daughter at the school with her while she worked. It was so cute because her daughter asked if she could play in my room. So, for about an hour as I worked, this adorable little girl played with tangrams and colored in my classroom. When it came time to hang up the fabric on the bulletin board, she even helped me hold it.
     Upon my arrival at home, I ate some dinner and soaked in the tub, a luxury I have missed over the past two years. It is such a blessing to be in this apartment and to have the support team I have here in Holbrook. I've already had a couple of friends stop by to visit this week and it is very exciting to get to see everyone again.
     Tomorrow consists of church, followed by the monthly potluck. I'm meeting with a friend for breakfast on Monday, followed by training Tues-Fri. I just found out today that the Holbrook pool opens Mon-Fri at 5:00 am for lap swim/ water aerobics. I'm going to try that out on Monday and see how it goes. It's definitely refreshing to begin the day with a dip in the water.
     The next week and a half are going to be busy as I continue to get ready for the new year, but I do think much good is in store for me here as I am continuously learning and maturing each day I travel through life.

Just Fine

                As previously stated, I have been offered a contract with Holbrook to fill a first grade teaching position. However, I’ve been very hesitant to sign the contract without a guaranteed place to live. So, after much frustration and many tears, my mom came up to help.

                We spent Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoon checking out the papers, searching on Craigs list, looking through Zillow, and driving around town checking out “For Rent” signs. However, no place that we drove past felt safe. One house we found was three bedroom, two bath and we figured that I could just block off half the house I didn’t need. We went back to this house twice, as the neighbor showed us around. A huge negative of this situation, however, is that the landlords live in Phoenix and would not be easy access in an emergency.

                I found a guesthouse available on Craigslist Wednesday and e-mailed the owner. I did not receive a response by Thursday afternoon and decided to drive past the listed address just to get an idea of what it looked like. So we drove past and saw a high school girl pulling into the driveway. I asked her if the guesthouse was still available and, being very helpful, she said yes and called her dad (a highway patrol man) to receive permission to show us around the inside. They have several dogs on their property (one that works with the dad as a police dog). I felt very safe being on that land. She made the phone call and, with regret, informed us that her father said it was rented out yesterday. AH! I’m so fed up with this place! I just want to feel safe, especially as I’m by myself!  That’s when she pointed us across the street to a set of apartments and said, “You should check out that place. My high school teacher lives there.”

                I looked across the street and noticed that that was the building we had been avoiding. Some locals who had been helping us out with the house hunt informed us that the landlord wasn’t that great. But, we drove over there anyways. As we were pulling up, a mid-aged woman pulled up beside us. I, without fear, rolled down my window and asked her if she lived there. She said yes and I asked for a little information on the complex, as there was a “For Rent” sign out front. She looked at me and asked, “Oh! Would you like to just come in and check out my place?” She was so friendly and reassuring. As my mom and I walked into her beautiful, clean apartment we were in awe! This is exactly what I need! The living room was large, there were two bedrooms, a full bathroom, and a kitchen with a stove (which I haven’t had in a couple years). The apartments all rested around a courtyard of grass (which I haven’t had either!). I loved it! That was when I decided to call the landlord. He informed me that he was out walking his dogs and could meet me on Friday.

                As I was finishing up my phone conversation, a young girl (around my age) pulled up and began walking in with her bags. She was a teacher. I knew it. We stopped and chatted for a while. It turns out that she was in the same situation I was in a year ago. She came from Washington and refused to sign the contract without a place to live. Her mom came with her and they drove up and down the streets. She was so irritated when eventually she found this complex. She told me she teaches third grade and plans to stay in the complex another year. It was interesting because she even told me that the complex is filled with teachers who hang out together and that she wouldn’t live anywhere else. In fact, she is dating a guy in the complex. She even informed me that as she pulled up, she saw me on the phone and knew I was a teacher. I asked her about the “bad landlord” thing I’ve heard and she said that he gets upset if you don’t pay your rent on time. Well- obviously! I would too! So I knocked that accusation out the window.

                Friday rolled around and I met with the landlord. He was super nice! In fact, he is a high school teacher and coach at Holbrook High. He showed me the available place and I felt comfortable right away. It was the same layout as the other apartment we had seen, but flipped. One of the rooms would be perfect for my office, as I work on teaching and earning my masters. There was central air conditioning and heating, as well as plenty of storage and a nice refrigerator. He would even allow me a cat. I’m so relieved and offered to take the place right away. After some discussion, he agreed to fix up  a few things in the apartment as preparation for move in, and agreed to allow my lease to start in July! Such a blessing! I wrote him a check for the deposit and walked away relieved.

                I’m so grateful that this place opened up for me. It is absolutely PERFECT and I can definitely see myself being there for at least a couple of years. I’m excited to be living in a complex with teachers around my age, and to begin working with the wonderful people I’ve met in Holbrook so far. God has provided a place for me and I’m going to be just fine. That’s all I needed to know.

A Turn In Life

                Wow! What a turn my life has taken! My time serving as a teacher at Sun Valley Indian School has been a challenging, yet educational and growing experience for me over the past two years…and it’s nearly over! School officially concludes next Wednesday with promotion, and I will be packing up and heading to the valley over the following weekend.

                I have spent the past three months searching and applying for various teaching jobs in the Denver area, as I hoped to move closer to the beautiful Rocky Mountains. In March, the superintendent of Holbrook Unified School District e-mailed me about some openings and encouraged me to apply. I have worked with him off and on throughout the year and decided to apply and see where things took me from there. Well, over Spring Break one of the principals called and asked for an interview. After three interviews and approval by the board, I was offered a contract as a first grade teacher in Holbrook for next year. Having not heard much from Denver, besides one Christian school which isn’t hiring early childhood teachers for next year, I prayed about the decision, spoke to many Christian teachers at Calvary Chapel about the district and school, and began to feel at peace with staying in Holbrook.

                So- in my apartment lies the contract. I will be signing and returning it at some point this week. One major blessing is that the superintendent is going to count my two years at Sun Valley on the pay scale, which I did not anticipate since it is a private school.

                Another huge event in my recent life is that I have been in contact with a grad school academic advisor at NAU. I’m discussing the possibility of beginning my Masters in the fall. I hope to do this VERY slowly- only taking one class at a time (9 hours a year)- allowing me to complete my Masters in four years. She thinks this is a good plan and I will send in my application for that as well this week. I would like to begin my Masters for a few reasons: (1) I am VERY behind in professional development hours, which I need to renew my teaching certificate next July. These online classes count as professional development. (2) Being in a small town so close to NAU, this would be a perfect opportunity to work towards it. (3) I would really like to learn more about early childhood development and education. I would be working towards my Masters of Education in Early Childhood.

                This past week I officially made the decision to sell my Honda CR-V. I am very connected to this vehicle, as it has been a part of my life since the 5^th grade. However, since I bought my Honda Fit, I cannot afford, nor do I have the time and knowledge to maintain, two vehicles. I sent out an e-mail to our staff, and got a response the same day. A teacher who is moving is very serious about purchasing the vehicle and it will be signed over to him next week. I’m bitter-sweet about this, but am grateful that God is providing financially in this way.

                The only part of next year that is not quite lined up is housing. My options are very limited in a small town. However, I have found a few places in the paper, through a realtor, and on craigs list. Being overwhelmed, my mom is coming up tomorrow to help me check out different areas, and my dad will be up here the following week. It seems that half of Holbrook (aka several people at my church and zumba classes) are keeping their eyes open for me. I’m excited in advance for the ways in which God will provide.

                Overall, this has been a very eventful past few weeks. I’m not going to end up where I hoped, but for now this position is a blessing. I already know several teachers at my school through church, and the principal and superintendent are both very supportive. This will be a great opportunity to take a few years, grow as a teacher through experience and mentorship, and acquire a higher degree. Plus, thinking positively, I made a trip to Durango a few weekends ago for a race, and didn’t realize how close it is to me! A four hour drive to the beautiful mountains of Colorado will be an easy weekend getaway throughout the year.

                Even though I stress, cry, and feel overwhelmed and that my life is out of control, I know that God has me and my life in His hands and He will provide. With my family living so much closer than before, the transition should not be as difficult. I will have multiple opportunities to head up to my favorite mountains, or down to the valley, where I can spend the weekend nights sitting in the Jacuzzi relaxing. I will also have multiple opportunities for professional development up here in Northern Arizona, and to grow in my relationships with the people of Holbrook.

                This summer will be an opportunity to be rejuvenated and refreshed in order to begin this new position in July. I will be a bridesmaid in two weddings this summer, my family will be taking a road trip up to the northwest and into Vancouver, and my family is backpacking the Grand Canyon for three days. I’m looking forward to this vacation, but I am also looking with anticipation towards becoming a part of the Holbrook team. Crazy, huh? I know. But I am excited about serving the people of this small town. J

The Last Four Weeks

                Just as a heads up, this posting will take you all over the place, so hold on.

The end of April is upon us, as we all begin to make decisions about next year. With only four full weeks of school left, I have come to the conclusion that I am not going to return to Sun Valley Indian School next year. This decision was made not based upon the people at the school, but upon the fact that I feel the need to further my career as an educator. I feel that God may be leading me to the public school system, but that path is not quite confirmed yet. Wherever I end up working next year, I know that my time at Sun Valley Indian School will never be regretted. This school has taught me patience, perseverance, and independence. I know that at this point in my life, God has equipped me with the skills to live on my own, and I am very glad.

                We have four and a half more weeks in this school year. Next week will consist of the TerraNova test. It’s really neat actually, as we are encouraged to test in the morning and do “fun activities” together in the afternoon. My class voted and we have agreed to spend our afternoons this week painting pots, planting summer flowers, making puppy chow, playing board games, watching “The Jungle Book”, and painting birdhouses. I love spending time with my kids, encouraging them to grow in maturity and in the Lord.

                I had a very interesting experience last week with my boy. A first grader ran up to me after recess and tattled on him yelling, “Ms. Matheny! He said f*** you to me!” Then, in quick defense, my boy shouted, “NO! I DID NOT!” I said, “Sweetie. Do not lie to me. I’ve heard that you have said that word several times in the dorm and I do not doubt that you just used it again.” He then told the truth and admitted to using the f*** word. I pulled out my sentence writing paper, as he would owe me bible verses during his recess times, due to his dirty mouth. He seemed very casual and not caring about it. This really irritated me! I pulled him aside and had a conversation with him about why he should NEVER use this word. I asked him if he knew what the f*** word meant, and he shook his head. We then had a conversation about it and I informed him that if he keeps using it, people will believe that he is a dirty boy with a dirty mouth. I explained that people, including adults, will look down upon him and not see him as the bright, kind boy that he is. It was actually an incredible conversation. He seemed very convicted as soon as he discovered just how nasty that word is, and he, without a fight, spent the rest of his recess times writing me 30 bible verses. I think that one of the problems with foul language these days is that children hear the words, but do not know the origins. They do not understand just how offensive the words are and how unintelligent those words make them sound. I just pray that he realizes that, despite how many adults or other children in his life use these disgusting words, they are not appropriate for his mouth, the mouth of a child of God.

                Last week was Spring Break. I spent the week down in the valley at my parent’s new place. It’s really comforting knowing that my parents now live just a few hours from me, in a house that they actually own. Due to being in the military for 26 years, this is the first house purchase that my parents have ever made. Their home is quite large and fancy, with two floors, three bathrooms, three bedrooms, a loft, and a huge kitchen. Just down the street is a community park, pool (with Jacuzzi!), and golf course. The week was spent sorting through childhood memories and high school items packed away nearly five years ago. I found various items I had forgotten about, including my air soft gun, kung fu uniform, cheerleading letter, ballet shoes, Barbies, and Polly Pockets. Whenever I go through old items from storage, it’s as if I’m opening a time capsule, and I roll my eyes thinking about things I took joy in several years back. But, nonetheless, it was fun and somewhat relaxing.

                Now that I am back on board for this final month, I am planning my upcoming travels. Next weekend a couple of my friends and I are heading up to Durango, where we will run in the Pueblo-to-Pueblo 10K (Tammy is running the 11 miler!), go camping for two nights, chill in the downtown area of Durango, and hike as much of Engineer Peak as we can manage! I’m very excited. In May a friend and I are planning on scrambling up Mount Humphreys. The beginning of June brings about Jenn’s wedding (which I will be a bridesmaid in). The day after her wedding, my parents and I will take off on a northwest adventure, spending time in San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Victoria, Boise, Salt Lake City, and Vegas. Upon our return, we will then spend three days backpacking the Grand Canyon. The beginning of July brings about my brother’s wedding in Denver (which I will also be a bridesmaid in). I will then return to Denver two weeks later for a second reception.

                I love being a teacher, and I am looking forward to the next four weeks of school. However, I am also very appreciative that as a teacher, I get two months off in summer! This will be the first summer I have not worked in 10 years, and I am planning on fully enjoying it!

And a little P.S…

                There are so many points in my life when I want to just sit down and cry. I wonder why things are happening the way they are. I wonder why I am at the point in my life that I am. Then I look at my friends and my family. I look at Bethany in Phoenix, who took time out of her busy life to meet up with me three times during Spring Break. I look at Jenn in Flagstaff who allowed me to spend the entire weekend (as she so often does), crashing at her house. I look at my brother who sent me a weird picture of his future dog (a little thing) with a giant bone he bought her, knowing that even in the funny things of life, he includes me. I think of Amanda (Kurtis’ fiancé) who took time out of her trip to New York to send me a picture text of a chocolate martini (my favorite!) on the menu just to let me know she was thinking of me at that moment. It’s just really neat to see that, despite me current location, or even my future locations, I have friends and family who are awesome! Even here in Holbrook there are so many people who care. If I miss a Zumba class, my instructor texts me to see how I’m doing. In church this morning, several individuals inquired about my absences over the past couple of weeks. People say hello to me at the grocery store and even the guy at Taco Bell (I have random cravings for chicken burritos) has become a regular in my life. It’s just so neat to watch the world around me as I grow each day. It’s cool to see the way that connections are made and the little joys of every day. I love that three people knocked on my door today. I really have no point to the conclusion of this blog but to use it as a reminder throughout those times when I want to cry, that I need to keep pressing on. I write often and many of the things I write are so personal that they are never actually posted as a blog. I use these writings to remind myself of the way I really think in times when I’m disoriented. I use these writings as a way to remember the reasons in which I made certain decisions, and the way that I felt at certain moments. That is all.

That Dream

It’s been several months since I last posted in this blog. I think that is partially due to the fact that so much has happened, I don’t even know where to begin. So I don’t. However, the time has come when I need to sum up the past few months in order to move on.

My New Year’s resolution for 2012 was to spend time every single day in the Word. I have struggled with this throughout my life. I would go through periods in which I would dive deep into the Word, keep a journal, and pray consistently. Then there have been the other times. You know, the times when you fall asleep with your Bible on your bed after reading one sentence? I would be so exhausted that I would just quit. During those periods, I have felt distant from God and knew that something serious was lacking in my life. It’s like people who never exercise. Ever! They know they should. They understand that in order to keep their bodies healthy and strong, they need to work out. But they don’t. They tell their friends all about how they need to start going to the gym. They joke about it, in order to brush off some of the guilt. However, despite how many times they beat around the bush, the fact of the matter is that the only solution is to ACTUALLY EXERCISE- to set a routine. I did this, beginning in January. I made it a spiritual discipline to wake up every day between 5:15 and 5:45 (depending on when I get to bed) and read the Bible, along with a commentary series I am going through. Yes, that time is early, and it is very difficult sometimes. But my motivation is that the moment my alarm clock goes off, the coffee pot clicks on. I hear the sizzle and I begin to smell the brew.

I bring up this discipline I have maintained because through this discipline, I have been able to stand strong. I began the year with twelve registered students in my class. I had six second graders and six third graders. This may seem like a low number, but it was actually high considering we are a boarding school. By the time Christmas rolled around, I had seven, one second grader and six third graders. They were a great bunch! We all traveled to Williams and rode on the Polar Express, followed by pizza in Flagstaff. We read multiple books together and cruised through multiplication. My class was even blessed with the privilege of being the flock of sheep in the Christmas Pageant! They were awesome and so cute! I was even once told that I looked like a mother hen with all her chicks following.

Then a student left.

This was fine. She had good reasons. She and her two siblings went back to live with mom. At such a young age, it is difficult for little ones to live away from home. Christmas came and passed, and my class was reunited in January.

Then two more girls left within the same week.

Wow. That hurt. I was not even allowed to know why one of them left. It was as if it was some big secret. Nobody would tell me! One morning the dorm parents just said to me, “She’s gone.” I’m like WHAT!? I still have no idea why she left and it is so frustrating. With the other, I was told that mom wanted her home.

A few weeks passed and one more got pulled, as her sister was asked to leave.

Then a month passed and another student left. I’m glad this one left. I love her and wish she were here forever, but for personal home reasons, she had to go, and I’m glad because she went to a better place.

The following week one of them came back. I was so excited! That lasted two weeks. Then she got pulled again.

If you weren’t able to keep track, I am now down to two. Yes, two! It’s not even a typical classroom environment anymore, but rather a homeschooling environment. In the beginning of all this drama, I began to think that it was me. But as I look through each case, they were all due to home situations (except for one- which I have no clue). I have improved significantly over the past two years in my teaching. I feel that I am a way better teacher this year, yet last year I maintained ten students for the majority of it.

Though I could sit back and get depressed (which I’m not going to lie, I do sometimes), I need to think of the bigger picture. As mentioned earlier, my daily time with God has equipped me to handle this situation. His Word has taught me to stay strong, and not to be selfish. Throughout this time, I have been reminded that Jesus had twelve disciples- TWELVE! I may have two students, but those two students are important. I am able to spend an incredible amount of time with each of them. We can move faster through our curriculum. We can go on more field trips- as we recently visited the Navajo Zoo and will be at Meteor Crater next week. I need to remember that these two students are very special.

Monday I had a work day. One student was stuck in Flagstaff due to the snow storm, and the other was stuck in Phoenix for the same reason. My boy finally made it back today and he was my only student. During Bible, I pulled a chair up next to his desk and we began reading some of the parables that Jesus told. This was what I had planned- to study the parables this week. However, throughout our time of reading, he kept flipping back to Revelation and asking questions about the end times. Someone once told me that if anyone has questions about God, to cancel whatever plans I had, and focus on that individual, as matters of eternity are far more important than anything on this earth. So, that’s what I did. I scratched the whole parable lesson, flipped to Revelation, and we spent the next 45 minutes quickly reading through that book. I brought up all the important points I could think of, and we finally got to the end of the story, when Jesus wins, with his army behind him, and the New Jerusalem is here! He was so excited! He asked if he could fight in God’s army in heaven. This is really cool, because I have only found four things he is extremely interested in: joining the United States Army, chickens, tornadoes, and the Bible. He was able to combine two of his interests this morning. It was so neat to be able to share with him as the neat things John had revealed to him!

Yesterday, I received an e-mail from one of our staff. It was a forwarded message from a Christian soldier serving in Afghanistan. He had taken the time out of his schedule serving to write my boy. He told him all about joining the army, studying hard, and being a soldier who knows the difference between right and wrong. He even concluded the letter by writing, "Remember that soldiers only fight to defend those who aren't strong enough to defend themselves." It was so incredible! We made a whole book out of it. I got my boy all the information I could about the army, including pictures. We packed them all in a binder and he's been hauling it with him. This has given him a hope for his future, which is rare with these kids. It's given him a reason to study and stay in school. I am so proud of him!

Please pray for the Navajo people. Pray for the kids who have no stability. One girl  asked me last Friday as she was being pulled out for the third time in the two years I have been here, “Ms. Matheny, why does this keep happening?” My heart broke. What do I tell a 9-year old when I don’t even understand? Pray for stability, and a desire to be planted in their hearts to be everything they can be. My boy wants to serve in the Army! I encourage him in that dream nearly every day. Pray that he does not lose that dream. That none of them lose their dreams.