Dexter's Going on a Mission

Those of you on Facebook have already seen all of this unfold, but it's nice to recap anyway. Dexter's mission call arrived Wednesday and a flurry of phone calls and text messages commenced. Our dear friend, Linda, was so excited that she offered to go retrieve Dexter from Arizona as long as Dwayne would help with the driving. They left Wednesday evening and arrived in Ft. Defiance after 1:00 am.  A few hours later, they were on their way again, stopping in Shiprock so Linda could visit with a friend. Dexter walked into our house around 3:25 pm and the crowds started gathering for the big announcement.

I've realized how blessed they were on this little road trip.  Just minutes after they left Provo and got past Spanish Fork, there was a big accident that shut down the entire south-bound side of the freeway. They would have been stuck there for a long time if they had left later.  I really didn't think they would turn around so quickly to come back to Provo, but it turned out to be a very good thing that they did.  About two hours after they got home, a serious semi collision involving a fuel truck closed down US6 from Spanish Fork to Price. If they had left Ft. Defiance two hours later, they wouldn't have been able to get back to Provo tonight (the road is still closed).

We had cell phones calling a variety of friends and family members so they could listen in as Dexter read his mission call.  What I learned from this experience is that unless you hold the phone really close to the person speaking, it doesn't pick up much sound. Several of us had to repeat the information before ending the phone calls.  I've seen videos of people jumping up and down and getting all excited when they find out where they are going and I honestly expected that from Dexter.  He was awfully low-key while reading the letter and I started to wonder if he was disappointed when he read "McAllen, Texas" for his mission. He was probably just in shock overall.  His face lit up when he got to the part where he read that he would be preaching the gospel in Spanish. I had my heart set on him learning a new language and I think he felt the same way.  There was a lot more cheering for that announcement. 

Dexter will be reporting to the MTC on May 9th. For those of you who don't know, rules for the MTC have changed dramatically recently. All family/friend goodbyes need to be done before bringing the missionary to the MTC. The movie and talks they used to do for the missionaries and their families is a thing of the past. Now you just drive them up, let them out with their luggage, and drive away.  You only have five minutes to unload them and they don't want you lingering to take photos. It makes for an easier transition for the missionaries, but I'll admit that I miss the bigger event.  I'm so glad that I got to experience it with Bill, Rick, and Sharon.

There is an impressive booklet of information that Dexter and I are going through. It gives the details of what to bring and what not to bring as well as all the things he needs to take care of in the next 7 weeks. I plan on getting a blog up that will be dedicated to Dexter's mission. It will have the details on what he needs to get as far as clothing, equipment, etc. as well as his progress and addresses for him on his mission and at the MTC. Our goal is to post his letters to us on that blog so everyone can share in the experience. I've enjoyed following other missionaries who have set it up that way.

Thank you all for everything you've done for Dexter and for us during this process.  We have benefited from your prayers along the way. Dexter is really excited about the conversations he has had with family members and close friends and is very grateful for the offers of support. Even though we live in Mormon country, we often feel like fish out of water since much of this is very foreign to us. Emerson and I have never been there to see someone open their mission call before. The process of getting the paperwork in and preparing for the mission itself is all new - partly because the process itself has changed over the years and partly because I never saw my brothers or sister go through it. We have felt a lot of opposition so far and I believe strong efforts have been made to try to prevent Dexter from serving this mission. The support we received is almost overwhelming with the Bishop assuring us things would work out and my best friend advising me to tell Dexter not to let my job loss interfere with his preparation. Many, many friends have told us that we will receive blessings while Dexter is out serving his mission and I definitely look forward to it. Jobs, vehicles, illnesses, and other obstacles have pushed us to the edge. We are ready for it to settle down.

I have a job!

Today I was offered a job working the with National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society's Utah-Southern Idaho Chapter. I will be the Fundraising Coordinator and they want me to start work on March 20.  The pay matched what I was making at Heritage, but that won't cover what it will cost for commuting to the Salt Lake City area. I tried asking for more and they checked to see what they could do. There wasn't any more room in the budget. I accepted the job anyway. It's better than what unemployment pays and I really need to get working again.  The cost of the health insurance was a real shocker. To have family coverage, it will cost $850 a month. I don't know yet what it would cost to add dental insurance.

I'm trying to be happy about the new job. I love that I will be helping to combat MS and I will have an opportunity to supervise people and gain more skills I need to move up. The financial squeeze scares me, but I grateful to have a job. The pain of losing the job at Heritage still lingers. Getting a new job when you're leaving a job you hate is easy to celebrate. Getting a new job when you didn't want to leave the job you had feels awkward. I'm hoping that I will be so busy that I put Heritage behind me quickly. It could just be that I am overly sensitive to feeling like I belong or I'm wanted. I don't know that there's any way they could convince me that the decision to let me go wasn't personal and they weren't trying to get rid of me. Nobody has called me to beg for my help or to say how much I am missed at Heritage. I talked to a friend who was laid off shortly after I was and she has already heard about former coworkers trashing her now that she's gone. That's one of my big fears and I've had a lot of nightmares about Heritage, my former boss, and their perceptions of me.

Once I start working, I'm sure I'll start to feel better. I'm so grateful for every person who supported me and offered prayers on my behalf. I couldn't have made it through without your help and faith.

I might have a job....maybe

Time for another quick update...
Dexter is still in Arizona with his grandma. He might get his crowns for his teeth this week and he's still hoping to get his driver's license. He fluctuates between having a good day and being bored to tears. From what I heard today, he finally took a shower and the water heater broke.

We got our truck back again. It still won't pass emissions and the mechanic says we need to drive it about 100 miles so the sensors will be reset. We're really hoping it works this time. Having both vehicles sure does make things easier on all of us.

Emerson's enjoying his school's success. We watched Lone Peak High School win the 5A state basketball championship this last weekend. It's been a great year with championships in football and basketball this year. The majority of the basketball team also played on the football team - very talented boys! Emerson has been asked to be part of the football coaching staff and there are already football camps he will be going with them to this month.

And back to the title of this post...I've been riding the emotional roller coaster and today was no different.  I heard from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's Utah chapter and they had a few more questions for me. They wanted to know if I was up to commuting and if I was considering other jobs. Ironically, those were the very things troubling my mind at the moment. I really do want this job. The cause is dear to my heart and it's the type of work I love. There are two other jobs I've applied for that are closer to home and I would love just as much or more. I hate commuting, but I hate being unemployed even more. I also can't count on anything happening with those other jobs and I don't dare risk losing a great job to the slim possibility that one of those other jobs works out.  They have moved me along in the job application process now and have to do my background check before they can even mention a job offer. Interestingly, I received an email from their HR office with the authorization form for the background check as well as a request to fill out an online employment application. I originally applied through the Career Builder website and they have conducted a phone interview and an interview in person. Then I answered questions for an additional scenario they posed via email and I found out they called Heritage for references for last week. Then this latest phone call with questions and NOW they want me to fill out an employment application? Just weird!  I'm guessing I will hear something by the end of the week.