JEAN'S POST FOR THIS WEEK

Thank you all for the messages on my being on here for six years.  It doesn't seem that long and I am glad to do what I can.  Michael says I should do posts more often and he is right.

As I said a while back, we have a new young lady in our home.  Her name is Margaret.  She is 16 years old.  The reason she came to us is the couple that had the Foster Home she was in had to retire do to health problems, so she came to our home.

When she first came, I got a note from the previous Foster Home parents asking me to see if I could get her to enjoy life.  I didn't know what they ment.  Now I do.

Margaret has been in several Foster Homes as Thomas was when he came here.  She dresses as we do and attends our services.  Her plans are to join the Old Order Mennonites.  Margaret is a quiet person.  Is always willing to help others and works much harder than she should.  She does not feel very highly about her self.

To give an example of what I am trying to say is - in our home we all work together- but we also have good times together.  We all had our work done and were going to an auction.  Margaret felt she should stay home and clean the house.  The house is already clean.  At the auction, I tried to introduce her to ladies of her age.  She does not speak much.  Susan came to me and told me Margaret wanted to buy something at the auction.  I told Susan to tell her she could have it.  Susan said she is to afraid to buy it.  I asked her why.  She is afraid David or I would get angry.  I went to see what she wanted to buy and it was sewing items in a box.  I told Margaret to buy it.  She said, we wouldn't get angry.  I asked if she will use what she is buying.  She said yes.  Then I said buy it - which she did.  When we got home, we explained that we don't angry very often, but when we do, we do not yell, scream, hit, etc.  We discuss.

She is a great cook,  Fantastic sewer.  Can clean the house better than I can.  She can find dirt that I didn't see.  Hard farm worker.  Enjoys watching the little ones from time to time.  I explain to her she has chores and work to do - but she is not our servant.  I think somewhere she was treated like a servant, though.

Michael and Edward have tried to get her to go to meeting house young folks activities and she doesn't go.  We thought maybe she would rather go with another girl her age, so one of our neighbors daughters tried to get her to go, but she wouldn't go.  Margaret told us, she would never marry because no one would want her.  We said, the way she works and looks, people would love her.

Bishop Joseph and Martha have welcomed her into our religious family.  Martha told her about when she joined our people.  They also introduced her to her family and had her for dinner.  We are all trying to get her to think higher of herself.  I now understand the note I received from the Foster Family.  

I showed her what I was going to put in here about her and asked her permission.  She gave me her  permission but thought no one would be interested in her.

Marilyn sure enjoyed going to the African Violet show with Anna, Dottie and myself.  We all had a great time.  She told us, she has used the tea pot and cup that Anna cleaned up.

Thomas and Ruth are wishing this rain would stop so we could start building their new house.  Every time we plan to start - it rains.  Edward is wishing it would stop raining to as when Thomas and Ruth move out of his Grandmother's house - he moves in.  He is planning all sorts of changes, which David told him to wait on when he gets it.  Changes cost money.  He better save up for the taxes first.

Michael is still working on machine repairs.  Someone asked him to put siding on his house.  When he asked David for information, David sent him to Elmer as that is more Elmer's work.  David has helped Elmer putting siding on houses - but Elmer has done it a  lot longer that he has.  So Michael and Elmer are going to put the siding on this house together.  Elmer is going to teach him what he needs to know.  Michael thinks a house is to big for one man to do alone.  Elmer said the first house you do alone always is.

School is letting out pretty soon.  It is hard to believe that the school is over - it seems like it just started.  They are planning for the picnic and ball game - but don't know how this rain will go.

Be With God,
Jean