Home Teacher Heroes

I was making a comment to Dandelion Mama about how I relied on HT's when I realized that I never told those stories here.

Home Teachers are assigned to each family in the ward. You can find out more about the role of home teachers here.

I've had to rely on my home teachers many times throughout the years, especially when Mr. Wonderful was out of town, usually in the form of giving blessings to my sick children. One night is was for something much more.....well, more Hollywood stuntman worthy.

It was midnight when I heard calls for help. Secondborn (who was 10 at the time) was in the bathroom. Some how the doorknob on the bathroom broke and he couldn't open the door. I was unclear if he had locked the door before it broke.

I called Mr. Wonderful, who was out of town. He tried to walk us through taking the doorknob off the door. It wasn't rocket science, I know, but that doorknob would not come off. We tried sliding tools under the door for Secondborn. Nope. Firstborn joked that Secondborn would have to live in the bathroom. At least there was running water and we could slide sandwiches and crackers under the door. He could sleep in the bathtub. Secondborn began to panic with thoughts of eternal porcelain detention.

I broke down and called my Home Teacher around 1 a.m. I didn't want to call so late. But this is what Home Teachers are for - they help whenever it's needed. One of my home teachers arrived with his wife. I know she was there there to preserve the propriety of his coming over so early in the morning without my husband there. But Home Teacher also claimed that his wife had mad skills of opening doors with credit cards. She tried to demonstrate on our bathroom door. Mad skills obviously weren't going to help. Home Teacher's wife then locked the bedroom door to prove her mad skills and repair her reputation of being able to break in anywhere.

Home teacher took up the tools and worked on door knob. He tried to talk Secondborn through removing the door hinges. After an hour of futility, he asked permission to do the only thing he had left in his talent arsenal. He told Secondborn to climb in the tub and cover his head.

Mr. Blackbelt kicked down the door.

Applause and cheering all around. My boys were swooning with hero worship. Thirdborn yelled "This is better than ninjas!" I was floored. Somehow the door was still intact (although on the floor) and only minor damage to the door frame. Secondborn was so relieved to be released from the bathroom.

We thanked our home teacher and his wife profusely as they left. I finally tucked the kids in bed. The next day we made fresh orange rolls to take to our home teacher. Their house was quiet, we assumed they were still sleeping and left the basket on the porch with a thank you note.

Ever since, home teachers have retained a hero status in our home. God bless the home teachers.


PS: Go to Dandelion Mama's site. She sells the cutest quilting patterns on Etsy. And she draws and paints. She is one of those creative artsy people I wish I could be. One of these days I would love to meet her in person and give her a hug.