Yesterday, I received the Rio Report. It's basically a news letter for the alumni of Rio Lindo Adventist Academy. It keeps the alumni up to speed on what's happening on campus, when Alumni Weekend will be and who the honor classes are, tidbits from alumni on what they have been up to, and, sadly, a section called "At Rest".
As I looked over the "At Rest" page, a few names jumped out at me. One of my fellow classmates passed this last September and a few of the faculty that were at Rio during my time had passed during this last year as well. One name in particular started the tears flowing. Florence Boodt-Adams. She was the Dean of Women during my two years at Rio and she was a great influence in my life.
Mrs. Boodt taught me a lot of things. Two of which are to be careful what I asked God for and that God has a sense of humor. During one of our evening worships she told us a bit of her story. How her husband had left her and their daughter; how she had always wanted a large family; how she cried to God, asking Him to give her the large family she had always dreamed of. She explained that God did answer her, even though it was not the answer she had been seeking. He put her at Rio and made her "mother" to a dorm full of girls.
Mrs. Boodt was fun on road trips and weekend outings. I was in Speech & Drama class for the last half of my Junior year and all of my Senior year. Both years, we had a couple of spiritual dramas that we did. We would go on day trips to schools and perform. We would go on weekend tours. This usually meant wolfing down a homecooked meal and performing at the Friday night vespers for one church. We would spend the night, then get up early the next morning and hotfoot it to the next place to perform for the church service, wolf down some food at a potluck, and then hightail it out to a third church for a Sundown worship service. The worst part was mingling with everyone after the performance. Mrs. Boodt always told us to mingle. She was teaching us how to graciously accept compliments on our performances without getting big headed. I think the best tour, by far, was when we got to go to my home town, Las Vegas, Nevada.
We left Rio, located three miles outside of Healdsburg, California, at 1am on a Friday morning. We arrived in Bakersfield, California at around 7:30am. We set up at the Bakersfield Adventist Academy and performed our play for their 8:15am worship assembly. We hit the road again at around 11am, making a few stops along the way and arriving in Las Vegas at about 5:30pm. We stayed at Las Vegas Junior Academy, sleeping in the classrooms. We put the entire weekend program together, from Friday night vespers to Sabbath afternoon's Drama performance. Mrs. Boodt let us make the descisions, guiding us here and there. She was teaching us to be leaders and how not to be afraid to step up to the plate.
Mrs. Boodt was quite a prankster, as well. The Las Vegas Tour, she and some of my classmates, participated in a "Chinese Firedrill". At a stop light on Flamingo Road. Where it intersects with the Strip. Yeah, I know. You're smiling aren't you...At the Albion Bible conference, she would help the girls pull capers on the boys. One April Fool's day, she opened her office door to find that person or persons unknown had taken spools of thread (how many spools is unknown to this day), weaving back and forth from the back of the office to the door so that the only way to get into the room was to literally cut your way to the desk. Mrs. Boodt laughed; she thought it was hilarious. She taught me that pulling capers and a sense of humor will keep you young.
She was a very supportive person, too. She encouraged us to study and challenge our beliefs in order to confirm them. When a group of us started prayer bands, she gave us a thumbs up. I remember a group of us, 11 in all, would get together and study the Bible and other spiritual writings. We would discuss and debate what we read. We decided that we wanted to have a spiritual retreat during a long weekend and one of our number invited us to his house for the weekend. Mrs. Boodt was one of the invitees. We planned out an itenerary, which included a Friday night communion service. It was simple, yet so meaningful. There were 12 of us around the table. That night, I understood communion in a whole new way and Mrs. Boodt was part of that.
I learned so much from her. In the years since my Rio days, I have acted in and directed several spiritual dramas, I've led out in Pathfinders, Juniors, Youth, and Young Adults. I've used a lot of what she taught me. I was so blessed to have her in my life for a season.
I wish I had sent her a note to telling her what she meant to me. How much I appreciate what she taught me and that I consider her to be a mentor during that time.
She is now resting in Jesus until He returns. After we get to heaven and things settle down, I plan on having her over to my mansion so I can thank her properly for being my "Mom away from home" for two years.
Is there someone in your life (or several someones) that has been a mentor to you? Why not shoot them an e-mail or snail-mail a card to thank them. You won't regret it.
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