Knowing very few peoplein town, I tried to imagine who might have volunteered me for this.

Realizing the
lady was waiting for an answer, I replied, "Let me thinkabout it and call you back."I returned to my
unpacking, but my mind was busy going over all thereasons I couldn't be a mentor. I wasn't even a parent,
so how couldI work with kids. I wouldn't know what to do. I don't really have thetime. What if the child
didn't like me? My list of excuses (uh, I meanreasons) was growing by the minute and I…show more
content…

Sarah We moved to a small town where my husband was assigned as aminister to a local congregation. I
was unpacking one day when thephone rang. A voice on the other end said, "Your name was given tome
as a possibility for a mentor in our school."

Sarah knew that I was a pastor's wife, but I did bring up matters offaith with her as I didn't feel that was my
role with her in that setting.As we grew more comfortable with each other, she would occasionallymention
church, but nothing deeper. Sarah surprised me one day by greeting me with, "Can I call you onthe phone
sometime?" I was pleased she felt that safe with me andagreed she could call once a week. When she did
call, there wouldbe a period of silence and then I'd hear, "Hi," followed by more silence.

After some discussion about how to have a telephone conversation,she began to be more at ease on the
phone and would sometimeschat with me as if we were girlfriends. The staff at school couldn'tbelieve she
was calling me and sharing herself so freely. Sarah and I began our relationship when she was in the fourth
gradeand continued till she was in high school. We moved at that time,but I still got the occasional phone
call from her to fill me in on whatwas happening. One day I received a very special call from Sarah.