Spiritual feast and Missionary update!

We had our Othello Stake Conference this weekend and they were wonderful meetings. Past history proves that, for us, the Saturday night adult meetings are most enjoyable and "the best" meetings. We attend them knowing that the messages will be awesome, the spirit will be strong, and we will come away greatly blessed for having been there. This time was no different. Saturday night meeting was among the best. Then we attended the Sunday session and found it to be very much it's equal. Both meetings were wonderful and we came away having been spiritually edified.

As I sat in the congregation for the Saturday meeting I remembered that it was a year ago that I was asked to speak. I remembered standing at the pulpit and seeing all these people in the congregation, some I knew well, some I was acquainted with, some that were familiar faces, and only a few that were unfamiliar. I felt so responsible to share something of worth and to testify of the gospel principle I was assigned and I felt so nervous while doing so. It seemed to be a scary place to stand. As the first speaker stood there this year, I felt her "pain". Then as I was revisiting my feelings of standing there a year ago, with what seemed almost as a clear view of the congregation before me and the nervous feeling ever present, a calming feeling and thought came to me. It was this -

"We may not all eat dinner at the same table but we do all feast upon the same words."

It was interesting that this calmed me. I guess it helped me realize that though we are not all immediate blood relatives and living together in the same home, accepting each others faults as well as their successes, we do all gather together to hear His word and to learn of Christ and what we must do to find our greatest joy here on earth and forever after. We are one family. Most are even members of His church, but all are His children. We are brothers and sisters of a divine family and each is striving for the blessings that come to those that do good and follow Him.

We had some great messages to help us do just that. I am grateful for these meetings and others like them. I look forward to General Conference on Easter weekend - perfect timing for it.

After a great family luncheon and some home teaching to an awesome family/friend we came home to some emails from Skyler and Michael. Both are doing well.

Elder Michael Hebdon is serving in Kumamoto. He was in a foursome, meaning that 2 sets of elders live in the same apartment. There was a recent transfer where three of those four were transferred, Michael was the only one remaining, with only two other elders brought in. These three elders are to do the work of two companionships. He enjoyed the first set of elders and shared some great experiences with them, even learned that one of them has grandparents living in Longview, just like him. Upon further investigation, we found that their grandparents know each other. What a small world. He is equally pleased with his new companions and has met a missionary couple that lived near Connell - their son worked for us for a short time. The world seems even smaller. He is meeting some great people and is anxious to teach and testify of Christ. We are so pleased with his desire and willingness to serve. I'll share one line from his email this week that seems to be a feeling we sense from him often.

"Well, I'm still super excited about this transfer! I think that it's going to be awesome and full of miracles."

He is certainly heading in the right direction for these miracles to appear. We love you Michael, keep up the good work!

Skyler is still at BYU-I and he is definitely in the college scene. He too has met several people from neighboring cities, even rivals of our football team, but still friends because of the gospel connection (it's that one big happy family feeling). He has only a month and a half left of this semester and will head home to help out with the farm and the family while we are away for the transplant (at least if the timing goes as we assume it might).

All in All - this weekend has once again made me realize how grateful I am for a loving Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ. I love Them and I am so thankful to be a part of something so great. I feel Their love and I know They care about me and my family... They care about you and your family.... I find great peace and joy in living the gospel and striving to center my life on His teachings. In the fall General Conference President Monson shared something in his closing remarks that fits so well here. He reminded us that,
"He is ever mindful of us. He loves us and will bless us as we do what is right."