Twenty-five and Counting!

Dear family and dear friends—

Happy 25 to “mi amor y yo--” my love and I--(this is a treasured Spanish nickname of endearment—especially for spouse--Sister Duarte, our Honduranian friend explained to me that her husband is “mis cielos” or “my Heavens”--this could be why my companion is so tall!)

Twenty-five years ago, 

we walked together through doors to entered beautiful stone walls of a more than 100 year old Logan Utah temple—where my parents, grandparents, sister and daughter chose to be married.

 
Now, as then, we appreciate parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, and friends who help us celebrate and work daily to remember that some things last.    A quarter of a century and more!!

Since then, we have had amazing adventures with friends near and far...

loving seven children, and watching more light be welcomed to our circle!

And then MORE and more!!

Saturday, this week, one of our sweet students, wife to a counselor in our branch presidency, drove with me to Turlock and spent two hours inputting names of her parents, grandparents, and great grandparents into FamilySearch.  With this information she was able to print out seven cards to bring with us to the temple on our upcoming monthly temple trip to the Sacramento temple. 

As her temple recommend had expired, she found time to speak with our branch president Sunday and then drive again to Turlock and have this confirmed with our new Stake Presidency, at least one of whom served a Spanish speaking mission.  The change of Turlock Stake Presidency included a visit from a seventy, Elder Matthew L. Carpenter.

Because he was newly sustained in April’s conference, in our stake conference he was accompanied by Elder Quentin L. Cook, of the quorum of the Twelve apostles—as a training experience for Elder Carpenter, but a great privilege for the people of our stake, as in a church of over 3,000 stakes in a worldwide church of over 16 million, apostles usually only visit large regional gatherings transmitted via satellite to surrounding groups. 

These meetings, June 16^th and 17^th provided a much more intimate, one on one setting, with question and answer sessions about a new means of “ministering” one to another--to allow leaders more time for their families and one on one time with youth. 

The proceedings were rich, with lovely organ preludes, a stake choir, and tender musical numbers.  Elder Cook shared a poignant testimony of the Savior, with encouragement for each of us to build Zion--peace in our hearts and in our homes, by remembering plain and simple things—kind words, prayers, time for family in gathering weekly in our homes and chapels, remembering Him on the Sabbath day, and seeking to know the Lord better through carving out time to study and to serve. 

I appreciated a message from a departing president’s counselor—Remember who you are, counsel, and live in the present!  Our “present” this past week included training for “mis cielos” as a new branch mission leader, an appreciated branch council, and a special visit to thank the previous leader who served for 12 years! We were blessed to receive apricots and plums (and other good fruits) from piano students who are blossoming in preparing music for a talent show to be held August 11th.  We are looking forward a “convivio” (potluck) this coming Sunday, and celebrating a wonderful blessing of meeting three families we have not encountered before, with talents that we have been missing!  Thank you for being part of our twenty-five years and counting.  We love you!