Patience, Compassion and Enduring

February 4, 2014
I am sure glad that January is over.  It was a very difficult and adventurous month. 
We had some guest visiting from the DR Congo, we learned about patience, compassion, and enduring.  A few days after they left from their three week visit, I became rather sick, it turned out to be appendicitis and I am still recovering from surgery.  I have had many calls, and dinners and prayers.  So thank you so very much.  I am learning patience, compassion and enduring.

We found out that our non paying renters left the home in a total shambles and took everything that was not nailed down.  I think we will chalk it up to a $6,000 loss. And hope they treat their next landlords better. We are learning patience, compassion, and enduring.

Katelynn is doing great on her mission, she has struggled with sick companions and room mates, but things appear to be doing better.  She and her companion are teaching a family, transfers are this week,  We will know tomorrow if she is staying or going. :)

Samuel is working with Paul and is awaiting his time to go to the MTC.  His date of departure moved from April 30th to April 23rd.  His paper work is in for his visa and he has his passport.  He listens to Albanian every day.  He also volunteers at a crisis center, and is in the law enforcement explorer post. As a member of the post, he was invited to attend and usher at the funeral of Sgt Cory Wride.

Charlotte is keeping busy at school.  She is dancing on the ballroom dance team at Mountain View and has a part time job at Mountain View as receptionist.  She is a little freaked out because she was followed to the bus stop by a strange person who may be wanted by the police. 

Esther is happy at school.  She has many friends and is doing great.

Joseph thinks that six hours is too long for school, but he goes anyway.  He has a job at home of feeding and watering the chickens and rabbits.  He earns money and then spends it on computer time. :)

Mary is doing well at school.  She is jewel and a blessing to her teacher.  She loves playing and being with her friends

Elisha is the biggest Scooby doo fan anywhere.  He watches Scooby doo any time I let him, and because I have been laying around so much he has been watching a lot.  He also likes "Phineas and Ferb".

So we look forward to February to all the challenges an blessings that it will bring as we continue to learn about patience, charity, compassion and enduring. 

Family Update

family Reunion Pictures

Yesterday we spent the day at the Wilcox Family Reunion, we missed Shawn and his family and Todd and his family, and of course our missionaries Katelynn and Jeremy.
The reunion was held at Monte's house in Saratoga Springs.  We ate sandwiches, visited, and spent most of the day down by Utah Lake swimming and boating.  I went out on the boat first with Monte and a bunch of kids.  We had five kids on the tubes.  The wind and waves were not of the most friendly kind, and I thought of Christ and his Apostles on the Sea of Galilee.  I thought about Peter as I watched  four of those kids tumble off the tubes into the turbulent waves.  We had to circle around and pick up the kids one by one, but we could not stop the boat because of the waves, they had to reach out and grab onto the tube as it passed by.  The first few attempts proved to be fruitless, the kids bobbed up and down in the water as we passed by them on the boat.  I strained into the water keeping track of the kids watching as waves poured over their heads and vanished from my view for a moment.  Fear gripped at my heart until I saw them once again bobbing in the water.  The life preservers certainly saved their lives.
Water was not only washing over the heads of the children in the water, but occasionally the boat would hit a wave and also take in water.  I had to not only keep my eye on the kids in the water, but I had to make sure the children in the boat were safe also.
As we passed by the children again, I called to each of them, and explained that we could not stop the boat, but they would need to grab hold of the tube and hang on.  By the third time around we were able to collect all four children from the waves and they were back on the tubes again.  I was so very grateful.  Monte slowly took us into the shore.
Though there was  no serious damage or injuries sustained from this experience, ( And I was probably the only one a little nervous,) it could have quickly turned from fun to tragic, if even one child refused to wear a life jacket, or the life jacket failed to do what it was made to do or if the pilot of the boat was inexperienced and foolish.
I could not help but draw an analogy to the gospel and this experience.  As members of the church we have all been baptized, we have all been given a life preserver,  if we continue to wear our life preserver, even when things get rough, and maybe we let go of the church or raft, we can be sustained until we are rescued.  Sometimes it may take someone several times to try to rescue a lost brother or sister, but as long as that life preserver or the spirit, is helping them, they will be rescued.  With a good leader or parent, that child can be quickly brought in from the storms of life.  But how much more urgent is it to rescue those who do not have a life preserver, who are not members of the church or who have discarded their life preserver.  A sailboat was out in the waves and we watched it topple into the foaming waves.  We could see that the people on the boat could possibly be in distress, so we quickly went to unload the kids and tubes to start out to help. Fortunately, another craft was close by and came to their aid.  A few minutes later, the harbor patrol showed up along with the paramedics and fire trucks.  I don't know the real answer, but to go along with my analogy I am going to suppose, that when the sailboat toppled, the people radioed for help, because they were not prepared for the storm and they were not wearing life preservers.  Theirs could have been a tragic ending had it not been for a watchful (hometeacher).  They were almost in need of greater help one with crave consequences had not there been someone there watching over them.

Our children were taught that they needed life preservers before they could get in the boat or on the tube, they choose to obey, and when trouble hit, they were kept safe from the storm and were rescued with relatively little problem.  Those who set sail in the sailboat, had the same weather we had, had the same water we had, and new the dangers of the lake, as well as knowing that they should wear a life jacket, yet they choose to venture out into the storm unprotected and when they fell into the water, when their "security" left them, they required a far greater and dramatic rescue, and it could have come too late.

Anyway needless to say, the storm dissipated and the rest of the day went relatively calm, but all were kept safe with the life preservers.  I could go on with countless analogizes.

We also spent this week working on our bathroom.  Thank you to Jana and Leah for allowing my family to hang out at their house so we could eat and shower while our water was shut off, and the living space was inundated with construction materials.  I am really happy with how it is turning out, and I am grateful to Paul for his sacrifice and hard work to make it all possible.  When I learn how to post pictures I will do it.

Today I am going to give a talk on baptismal covenants in sacrament meeting, and then I have an interview with the bishop.  I will be released from my calling.  I have enjoyed being in the relief society presidency and relief society president for the past 5 years.  I hope I did what I was needed to do.
 

Thank you again Wilcox's for a fun day yesterday, especially Monte and Callae for being perfect hosts and sharing your boat.

This has been a good week.  We have had the opportunity to celebrate several birthdays, Mathew, Ben and Lilloette. 
We bade farewell to Jordan and Maci and kids (not that that was good) and sent Nathan and Shawn on their way to North Dakota.
I harvested some green beans and canned 12 pints. 
Paul and I attended the baptism of Paul's cousin's daughter.
I was asked to speak next Sunday, that could be good or bad.
We bought a toilet and some flooring so we can remodel our bathroom. 
Next week we will start the remodeling job.
On Wed Susie Bore and her four delightful children came to visit.  After a quick lunch of pigs in a blanket we toured BYU.  We went to the Art museum, the Science Museum and the BYU Bookstore.  We finished off our visit with BYU Creamery Ice Cream.  We got a good highlight on the Bore Family and renewed our friendship.

So this was a good week. We had time to visit with family and friends, read, and eat ice cream, BBQ, watch a movie or two, just enjoy the last week of July.

Elisha and Rowan at the family reunion

We just heard from Katelynn she shared a cute story "I have a story about the grocery store:

Last week we were at Wal-mart in the check out line. After we were checked out I said "thanks Lisa! Have a great day!" ( Lisa was that cashier ) As I said that one of the store managers was walking by and he stopped us and told me "thank you for being nice" or " Your a kind person" or something like that. I said "Of course, no problem!" Then he introduced himself and said that "If I ever need anything just ask for "Jesus"." The funny thing is that his name is Jesus,(English pronunciation).

If any of you would like to write her, she would love to hear from her.