24 June 2018 - Sunday

24 June 2018 - Sunday

First of all, we are so excited to see Josie and Tom and Zac and Hayley and Jack and Mia and Emma and Macie and Ron and Kathi this coming Saturday!  We are so looking forward to lots of hugs and kisses from our precious family members!  Then, we set a date for Bob and Mary and Bobby and Jacob and Anna and Johnny and Faith and Adam to come and visit us on August 17th!  Mom and I actually love serving here in the mission field, almost as much as we love our family, and sharing and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Last week we had the Salt Lake Cottonwood Stake join us here at Martin's Cove.  Mom and I were the senior missionaries at a point in their experience where I could talk to some of their trekkers.  I was thinking this was Skip and Leona Chandler's stake, and we hoped they might be on this trek activity with their stake.  We asked about them, and one of the adults knew Skip and had been a customer of his at the shoe store.  

Well today I got a text from Skip asking if we had had any contact with them.  I was so happy to have Skip send us a note!  He was one of the missionaries who taught me about the Gospel in 1971.  We have stayed in touch these 47 years and I owe my own pioneer membership in the Church to him!  As I blaze new trails for my precious family, with my sweetheart, my love grows for Skip and the sacred contribution he has made in my life, and in the lives of our children and grandchildren!!  Thank you for that note, Skip!

We had a good group of visitor's with us today in our meetings.  In Sunday School, there was a question that caught my attention that led to another question.  See what you think about this;

"What are you willing to do to have eternal life with your family?".  That question does call for a rather anxious and enthusiastic answer, something to the effect of everything...  but what if the question were this: 

"What would you be willing to do that will NOT allow you to have eternal life with your family?"  I have never thought of that approach to keeping, (or not keeping), the commandments, offering sincere and heartfelt prayers, every morning and every night, and striving to follow the living Prophets and Apostles in every detail every day!  

Going forward, I want to take a much different approach to being a family together forever by checking myself in what I am doing each day to obtain eternal life and exaltation.  Life is way too short to make unnecessary mistakes.  The repentance process, for me, must be to stay on the straight and narrow path, follow the Prophet, attend all my meetings, support the sustained local leaders, and keep each and every one of His commandments.  We must not give the Adversary any foothold in our lives to take us away from our eternal goals.  We are here to build the City of Zion in a very mortal world!  So the work I am doing needs to help me stay on the path to return to Him. 

As you have heard me say before, we must be ready, at any time, to sacrifice who we are for who we can become!  Charles Du Bos was inspired to share that idea with us back in 1922.  It is just as valuable today, as a question and a life goal check, as it was almost 200 years ago! 

Thank you for checking in with us tonight!  We love your comments and so appreciate your prayers for the success of this mission.  We will not let you down!