Another busy week!

Family,

I hope you all read the Ensign Magazine each month.  I have to admit, I often put other reading materials ahead of the church magazines, but I am trying to do better because the articles have so much to offer us each month.  This month there were a couple of articles that stood out to me.  One was called, A Glorious Reunion.  I hope you will read it.  It told of a son who hadn't seen his father in many years.  He did not know that his father had been banished from his tribe by his grandmother because she hadn't approved of the marriage of her daughter.  The father had had no way of communicating with his son through the years.  After his banishment, he joined the church.  The son also joined the church after his marriage.  The Lord provided a miracle for these two men.  They found each other doing Initiatories in the Temple in Ghana.  Read the article because it tells the story much better than I just did.  I share this story because this week I also experienced a miracle, showing me that the Lord does know each of us and loves all His children.  Last Sunday, following the Tabernacle Choir Broadcast, we took our Lithuanian friends, Renates and Jolanta, to a hotel and dropped them off.  They were to spend the day in Salt Lake, stay the night in this hotel, and head to Zion's Canyon the next morning.  After they had traveled towards the Park on a bus for several hours, Renates realized he had left his camera at the hotel.  One of the girls called me and said that they had called the hotel and that the manager was saying that they had not found a camera.  They asked if I could see what I could do as they knew there was a language barrier.  I immediately called the hotel and was told they had not found it.  I asked if they could look again, or check with the maid because this camera had all the pictures of their trip and their dances and music and was very important to them.  Soon, a manager came on the line and told me that they had the camera.  I told them I would be there to get it within the next half hour.  Because the Lithuanian Group was visiting the parks, they had no cell service, and so it was the next morning when I was able to make arrangements to mail the camera to their hotel in Las Vegas.  I would normally mail USPS because it's usually less expensive, but the hotel told me they had a UPS department right in their hotel, so that might be better.  I therefore headed to the UPS packaging place in Bountiful.  I paid $4 to have the clerk package the camera so it would be safe, and then asked the price to mail overnight.  It was $69.00  That was extreme, so I called Roy who looked it up on-line and found that at the Post office I could mail it for $30.  Before I left to go to the Post Office, I told the clerk the story and why I was mailing the package.  There was one other customer in the store.  He looked at me and asked me if I was from Lithuania.  I said, "No, but we had two Lithuanians stay with us for Summerfest."  Guess what?  He had served his mission in Lithuania.  Roy and I had been wondering how we could find a Lithuanian missionary to translate the testimony that I had written in their Book of Mormon.  I wanted them to be able to read it in their own language.  I don't believe this was a coincidence.  I sent the testimony to him (Luckily, I had written it in a notebook first, so I wouldn't make a lot of mistakes when I put it in the actual Book of Mormon), and he translated and sent it back to me by Friday (two days later), then apologized that it had taken him so long.  Of course, I told him I thought he had done it quickly!  I am going to email it to Jolanta tonight.

The 2nd article from the Ensign that I want to mention and that I hope you will all read is, "Disciples and the Defense of Marriage" by Russell M. Nelson.

I know we hear a lot in the world the idea that it shouldn't bother us or hurt us when other people choose to break the commandments.  The idea that maybe we should just live and let live.  Elder Nelson strongly tells us that this is not what we, as Latter-Day-Saints should be doing.  

Elder Nelson says, "You will likely encounter increasing debate about the definition of marriage.  Many of your neighbors, colleagues, and friends will have never heard logical and inspired truths about the importance of marriage as God Himself defined it.  You will have many opportunities to strengthen understanding of the Lord's side of that argument by the eloquence of your examples, both as individuals, and as families."

 "The day is gone when you can be a quiet and comfortable Christian.  Your religion is not just about showing up for church on Sunday.  It is about showing up as a true disciple from Sunday morning through Saturday night--24/7!  There is no such thing as a part-time disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ...Disciples of the Lord are defenders of traditional marriage.  We cannot yield.  History is not our judge.  A Secular society is not our judge.  God is our judge!  For each of us, Judgment Day will be held in God's own way and time."

 (see Romans 2:5; Alma 33:22; Ether 11:20;D&C 88:104; 133:38).

"The future of marriage and of countless human lives will be determined by your willingness to bear solemn witness of the Lord and live according to His gospel."

I am so pleased to see all of you bearing witness through your example of the importance of traditional marriage and family.  I have received a few pictures from some of you this week.  Some of you are getting the message that if you send me pictures, there will be pictures of your children in the newsletter :) 

Andy's White Coat ceremony to kick off Med School.  This should have been in last week's letter.
Andy also has a call to serve in the Bishopbric as a counselor.  Elise is hoping that that fact will keep her from being called as RS president--that and the new baby that's coming.

Nick and Ori in Harry Potter Land (Sara, why do you never include pictures of you?)

Nick and Sara paid a visit to the Florida Temple while they were there.

Crista and Ruby

Ruby, getting bigger

Sara sent me several pictures of their time in Florida.  This was my favorite.  Poor Nick and Ori--such fair skin.

I got this picture of Jennie off of Facebook.  She doesn't send me any.

Adrienne and AJ dropped by for a minute Sunday night

Finn and Grandoa

We stopped by and visited Dan's family for a minute, also.

Adrienne sent me this picture of Gunnar and Ollie fishing with Grandpa Green

 and Ori sent me a goodnight picture from Florida.

 This week was another super busy week of service.  We had the Copper Cup Ice Skating Competition at the rink.  Since Roy is President (again), we get to do lots of community service :)  We were pretty much booked all weekend helping with the food for the judges and coaches, setting up and taking down, and clean up.  There aren't many who want to stay and help to the bitter end, but there were a few.  Luckily, one of the coaches pretty much handles Sunday so those of us who don't want to work on Sunday don't have to.   Dad and I spent our Sunday recuperating from the last 2 weeks!

Goodnight to all of you!