It has been a very special Sunday for me. I read from Alma about how Ammon brought the gospel to the Lamanites by first getting king Lamoni’s attention and awakening his interest in knowing more before he started teaching Lamoni the gospel plan. It is exactly how president Anderson has taught the missionaries here. Develop a desire in their investigators to learn before they start teaching.

I then watched an interview with Elder Bednar where he mentioned that he had learned what it really means to fast from a sister in Africa. She was a recent convert and was teaching a lesson on fasting to a group of women who considered it a good day when they had one decent meal. Her simple comment that fasting was not going without food when you did not have any but purposely not eating when there was food available.

After that I read an article about an 18 year old woman who was abandoned by her parents and was adopted by a school and community. She has a full ride scholarship to Harvard. But the amazing part is her attitude. She still loves her parents but does not like the choice they made. People who have heard her story has sent her money but she gives it away because she has a job and feels there are people who need it much more than she does. There is much for me to learn from her.

Then we went to church and brother Perez, who with his family will be moving to New Mexico tomorrow, bore his testimony before his recently returned missionary daughter gave her home coming talk. He said something that I had never thought about nor have I heard it suggested before. He said that through a personal spiritual experience that he did not feel he could share, he knew that in our pre-mortal life we saw the Savior being born, grow up, atone for our sins, be crucified and then be resurrected. It was only because of the veil that we must pass through that we can not remember this. But we can gain a full testimony of these truths through the administering of the Holy Ghost.

All of this and it is only 2:30 … I wonder what more I will learn before the day is over.

We often talk about how we are blessed to be serving our missions at a time when our children and grandchildren are only a phone call, an e-mail or a FaceTime away. Of course that is not the same as actually being there and watching them open presents, get diplomas, or holding them. However it is a lot closer than those couples who not many years ago left for their missions and the only contact they had for 18 months or 2 years was through the mail and physical pictures.

  

Sierra Rose smiles for us. Colin tries to figure out who those people who he has never seen in person might be. A great picture of three of our favorite people.

  

Once again we missed some graduations – we have been away for all five now. But we are just as proud of Krista, McKay, Shane, Tyler and Taylor as we would be if we were there. Maybe we will make it for their graduations from college.