From Dad 1/12/2008
Hi everyone,
Here we are in the middle of January. Two months from now all of our family who can be together will be together. What an awesome event! We remember our time together in June before we came to Germany. It seemed everyone participated and Nate had a lot of fun things planned (with a lot of help from everyone especially the grandkids) and time didn’t ever seem to drag. Mom is thinking with “March Madness” underway (especially if BYU is in the mix) there might even be a little basketball included. Whatever happens, just being together as much as possible as often as possible during Friday through Monday will be an awesome homecoming. We can hardly wait!
We are also thankful there are still 7 & ½ weeks of full missionary time left for us here. This work changes daily. That is one of the things that make it so fun. We have so many good things that can still happen!
“Sister” Meyer crossed a major bridge with us on Thursday. There were six major points offering two different views we asked her to choose between. We started by reviewing the scripture about the two different ways – one being broad and many people go there, and the other being narrow and few people find it according to the words of the Savior in the New Testament. These included: 1- In what form does God exist; 2- Is the resurrection more than the spirit surviving death;
3- Before eating the fruit were Adam and Eve sinners or innocent and pure; 4- Is more than faith required to make a covenant at baptism and must this covenant be performed by someone who has the authority; 5- Are only the few who hear the gospel and accept the covenant of baptism in this life, of all the billions who have ever lived, able to return to live with our Father in Heaven; and 6- Were prophets and apostles given only to a select few people to guide their lives and everyone else has to figure things out for themselves? Her answers came after much thought but each time sided in favor of the teachings of Jesus Christ during the time of restoration. Sister Meyer’s agency to choose for herself is very important. Only when she wants to make a covenant and then to work each day to live more of the teachings of Jesus Christ would making such a covenant have any value for her. It is a very personal decision. Her desire to be with her husband through all eternity is her incentive to think through and pray about whether such an opportunity requires any work on her part or if it only requires her to want it to be so. When you are almost 82 such decisions are not so easily made or understood. Nothing is impossible through the Spirit, the only teacher of the truth.
Tim Palmer our English friend who has never married, has three sons, and their mother who has found a “new” best man friend with whom she wants to live, seems more prepared and willing to live his life respecting the agency and decisions the mother is making. Finding work is and has been his greatest obstacle. His level of confidence has never been consistently strong. Fortunately there have been times where daylight has broken through and we could see that he knew the things he needed to do and was determined to do them. We are thankful for everyday remaining. We talked for a long time on the phone Friday and he said a prayer asking for the strength to do the things he needs to do. We really like him. His middle son, Ferdie, 9, has been more influenced by Tim than the other two. He knows he has no legal rights the day he steps out of the home and into a separate home of his own. He knows this is what he wants to do. We will pray for him and for his faith and efforts to find a job through which he can support himself and perhaps plan for a new beginning. He knows leaving alcohol behind will also bless his and his son’s life. We hope he can do this as well.
Thanks for all the good things you are including and doing in your lives. We see and feel good from every direction. How can life be better than this! We are so thankful for a Heavenly Father who knows us personally and works daily to support our efforts in every good thing we choose. His is the winning team. All else will fail. Courage and hope spur us on to make one more effort to reach out to one more person that they too can know and feel deep in their heart the love of someone who cares more about us than we can even comprehend.
We look at the snow pictures and have mixed feelings. It would be so fun to slide down the hill after Camille! It would be fun to pull the grandkids on sleds or go down a hill together. We don’t miss driving on snow and are thankful when we are around so much traffic that we have not had to deal with this issue! It looks beautiful and we will enjoy being a part of it next winter!
Have a good week. Thanks for being family.
Love always,
Dad and Grandpa
Here we are in the middle of January. Two months from now all of our family who can be together will be together. What an awesome event! We remember our time together in June before we came to Germany. It seemed everyone participated and Nate had a lot of fun things planned (with a lot of help from everyone especially the grandkids) and time didn’t ever seem to drag. Mom is thinking with “March Madness” underway (especially if BYU is in the mix) there might even be a little basketball included. Whatever happens, just being together as much as possible as often as possible during Friday through Monday will be an awesome homecoming. We can hardly wait!
We are also thankful there are still 7 & ½ weeks of full missionary time left for us here. This work changes daily. That is one of the things that make it so fun. We have so many good things that can still happen!
“Sister” Meyer crossed a major bridge with us on Thursday. There were six major points offering two different views we asked her to choose between. We started by reviewing the scripture about the two different ways – one being broad and many people go there, and the other being narrow and few people find it according to the words of the Savior in the New Testament. These included: 1- In what form does God exist; 2- Is the resurrection more than the spirit surviving death;
3- Before eating the fruit were Adam and Eve sinners or innocent and pure; 4- Is more than faith required to make a covenant at baptism and must this covenant be performed by someone who has the authority; 5- Are only the few who hear the gospel and accept the covenant of baptism in this life, of all the billions who have ever lived, able to return to live with our Father in Heaven; and 6- Were prophets and apostles given only to a select few people to guide their lives and everyone else has to figure things out for themselves? Her answers came after much thought but each time sided in favor of the teachings of Jesus Christ during the time of restoration. Sister Meyer’s agency to choose for herself is very important. Only when she wants to make a covenant and then to work each day to live more of the teachings of Jesus Christ would making such a covenant have any value for her. It is a very personal decision. Her desire to be with her husband through all eternity is her incentive to think through and pray about whether such an opportunity requires any work on her part or if it only requires her to want it to be so. When you are almost 82 such decisions are not so easily made or understood. Nothing is impossible through the Spirit, the only teacher of the truth.
Tim Palmer our English friend who has never married, has three sons, and their mother who has found a “new” best man friend with whom she wants to live, seems more prepared and willing to live his life respecting the agency and decisions the mother is making. Finding work is and has been his greatest obstacle. His level of confidence has never been consistently strong. Fortunately there have been times where daylight has broken through and we could see that he knew the things he needed to do and was determined to do them. We are thankful for everyday remaining. We talked for a long time on the phone Friday and he said a prayer asking for the strength to do the things he needs to do. We really like him. His middle son, Ferdie, 9, has been more influenced by Tim than the other two. He knows he has no legal rights the day he steps out of the home and into a separate home of his own. He knows this is what he wants to do. We will pray for him and for his faith and efforts to find a job through which he can support himself and perhaps plan for a new beginning. He knows leaving alcohol behind will also bless his and his son’s life. We hope he can do this as well.
Thanks for all the good things you are including and doing in your lives. We see and feel good from every direction. How can life be better than this! We are so thankful for a Heavenly Father who knows us personally and works daily to support our efforts in every good thing we choose. His is the winning team. All else will fail. Courage and hope spur us on to make one more effort to reach out to one more person that they too can know and feel deep in their heart the love of someone who cares more about us than we can even comprehend.
We look at the snow pictures and have mixed feelings. It would be so fun to slide down the hill after Camille! It would be fun to pull the grandkids on sleds or go down a hill together. We don’t miss driving on snow and are thankful when we are around so much traffic that we have not had to deal with this issue! It looks beautiful and we will enjoy being a part of it next winter!
Have a good week. Thanks for being family.
Love always,
Dad and Grandpa
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