Dear family and friends,
I haven´t felt much like writing, first because there wasn´t much to report on and then with Ellie, my mind has been somewhere else. (Ellie suffered cardiac arrest during open heart surgery, May 8th) We have suffered some heart wrenching low times, but also some incredible highs through all of this. We have a firm testimony that all will be okay, even though we don´t know what "okay" looks like... I continue to be reminded of my favorite scripture, Proverbs 3:5, where we are told to "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding" and you know what, I do... Even though my heart aches as I wait.
We continue to be super busy getting things ready for our 2 upcoming seminars. Shopping a ton for supplies, printing of manuals, arranging air and ground transportation, finding polo shirts and getting them embroidered, etc. Papa will continue to cover our responsibilities here, as I will be flying to Oregon on Saturday to help out Shannon and Kevin. My plan is to stay 2 weeks, unless needed longer.
We love you family! Time is flying...kind of! We will be home in 8 months now. Thank you for bonding together in prayer and fasting for our Ellie. You are all amazing... We love you so much!
Love,
Papa and Gma
Papa´s comments:
Even though your mom (and friend) added "Papa" (my favorite title) to her heart-felt letter, the words were all hers. The love, emotions and testimony, however, are deeply shared.
I imagine we´ve all contemplated at some point in time how difficult it was for our Father-in-Heaven to witness His Son´s suffering during the atonement. Marilyn and I experience a glimse of that anguish being so far away from our eldest daughter and son-in-law during this difficult time.
One insight that I had not understood until now, is how difficult the atonement must have also been for Christ´s grandfather.
D&C 90:24 is my "go-to" scripture for dealing with bumps along the highway-to-heaven. The five action steps in this verse (search; pray; believe; obey; serve) provide a time-proven process to transform sorrow to increased testimony, peace, love, light and joy.
I´m grateful to know that we are spiritual beings having a temporary mortal experience, rather than just mortal beings having an occasional spiritual experience.
Thank heaven (literally) that we are organized into families in this life and throughout the eternities.
Love,
Dad, Papa & FIL
E/S Anderson we hope sister Anderson had a safe trip and elder Anderson survived her being gone. When Christ said we should be even as He was, His great examples of service and charity always comes to my mind. Thank you for your example of this.
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