We Are Rich in Friendships

One of the sweetest blessings of our mission to the West Indies was the friendships we made with other senior couples … and those lovely friendships continue even though we have now been home for two years.  Last week we enjoyed a delicious dinner, company and conversation with Jim and Mary Andrus (St. George) and Bob and Katie Beecher (Lehi) at the LaVerkin home of Val and Marcia Cook.  The Andrus' took our place in the mission office in Trinidad where they served the entire 23 months of their mission.  The Cooks were called to be Humanitarian Service missionaries throughout the entire West Indies and the Beechers - more or less - took over our assignment with PEF.

Tonight we had dinner and a pleasant evening of chit chat with Jean and Carol Drolet who we first met at a WIM couples conference when they were serving in French Guiana.  Now they are serving in the Utah St. George Mission where they share the message of the gospel to approximately 27,000 French-speakers who visit the area's Church historical sites every year (who knew we had that many French-speakers in little old St. George).  They told us they introduced their son, who was still unmarried at age 35, to a beautiful Relief Society president from French Guiana ... they "clicked" and are now married with a new baby.  The Drolets still have about five months left before they return home to Canada so we hope to get together again.

Friends are – according to the scriptures – what make us “rich” (Proverbs 14:20) and one of the greatest blessings of our friendship with these wonderful senior couples is none of them ever tire of talking about our shared experiences in the mission field.

Congratulations, Kendi

Our beautiful Kendi Hansen stepped through the “D” on Thursday, May 22 to accept her diploma as one of 325 Flyers to graduate from Dixie High School.  Thunderous and enthusiastic applause on this momentous event came from her mom (Stacy), sisters Taisley, Allysa and Danielle, dad (Rick and Cody) grandparents (Dave and Kathy Welch, Pat and Larry Hansen and Ed and I).  Now "Prepared for Flight" Kendi (who has NEVER taken a bad picture in her life) and her family enjoyed the day together in celebration of her hard work in school.  

And I Didn't Even Think She Noticed!

There are a lot of stories in the news recently about motherhood, the cost and the reward. A mother is on call 24/7, 365 days a year. My mother is a doctor, teacher, financier, chef, laundress, and on at least a couple of occasions a firefighter. Being the oldest of six, I had the opportunity although I did not appreciate it at the time, to witness, first hand, the miracles my mother could create on a daily basis.

My mother fed us three times per day. For six children plus her and dad, mom made approximately 24 meals per day or 8,760 meals per year. Not including snacks or the frequent ‘extra’ kid it’s a wonder she ever left the kitchen. But she did. She also did at least one or two loads of laundry per day. Personally, I don’t see the crime in living out of a laundry basket or pulling towels directly from the dryer, but my mother would have none of that. She painstakingly folded each load, carefully creating a stack of clothes for each child. She also made certain those clean clothes found their way into drawers or closets. That, in itself, is a minor miracle.

Mom also held a full-time job, working at the local hospital. She held church positions for as long as I can remember. She volunteers for community projects including acting as coordinator for the Southern Utah Folklife Festival, an event showcasing endangered skills such as candle making, canning, lace making, and hide tanning which is the process early settlers practiced to treat animal skins for use in clothing. This was a fun, informative event requiring mom’s complete attention for several months in advance.

My mother is a member of the Rotary Club, at one point serving as President of the local organization. She is a published author, co-writing The Insider’s Guide to Southern Utah and frequently contributing to the local newspaper and magazines as a freelance journalist. She has contributed to several successful political campaigns, and is a delegate for the Republican Party for our state. She served The American Cancer Society for several years and the Executive Director of the Volunteer Center of Washington County with more than 2000 volunteers. As we moved from the age of shorthand, typewriters, and land lines into the digital age, Mom now manages multiple blogs and online newsletters.

She and my father served a religious mission to the tiny country of Guyana and a humanitarian mission to Guatemala. Now that she is retired, she only works 40-50 hours per week. As busy as she is, she always has time to pick up, feed, and entertain any of the multiple grandchildren and great grandchildren who live in the area.

I’ve been awed by my mother. She sat through innumerable school plays, band recitals, sporting events, dentist, orthodontist, and dermatology appointments. She stayed up nights when one (or all) of us had fevers. Yet I remember no complaints. She managed to raise all six of us and never once had to call for the SWAT team.

If I’ve learned anything from my mom, it has been that personal sacrifice is necessary to make the world a better place. As I look back on her achievements, the common theme is ‘service before self’. My mother has made a career of putting the needs of others before her own. Not just her children, but the world around her. The community and state is better for her efforts. I am a better person because of her guidance and influence.

Thank you, Mom. I love you.

KELLY

Kris Meets the Barneys

My wonderful, longtime friend Melinda Barney and her husband Merrill are currently serving in the California Santa Rosa Mission – near where Kris lives.  Before they left in October 2013, I asked Melinda to find Kris, give her a hug and let her know how much she is loved!  

Last night, they finally got together for dinner.  Kris was hesitant because she didn’t know these people, but called after their 2 hours together to tell me how much she enjoyed the evening and how much EJ enjoyed meeting our friends … and yes, Melinda delivered the hug from me!  I am so blessed - and grateful - to have Melinda in my life.