Christmas phone calls!!!

Our Christmas phone calls were terrific.  We thought that Elder Park would call at 10 am, and rushed home from my moms to be here for it.  He didn't call that early but Hermana Park called a half hour early.  We didn't plan questions a head of time, but just let it be spontaneous. We put her on speaker phone and at the last minute I grabbed an old micro cassette recorder.  She had us on speaker phone too.  So, it was a big party, with me and my hubby, the kids older brother and younger sister, and her companion.  We never ran out of things to say, and got to talk to sweet Hermana Benavides too. Destinee read us the words to a Christmas song in Kaqchikel.

Elder Park tried calling when we were on the phone with Destinee, and had to call back later.  We used the same set up--tape recorder, speaker phone, all of us and he was also on speaker phone.  We got to talk to his companion, Elder Torres also!  And then they sang a Christmas song for us.  It was so sweet and so filled with the Spirit.

Both of my kids had tamales for Christmas Eve and Christmas and also went Caroling that night.  Yesterday we got pictures of their Christmas festivities in the emails.  It was a wonderful Christmas, and not at all like I was worried about.

Were doing all of this......twice :)

TEN REASONS WHY A MISSIONARY CHRISTMAS IS DIFFERENT

-Written by Missionary Mom Sally Tielemans of Henderson, Nevada

1. Last Christmas we were counting our money; this Christmas we are counting our blessings.

2. Last Christmas we were giving thanks for gifts from stores; this Christmas we are giving thanks for gifts from God.

3. Last Christmas we valued things that were costly; this Christmas we value things that are holy.

4. Last Christmas we were wrapping gifts; this Christmas we are wrapped up in the work.

5. Last Christmas we looked into people's eyes when we spoke; this Christmas we look into their hearts.

6. Last Christmas we prayed to obtain a testimony; this Christmas we pray to share our testimony with others.

7. Last Christmas we were impatient with the weaknesses of others; this Christmas we are working on our own.

8. Last Christmas we read the scriptures as a duty; this Christmas we read them as a joy.

9. Last Christmas we thought it was enough to celebrate the holidays; this Christmas we are finding ways to consecrate them.

10. Last Christmas, Guatemala and California were just places on a map; this Christmas, they are places in our hearts.

getting in the Christmas shopping spirit

Don't get me wrong.  I have no problem getting into the Christmas Spirit.  What I am having trouble with this year is shopping for Christmas.  First of all, I hate shopping.  Second, two of my kids will not be here for Christmas.  Yeah, yeah, I know that I am blessed, that I have been given the best gift, and that other mothers wished that they could have two missionaries, BUT, that doesn't stop me from being sad.  I am sad in the stores.  I try to find stuff to send Kade in his box, and find myself tearing up and not accomplishing anything.  I just went through this a couple of weeks ago trying to get Destinee's box sent off to Guatemala.  Why is it so easy to be sad and yet happy at the same time?

Missionary Stories.......from other's

I hear a lot of missionary stories through other moms.  I thought it would be fun to share a few of them here since this is my Missionary Mom blog.

From Collette: "

I had a cool experience yesterday that I wanted to share with all of you.  My oldest son served his mission in New york and one of the sisters he taught and baptized there about 10 years ago (who now lives in Provo) just returned from a mission to Tonga.  We were able to go to her homecoming yesterday and see the full circle of her conversion and my son's mission service.  You never know how far reaching their service will go.  She talked about missions being a university and how much knowledge is gained, and the testing and growth that occurs.  She is so grateful for my son's mission service.  It changed her life!.  It was awesome to see and talk with her and to hear her testimony."

From and elder in the North mission:

We came to church early in the morning to set up. While there, an 18 year old, ***** told me to come with him to go get a sister in the ward. We took off and one mile later, I found myself in the home of a very, very old member who could no longer move much of anything anymore.
***** told me it was our job to get her all the way to the church. He left the house for a second and returned with a tiny, half-broken wheelbarrow.
"We always use this," he said and I could not protest because there was nothing else around that I could use. So we placed her in the rickety wheelbarrow and off we went.
Of course I got stuck as the one who pushed because ***** told me I was the strong one and needed to.
The problem is, the path to the church is REALLY rocky. So there was no way to avoid the crashing bumps and jerks that came. So here I am pushing a 90+ year old lady in a wheelbarrow down a rocky mile-long road.
I felt so strange. She kept saying something and I asked ***** to translate so I could help her. (He speaks Spanish and Ke'kchi). He just kept saying, "She's gonna die!" Joking I assume, but who knew....
All the way the people on the path saw me and were just laughing their heads off.
Finally we made it to the church and unloaded her onto a chair. Suddenly she burst into tears and started shouting something. "UH OH" was my first reaction.
I asked the branch president to translate. He told me she was just exclaiming how happy she was to be at church.

And here is a funny one that still has me laughing:

"Last night I was waiting to call in the numbers for the work week. While I was waiting for my leaders to call me. (Take note that I cannot call from my house and I hike about an hour away to find signal.) So while I was waiting I go to call another Elder to ask him a question. Anyway a Sister missionary answers the phone. I was a little confused and for some reason only talked to her in Spanish. (it was very clear she was a North American missionary). She starts going crazy and tells me she didn't understand. I tried to talk to her again in English but for some reason I couldn't. So she goes to get her companion. I was shocked to all of the sudden be talking to a man. I was thinking what the heck is an Elder doing with a Sister. Anyway so I start to talk to this other Elder and he yells at me. "Elder Briggs you speak English, speak to me in English!"

Then he asks me why I was calling his wife. I was starting to get really confused. Then he tells me "Elder Briggs I am your mission president." I was certain it was some Elder playing a stupid joke on me. So I tell the Elder (man) that he isn't. Then he starts to freak out and worry about me. "Elder Briggs, how are you doing? Are you feeling alright?" He asked me over and over.  This went on for about 5 minutes. Both of us really confused and not sure what was going on. Finally I ask him..."Wait...so are you like a senor couple or something." he clearly upset now tells me again. "Elder I AM YOUR MISSION PRESIDENT!" Finally after a few seconds of silence and thinking who it could be all I say is. "I'm in the North mission" He started to lighten up a little and told me he was the Central mission president. I guess it turns out that there is an Elder Briggs serving there too. Anyway! I thought it was pretty funny. It has to go in the books for one of the best misdialed numbers ever!!"

tears fall on my pillow......

Okay, get over it.  I am feeling sorry for my self or something this morning.  I am really missing my kids.  It has been 5 months ago today that we dropped both of them off at the MTC.  In some ways it feels like forever and some ways i think 5 months went by fast.

So what does a parent do while their kids are on missions?  Well, I plan to do a lot of things, like scrapbook all their pictures, catch up on or start their life scrapbooks, paint and redecorate their rooms, take classes, etc.  However, reality sets in and life slaps us in the face.  Yeah, real life is full of plans not quite working out as we thought they would.

Well,  still have 13 months until Destinee gets home and 19 until Kade gets home................

" We have to learn to be faithful in the dark" ~~Brigham Young

Tough couple of weeks......
The past week or so has really tried my faith.  I had no idea I could get so low.  My husband had surgery and although the surgery did go well, the recovery has not.  He has had major reactions to the pain medications, the blood thinners, and even the anesthesia was hard to knock out of his system.  It has been a "dark" time and without a testimony, I would not have survived.

Sometimes we take our testimonies for granted.  Kade's email this past week told of a family he has been working with who have such strong faith, despite getting kicked in the teeth over and over.  They are truly an example.  He said, "A couple months ago ****, before he was baptized got in a fight in the chapel, one of the member kids got him in a choke hold, and **** passed out.  He could of died, the police and ambulance came too.  His parents knew about this, but they forgave, and now they are joining this church, hopefully next week. We picked out the baptism clothing, planned the baptism, they are planning their wedding.  maybe next Sunday will be the big day."  I am hoping and praying that this sweet family gets the blessings they deserve.

Last week a similar situation happened to someone I don't know.  It happened between missionaries.  I don't know the whole story, and it doesn't really matter, but an incident happened where one missionary was choked by another.  No disciplinary action was taken as far as I know, so it could have been rough housing or it could have been deliberate, but that doesn't matter either.  What matters is that the family of the missionary victim was not willing to forgive.  In fact, they were on the warpath.  It really made me realize how much forgiveness is an essential part of the plan of Salvation.  How can we face the Master, if we are not willing to truly forgive?  He forgives us every second of every day.

As I enter into conference weekend, I hope to focus on improvement.  Going through these past few days of trials opened up some character flaws in myself that I wasn't too pleased to discover.  Another aspect of the Atonement is our gift of making mistakes and making things right.  Thank goodness for that! 

Edward Cullen vs Captain Moroni?

I was reading over the missionary blogs I follow this morning and came across some deep thought by one missionary serving in Guatemala.  He wondered what was wrong with Mormon girls, all caught up in the Edward Cullen hype.  He had overheard two girls, possibly his sisters, wondering why a guy can't be more like Edward (from the Twilight series).  He listed his four reasons, that he is "a cold sick Vampire", that he isn't LDS, that he wasn't real, and then said "do I even need a number 4?  Why don't girls just go read the Book of Mormon?  They can read about REAL guys that are awesome.."  He went on to compare Edward and Captain Moroni.  He wondered who would win a fight between the two.

This all made me start thinking about the girls in Mormonville, or the Mormon Happy Valley, Utah Valley.  Why do girls think for a moment that they don't deserve the best?  When I taught Young Women's we had numerous lessons on the girls being of royal birth, of being worth something.  Why then do they not get it?  Why is the bad boy so attractive?  Why is the "popular crowd" so sought after when they are not living the standards of the Gospel?  My daughter tells me a lot about what the members of the Church are doing at school, and it really makes me feel bad for them.  I wonder why they can act the way they do when they have been given such a gift?  And I wonder sometimes if the parents are clueless or if they just don't know how to handle it.  We need to be very careful who our kids are hanging out with, and yet we have to give them agency also.  It is tough being a parent, especially with make believe families like the Cullens out there, and books and movies written by an LDS author that are really not what the Lord or the Prophet would want our kids reading.

Guess, I better go read my Book of Mormon.  My daughter is looking to me to be her example, not the Cullens.

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