Post Mission Testimony of Jesus Christ

This is our first post-mission blog.  It coincides with the time that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on this earth.  The prevalent theme of these past weeks has been our Savior, Jesus Christ. We have testified of His goodness as we have shared our mission experiences when His hand guided us in His work. We have sought His guidance to reach out to each of our children and grandchildren in His way and in His time.  We have rejoiced in family history and temple work for our ancestors so that they can participate in the blessings of His atonement as sacred ordinances are performed on their behalf.  As we have celebrated the Christmas season, we have been reminded over and over of His goodness and love as he came to this earth to minister to each of us.

Perhaps our thoughts are best summarized by the beautiful portrayal of the Nativity as shown in the newly created Bible videos.  We have been touched more this year than ever before by the power of this message.  Perhaps it is because we have served Him for the past two years.  Perhaps it is because we have studied His life as we followed President Nelson's urging to read and ponder all of the Topical Guide references to the Savior.  Somehow something is different and we are thankful for that.  We urge all to take time this season to watch and ponder this video, clicking on the following link:

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-10-067-the-nativity?lang=eng

We have been told that after being engaged in important priorities each and every day of a mission, it is difficult when we get caught up in daily activities that may not be as significant.  We have prayed hard to pursue important purposes in our lives and have seen the hand of the Lord in these weeks since returning from our mission.  We will share our thoughts and experiences with the types of priorities that we have felt prompted to pursue.

Family Time

Of course, one of our top priorities back home is to strengthen our relationships with children and grandchildren.  With a large family, that takes quite a bit of effort.  Since returning home we have spent time with 15 of our 17 children and 34 of our 37 grandchildren.  This has been made up with Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations, birthday celebrations, attending school Christmas programs and visiting with as many in their homes as possible.  Our Christmas present to our grandchildren this year is for them to have positive memories with their grandparents.  Each is to choose a date that they can spend individually with Oma and Opa.  So far this has been well received by those who have already received their Christmas presents.  We look forward to these meaningful relationships.  The following photos capture some of these initial visits.

Visit with our daughter Camila who is in a health care facility.  She has suffered damages to her mind but still has a beautiful smile and a sweet spirit.  We have been  privileged to visit with her on a weekly basis since returning home.

Visit to our son Daniel with his family in their new home

Thanksgiving dinner with 36 of our family members, many of them in this photo.

A few more from Thanksgiving in this photo

Oma with two of her granddaughters in Hyrum, Utah

Hudson on his first birthday

At Hudson's birthday party, Gina and her family, Pollyanna and Aria

River's family at Joseph's 13th birthday party

Three of Camila's children, Caide, Kaisha and Isake

Oma listening to  Beckie's children sing, Kaleb, McKenzie and Abbie

A special evening with Arianna, Ammon's daughter

We visited Melanie's family in Pennsylvania.  Here they are in the DaVinci Science Center in Allentown watching a science experinment

A few seconds later, as the soapy solution was mixed with the freezing liquid nitrogen

One on one visits with Charlie and Timothy in our hotel room in Pennsylvania

Playing games with Henry and Edward

Games and Family History with James Preston and Thomas

Our annual Christmas party with over 40 members of our direct family

Our youngest granddaughter, Paisley with Aide, Lamoni's girl friend

Two of Abe's kids, Tiancom and Natlaia, with their mother Renica

Christmas Programs with grandkids:

Ashton's 1st grade class

Aria in her preschool program

Abbie with her 2nd grade glass

McKenzie with her 4th grade class

Kaleb with his preschool class

Necessary Medical Check-ups

We have had many medical check-ups, from colonoscopies, dental exams, medical exams, dental work for Tom and Bladder and Kidney checks for Debbie.  Not the funnest part of our life, but an essential step to maintaining good health.  This has certainly took much of our time of the past weeks.

Debbie, with her IV in place, ready for her colonoscopy

Rekindling the memories of our mission

We have taken advantage of every chance positive to relive the memories of our mission and our time in Germany.  We have been to two German Christmas Markets, one in SLC and one in Pennsylvania.  We also have spoken at two different sacrament meetings about our mission experience.  Each time we are able to feel again the hand of the Lord during our mission.  We have also reported to the Self-Reliance department at Church headquarters in two different visits.  We love this work that we were privileged to participate in.  We were also able to participate in a Europe Area missionary get together at the home of Elder and Sister Hacking.

Debbie at the SLC German Christmas Market

German Christmas Market at This is the Place Heritage Park in SLC

Pennsylvania Christmas Market with St. Nicholas

Senior missionary friends after our second sacrament meeting talks

Debbie with three of her siblings after our second sacrament meeting talks

Europe Area Missionary get together at the home of James and Diane Hacking

More missionaries, same get together

Meaningful Christmas Activities

We have done our best to enjoy the sweet spirit of the Christmas season through special presentations, including the First Presidency Devotional (watched at home) and attending the Forgotten Carols presentation, one of our favorite Christmas traditions.  We have also participated in our wonderful ward Christmas party and a few family traditions of Christmas Caroling, visiting the Elves at Gardner Village and seeing the Christmas lights.

Watching the First Presidency Devotional from the comfort of our home

Our ward Christmas Party, amazing people and a wonderful spirit

Christmas caroling with daughter and grandchildren

Serenity enjoying hot chocolate after Christmas Caroling and watching our German Nativity set

Visiting Elves at the home of Bruno and Cari Vassel

Visting elves at Gardner Village

Christmas lights at the Provo Town Centre Mall with Kari and Serentiy

One of our favorite Christmas traditions

Family History and Temple Work

Every chance that we have, we are moving forward with our family history and temple work.  We now have four generations working on getting our family history finds into Family Search.  Our grandson, James Preston, in Pennsylvania, has taken one of the lines, our son Jacob, is working  on another line and my mother is taking a third line.  Nearly 100 names have been put into our Family Tree so far with thousands more to do.  

We have been able to do baptisms in the new Philadelphia temple with our son-in-law, daughter and grandson and have attended the Logan temple during our visit to Jared and his family.  We have had to take the long drive to the Oquirrh Mountain temple (almost 10 minutes) since the Jordan River temple is closed.  We also have a made a visit to the Salt Lake Temple.  Each experience is meaningful as we see the ordinances performed for our ancestors.  We love this work which may be the most meaningful of all that we are doing.

Selfie in front of the Logan Temple

With our grandson and daughter in front of the Philadelphia temple

The beautiful Philadelphia Temple

With daughter and grandson in front of the picture of the Philadelphia baptistry in the visitors center

I have been reading the Book of Mormon in German (and English).  I have been overwhelmed about the witness that this book is of our Savior.  In 1 Nephi chapter 19, Nephi is explaining the need to only write that which is sacred on these plates.  He then immediately begins talking about the coming of the Savior to this earth.  He emphasizes that the God of our fathers yields himself up to the trials of this earth.  I testify that this baby Jesus that was born, was indeed the son of God, even Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament.  He willingly came to this earth in the most humble circumstances and suffered in the most extreme way so that we could return to the presence of our Heavenly Father.  This is our testimony at this Christmas season and always.

I Nephi 19:6 Nevertheless, I do not write anything upon plates save it be that I think it be sacred. And now, if I do err, even did they err of old; not that I would excuse myself because of other men, but because of the weaknesswhich is in me, according to the flesh, I would excuse myself.

7 For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at naughtand trample under their feet. Yea, even the very God of Israel do men trample under their feet; I say, trample under their feet but I would speak in other words—they set him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his counsels.

8 And behold he cometh, according to the words of the angel, in six hundred years from the time my father left Jerusalem.

9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.

10 And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel.