Our first week, we observed some interviews with district presidents a few hours outside of the new Kenya Temple location. When one district president was asked about the language needs of his members, he clearly stated that they have Church services in English, but most speak Swahili. The temple ordinances are available in both of these languages. He also mentioned that some of his members speak primarily their tribal language. When he was asked how they would do with the English or Swahili, he quickly responded "If they don’t understand, the Spirit will teach them.” This is indicative of the faith of these African Saints.
We have been inspired by generous donations and kindness from the community vendors during the groundbreaking ceremony at the Elko Nevada Temple. We learned from Elder Benjamin De Hoyos in a devotional about his early experiences in the temple. He said "We had feelings, not as much understanding, but feelings in the temple". Then we were told by Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela that one day he was wondering if the Church would once again build schools in his native Mexico. As he pondered this thought a voice came to him saying "That is why I am building temples throughout the world". Each of these thoughts have spoken to my soul as the spirit has confirmed the truth of these principles.
After a few weeks, we were finally able to get our computers from the Church and to get the software and permissions set up. We were now able to work on our first temple in Mozambique Africa.
As Debbie and I sit side by side on our new computer table, we are finding great joy in working together on this project. As we learn together, we work together. We are finding that "Together We are Better".
Just when we finally got started on doing the work of our mission, we took a week pause for our Family Reunion. We last had a family reunion in 2019 at Bear Lake. It went well enough that our children enthusiastically asked for another reunion. After going through the pandemic, we wanted to be together again. It was decided that we would try it at Paradise Village in Santa Clara, Utah. We made the reservations a year ago for June 20 -23 of this year and most of our children started making arrangements. Perhaps the biggest challenge was for our children that live in Pennsylvania. This family of 8 drove over 2,500 miles in four days in a motor home to come and be with their siblings and cousins. Most of our children that have children in their homes participated. In total we had 56 individuals staying in two different houses that were on the same street in Paradise Village. They slept in 11 bedroom suites and 3 bunk rooms. This accommodated everyone, except a few young boys who slept on sofa sleepers and sleeping mats in one of the rec rooms.
Since we had shirts made for everyone, we had to take a photo. This was not one to put on the wall, but one to remember our reunion. We had no photographer and wanted everyone to be in the photo. We finally decided to take it right beside the pool in our large house. As everyone was gathering for the photo after dinner on Tuesday, I went outside and looked for someone on the street that would take a picture for us. I heard someone talking on a phone across the street and saw a worker for a garage door company. I asked him if he would be willing to take a photo which he did. He stood on a wall on the other side of the pool to be centered for the photo. It wasn't a perfect photo, but it included everyone, even if we had sun in our eyes and a few shadows. The final result is below:
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| The pool was directly in front of this photo. |
We were concerned about going to Santa Clara (southern Utah) in late June, imagining temperatures over 110 degrees. However, that was the earliest that we could schedule and still get our family from Pennsylvania here after their school ended the second week of June. We were blessed with a cold spell that came through and the weather never even hit 100 degrees during the time that we were there. I know that this was a special blessing from above for which we are very grateful. Our last day even had cloud cover and a high of 92 degrees.
To accommodate a family of our size, we rented the largest property that there was in Paradise Village. Not only would it sleep 50, it had space for meals for all of us and a large pool in the back of the unit. It also had a sports court, playground, theater room, etc. We then rented another unit down the road that would sleep 18, having 5 more bedrooms. For the most part the younger families slept in this other house where things were not as noisy, allowing young children to get naps, etc.
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| The "Big house", with four cars in the garage and two more cars and motor home in front. We had five more cars parked at the other home or across the street from it. You can see the sports court on the side of the house. |
Paradise Village has a water park available for everyone, more about that later. However, this "big house" had a full pool behind, which was perfect for many of the informal hours during our stay. It was constantly filled with our posterity. Some found that this was their favorite gathering place.
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| Plenty of family in the pool behind the house |
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| This view shows the sports court on the side of the pool |
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| The little water falls on the end of the pool were also enjoyed |
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| This hot tub area was no hotter than the remainder of the pool and was a safe place for younger children |
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| The front of this photo is the very shallow pool for the youngest grandchildren |
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| It also allowed the youngest of children to enjoy the water without the impact of crowds |
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| Most importantly, Grandma was able to relax and enjoy her grandchildren from her own backyard |
Other Outdoor Amenities:
I mentioned the sports court It was quite nice and was equipped to play pickle ball, small court tennis, basketball, soccer, land hockey and even shuffleboard.
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| I think that Danny and his twins are playing soccer and hockey |
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| Looks like a little tennis with Edward, Addie and Hudson |
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| Of Course McKenzie is playing volleyball with Jared, Ashton and Ellie |
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| Serious Pickle Ball with Tom, James, Rick and Ashton before Melanie Digerness taught us the correct rules |
We knew that we had a small playground area and were pleasantly surprised to also find a small putting green. It also was well utilized.
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We weren't sure where the playground ended and the putting green began
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| Nice and close to outdoor tables and watching parents |
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| Rylee and Quinn started learning golf at a young age |
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| Others took their golf more seriously |
Other Indoor Activities:
The inside of the house was also full of activity options. This included a large movie theater room, some basketball shooting contests, pool table, ping pong table and way too many televisions and video games. All were well used.
Most evenings after dinner a group would gather together to enjoy a wholesome family oriented movie. This was one great way to unwind from a busy day.
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| Enjoying a movie for all |
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| We had a pretty full house of participants |
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| Some got way comfortable. At least one fell asleep and spent the night in the theater. |
One of our noisiest indoor activities was the basketball shooting game, right next to the theater room. This one got a bit noisy and had to shut down before 10:00 each night so that younger children could get to sleep.
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| Enjoyed by boys |
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| And more boys |
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| and by girls |
There was a large sitting area near the dining area that became a constant gathering spot for good conversation or watching cartoons, sports or a movie.
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| This worked well for young and old |
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| The TV in the dining area was also a favorite place to relax |
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| Emily relaxed a little more than most |
Video and Arcade games:
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| This arcade location was a popular place for some of our grandsons who enjoyed as many video games as their parents allowed. |
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| Others could collaborate on their video strategy |
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| At least one made this his place of refuge |
And some table games:
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| This was a photo of our Connect 4 tournament that attracted many participants |
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| Even the balcony of the smaller house was a great location for a family photo |
As we mentioned, each family had a responsibility to prepare one of the meals and clean up after. This left the grandparents without worry and extra time with grandchildren. The food was amazing and each family only had to be involved for one meal. This worked wonderfully and provided for quite a bit of variety.
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| Jacob started our week out with tasty grilled beef and chicken to be used . . . |
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| . . . in a taco bar working with Melanie and James |
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| Jared and Kari and their spouses provided the Tuesday night meal with the all the fixings |
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| Featuring cheeseburgers, hamburgers, hot dogs and bratwurst |
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| Wednesday night was provided by Beckie and Dan and their families . . . |
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| featuring pulled pork barbecue sandwiches, baked beans and home made Mac and Cheese |
Lunch fixings were provided by Giovanna and were available for all to eat at their convenience. Gina provided breakfast the first morning of Cereal, Muffins and Milk. Pollyanna and Aide provided bagels and fruits the next morning and Jamie Digerness and her boys provided home made muffins, fruits and juices the last morning. We thank all of them who made this so enjoyable for all.
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| Hungry grandchildren enjoying the Wednesday morning breakfast |
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| Waiting to get started with the Thursday morning breakfast of fresh muffins and more |
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| Much of the bar stools were abandoned as the counters became serving areas |
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But the seating accommodations were sufficient for all to enjoy eating together. Some went outside where other tables and chairs were available
Grandma and Grandpa did provide late night treats. This included root beer floats on Monday and Wednesday and ice cream until we ran out on Tuesday. On Thursday we also made S'mores, cooking them on the barbecue. Grandma helped her grandchildren create the S'mores.
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Activities outside of the home:
Most mornings groups went outdoors for other activities before it got too hot. The best example of this was Joseph and Joshua Digerness who ran 4 miles each morning at 6 a.m. as part of their cross country training. I (Tom) was invited to train with them, which I did the first morning. The other days I let them tough it out on their own.
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| Joseph and Joshua on their morning run |
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| The three of us about half way through our 4 mile run as the sun was rising |
Red Hills Desert Garden and Pioneer Park:
Tuesday morning a large group of our grandchildren went to the Red Hills Desert Garden and to the Pioneer Park. We had three of our families and Oma and Opa together for a few hours. We were impressed by the beauty of the desert gardens. The Pioneer Park provided a perfect place for our grandchildren to experience a little climbing and exploring on the red rocks and terrain. It was a delightful experience that all enjoyed.
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| Walking through the Desert Garden |
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| A photo of our grandchildren in the garden, sitting on a large frog |
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| Another in the Rock Canyon |
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| Even Oma and Opa in one of the cave areas |
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| Going through our version of the "Narrows". This was a little easier than the narrows at Zions Park where Lamoni and Aide were hiking at the same time. |
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| Uncle Jared led his nieces, nephews and daughters to the top |
While we were climbing, McKenzie was having her own "Simba" experience:
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| McKenzie on the top of the rock plateau alone . . . |
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| Presenting her cub to the world |
The next day, Gina and her family stopped in the same place, based on positive recommendations:
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| Gina with her twins |
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| A nice selfie of the parents |
Paradise Village Water Park:
Tuesday afternoon most of us explored the Water Park that is part of Paradise Village. The slides and play area were popular with the children. Even more popular was the "Lazy River". This activity was perfect for a hot afternoon and was repeated the next day also.
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| Jared's family had been here two years ago and were right at home. All three girls together. |
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| A fun hangout spot for adults while their children enjoyed the pool and the slides |
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| More parents with their children in front of the water slides |
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| Kaleb in his favorite spot |
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| Hudson learned to love the water slides |
The Lazy River became a perfect spot for photos. It was also where some of the grandkids spent hours going round and round the river.
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| Grandpa with Grant and Paisley, Giovanna behind |
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| Katelyn |
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| Charlie |
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| Rick and Aria |
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| Edward with Addie |
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| Emily with a group behind her |
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| Thomas with Charlie, Edward and Addie |
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| The small pool on the side of the Lazy River, full of grandkids |
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| Leo, Giovanna and Sophia, a family photo |
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| Little Haivyn enjoying the water somewhere |
Even hunting rabbits nearby:
We even found some rabbits right next to Paradise Village. The following photo is of one of them:
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Children's Museum:
On Wednesday morning five of our families went to the Children's Museum in St. George while others went to the Dinosaur Museum (no photos) and others went hiking. At the Children's Museum the children had a wonderful time, especially the younger ones.
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| Rylee and Quinn went shopping |
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| With the other kids |
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| Emily and Oma went to the farm |
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| Aria became a cheerleader |
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| Sophia felt the fog |
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| Thomas played the Piano |
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| Addie and Olivia cheered everyone on |
And Everyone Had Fun!
Relationships:
With all of the fun activities that we had, the most important was the relationships that were strengthened. We never heard a negative word between any of our posterity during the reunion. Absolutely no drama. Everyone went out of their way to help one another. Our primary goal was to add to the love within our family and we believe that this happened. We especially enjoyed seeing cousins building relationships, in some cases for the first time. This warms our soul and makes it all worthwhile. These photos are only a few of those that express that love so well. Together We are Better!
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| Five siblings together, love and respect |
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| Oldest Sister and Youngest Brother working together in perfect harmony. The food was good also! |
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| Timothy and Edward from Pennsylvania with Addie who is moving to Texas |
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| Sisters who are bound by more than genes |
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| Their oldest daughters who are more than cousins, they are great friends |
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| Rylee and Olivia, cousins that live hours apart |
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| Daughters with our newest daughter in law to be, Aide |
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| Five cousins from five different families on the same plane |
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| Aria and Oliva, also adding to their friendship through this reunion |
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| Edward with his three special cousins from Provo, competing to hold his hand at Thanksgiving Point |
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| Sophia and Grant who had never even met each other until just a few months ago. |
Reunion Part 2:
On our way home from St. George, we stopped to see the Cedar City Temple which was built while we were on our senior mission. We had never seen it, so we took advantage of being near.
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In front of the beautiful Cedar City Temple
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Previously we had made arrangements to meet our friends, the Bradshaws, who live in Beaver. They were Self-Reliance missionaries in Hungary and treated us so well when we visited and interfaced with them. As we approached Beaver, they suggested that we meet them at the Creamery. It sounded like a good plan.
As we got out of the car, we met Beckie and her family, who had stopped at the Creamery for lunch and were just leaving. They told us that Gina and her family had just arrived at the Creamery also. Then we found out that Pollyanna and her family had also stopped in Beaver and were on their way over. After three days together, we seemed to all want more.
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| With Martha and Kelly Bradshaw. We feel like we are soul mates with them. |
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| Lunch with Gina and her family at the Creamery. Jacob and Katelyn went home with us and were also part of Reunion Part 2. |
Since Melanie and her family had come all the way from Pennsylvania, they stayed at our home for a few more days. We had planned to go with them to Thanksgiving Point on Friday, similar to what we had done with our other grandchildren in April. Since their kids and Gina's kids had hit it off so well at the reunion, Gina decided to bring her three oldest kids to Thanksgiving Point with us. They also have a family pass. Ours will run out at the end of this month, so it was our last use of the super grandparents pass. Thanksgiving Point just added 27 animatronic dinosaurs to Ashton Gardens to create Dinosaur Island. This was a wonderful addition to our reunion activities and one last time for Gina's and Melanie's kids to be together again.
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| Reunion Part 3 together at Dinosaur Island |
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| A bunch of the grandkids together by the dinosaur eggs and the dinosaurs |
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| Looking at a gigantic Tyrannosaurus Rex |
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| This included a visit to the Sacred Grove statue exhibit |
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| Everyone enjoyed time at the Discovery Museum while Debbie and James conversed |
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| Addie and Edward put on a puppet show for us. |
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| Timothy also caught a butterfly at the Butterfly Biosphere |
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| As did Edward and others |
After celebrating Edward's 11th birthday on Saturday night, we played games the rest of the night. Great Grandma Rueckert suggested that they play her Chinese Checker game that used to belong to her mother. So four generations later, the game was still enjoyed.
On Sunday, they went to our neighboring ward for Primary and Young Mens and then came to Sacrament meeting with us. The three older boys passed sacrament to us old folks, which is always a treat. We are pleased for the sacrifice that they made to be at our reunion and strengthen relationships with family that lives far from them. After dinner with us, they continued their journey home. They will go through New Mexico and Texas as they visit Four Corners and relatives in Texas. This includes a dinner with our oldest daughter Nilza on Tuesday. With their departure on Sunday afternoon, we have completed the final phase of our Family Reunion. Already everyone wants to know where we are going next and when.
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| Melanie's family loading some of their luggage into the motor home, where they have lived on the way down and on the way home. High gas prices have not helped them, but they have enjoyed a lot more space while traveling and flexibility in their sleeping arrangements along the way. |
Other June 2022 Activities:
The completion of Danny Ferguson's dissertation:
This was perhaps the most notable of all of our June activities. The story follows:
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| We thoroughly enjoyed watching Danny present his dissertation. It was very impressive. |
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| It was presented to a room full of guests and professors, flawlessly |
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| We loved his last slide where he gave a wonderful acknowledgement to his wife and family |
Danny was notified that same day that he had passed his dissertation and thus is qualified for his PhD. This has been a long time in coming. While going to school Danny has accumulated five children. Gina has done an amazing job supporting her husband and living on a tight budget. It hasn't come easy, but most things of value do not come easily. We are more than proud for this major accomplishment. Danny and Gina are an amazing couple. They are certainly better together!
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| This is one of my favorite photos of the reunion. It reflects Danny's other great accomplishment. He is an amazing father, even while carrying the heavy load of school. |
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| Part of the dinner party at Tucano's that night to celebrate this wonderful accomplishment. |
Now that his graduation is official, we can officially announce that he has accepted a position at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. They will be moving there with their 5 children in early August. We will miss them but will have a good excuse to visit Texas often. Certainly they want to know when they can come to another family reunion to see their amazing siblings, nieces and nephews.
Oma's Summer Challenge:
Debbie has felt strong promptings to give all of her grandchildren who are baptized the challenge to learn their Articles of Faith this summer. She had prepared special flash cards and other materials to help them. On Sunday, June 12, she held a Zoom meeting with all of them and gave them the challenge. Each child accepted the challenge to memorize as many articles of faith as they are years old. Those who do will be rewarded with a special activity to celebrate at the end of summer. We need to work out how this will happen with those in Pennsylvania and Texas. I personally am very grateful for a wife who receives and follows promptings and who cares so much about her grandchildren to help them grow spiritually.
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| All the grandkids on the Zoom Call |
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| Oma teaching them about each of the Articles of Faith |
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| Oma participating from my viewpoint |
Other June Activities:
We went to watch Ashton play baseball with his little league team. Earlier this year I had played some catch and hit and fielded baseballs with Ashton while we were tending them. I was impressed with his natural abilities. He told me that he wanted to be a pitcher. I felt that this was a real possibility. When we watched the game, we were excited to see them put him in to pitch in the third inning, his first time to do this. In the two innings that he pitched, he struck out four batters and only walked two. The other two outs were also made by him as he fielded a grounder and threw the batter out at first and caught another line drive that came right back at him. We were more than impressed. What a fun night! A couple photos of him pitching:
Later that same week, we went to the year end dance recital for little Paisley, who had just turned 5 years old. She did so well and just loved it. It is great to see our grandchildren enjoy what they do. When they do, they do it well and it creates discipline and positive results that will bless them throughout their lives. Way to go Paisley!
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| Isn't she just the cutest little ballerina? |
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| With her Oma and Opa |
June Birthdays: |
| Serenity turning 7 |
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| Ellie turning 9 |
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| Edward turning 11, celebrating in our house in person for the first time |
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| Dawson turning 8. Baptism coming up this weekend. |
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