Because I have been given much, I too must give..

It seems everytime we go to have family prayer Thayne reminds whichever child is giving it to remember our blessings, to make sure we say thanks for all that we have, and to be grateful for it. I have really scaled back as far as stressing about Christmas is concerned but I still want to do more in reminding us daily the true meaning of Christmas. We didn't have church this morning. It was cancelled due to snow and while it was a great day hanging out with the kids, dancing with my babies to Christmas music and laughing and enjoying just being with them and with no place else to be, I had really been looking forward to going to church becaue it was the Christmas program. After dinner while Thayne and the kids started yet another game I sat down to read my emails and found one from a couple from church that are serving in India. Elder Weeks used to teach at the middle school. The man is an amazing teacher and though the kids had to work harder in his class than in any other, they walked away with more learning than in any other class also. He used to teach our Sunday School class also and we learned so much in those classes also. His wife is great also, she is a character and always made us laugh. But tonight, I read the email once with tears streaming down my face, and then I told Thayne I wanted to share it with the kids so he gathered everyone around and again, with tears streaming down my face I shared it with them... I hope they don't mind me sharing it, but it really hit home to me. No matter the struggles, no matter how hard life sometimes seems, we have so much... we are so blessed, and we need to take more opportunities to serve others. I want my kids to know that I have a testimony of the Savior and all that He did for us. I know that through Him all things are possible. I know that because of Him we can be an eternal family and that it was through Him that we have seen the most amazing miracles take place. This is only part of the letter... actually more of the beginning, and the end. But I am so grateful that he took the time to share their experiences and I am grateful to be in a time and a place that we have so much, and I hope that I can continue to learn to give more than I do now, serve better and love more completely....


Dearest Family and Friends,

I am sitting here listening and writing to “An Old Christmas Card” by Jim Reeves, as the music is playing on the computer and I can’t help but feel and think about my appreciation for all of you. We are excited about this unusual opportunity for Christmas this year. We are going to celebrate it with a refugee family who has fled from their home in Afghanistan and are they are bubbling with a Christmas glow. They have never heard Christmas Carols or have ever unwrapped Christmas presents in their lives. We are going to change all of that! All are bursting with anticipation and can’t wait to come over and taste Sister Weeks’ home cooking on Christmas Eve. They had never even heard one Christmas Carol until this Sunday when we sang, “O’ Come All Ye Faithful,” at Sacrament Meeting. I counted the Christmas Carols in our Hymn book and there are only 14. So we may have to sing a few extra this Christmas just for them. They are so thrilled and excited. We have been helping the Afghan Mother of six (38 years old) through some difficult times. She had four surgeries and thanks to the missionary couple who just returned to the states and their son and his family, her surgery was paid for. She has been in pain for nine years. She has no more pain now. She offered the benediction at Church Sunday in Farsi. Thinking only God and her two daughters would be the only two people capable of understanding her prayer she was overcome when two men from Afghanistan were in the congregation just visiting. They wanted to know why she had betrayed Islam and had converted to Christianity. She let them have it with both barrels and told them she was so grateful for her testimony of Jesus Christ. They were surprised at her belief in Christ and the strength of her conviction. The reason I know all of this is because her 20 year old daughter informed me after the meeting what took place and what was said. The daughter speaks very good English and she is the glue which holds the two daughters and the mother so close to each other and the Church....

We have made friends with one of God's most pitiful creatures that you could ever imagine. When he sees us he just wants to hug us. He wants a friend so badly. He has the worst cleft palate you could ever imagine. His one leg and foot are turned completely backwards but he just beams with a smile. He can spot us a mile away every time we go to that market. We usually try to give him something to eat. We are going to talk to our Mission President and see if he will find a doctor who fixes cleft palates. The President hinted that if we found anyone who had that problem that he had a hospital that owed him ten big favors and he would do what he could to help. We have made friends with two cleft palate beggars now. The one in Agra ran along the side of the train for a mile as it was pulling out. He was just a kid and his cleft palate was also extremely terrible. I gave the one in our market a bag of peanuts. I’m usually not that generous because they are my hard to find favorites--- but there is something about this beggar that you know he is celestial material. He has a glowing celestial smile even with all his scary teeth protruding out of his pitiful gums. For all the hell he faces every day he will surely be in heaven someday. People shun him like crazy but he just beams with those snaggly teeth and struggles desperately to communicate. We try to understand what he is saying and every so often we do understand him.

I was shocked the other day when I was at the market to pick up a few things and a young girl came up to me holding a sign which read, "I have no tongue and both of my brothers are blind." I thought, “Oh sure, one more ruse in India.” But, she opened her mouth wide and stuck in her fingers and her thumb and moved them in a circular motion to take away my doubt. There really was no tongue there. I thought, “How could she survive?” Count your blessings this Christmas my friends and family. Don't worry about us. Just help the poor and the needy. Something to ponder, as it says in the Book of Mormon: “Are we not all beggars?” I think that should make us put everything in perspective at this time of the year. Even the air we breathe and the food we consume are from the God who has given us life. Just count your many blessings and if you can help some poor wayfaring man who has crossed your way then you will definitely help our Savior. If you have the means to help the poor in your neighborhood or the needy give a little extra and keep your “brother’s heart” from breaking or losing faith in his Savior. That is our Christmas message this year to all of you!

It was on this day and month that the Father of our country, George Washington’s passed away in 1799. I insert just a quick reminder for all to remember him. He was the “Sword of the American Revolution” winning our Freedom on Christmas Day. With that new birth of freedom, Liberty was reborn and America gained enough Land to become known as the “Land of Second Sons.” So at this special time of year please remember Life, Liberty and Land our three greatest inalienable rights were granted new birth. Jesus also felt freedom should be proclaimed so that all might turn to Him and be individually responsible and accountable for their own salvation. We have all been blessed because of the feats of George Washington and his men. I do not want to take away your thoughts from the Savior but I feel that Life and Liberty were born with that “Great Plan of Happiness” in Heaven and it was given new birth on Earth simultaneously as well. May God bless each of you with Health and enough of the necessities of life to maintain your gratitude for all that you have been given.

Merry Christmas