Happy Mothers Day!

Happy Mothers Day from Thailand!

For Mothers Day my two missionaries were able to Skype with the family. We coordinated a time, 4:15 p.m. Utah time and Heather and Nick set their watches so we could all be together and have a wonderful video call!  We went to my classroom so we could have the high speed of a T-1 connection. It went without a glitch. Heather was using a computer in an internet cafe in Thailand. It was 5:30 in the morning. She said she got up at 4:45 a.m. to make the call.  Nick used a computer from a member's home in Richmond Virginia. It was 5:35 p.m. Heather got online first and we got to visit with her for about 20 minutes before Nick joined us. Heather and her companion had prepared two songs for us. They sang the hymn, Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy in English and then they sang Come Thou Font of Every Blessing in Thai. It was so sweet! Ray recorded it so we'll try to get the video on the Blog. Heather talked about some of her experiences we talked about things we've been doing here. We laughed together, we cried together. Nick got on the phone and started to cry as soon as he saw us. The members had given him a box of tissues :).Then of course because he was crying I started crying.  It was so fun that Heather and Nick got to visit with each other. Nick asked Heather what has been the hardest thing for her on her mission. She said it was finding people to teach. Nick said the same thing. Nick also said that getting up at 5:30 a.m. and getting on his knees to pray and start the day was also very hard. When Heather said she only had four minutes left Nick got emotional and started to cry. He asked if we could say a prayer together as a family. Ray led our family together in prayer and we prayed for our missionaries. There wasn't a dry eye when he finished.These are the moments as a family that we'll always remember. I have felt so blessed all day to be a mother. I'm so thankful to my Heavenly Father for entrusting into my care these wonderful children, who have taught me so much about love. As a mother my greatest desire has been that my children would love the Lord and choose to follow Him.

"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." 2 Nephi 26:6

"Choose you this day whom ye will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the  Lord." 

Joshua 24:15

I'm so proud of the choice that Heather and Nick have made to serve missions. It has been such a wonderful blessing to our family to share in their experiences. It is a sacrifice for them and for our family but I know that they are where they're supposed to be at this time of their lives. I know that many people will be blessed as they share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

"Therefore, go ye into all the world; and unto whatsoever place ye cannot go ye shall send, that the testimony may go from you into all the world unto every creature." Doctrine and Covenants 84:62

Brightly Beams our Father’s Mercy

Brightly beams our Father’s mercy
From his lighthouse evermore,
But to us he gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.

[Chorus]
Let the lower lights be burning;
Send a gleam across the wave.
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may save.

 Dark the night of sin has settled;
Loud the angry billows roar.
Eager eyes are watching, longing,
For the lights along the shore.

Trim your feeble lamp, my brother;
Some poor sailor, tempest-tossed,
Trying now to make the harbor,
In the darkness may be lost.

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing 

Here I raise my Ebenezer
Hither by thy help I come
And I hope by thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wondering from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood

O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee
Prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above