Wednesday in Elijah Choir, a new president was announced, Elder Olsen. On Thursday, Elder Olsen asked me if I would be the secretary and take care of the rolls. That is going to be a challenging learning experience to create and manage documents on Excell. I'm grateful for Kristilyn's tutoring so that I can keep our budget but I'm going to need a lot more mentoring.
Thursday evening John and I stayed late to attend a concert at the Assembly Hall. We had several hours to work and John showed me all the documentation he has made to prepare some Rayner family names for temple work using 1841 and 1851 British research. He is excited to actually find his own family names and be able to go to the temple to do the work. In the evening we attended the Deseret Foundation 20th Year Celebration and were thrilled to learn what this group has accomplished beginning in the Philippines. They use skilled local people to correct things like club feet, cleft palates, eye problems, etc. Their purpose is to support the locals who know the language and the culture to truly help the needy. Their work has spread arround the world now. They performed thier 250,000th surgery this year with costs averaging less than $25 each. It was an uplifting night with slides, beautiful vocalists, and Jenny Oaks Baker playing the violin. I've never head such celestial music. After she played, she went with her accompanist cousin Jared Oaks and they went down and sat in the audience with her father, Elder Dallin Oaks. As we left the Assembly Hall we heard the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra rehearsing so we went into the Tabernacle to listen to them. What a glorious evening. Music certainly washes the dirt from one's soul.
Kristilyn was delighted to have Kim, Talisa, and Kira over to her home to play Friday morning. We were happy to have Kristilyn and the boys come here and play late Friday afternoon. We are blessed with eight of the cutest grandchildren in the world!!!!
John was pleased to get new tires for our new car. He loves the car with one reservation--the tires were worn when we bought it. He got an excellent price at Discount Tires so that car is in good shape. John takes excellent care of our home and property.
Saturday morning we did sealings in the Jordan River Temple then attended the Festival de las Americas with the Spanish Branch in the evening. It was a nice evening. The people are talented and have deep testimonies but many aren't committed or responsible. They have so many problems with employment, poverty, language, etc. Life is hard and we just have to do the best we can.
I loved this quote from the back page of the Church News on October 3, 2009 from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin on October 2001:
We will never make a journey of a thousand miles by fretting about how long it will take or how hard it will be. We make the journey by taking each day step by step and then repeating it again and again until we reach our destination. ...
Our Heavenly Father loves each one of us and understands that this process of climbing higher takes preparation, time, and commitment. He understands that we will make mistakes at times, that we will stumble, that we will become discouraged and perhaps even wish to give up and say to ourselves it is not worth the struggle.
We know it is worth the effort, for the prize, which is eternal life, is "the greatest of all the gifts of God". And to quality we must take one step after another and keep going to gain the spiritual heights we aspire to reach.
An eternal principle is revealed in holy writ: "It is not requiste that a man should run faster than he has strength. An again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize."
We don't have to be fast; we simply have to be steady and move in the right direction. We have to do the best we can, one step after another.
We watch in amazement, confidence, and hope as you continue to move forward in the right direction, step by step.
With our love and prayers,
Mom and Dad
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