HiJosh!!
Hopethat you had a fun Labor Day!! I got the chance to look at some of thematerial that you had send us. Thanks for sharing that with me. Youhave truly labored with all your heart mind and soul in serving the Lord. I will celebrate Labor Day in honor of your great service and laborfor the Lord and the work in the Louisiana Mission. I am gratefulfor your example and dedication. It is no easy thing to serve amission. As you have learned the weeks are filled with hope, excitement,joy and disappointment. The lessons that you are learning and theexperiences that you are having will guide you through your mission and for theremainder of your life. By now I am sure you have heard that mom and Ipicked up Justin from the MTC. I am grateful for the three weeks that hehad there. It was a life changing experience for him. He truly feltthe spirit and recognized that there were changes in his life that he needs tomake. When he goes out again he will be doing it for the right reason,better prepared.
Bothhe and Mic bore their testimonies last Sunday. Micaela is darling. The Young Women’s leadership was changed and they released Sue Lamb(pres) and her two councilors, Tamara Holm and Carolyn Pixton. Mic’s testimony included how grateful she is for these women and for thelove that she has for them and that she felt from each of them. She thenwent and sat with Sister Lamb, after two other girls did the same thing and satwith Sister Lamb, Mic got up and went over and sat with Tamara Holm. Micis really a sweet sensitive princess. Justin expressed appreciation forthe plan of salvation and for the love of the Savior.
Justinis awesome and he rocks, he got a job at APA as a teacher’sassistant. He has to be up early to be a school by 8 am. He wantsto go back into the mission field. I am confident that he will get thatopportunity and I am hopeful that it will happen sooner than later. Isure love him.
Whenyou sent us the planners and diary from your mission, I thought that I mightshare a story that I was given while in the mission field that I kept in one ofmy mission preparation books. I only have a couple of things that haveescaped the 40 years of time and from being thrown away. One of theregrets I have is that I did not keep a written journal. Someone told meto just take pictures. Well I did, they are slides not hard pictures andtime has left me with few memories that I can remember. I wish I hadwritten more down.
Ithought that I would share this story with you, it came out of my IPBook, (instant preparation so titled in case I was asked to give a talkon the spot) I do not ever remember using the story in a talk, but I rememberliking it as I had four brothers and I was raised in the military. Thestory is titled Dependability;
Thisstory is of two brothers in WWI. They had grown up together, they hadgone to school together, they had joined the army together, they went intotraining together, they went into the trenches together and they went over thetop many times together.
Onemorning as their outfit returned from No Man’s Land, one of the brotherswas missing. Immediately the other brother went to the officer in commandand said, “Sir, I would like to go back into No Man’s Land and findmy brother.” But the officer said, “:You cannot go. Itwould be a useless risk, your brother is probably dead anyway, and your riskwould do no one any good.”
Alittle later Jim returned and ask, “Sir I would like to go back into NoMan’s Land to find my brother.” Again the officer said,“No.” Later on her tried again and once more permission wasrefused.
Thenjust as darkness was about to fall he returned to the officer and said,“Sir, I would like to go back and find my brother.” Thedisturbed officer said, OK, Go ahead, it’s your life. If you wantto throw it away, that is your privilege.” So Jim climbed out ofthe trench on his hands and face and went under the barb wire and disappearedinto the darkness of No Man’s Land.
Hourspassed and he did not return, midnight came and went, but there was noword. Just before dawn the sentry saw something moving in thedarkness. As it came closer Jim was recognized and helped into thetrench. He went immediately to report to the officer in charge. Whenthe officer saw him coming he said, “Well, I hope you aresatisfied. He is dead Isn’t he?” And Jim said,“Yes, He is dead, but he was alive when I found him. He told theofficer how he ad retraced the expeditions course and how all night long he hadsearched among the dead of yesterdays battle. And finally in a shell holehe had found his brother, unconscious from his injuries and tormented fromthirst. Jim raised his brothers head in his lap and gave him a drink fromhis canteen. Then after Jim had washed his face and made his positionmore comfortable, his brother regained consciousness before he died just longenough to say five words, he looked into his brother’s face and said,“Jim, I knew you’d come.” Then Jim said to the officer,“Sir, I would have died a thousand times time than to have left mybrother out there in No Man’s Land expecting me only to die indisappointment.
Christloves us, will look for us and find us. He will not leave us alone in NoMan’s Land.
Loveyou tons. I am grateful for my mission experiences, for the testimonygained and the blessing it has been to me throughout my life. You areawesome.
Love,
Dad
No comments:
Post a Comment