Your Father Knoweth

Dear Family and Loved Ones,

     This week was great though there were a few ups and downs.  We received nine amazing missionaries on Tuesday.  They are really exceptional and will add so much to our Long Beach Mission.  One of the nine is a “visa waiter”, he has been called to serve in Sao Paulo, Brazil but will serve here until he gets his visa.  Another Elder reminds me of Ted, he is from Georgia and has just been a member of the Church for one year but is as spiritually mature and prepared as the Elders who have grown up as members of the Church.  They have all sacrificed so much to serve and will be richly rewarded.  As one of our Elders said at our most recent departure testimony meeting, “my mission might not have been the best two years of my life but it will be the best two years for my life.”  These missionaries will grow so much in the next two years and lay a great foundation for the rest of their lives.

     Wednesday we were notified that a young father in our ward had passed away suddenly.  His wife is my Visiting Teacher, she is a good friend and has been so thoughtful.  The funeral is tomorrow and I’ll be able to attend.  The brother who passed away joined the Church about five years ago.  He was sealed to his wife and two beautiful daughters a year later.  Our fast and testimony meeting today was so appropriate and comforting.  Many testimonies were shared about the Plan of Salvation, the comfort of knowing that families and relationships are eternal and that because of our Savior’s Atonement we will all live again.

     Our weather was unusually wet and cold Thursday and Friday so I decided to give Ted his Christmas present a little early. He needed a waterproof jacket, I found a really nice one at Costco and thought I should buy it before they were all gone.  He put on his new jacket, it was a perfect fit.  It really looked nice on him and I was glad he had some protection from the rainy, cold weather.  Ted came home a few hours later after visiting with a missionary who needed some TLC without his new coat.  He said, “I hope you don’t mind but I gave my coat to one of the Elders.”  He then told us that when he was driving to meet with the Elder who was in need, he received a phone call from one of our International missionaries.  The missionary is from Central America and was reassigned to our mission so he came unprepared for our occasional cold, wet, winter days.  He said, “President, I don’t know what to do.  I want to go out and work but I don’t have a coat and it is so cold and rainy.” Ted asked the Elder, “Where are you right now?”  The Elder was just five minutes away so Ted made a quick detour and dropped off the coat, which was a perfect fit.  Our missionary was nearly speechless, he could not believe that his prayer and need were answered so quickly.

     I love the scriptures that reassure us that our Heavenly Father knows our need beforehand and has already set the wheels in motion to meet those needs.  “Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” (Matt 6:8) “Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is cast into the oven shall he not much more clothe you. Therefore take no thought, saying what shall we eat? Or, what shall we drink? Or, wherewithal shall we be clothed? (Matt 6:30-31).  Every day we see miracles and the Lord’s hand in His work!


We love and appreciate each of you,

The Long Beach Buberts