Golden

Dear Family and Loved Ones,

     We enjoyed a really great week of perfect weather, training with our newest missionaries, getting our family back to Long Beach from Utah and amazing missionary experiences.

     When we first arrived in Long Beach two years ago we made a pledge that we would never take for granted the perfect weather and beautiful surroundings in our mission. We continue to appreciate how fortunate we are to be serving in such an amazing place. Our temperatures continue to be so pleasant (low 70’s) although this week they are predicting a heat wave . . . they are forecasting temperatures in the low 80’s! I think we’ll survive :)

     Tuesday we had a tune up at the mission office for all of our missionaries with less than three transfers in the mission. Our sisters and senior couples were also invited so we had a good sized group of sixty missionaries. I was still recovering from a stomach virus so we kept the menu simple and served Costco pizza, salad and root beer floats. They seemed to enjoy their lunch as well as the training meeting that followed. They especially love gathering with each other.

Shelly, Ben and Mari all returned to Long Beach after their visit to Utah for Johnny and Sam’s wedding and some family time. It was so good to have them back in the mission, the mission home was very quiet without them. They seemed to be happy to be back as well though they miss their family and friends in Utah. We are so blessed to be close enough to home that we can return for special family events. Of course it is hard that Ted stays behind to keep the mission going but it’s something we knew was a part of our calling. Somehow the Spirit compensates for us not being together and helps us look forward to future times when we will be reunited.

     Ben, Mari and I had fun meeting some special friends for lunch in Huntington Beach. They were on their honeymoon here in Southern California. We visited over Ruby’s shakes and hamburgers at the end of the pier. It was great to see them!

Ted had a final interview with one of our amazing missionary couples who left early this morning for Utah after completing a wonderful six month mission. They accomplished so much in their short stay. We will miss them so much! We receive a new couple today who will continue the work they started in Leisure World (a retirement community). Senior couples are so valuable!

     Sunday night Ted and I spoke at a missionary fireside for the youth of the Cerritos Stake. We love all of our stakes and the stake leaders. Everything went well with the fireside. They showed some great video clips from LDS.org about missionary work and had a sweet new convert share her testimony. Ted and I each spoke about how important it is for them to be good examples and some of the ways they can invite their friends to church activities. They were attentive but were probably glad we kept it short, they also seemed most excited about their refreshments.

     The assistants have been teaching an amazing sister in our ward who was baptized Saturday. She is one of those golden contacts that every missionary dreams about but rarely finds. This sister was first contacted by our missionaries in Seal Beach. They were going to a dinner appointment and talking to everyone on the way. They offered this sister a Book of Mormon and asked for her name and address. She says she was so surprised that she took their book and gave them the information. Our Elders were disappointed to find out that she lived outside of their area, they reluctantly passed the information on to the Elders in our ward.

     As soon as our Elders started teaching this very prepared sister they knew she was something special. In their very first lesson she said, “I feel like I had only been seeing a little bit of the picture and you are opening my view so I can see the big picture.” She is a self-described “sponge” who absorbed everything she was taught so quickly. Because she had studied the Bible all of her life her foundation was firm and she could see the necessity of the restoration and how all of the pieces of the puzzle have come together by having truth and authority returned to the earth.

     Thursday night this dear sister was taught a lesson in the mission home. It was a great experience to hear her testimony and to get to know such a prepared baptismal candidate. She has been reading the Book of Mormon, studying the pamphlets (her pamphlets are filled with notes and references to additional scriptures) and has overcome a forty year addiction to smoking. Her only regret is that she hasn’t had the Gospel in her life sooner! The lesson was on temples and vicarious work for our ancestors. She said that she has always felt very close to is her grandma who passed away. Her grandma would make milky tea and toast for the two of them, they would sit in the kitchen next to a big, sunny picture window and talk for hours. When she was invited to prepare for the temple following her baptism she enthusiastically said, “Yes, and I can’t wait to be baptized for my Grandma!” There is no doubt her grandma will be excited as well.

     The baptism and confirmation were all they should have been, Spirit and testimony filled. This whole experience is a reminder that there are many of our brothers and sisters who are prepared to receive the blessings of the restored gospel. We need to keep inviting everyone so each of our Heavenly Father’s children has an opportunity to have the joy found in being members of Christ’s true church.



We love each of you,

The Long Beach Bubert