They Did Not Doubt

We had a wonderful week:  Zone Conferences, Mother's Day and Violet's First Birthday Celebration!

Our Zone Conferences went very well.  The Zone leaders taught, we were well fed by the Stake Relief Societies that hosted each conference (we divided the mission into three meetings) and some powerful testimonies were shared at each meeting.  The Elders and Sisters who are completing their missions next week each had a chance to take a few minutes to share their feelings, they had wonderful insights.  Every six weeks we loose our most experienced, most capable missionaries.  They go home and move on in their lives (as they should) but they are very missed here in Long Beach.  The best part of getting the missionaries together is feeling the strength of being united in our Father's cause to bless His children.  As we sing, learn and have fun together we all come away strengthened and renewed.

The Mother's Day program at Sacrament Meeting yesterday was great.  Nearly everyone quoted something from the account of the Stripling Warriors from the book of Alma.  The faith of these amazing warriors, who had never fought yet were able to survive brutal battles is attributed to their having been taught by their mothers.  They are described as "young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity:  but behold, this was not all - they were men who were true at all time in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.  Yea, they were men of truth and soberness. for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him".  Later when they miraculously survive a terrible battle it is said of them, "Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death: and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been thaught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.  And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying:  We do not doubt our mothers knew it".

You probably heard all of these same verses in your Mother's Day meetings yesterday.  As I thought about these amazing mothers and wonderful, dedicated mothers everywhere I especially thought of a few other Moms.  The Mom's of our missionaries are incredible.  We can always count on them to encourage their missionaries to be valiant, to have the faith and the courage to finish their missions.  Many of our missionaries have never been away from home, being in the mission is a difficult adjustment for them. Homesickness is painful and often debilitating.  Their faithful Mothers will tell them we love you, we miss you, we will be fine until you return home and we want you to complete an honorable mission and to serve the Lord.  The faith of these mothers is no less than that of the Mother's of the Stripling Warriors.

I thought of my own amazing Mom who always taught us best through her example.  She was one of the most Christlike people I know but would often apologize for not being a better scholar of the scriptures.  She may not have been able to quote scriptures (though she came to love them) but she lived them in such a way that her faith could not be denied and it was contagious.  Each of her children do not doubt that their mother knew the Savior and followed Him.  She continues to be a guiding light in all of our lives.

My wonderful Mother-in-law was a part of my every thought and prayer these past few days.  Grandma Camille suffered a very serious stroke over the weekend.  She spent her Mother's Day in the ICU.  Her complete recovery is very unlikely.  She has an amazing influence on her children and grandchildren.  Grandma Camille knows and loves the Lord, she talks to him all day, like a dear friend.  She especially loves to feel close to him in nature, she calls her home and the surrounding lush acres of trees, grass and swamp "Paradise" and it is. One of the reasons her home is so peaceful and serene is because of her love of God.  She is a Bible Scholar and taught her children the inspiring stories from the Bible, her children do not doubt that their mother knew it, she knows the Lord and His Word.  We are praying that His loving hand will comfort her now.

Violet's first birthday started a day early with a Sunday feast, you've got to check out Stacey's amazing decorations at www.jewkesfam.blogspot.com  (give her a day or two to put them up).  She dove face first into her birthday cake and today we will be taking the celebration to Disneyland! 

We love you all!
The Long Beach Buberts