Dear Family and Loved Ones,
Following our busy week with our mission tour and the Choi’s visit we were expecting a quiet week to recover and prepare for our upcoming mission president’s seminar in Portland but instead this week was very eventful.
Wednesday we welcomed a new sister who has served for six months in Nauvoo, she will spend six months in Long Beach and then return to finish her mission in Nauvoo. She is a great sister from a small town in Utah and will be a strength to our mission!
Friday we had a group of Elders and Sisters over for dinner. Our two temple square sisters were among our dinner guests. We had each of them share part of the missionary lessons in one of their languages. One of the sisters gave the baptismal invitation in Hindi, the other gave the first vision in Japanese – it was really cool! The visitors center missionaries usually just meet a lot of people and then send their referrals so these sisters are really enjoying having a chance to teach the lessons!
Ben had his first driving lesson which activated his learner’s permit. He is now able to practice his driving and he’s doing great. He needs 50 hours to get his license.
We got to see Pearl and Violet on Facetime (like Skype) last night. Pearl sang some of the songs from her Primary Program and told us her part – it was so cute. Violet showed off by saying “Papa, Nana, bye and goggy (doggy). We are grateful for Stacey’s blog ( www.jewkesfam.blogspot.com ) and modern technology that help us stay in touch – it is a great blessing!
Sometimes when it rains it pours and that has been the case when it comes to medical problems this past few weeks. Each month we fill out a medical report for our Area Medical Advisor. We report ER visits, surgeries, missionaries returning home for medical care, etc. I told Ted that the only thing we are lacking to completely fill out our form this month is to have a missionary who is being treated for rabies (hopefully we can skip that procedure). Despite the opposition of some medical setbacks our missionaries are very resourceful and persistent, they find a way to keep the work going in their areas. They are so good at coordinating their schedules and looking after each other. We have also found many compassionate health care providers who do their jobs with skill and concern, often going the second mile. Of course whenever we encounter opposition it just makes us appreciate the good times much more.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes about opposition and missionary work: “The message has always been the same. The adversary has always worked upon those who were taught the gospel and those who teach it. Missionary work has never been easy, and yet the joyful rewards cannot be equaled by any other experience. Anything as precious as the gospel of Jesus Christ is worthy of all the effort and sacrifice of time and means employed to teach it...” (President Hinckley)
“I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him?” (Jeffrey R. Holland)
“As we rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, He can help us endure our trials, sicknesses, and pain. We can be filled with joy, peace and consolation. All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We must show that we accept Him and that we will follow His commandments” (PMG p. 52)
It is a blessing to be a part of our Father’s work to bring His children home to Him. He has provided the way through His Only Begotten Son and the restored Gospel. Our Savior Jesus Christ is there for us to help us through our challenges – His Atonement can strengthen and heal us.
We love and appreciate each of you,
The Long Beach Buberts
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