The Best Things. . .

Dear Family and Loved Ones,

     We have enjoyed the most incredible Thanksgiving week.  We have so much to be grateful for and having a chance to gather family together to celebrate and enjoy each other’s company reminds us of what matters the most to us, that is our family and loved ones and the Gospel that binds us together forever!  Our family began arriving on Tuesday, including my Dad who made the long drive from Utah.  It wasn’t easy for him but his visit was so special, it was a joy to have him spend a few days in the mission home.  He also delivered a lamb to fill the mission home freezer and to assure that we had leg of lamb along with our turkey for Thanksgiving.  By Thursday all of the family who could be here had arrived, we ended up with twenty five family members enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving feast. Under my sister JaNae’s expert direction everyone pitched in which made for a wonderful experience for all.

     The weather really cooperated for the family’s visit and everyone had a chance to soak up some sunshine. We spent some time playing at the beach. Some family members went to the theme parks and the rest of us just enjoyed relaxing on the patio at the mission home.   

Of course with all of the family fun the mission still needed some care.  Ted continued to give interviews (he finishes this week), we had some of the missionaries who live closest join us for pie on Thanksgiving and again for pizza dinner on Saturday.  Whenever missionaries visit members or investigators they leave a message, an invitation and a prayer, when they visit our family they teach us as well.  We look forward to their great insights from the scriptures.

     We will be welcoming some new missionaries tomorrow including a new Cambodian speaking Elder, a new Sister and two visa waiters.  Ted has spent a lot of time in the last few days looking over the transfer board to determine where the new missionaries will serve and who their companions will be.  He doesn’t take this part of his assignment lightly as he recognizes the long lasting impact these decisions have on the life of the missionaries as well as on the life of those they serve and serve with.

As we looked down our long Thanksgiving table I thought of the saying, “The best things in life aren’t things.”  I’ve always loved and treasured my family and being away from loved ones only makes me love and treasure them more.

     I really love some of President Monson’s insights on the importance of family, he said, “When we have sampled much and have wandered far and have seen how fleeting and sometimes superficial a lot of the world is, our gratitude grows for the privilege of being part of something we can count on—home and family and the loyalty of loved ones. We come to know what it means to be bound together by duty, by respect, by belonging. We learn that nothing can fully take the place of the blessed relationship of family life.”

     “What is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, ‘They do not love that do not show their love.’ We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.”

     “May our families and homes be filled with love: love of each other, love of the gospel, love of our fellowman, and love of our Savior. As a result, heaven will be a little closer here on earth.

     “May we make of our homes sanctuaries to which our family members will ever want to return.”

     President Monson added this prayer for our families, “Inasmuch as the family unit is under attack in the world today, and many things long held sacred are ridiculed, we ask Thee, our Father, to make us equal to the challenges we face, that we may stand strong for truth and righteousness. May our homes be havens of peace, of love and of spirituality.”


We hope you know that we love and appreciate each of you!

The Long Beach Buberts