Dear Family and Loved Ones,
I’m writing our e-mail a couple of days early because today marks the half way point in our mission so it seemed like the perfect day to reflect on the past eighteen months and to look ahead to the remaining days of our assignment here in Long Beach. To say that the time has gone quickly would be an understatement! The time is flying . . . that doesn’t mean that there aren’t really long days or days when our hearts don’t ache because we miss our family, friends and familiar surroundings.
It is actually a bit frightening to realize that our time in Long Beach will be completed before we know it. Will we have accomplished the work our Father has called us to do? Will we have made the most of our opportunity to help the Kingdom grow here in our small vineyard? Most importantly will we have directed, nurtured and encouraged each missionary entrusted to our care in a way that will please their parents and our Heavenly Father? We are determined to make the most of the remainder of our mission and ask you to keep praying for us. We need your faith and prayers, we have felt them in the past and we won’t need them any less in the coming days.
If there is anything we have learned over and over again since arriving in Long Beach it is that this is the Lord’s work, He guides it and works alongside His servants. Our job is to do all we can to be worthy of His companionship, there is nothing that can go permanently wrong when we turn our worries over to Him. This is our desire and our goal, to serve Him tirelessly as He leads and guides us.
Our missionaries seemed to survive their phone calls from home though there were many who felt the normal pangs of homesickness. It is very helpful when families focus their call on the missionary and their work rather than on all that the missionary is missing out on at home (vacations, cruises, sports, etc.). One of Ted’s former assistants completes his mission this transfer. He said my Mom is soooo “trunkie” (can’t wait for him to get home). Missionaries do much better if they aren’t reminded too often about how many months, weeks or days they have left.
We had a great family week and continued to enjoy a break from school for Ben and Mari. They were able to relax and hang out with John who arrived Christmas Eve. Shelly’s visit was much too short (Dec. 24-26th) but she will be moving here soon which we are all looking forward to! Shelly will keep her job in SLC but is able to do her job anywhere as long as she has a computer.
Yesterday was Mari’s 16th birthday and Cristy came to join our celebration. Ted, Cristy, John, Mari and I took an early boat ride to Catalina Island (actually part of our mission) to spend the day. It was a glorious day! Catalina is beautiful, we especially enjoyed being out in nature, riding a golf cart up and down the mountainside roads, seeing the adorable houses built into the hillsides, the quaint village of Avalon and just being together. Since it was Mari’s birthday we put a couple of candles in her strawberry topped French toast breakfast and sang to her. Mari said she will always remember how she celebrated her 16th birthday so I think we at least helped her have a memorable day.
There is a very small group of Church members who live on Catalina but most are in the service industry and have to work on Sunday so the attendance at Sacrament Meeting is very small. We don’t have missionaries living on the island, there aren’t many people to teach and they would be very isolated. Ted is thinking about ways to help strengthen the members there. They may need the mission president and his wife to visit them from time to time :)
Ben and Mari are looking forward to a Stake New Year’s Eve Dance tomorrow night. As I have mentioned before the youth leaders here do a great job of making sure there are many wholesome activities for the youth. Ted and I have big plans, we are taking down the Christmas tree and storing our Christmas decorations.
The New Year is a great time to reflect over the past months and to plan for the upcoming year. 2011 has been a very special year, we have been blessed in so many ways but our greatest blessings are our dear family and friends. We love and appreciate each of you!
Wishing you a very Happy New Year,
The Long Beach Buberts
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